conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What could be a title for a book about French, English, Divided with the genre: Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Regional & International?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: A title for this book could be 'French Country Cooking'
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the first four paragraphs for this book.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: French Country Cooking
  Classification: LCC TX719.T47285 2016 | DDC 641.5944—dc23 LC record available at <http://lccn.loc.gov/2016004585>
  About a hundred years ago a woman named Plantia Pautard lived with her husband, a baker, in St Yzans, a small village in the Médoc region of France. She was a formidable, renowned cook, fascinated by food and driven by ambition. Her talents were, it seems, not limited to the kitchen, for she was also the mistress of the richest man in town, Monsieur Brion, the town's mayor. It was all, as they say, very French.
  When Monsieur Brion bought the largest, most opulent house in town, right in the center of the village, he had plans to use the house for something practical (for he was a practical man), like government offices or even a post office. Plantia convinced him to change his mind. Whether through clever pillow talk, or perhaps simply because he could never say no to Plantia, he agreed to let her use the house as a very upscale hotel and restaurant. Most likely her poor husband supplied the bread. (Apparently, if nothing else, he was a very good baker.)
  The hotel soon acquired legendary status, and people from all over the region, fancy folks from Bordeaux, even Paris, would drive to Médoc to taste Plantia's cooking. Those were her glory days. She presided over the establishment with precision and panache, always dressed in black, cooking with the finest seasonal ingredients. The years passed, Plantia's daughter had a daughter, Jacqueline, and the three women cooked side by side in the kitchen. When the mayor sensed the end of his days, he donated the house not only to his mistress but also to her husband the baker who finally got something out of it all. When Plantia died, her granddaughter and her family continued to live in the house until the little girl became an older woman. She continued to take care of the house with exceptional care and determination, refusing to consider leaving her childhood home for a more comfortable, smaller house.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me four more paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: I have vivid memories from my childhood summers in the southwest of France of old men carrying cheeses and various sausages in their handkerchiefs. They would buy a baguette, take out their pocketknives, and conjure up a feast at any time of the day, usually laid out on an old wine barrel or vegetable box. My fascination with "old men food" grew so strong that I asked my parents for a pocketknife for my birthday, an Opinel that I still have.
  A staple of "old men food" is the rustic country terrine, and this particular recipe comes from Yves Lajoux, who is also known as "the forest whisperer." He lives not far from us here in Médoc, and he knows the land better than anyone. No one is better at finding wild mushrooms or strawberries and, according to him, no one makes a better terrine. I fell in love with this recipe some years ago and have made it regularly since, probably twice a year. It's an effort, but a fun one. You will need a meat grinder with a medium-hole plate, or you can ask your butcher to mince the chicken livers and pork meat for you.
  I SPENT LARGE portions of my childhood in various restaurants with my parents, their friends, my friends. I have countless memories of sitting at late-night banquet tables surrounded by members of the Hong Kong Lions Club, feasting on the finest delicacies, and having big lunches with my godfather, Uncle Fat Steven (that's what everyone calls him), watching him consume three whole chickens in the most delicate, precise manner. As I got older, it became my favorite pastime to find the best restaurants when I traveled.
  When Oddur and I were romancing each other and he visited me in Paris, our main concern (well, aside from all the romance) was always where to have dinner. As an art director and an insufferable aesthete, to him the food has to be good but the place must look right as well. And by looking right I don't mean ornate or luxurious; it just has to have soul, a story. But to me the food is the most important.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Delete the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: I have vivid memories from my childhood summers in the southwest of France of old men carrying cheeses and various sausages in their handkerchiefs. They would buy a baguette, take out their pocketknives, and conjure up a feast at any time of the day, usually laid out on an old wine barrel or vegetable box. My fascination with "old men food" grew so strong that I asked my parents for a pocketknife for my birthday, an Opinel that I still have.
  A staple of "old men food" is the rustic country terrine, and this particular recipe comes from Yves Lajoux, who is also known as "the forest whisperer." He lives not far from us here in Médoc, and he knows the land better than anyone. No one is better at finding wild mushrooms or strawberries and, according to him, no one makes a better terrine. I fell in love with this recipe some years ago and have made it regularly since, probably twice a year. It's an effort, but a fun one. You will need a meat grinder with a medium-hole plate, or you can ask your butcher to mince the chicken livers and pork meat for you.
  I SPENT LARGE portions of my childhood in various restaurants with my parents, their friends, my friends. I have countless memories of sitting at late-night banquet tables surrounded by members of the Hong Kong Lions Club, feasting on the finest delicacies, and having big lunches with my godfather, Uncle Fat Steven (that's what everyone calls him), watching him consume three whole chickens in the most delicate, precise manner. As I got older, it became my favorite pastime to find the best restaurants when I traveled.
  When Oddur and I were romancing each other and he visited me in Paris, our main concern (well, aside from all the romance) was always where to have dinner. As an art director and an insufferable aesthete, to him the food has to be good but the place must look right as well. And by looking right I don't mean ornate or luxurious; it just has to have soul, a story.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the last three paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Matt and Yolanda, for being such good friends and future neighbors and so supportive in everything I do—St Yzans style.
  The dream team at Clarkson Potter, especially Anna and Kevin, my partners in crime on the publicity and marketing circuit.
  Anne and Mimi, for your elegance, kindness, and all the wonderful objects that used to be in your store in St Christoly but are now in our house. And for coming to our restaurant almost every time we were open.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the first four paragraphs for this book.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: French Country Cooking
  In the meantime, take the strained liquor in which the pieces of hare for the terrine were cooked, put it in a shallow pan and simmer it until it is reduced and thick. (If it has been salted, the reducing process will make it too salt.)
  Take the saddle out of the oven, carve it in thin long pieces and put these into the sauce. Strain the fat out of the pan, and to the remaining juices add a little port or red wine and a little water. Cook this a minute or two and add it to the sauce and the pieces of hare. Cover the pan and cook in a slow oven for about 15 minutes until the hare looks quite done.
  Put plenty of good dripping or butter over the saddle, cover with a buttered paper and roast for about 40 minutes in a medium to fast oven. When it is done, put in the serving dish to keep hot, pour off the fat, and to the juices in the pan add a cup of cream and half a cup of fine smooth chestnut purée (p. 160).
  A sauce can be made from the juices in the pan, with the addition of red wine or port and a little water.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me five more paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: In another pan (preferably a double saucepan) put the yolks of 2 eggs, a tablespoon of sugar, a teacup of strong black coffee, 2 tablespoons of cream or top of the milk and a liqueur glass of rum. Stir the sauce over a low flame until it thickens and pour it over the strained chestnuts in a silver dish.
  Melt the butter, stir in the flour, cook until it is smooth, then add the warmed milk and cook again until you have a smooth white sauce. Add the sugar, the grated rind, the 3 yolks, stir off the fire, then add the lemon juice. When it is cool fold in the beaten whites.
  Pour it into a soufflé dish, with a buttered paper band round the top, and cook for about 15 minutes in a hot oven (Gas 6 or 7).
  Beat the yolks of the eggs with the sugar, the grated rind of the lemon and the juice, for several minutes. Whip the whites and fold them in. Pour into a buttered soufflé dish and cook for 10–12 minutes in a medium-hot oven.
  Soufflés made without the addition of flour are very light and creamy, but the whole operation should be performed with speed, and, as already explained on p. 64, the exact heat of the oven and the timing can only be learnt by experience.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Swap the first and the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: 64, the exact heat of the oven and the timing can only be learnt by experience. Stir the sauce over a low flame until it thickens and pour it over the strained chestnuts in a silver dish.
  Melt the butter, stir in the flour, cook until it is smooth, then add the warmed milk and cook again until you have a smooth white sauce. Add the sugar, the grated rind, the 3 yolks, stir off the fire, then add the lemon juice. When it is cool fold in the beaten whites.
  Pour it into a soufflé dish, with a buttered paper band round the top, and cook for about 15 minutes in a hot oven (Gas 6 or 7).
  Beat the yolks of the eggs with the sugar, the grated rind of the lemon and the juice, for several minutes. Whip the whites and fold them in. Pour into a buttered soufflé dish and cook for 10–12 minutes in a medium-hot oven.
  Soufflés made without the addition of flour are very light and creamy, but the whole operation should be performed with speed, and, as already explained on p.In another pan (preferably a double saucepan) put the yolks of 2 eggs, a tablespoon of sugar, a teacup of strong black coffee, 2 tablespoons of cream or top of the milk and a liqueur glass of rum.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the last four paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Drop the peaches into boiling water for a few minutes, drain them, and peel off the skin, which comes off very easily if the peaches are ripe. Stick a clove into each peach.
  Make a syrup of the water and sugar and add a half teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ginger. Put the peaches in and cook for 10 minutes, then leave to cool. After a few hours drain off the syrup, put it back in the pan and add the vinegar, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, add the peaches again and simmer until they are just tender, by which time the syrup should have thickened. Leave the peaches to stand overnight in the syrup.
  Next day pack them into jars, reheat the syrup and pour it over the peaches. They will keep a long time, but once a jar has been opened it is advisable to keep it in the ice-box.
  Both black and green olives are best bought loose, whenever possible, and stored, covered with olive oil, in jars. Small olives are usually better than large ones.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the first five paragraphs for this book.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: French Country Cooking
  Ambassadors of their departments, French deputies represent their constituents at the Palais Bourbon, home of the National Assembly—the forum where France conducts its politics. Beyond the political aspect of their role, however, these deputies all enjoy good cuisine, and have agreed to share and exhibit with pride a sample of the gastronomy of their particular land—le terroir. Each recipe, each dish is made with the prized products, meat and sea fare, identified with their district.
  Every five years, deputies in France stand for election, in a sort of grand electoral cook-off. Candidates may get roasted, skewered, raked over the coals, stewed in their own juices, or grilled by their constituents, but at the end of day all are in the same position, presented on the same platter. Both crusty veterans and young sprouts are subject to the electorate's scrutiny, and only the candidates best able to respond to the issues of the moment will get the thumbs-up and avoid the compost heap.
  It is with great pleasure that I invite you to share the panoply of gourmand moments with us. You will discover never-published recipes, and will even be surprised by some new combinations of flavors.
  Endowed with landscapes as rich as they are diverse, fertile farmlands and orchards throughout, France's singular patrimony is its incredibly varied gastronomy—an art refined over centuries.
  History points out that a great many of the dishes considered today part of our gastronomic glory trace their roots to a time when rural France suffered extreme poverty. The only way for the countrymen to survive was to avail themselves of all the simple elements growing nearby. Some plants they gathered from nature's bounty, and some they grew themselves. Every possible part was used, either to feed the family, to fertilize the fields, or to feed the livestock. And the animals—besides producing milk or eggs or offspring—were in turn used for food from head to hoof. Driven by necessity, the rural householder learned how best to utilize each part of the beef or lamb, pig or chicken, including delicacies made of the innards and the extremities.
conversations.from: human
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conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The river from which the Loire department in east-central France takes its name is the country's longest, at more than one thousand kilometers. The Loire valley is often called "the garden of France" for its flowers, vineyards, rolling hills.
  The blue-veined Fourme de Montbrison and its cousin Fourme d'Ambert are among France's oldest cheeses, dating back to Roman times. The Latin casei forma, cheese mold, gave modern languages the words Käse, queso, and "cheese" along with formaggio and fromage—and the original forma was the tall cylinder still used for Fourme de Montbrison. Made with cow's milk, it is lightly fermented and remains soft.
  Roanne, a large town in the Loire department less than sixty miles northwest of Lyons, is known for both industry and agriculture and, more recently, for its famous restaurant Les Frères Troisgros.
  The charbonnier or tricholome prétentieux is a gray-capped, umbrella-shaped mushroom related to the mousseron that grows in layers, on tree logs. To approximate the charbonniers, substitute a mix of chanterelles and cremini.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the last five paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Breadfruit grows on the breadfruit tree, an evergreen of the mulberry family that is found throughout the South Pacific, in Southeast Asia. The breadfruit has to be peeled. What is edible is the gelatinous meat inside, which when scooped out of the breadfruit can be grilled or boiled, and can be enjoyed either salted or sweetened with some natural syrup. This recipe was provided by Apeleto Albert Likuvalu, deputy of Wallis-et-Futuna.
  French Polynesia, an overseas territory in the middle of the South Pacific, straddles the Tropic of Capricorn and, in its vast sweep from the Austral Islands to the Marquesas, encompasses the Society Islands, of which the most celebrated is Tahiti.
  New Caledonia, a French overseas territory, is a collectivity of islands located in the extreme western part of the South Pacific. It is directly east of Australia across the Coral Sea. Its population is a blend of Melanesian and European—as is its cuisine.
  Fish holds a big presence in all those islands cuisine. The abundance of spices often offers similarity in flavor. This recipe was provided by Gaël Yanno, deputy of Nouvelle-Calédonie.
  Pies/Tarts. see Savory Tarts/Pies; Tarts/Pies Perch, Roasted, with Potatoes Boulangère and Roasted Tomato,
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Delete the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Breadfruit grows on the breadfruit tree, an evergreen of the mulberry family that is found throughout the South Pacific, in Southeast Asia. The breadfruit has to be peeled. What is edible is the gelatinous meat inside, which when scooped out of the breadfruit can be grilled or boiled, and can be enjoyed either salted or sweetened with some natural syrup. This recipe was provided by Apeleto Albert Likuvalu, deputy of Wallis-et-Futuna.
  French Polynesia, an overseas territory in the middle of the South Pacific, straddles the Tropic of Capricorn and, in its vast sweep from the Austral Islands to the Marquesas, encompasses the Society Islands, of which the most celebrated is Tahiti.
  New Caledonia, a French overseas territory, is a collectivity of islands located in the extreme western part of the South Pacific. It is directly east of Australia across the Coral Sea. Its population is a blend of Melanesian and European—as is its cuisine.
  Fish holds a big presence in all those islands cuisine. The abundance of spices often offers similarity in flavor. This recipe was provided by Gaël Yanno, deputy of Nouvelle-Calédonie.
  Pies/Tarts.