Simply French: Patricia Wells Presents the Cuisine of Joel Robuchon Hardcover – Illustrated, January 1, 1991

Patricia Wells provides excellent insight into French cooking and most of the ingredients are common, easy to acquire, and the herbs and spices are in most folks’ pantries.

Patricia Wells writes about Joel Robuchon as if he were a deity and, contrary to her usually populist use-what-works approach, urges the reader to follow the recipes to a tee: use the same ingredients, use the same techniques, follow a literal interpretation of the recipes, straight from the horse's mouth. I was richly rewarded for my effort, the interpretation of the classical dishes some of the best I have ever had. I made the leek and potato soup, a spring vegetable soup, a dish in which thin ribbons of zucchini are wrapped around shrimp and then sauteed in olive oil with chantarelle mushrooms, the baked tomatoes, salmon over a bed of buttery cabbage and the scallops baked in butter. The proportions make for an incredibly satisfying outcome, which is difficult to attain when winging it, like I normally do. There are ample techniques and culinary inclinations revealed in the book--Robuchon's general preference for white pepper over black (which he rarely uses), snipping parsley leaves with scissors rather than chopping with a knife (the main benefits are that leaves are not bruised as much and probably more important it is convenient to cut the herbs at the last second) and tips for big pot blanching. Also edifying were Robuchon's little philosophical musings on food, my favorite being that, cooking is like brewing tea leaves: there is a time when the tea has not steeped long enough, a brief moment when it has been just right and any more would be too much. My favorite thing about this book is that it elevates simple ingredients to a sublime level. One instance is the bed of cabbage for a salmon recipe. The cabbage is boiled for a few minutes, refreshed in cold water, dried, gently rewarmed with melted butter and a touch of cream. It tastes like a delicacy when prepared just right. All the recipes I have tried so far have tasted extremely harmonious. Though the book is not as glossy and large as the Thomas Keller tome Bouchon, which also deals with simple French food, the quality of the recipes is noticeably higher.

Wells has done a nice job of presenting versions of Robuchon's meals that are achievable by the home chef. But in my opinion, a few things mar what otherwise could be a very interesting book.First of all, the measurements are in sticks, spoons, cups, ounces and lord knows what else: king's fardels? Rolls? Anyone writing today should really be using grams and litres. While the USA may be the only developed nation (indeed, maybe the only nation) using antiquated weights & measures, that's no reason to perpetuate the error in a modern cook book.Second, there's insufficient attention paid to accompaniments - just a suggestion of a vegetable or side dish.Third, the wine pairing suggestions are little more than vague gestures. Alain Senderens more than thirty years ago perfected the notion of pairing dish with wine in a very precise and wonderful way - balancing acidulity, sweetness, flavor, tannins etc. to complement and bring out the flavors of the main elements of the dish. For example, a cheese souffle with truffle sauce is best complemented by a crisp fruity non-vintage champagne, as the wine pulls the truffle forward and conversely the souffle accentuates the fruitiness of the champagne. In another case, properly hung duck is complemented not with a merlot (too soft) or a pinot (lacking in tannins) but by a Bordeaux-style cab-based wine (at least 7 years old, preferably either a premier cru or one of the many great Napa Valley offerings).Aside from these caveats, it's a pretty good offering.

Exceptional book at a very low cost. Also arrived within expected time frame.

So glad I was able to find this older book. Patricia Wells does a wonderful job of putting the recipes and techniques in an order that makes it easy to find a recipe but I suggest that you just read through the book as if it were a novel the first time. You will be amazed at the ideas you have afterwards.

Joel is amazing. I gave cooked more recipes out of this book than any other over the 30 years I've owned it. Grandma's chicken is some roasted chicken but how every piece of chicken to turn out. Even his grilled cheese sandwich is amazing...

It was as expected.

I had this book for years and lent it to someone who did not return. I was so happy to see that there was a copy available. I'm happy to have it again, but the spine is broken in the front and back of the book. Doesn't really affect me but I don't think it should have been full price.

Distinctly tasteful, bri gs the flavour up and ends up being fingerlicking good. To be recommended to everyone who loves cooking.

Patricia Wells has done it again. Warm affectionate recipes and explanations of French cooking. Where would we Francophiles be without her?

Great cookbook - not a huge number of recipes, and not necessarily for everyday cooking, but gives ideas even for that. and has some more unusal ingredients / combinations.

No fear French cooking!Excellent recipes, easier than you would think!I have prepared many recipes for our week day meals.

Would have preferred original cover as pictured here.