France: A Culinary Journey

Bonjour from La Bourgogne! This magnificent region of France is not just bursting with garlicky escargots, well marbled Charolais beef, robust red pinot noirs, crisp chardonnay whites, and 30 different types of fromage, it is also a rolling, rural paradise where cattle outnumber people, and quirky festivals are plentiful. 

We are delighted to bring to ckbk three more titles from Ivy Manning, to join her popular book Weeknight Vegetarian. Based in Portland, Oregon, food and travel writer Ivy is also a cookery teacher. And while she has experience working in many prestigious professional kitchens, her books display her expertise in imparting ease and practicality to the home cook.

Plats du Jour, The Taste of Things, and Madeleines – this week’s ckbk newsletter is packed with celebrations of French cooking.

Bastille Day, or the Fête Nationale Française, celebrates the liberation of the French people by remembering two events of the French revolution – the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 and the Fête de la Fédération that announced unity on 14 July 1790. Annually July 14 sees military parades in Paris, while fireworks and parties set the mood across France.

Learning With Experts is the ultimate online classroom for people who are keen to sharpen their skills in a number of life-enhancing subjects, including gardening, photography, floristry – and food & drink. Find out about some of the courses on offer in this guest post from Learning With Experts, and see how this hands-on skills training can help you get the most from ckbk’s huge range of cookbooks.

Loving French food is easy. Finding exactly what kind of French food to cook, learn about and discover is a bit more complicated. This route through France’s regions, chefs and cooking styles will help you find the best of French cuisine

An expert-level quiz created in partnership with Daniel Galmiche, Michelin-starred chef and author of the French Brasserie Cookbook.

Anne Willan recounts the years she spend writing and photographing her comprehensive guide to modern cooking.

A glimpse into the writing process of James Peterson’s 800 page magnum opus.