Backroad Bistros, Farmhouse Fare

``How do you sort out the countrified from the real McCoy?'' That's the rhetorical question that shapes this new French country cookbook. Certainly, hundreds of have aimed to present the country's best cuisine-but Sigal argues that some of France's most interesting food can be found on the tables of those who produce it. Here, her case is well-founded: few farmers are as articulate, opinionated or fascinating as the idiosyncratic artisans of agriculture she features. Ten chapters cover the elements of French country food, from soups to desserts. Sandwiched between recipes are entertaining asides on everything from farmhouse cider to a tripe contest in Caen. Sigal, an alumna of L'Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne, knows how to reconstruct a recipe for an American kitchen while respecting French culinary traditions. And she has a storyteller's ear for dialogue: a restaurateur serves garlic soup on Christmas Eve to unwary diners with the cheery advice: ``You weren't planning on going to church, were you?'' Sigal lets her subjects speak for themselves to establish a sense of place and food. Yet her own essential voice is practical and humorous, offering an appealing contrast to her sometimes lyrical descriptions. Her final chapter, listing restaurants, culinary museums and other resources, will prove indispensable to the traveling gourmet. (Nov.)