⭐️: very good. ⭐️⭐️: worth a detour. ⭐️⭐️⭐️: worth the entire journey.
I've always loved the Michelin brothers’ idea of exploring and describing fine food — the unnamed observer, moving through a bistro unnoticed, tasting, assembling an opinion. It's basically a detective novel with a wine pairing.
Just as my character Pascal d’Onscon develops his skills as a connoisseur as he investigates wine fraud in the Bennett Sisters Mystery series, the general public, that is you —consumer, cook, gourmand — are an arbiter of something we all love: food. Some of us love it more than others. Some of us have finely-calibrated taste buds. Some of us don’t. Still we all eat.
The cuisine of France in particular, if you are French or a French tourist or just a lover of memorable meals, is something we can agree on: it’s marvelous. How do you rate food? Very satisfying, stimulating, surprising? Do you simply enjoy the taste, the texture, the flavors? One star? Three stars? Forget about stars?
My main character Merle Bennett contends that food tastes better in France and I must agree. Is it the expectation of something uniquely mouth-watering? Is it because we’re on vacation and have time to savor a meal? Is it because of the dedication of the chef and her demand for the freshest ingredients and the perfect presentation? Is it the wine, so well-matched?
Can we reproduce this mysterious wonder at home, ourselves? Reader, we can try.
Back in 1900, the brothers published their little free guide for French motorists — tire tips, gas stations, and a handful of places to eat along the way. Nobody involved was thinking about gastronomy. They were just hoping the automobile would catch on so they could sell tires.
Today the guide remains an essential handbook for foodies and a boon to chefs all over the world hungry for recognition. In the beginning was France. Because the guide began as literal road infrastructure — maps, fuel stops and more — French gastronomy got linked to travel. Eating well was folded into the idea of discovering France by car, which is part of why the guide leans heavily on region and provenance.
When I sat down to put together this new, expanded cookbook alongside the Bennett Sisters mysteries, I couldn't resist borrowing that structure. This isn't a guide in the Michelin sense — no inspectors, no stars, nothing official about it. But the spirit felt right for a series built on sisters, secrets, and travel around the French countryside: recipes worth a detour, dishes worth the whole trip, even if you only read about France. You can taste it, eat it, enjoy it, anywhere.
Many of the recipes in the new cookbook, updated to over 50 recipes, are grounded in Southwest France. That’s where Merle and Pascal make their homes and cook their ways through now 22 mysteries. Here you’ll find regional delights such as aligot, a creamy, cheesy potato dish served for centuries to pilgrims on their way to the Camino Santiago in Spain. They needed something warm and hearty to get them over the Averyon mountains. Or cassoulet with sausage and duck legs, never a bad choice anywhere but a specialty of Toulouse. Or magret de canard (duck breast) with raspberry coulis, a contender for favorite ever. You’ll find some of our Frenchman Pascal’s favorites: le tourin d'ail doux — creamy garlic soup, coq au vin like his grandmother’s, and learn about his favorite wine.
One reason I love this region is the abundance of specific food products that help define the Aquitaine: truffles, foie gras, duck in all its glory. Bold Bordeaux wine. Sunny Sancerres. Even a side journey into Provence, as the Bennett Sisters have done, for the perfect rosé.
Eight years ago I released the smaller (25 recipe) edition, inspired by the cuisine in the first of the mysteries. I am still giving that ebook away to readers who sign up for my newsletter. But there were only seven books in the series then. This second edition claims the 23 spot with many more photographs and a wider variety of recipes, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover. (The hardcover has a color interior.) Thank you to so many lovely readers who asked for more stories.
Here is a bonus recipe, Raspberry Rosé Sorbet, a perfect end-of-summer dessert. I made this recently for my grandchildren with zero-alcohol rosé as requested by the 11 year old. (I’m pretty sure however the alcohol cooks off.) I used my own raspberries from the backyard, supplemented with some frozen ones from the grocery to make this very red deliciousness.
Raspberry Rosé Sorbet
It’s no mystery! Just berries, wine, and sugar.
2 cups dry rosé (Côtes de Provence is always a winner; nonalcoholic— Giesen from New Zealand is a favorite— works too)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 cups raspberries, fresh, frozen, or a mix
In a saucepan mix the wine and the sugar, bring to a boil and stir to dissolve. Remove from the heat and add the raspberries and stir.
When the mixture is cool, process it in a blender (preferably) or a food processor (a bit messy). You can then, optionally, press through a mesh strainer or food mill to remove the seeds.
NOTE: I love a little chocolate with any raspberry dish. A handful of dark chocolate chips perhaps! ⭐️: very good. Bon appetit.
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