Rachel Khoo's Little French Kitchen

Hey, hey, I'm writing about a cookbook today. It's an old one that I found on my book shelf.

In a previous post, I featured Rachel Khoo, a British cook, author and TV personality. She's a trained chef but she has this no fuss, unpretentious approach to cooking and eating.

I'm feeling the urge to travel but can't at the moment. Which could be the reason why I've been looking through this book.

In My Little French Kitchen, Rachel travels all over France to celebrate cuisine and culture. I'm pretending to be her travel buddy. Here's what she discovered:

Brittany is known for its galettes, crepes, caramel, fleur de sel and dairy products like butter and yogurt.

Bordeaux is known for its wines (here, you'll find the most expensive red wines in the world). It's also here where the Canele de Bordeaux was born. Caneles are small cakes that have a custardy interior and a burnt sugar exterior. It's one of my favorite desserts!

The Pays Basque has a lot of Spanish influences like the use of Espelette peppers (similar to paprika) and the popularity of pintxos (small snacks served in bars).

Rachels says, "The flavors of Provence sum up the taste of summer for me." She tasted her way through this region visiting Nice (olive products like oil and tapenades), Menton (citrus goods like spreads), and Marseille, abundant with sardines. 

Lyon is the capital of French gastronomy and the home cooked meals are the highlight. Also, I'm making a mental note to visit Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse (a food hall named after the father of modern French cuisine).

Alsace has German influences in its food (such as sauerkraut with smoked sausage, kugelhopf and beer). It's also known for its wine (like Riesling and Muscat). She even went to a Christmas Market (a dream of mine!).

The recipes inside the book are based on the cooking in these regions and some have her unique twist.

And of course, the photos are stunning! It makes me want to book a trip immediately.

If you can, please stop by tomorrow for a recipe that I tried from the book.