True to life in Auvergne
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A great book, part anecdotes, part recipes. I've lived in Auvergne for long & the book is a tribute to the people & their cuisine.
Do try the the recipes; they're the true ones.
Highly recommended.
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A labour of love
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The subtitle - 'The life and food of an Auvergne village' describes this book accurately. Although ostensibly a recipe book, divided into chapters named 'Cheese', 'Fish', 'Pork' and so on, the recipes themselves are set in a rich context of the region, its customs - both traditional and contemporary- and a very real cast of characters. This is by no means yet another "Brit in foreign climes tells amusing anecdotes"- for a start the research is meticulous, and Mr Graham treats his Cantalese friends and neighbours with respect and affection, rather than as Mayle-esque caricatures. This isn't to say he is dull or over-pious: not a bit, the book is immensely entertaining. The author is also extremely knowledgeable: his passage on the making of, and the organisms within and without St Nectaire cheese is a fine and lyrical piece of writing.
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So good I bought a house there myself!
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Already a frequent visitor to the Auvergne (my favourite restaurant in the world is but a few dozen miles from Mourjou), and now a part-time resident there, I devoured this book within hours of turning the first page. Not only is it perhaps the definitive guide to Auvergnat cuisine, it provides a wonderful insight into the machinations of the Auvergnats themselves. France's equivalent of Yorkshiremen, the Auvergnats can be outwardly quite abrupt, but Graham explains in his delightful way how underneath every dour exterior one may find a generous and expressive personality. Worth the price for one recipe alone: Aligot (mashed potato with cheese and garlic), which is quite simply the best food on Earth. It may not be as glowing a tourist guide as Mayle's entertaining but essentially superficial work on Provence, but it covers the subject completely and with great style. Readers of a squeamish nature are advised that the chapter on killing one's own pig is not for the faint of heart. I loved it!
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