Paris to Provence: Childhood Memories of Food & France

Despite a decade between them in age, food writer Brennan (Herbes de Provence) and food photographer Remington discovered they both shared common memories of childhoods spent in France. Here, they recollect foods and settings they remember most fondly (plus gorgeous photos and more than 50 recipes). The duo replicate a trip through the country, opening with a collection of dishes (Pate de Campagne, Rotisserie Chicken with Potatoes, etc) typically encountered on the road as they work their way through a French vacation, taking time to marvel at the Mediterranean and the beach along the way. Classic French dishes like Fig Tarts, Beignets, Escargot, Croque Madames, and Madeleine cookies break up the excursion, and all are accompanied by crisp, colorful photos begging for a frame. Still, the difficulty of trying to balance being travelogue, memoir, and classic cookbook becomes unwieldy at times; book careens back and forth, some of the writing is embarrassingly overwrought, and lengthy preambles accompany many of the recipes. Despite these flaws, Brennan and Remington do an admirable job of transporting readers into a carefree environment in which the only concern is running out of time to savor it all. (May)