Authentic and interesting recipes with delicious and soul-satisfying results.
Provence, the Cookbook, Recipes from the French Mediterranean (Simon & Schuster 2023) by Caroline Rimbert Craig with photography by Susan Bell, has a handsome cover and stunning photography, tempting the reader to browse and explore.
These authentic and interesting recipes produced delicious and soul-satisfying results. Tarte de Blettes, chard tart, intrigued me with its surprising ingredients: chopped apple, sage and rosemary, goat cheese and crème fraiche. It was ‘knocked-out-of-the-park’ good. My only complaint is the rather detailed recipe, printed on both sides of the page, required too much flipping while following.
The colorful stacked omelet, Crespèou, was fun to make, another hit. The tapenade recipe called for in the omelet was a cinch to buzz up in a mini food processor.
Two other recipes tasted good but had some issues.
Saffron and tomato rice is a nice, risotto-like side but I think the author should have been clear that this is very soupy made with the amount of liquid called for.
Last, I whipped up the yogurt cake in a trice, using an apple, as a quince was not available. It was subtly sweet and very nice with a cup of tea. Once I got my hands on a quince and cooked it up as directed, it tasted extremely sour. I’m glad I tried it with an apple, which was perfect.
Happy food this is! If you fancy a virtual trip to Provence, this is your chance. Bon appétit! 
