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The Little Paris Kitchen
Rachel Khoo serves up a modern twist on classic French cooking
Rachel Khoo was determined to get to grips with French cooking, so to learn more she moved to Paris, not speaking a word of French, and enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu, the world-famous cookery school. Six years later, she still lives and works in Paris, cooking up a selection of classic French dishes from all over the country and giving them a fresh makeover with her own modern twists. From a Croque Madame muffin and the classic Boeuf bourguignon, to a deliciously fragrant Provencal lavender and lemon roast chicken, Rachel celebrates the culinary landscape of France as it is today and shows how simple these dishes are.
The 120 recipes in the book range from easy, everyday dishes like Omelette Pipérade, to summer picnics by the Seine and afternoon 'goûter' (snacks), to meals with friends and delicious desserts including classics like Crème brulee and Tarte tatin. It's a book that celebrates the very best of French home-cooking in a modern and accessible way. Real French food is no longer something only served in fancy restaurants; Rachel will show how you can add a little French culinary touch to your everyday life at home, no matter where you are in the world, or how big your kitchen is!
Rachel Khoo was determined to get to grips with French cooking, so to learn more she moved to Paris, not speaking a word of French, and enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu, the world-famous cookery school. Six years later, she still lives and works in Paris, cooking up a selection of classic French dishes from all over the country and giving them a fresh makeover with her own modern twists. From a Croque Madame muffin and the classic Boeuf bourguignon, to a deliciously fragrant Provencal lavender and lemon roast chicken, Rachel celebrates the culinary landscape of France as it is today and shows how simple these dishes are.
The 120 recipes in the book range from easy, everyday dishes like Omelette Pipérade, to summer picnics by the Seine and afternoon 'goûter' (snacks), to meals with friends and delicious desserts including classics like Crème brulee and Tarte tatin. It's a book that celebrates the very best of French home-cooking in a modern and accessible way. Real French food is no longer something only served in fancy restaurants; Rachel will show how you can add a little French culinary touch to your everyday life at home, no matter where you are in the world, or how big your kitchen is!
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
341 people are currently reading
2898 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Khoo
15 books83 followersRachel’s unconventional food background has helped formulate her unique culinary touch. She graduated with a Bachelors degree in Art & Design from the renowned Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. Thereafter she worked for a luxury fashion brand, doing PR and e-marketing. Ultimately, her passion for pâtisserie lured her to Paris, where she studied at Le Cordon Bleu and obtained a pastry diploma.
She put her skills to excellent use at the delightful Paris culinary bookstore and tea salon, La Cocotte. There Rachel concocted delicious sweet treats, regularly providing catering for culinary book launches and hosting cookery classes on site. Following the success of her edible endeavours at La Cocotte, she now works on culinary projects throughout the world. Her role as an international food creative has spanned six-course dinners and workshops in places as far-flung as London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Melbourne, Sydney and Buenos Aires.
She is also a food writer with books “Barres à céréales, Granola et Muesli faites maison” and “Pâtes à tartiner” published by Marabout. “Barres à céréales, Granola et Muesli faites maison” has also been published in Dutch, Italian and most recently in English – “Pâtes à tartiner” has also been published in English. Her third cookbook (her first English book) “The Little Paris Kitchen” was published by Penguin on March the 15th 2012. This book has also been translated into Dutch, French, Italian, German, Danish, Japanese, Latvian, Russian, Portuguese, Polish, Taiwanese, Korean and Norwegian. The book has also been published in the USA, by Chronicle Books.
Her first cookery show “The Little Paris Kitchen” was aired on BBC 2 from the 19th March 2012 for six weeks and has since been shown around the world. The show has aired all over the world, from Australia to Brazil, Canada to Finland, the USA to Hong Kong and many more.
Rachel’s fourth book “My Little French Kitchen” was published by Michael Joseph in Autumn 2013. Foreign editions have been published in the following territories: Germany, Holland, Taiwan, US, Japan and Poland.
Rachel’s TV show for BBC World Wide, ‘Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: London’ and ‘Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: Cosmopolitan Cook’ aired around the globe in 2013. Rachel’s fifth book “Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook”, featuring all the recipes from the show plus many more was published by Michael Joseph in February 2015 in the UK – it’s been published in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Netherlands and the United States too. It is available to order from Amazon now.
A six-part series ‘A Cook Abroad’ was aired on BBC2 and BBC2 HD in the UK in February 2015 – Rachel is one of the featured cooks in this fun series which sees cooks journey to places which inspire them. In her episode, Rachel journeys to Malaysia to explore part of her culinary heritage. Watch the trailer here.
Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: Melbourne aired in Australia on SBS in July 2015 and is currently airing around the world. In February 2016, Rachel appeared as a guest judge on the popular Australian competitive cooking show, My Kitchen Rules. She co-hosted Zumbo’s Just Desserts show on Channel 7 in Australia which aired in the Summer 2016. And is currently airing on Netflix and around the world.
She has regularly written recipes for the London Evening Standard, The Times, The Guardian and various other media outlets. Aswell as consulting for hotels, restaurants and blue chip clients, most recently for the launch of the Soho house x Sydell group hotel in London, The Ned.
In 2015 Rachel launched, Khoollect. Khoollect is a creative studio based in London aswell as an online community celebrating inspiration found in unlikely places.
She put her skills to excellent use at the delightful Paris culinary bookstore and tea salon, La Cocotte. There Rachel concocted delicious sweet treats, regularly providing catering for culinary book launches and hosting cookery classes on site. Following the success of her edible endeavours at La Cocotte, she now works on culinary projects throughout the world. Her role as an international food creative has spanned six-course dinners and workshops in places as far-flung as London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Melbourne, Sydney and Buenos Aires.
She is also a food writer with books “Barres à céréales, Granola et Muesli faites maison” and “Pâtes à tartiner” published by Marabout. “Barres à céréales, Granola et Muesli faites maison” has also been published in Dutch, Italian and most recently in English – “Pâtes à tartiner” has also been published in English. Her third cookbook (her first English book) “The Little Paris Kitchen” was published by Penguin on March the 15th 2012. This book has also been translated into Dutch, French, Italian, German, Danish, Japanese, Latvian, Russian, Portuguese, Polish, Taiwanese, Korean and Norwegian. The book has also been published in the USA, by Chronicle Books.
Her first cookery show “The Little Paris Kitchen” was aired on BBC 2 from the 19th March 2012 for six weeks and has since been shown around the world. The show has aired all over the world, from Australia to Brazil, Canada to Finland, the USA to Hong Kong and many more.
Rachel’s fourth book “My Little French Kitchen” was published by Michael Joseph in Autumn 2013. Foreign editions have been published in the following territories: Germany, Holland, Taiwan, US, Japan and Poland.
Rachel’s TV show for BBC World Wide, ‘Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: London’ and ‘Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: Cosmopolitan Cook’ aired around the globe in 2013. Rachel’s fifth book “Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook”, featuring all the recipes from the show plus many more was published by Michael Joseph in February 2015 in the UK – it’s been published in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Netherlands and the United States too. It is available to order from Amazon now.
A six-part series ‘A Cook Abroad’ was aired on BBC2 and BBC2 HD in the UK in February 2015 – Rachel is one of the featured cooks in this fun series which sees cooks journey to places which inspire them. In her episode, Rachel journeys to Malaysia to explore part of her culinary heritage. Watch the trailer here.
Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: Melbourne aired in Australia on SBS in July 2015 and is currently airing around the world. In February 2016, Rachel appeared as a guest judge on the popular Australian competitive cooking show, My Kitchen Rules. She co-hosted Zumbo’s Just Desserts show on Channel 7 in Australia which aired in the Summer 2016. And is currently airing on Netflix and around the world.
She has regularly written recipes for the London Evening Standard, The Times, The Guardian and various other media outlets. Aswell as consulting for hotels, restaurants and blue chip clients, most recently for the launch of the Soho house x Sydell group hotel in London, The Ned.
In 2015 Rachel launched, Khoollect. Khoollect is a creative studio based in London aswell as an online community celebrating inspiration found in unlikely places.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
June 14, 2013
This week I've been reading and cooking recipes form The Little Paris Kitchen: 120 Simple but Classic French Recipes by Rachel Khoo. I thought this book might be a little more like My Berlin Kitchen and Apron Anxiety, but it's less of a memoir and more of a recipe book than the two others.
Rachel Khoo was living in London working as a fashion publicist when she decided to move to Paris and earn a degree from the prestigious Cordon Bleu. In her book, Rachel aims to make French cuisine more accessible to us, and the recipes are simple enough to cook even during a busy work week. The first three chapters are my favorites: Everyday Cooking, Snack Time, and Summer Picnics. Khoo also includes a very helpful section entitled French Basics where she shares basic recipes, techniques, and pantry items every French Chef Wannabe needs to know. The photography is fantastic in the book, and I especially liked seeing photos of her tiny little kitchen with only two burners and a small oven. I think that's part of the point of this book: you don't need the latest (and largest) gadget to cook basic delicious French food.
Rachel's tiny French apartment was only large enough to book two diners for lunch daily. People from all over the world wanted to eat simple French home cooking while in Paris, and her little apartment "dining room" was a hit with everyone, even Parisians. I would love for Rachel Khoo to feed me one day! Sadly, I read on her blog that The Little Paris Kitchen restaurant is no longer open. I appreciate her love of cooking and her simple approach to French food. I highly recommend this cookbook, and it is probably the best one I've read (and tested!) in a few years.
Rachel Khoo was living in London working as a fashion publicist when she decided to move to Paris and earn a degree from the prestigious Cordon Bleu. In her book, Rachel aims to make French cuisine more accessible to us, and the recipes are simple enough to cook even during a busy work week. The first three chapters are my favorites: Everyday Cooking, Snack Time, and Summer Picnics. Khoo also includes a very helpful section entitled French Basics where she shares basic recipes, techniques, and pantry items every French Chef Wannabe needs to know. The photography is fantastic in the book, and I especially liked seeing photos of her tiny little kitchen with only two burners and a small oven. I think that's part of the point of this book: you don't need the latest (and largest) gadget to cook basic delicious French food.
Rachel's tiny French apartment was only large enough to book two diners for lunch daily. People from all over the world wanted to eat simple French home cooking while in Paris, and her little apartment "dining room" was a hit with everyone, even Parisians. I would love for Rachel Khoo to feed me one day! Sadly, I read on her blog that The Little Paris Kitchen restaurant is no longer open. I appreciate her love of cooking and her simple approach to French food. I highly recommend this cookbook, and it is probably the best one I've read (and tested!) in a few years.
December 8, 2012
I freely admit that I'm a francophile. I heart all things France: the food, the art, the people, the culture, the joie de vivre well... you get the picture. This translates into having a number of French cookbooks. Also, I should disclose that Rachel Khoo is my new chef crush. So take this review with the proverbial grain of salt.
However, having said all that the recipes in this book are highly accessible, inventive & original with some stunning photography to accompany the recipes. She suggests alternatives for virtually any questionably accessible ingredient. She also provides loads of alternatives in prepping a number of her recipes & incorporates both Asian & British twists. She does an excellent job of including recipes from all over France, not just Parisienne recipes. It's arranged eccentrically: everyday foods, snacks, summer picnics, cocktails & appetizers, dinner, dessert &, finally, the basics. The dessert section looks to be her strongest & most inventive. As a matter of fact, I think I'll try my hand at Fountainebleau avec un coulis de carotte et cannelle this weekend!
I have tried making gratin dauphinois several times with very little success; after having read Rachel's recipe I know what I did wrong! There are a number of recipes that I've never seen before in other books, a number of which are spicy-not ordinarily associated with French cuisine. IMHO everyone makes a cookbook in an effort to be original but what I appreciate about Rachel's is she takes classics & re-imagines them; she's not re-inventing the wheel here & why mess with perfection? I mean Croque Madame muffins... classic ingredients in a handy muffin form, who can resist that? There are several interesting & imaginative bread recipes that I can't wait to test run. I tried the Poulet au citron et lavande this weekend & can attest to its excellence.
All in all an excellent debut for Ms. Khoo! Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys French food with a multicultural twist or the novice looking to learn the basics & not ready for the somewhat daunting Mastering the Art of French Cooking by the great Julia Child.
However, having said all that the recipes in this book are highly accessible, inventive & original with some stunning photography to accompany the recipes. She suggests alternatives for virtually any questionably accessible ingredient. She also provides loads of alternatives in prepping a number of her recipes & incorporates both Asian & British twists. She does an excellent job of including recipes from all over France, not just Parisienne recipes. It's arranged eccentrically: everyday foods, snacks, summer picnics, cocktails & appetizers, dinner, dessert &, finally, the basics. The dessert section looks to be her strongest & most inventive. As a matter of fact, I think I'll try my hand at Fountainebleau avec un coulis de carotte et cannelle this weekend!
I have tried making gratin dauphinois several times with very little success; after having read Rachel's recipe I know what I did wrong! There are a number of recipes that I've never seen before in other books, a number of which are spicy-not ordinarily associated with French cuisine. IMHO everyone makes a cookbook in an effort to be original but what I appreciate about Rachel's is she takes classics & re-imagines them; she's not re-inventing the wheel here & why mess with perfection? I mean Croque Madame muffins... classic ingredients in a handy muffin form, who can resist that? There are several interesting & imaginative bread recipes that I can't wait to test run. I tried the Poulet au citron et lavande this weekend & can attest to its excellence.
All in all an excellent debut for Ms. Khoo! Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys French food with a multicultural twist or the novice looking to learn the basics & not ready for the somewhat daunting Mastering the Art of French Cooking by the great Julia Child.
June 12, 2013
She's simplified and lightened (relatively) some French classics. The recipes are easy to follow, but I'm not sure why you'd need this book - we already have dorrie Greenspan. And some of the twists may not be worthwhile - pot au feu fajitas sounds like filler.
Khoo is much stronger on deserts, and that's where this book shines. It's also where the recipes get more complicated, though.
While I appreciate photos of every recipe, there are way too many photos of the author playing cute. Celebrities don't put as many pictures of themselves in their cookbooks. It's unnecessary and made me take the book less seriously.
Hopefully for her next outing she'll do just a desert book. I'd pick that up as long as the recipe to author photo ratio was favorable:)
Khoo is much stronger on deserts, and that's where this book shines. It's also where the recipes get more complicated, though.
While I appreciate photos of every recipe, there are way too many photos of the author playing cute. Celebrities don't put as many pictures of themselves in their cookbooks. It's unnecessary and made me take the book less seriously.
Hopefully for her next outing she'll do just a desert book. I'd pick that up as long as the recipe to author photo ratio was favorable:)
December 31, 2013
A Scandalously Undervalued Cooking Guide for the Modern Woman
In today's economic climate where women, more often than not, work both inside and outside of the home, creating delicious, yet simple, home-cooked meals may be a challenge for those down to their last unfrazzled brain cells. They need look no further. Ms. Khoo's charming and unpretentious approach to food suits my life perfectly. Recipes, which, on first view, might seem palate-daunting to the average North American, such as the Fig and Chicken Liver (!) Salad, prove surprisingly delightful and we wonder how we could have ever doubted her. Unlike other authors, her recipes truly are delicious promises fulfilled and I unreservedly shall be purchasing her next book, "My Little French Kitchen".
In today's economic climate where women, more often than not, work both inside and outside of the home, creating delicious, yet simple, home-cooked meals may be a challenge for those down to their last unfrazzled brain cells. They need look no further. Ms. Khoo's charming and unpretentious approach to food suits my life perfectly. Recipes, which, on first view, might seem palate-daunting to the average North American, such as the Fig and Chicken Liver (!) Salad, prove surprisingly delightful and we wonder how we could have ever doubted her. Unlike other authors, her recipes truly are delicious promises fulfilled and I unreservedly shall be purchasing her next book, "My Little French Kitchen".
July 20, 2018
[August 4, 2015] I can't wait to get my hands on this book!
[July 9, 2018] I finally got my copy!!
[Friday, July 20, 2018] This book is truly amazing, I flagged many recipes and I can't wait to try them; I always find Rachel charming and very pretty and her kitchen and sketches so cute. She makes me want to leave everything and move to Paris.
[July 9, 2018] I finally got my copy!!
[Friday, July 20, 2018] This book is truly amazing, I flagged many recipes and I can't wait to try them; I always find Rachel charming and very pretty and her kitchen and sketches so cute. She makes me want to leave everything and move to Paris.
August 23, 2012
This is one of the best things that came out of my last stint of house sitting in den Haag. I have a film maker friend whom sometimes needs either an assistant or a home sitter and earlier this year I got to go and assist/home sit for him. While there I saw the six episode series about this cookbook and my partner bought it for us. Rachel makes Gourmet food in a way that is accessible and doable at home.
She has a range of recipes from vegetarian to meat centric across the everyday to special occasions. Her recipes are clearly written and only sometimes require more then an hour prep and cooking time. Anyone interested in the food the French eat at home or just want to cook some approachable great food should just go ahead and get her book.
She has a range of recipes from vegetarian to meat centric across the everyday to special occasions. Her recipes are clearly written and only sometimes require more then an hour prep and cooking time. Anyone interested in the food the French eat at home or just want to cook some approachable great food should just go ahead and get her book.
January 5, 2015
I like it enough to copy out some recipes for my files, but not enough to own.
Recipes I've noted to try:
Quatre-quarts aux agrumes*
Cake au saucisson sec avec pistaches et prunes (but I'd make a vegetarian version--in fact, she says to try this with whatever leftovers you happen to have)
Mousse aux éclats de chocolat
Riz rouge au lait d'amande
Compotée de tomates cerise et vanille
How to make your own vinegar: equal amounts red wine or white or champagne and organic cider vinegar in a clean jar large enough for air to circulate; cover with cheesecloth and loose lid; can be kept in a dark cupboard for 6 months
*I made this on 12-30-13. I would make it again. Simple and good.
Recipes I've noted to try:
Quatre-quarts aux agrumes*
Cake au saucisson sec avec pistaches et prunes (but I'd make a vegetarian version--in fact, she says to try this with whatever leftovers you happen to have)
Mousse aux éclats de chocolat
Riz rouge au lait d'amande
Compotée de tomates cerise et vanille
How to make your own vinegar: equal amounts red wine or white or champagne and organic cider vinegar in a clean jar large enough for air to circulate; cover with cheesecloth and loose lid; can be kept in a dark cupboard for 6 months
*I made this on 12-30-13. I would make it again. Simple and good.
December 10, 2023
Rachel cleverly takes traditional french recipes, puts her own spin on them and makes them accessible for the everyday cook. Probably wouldn't recommend this book to beginner cooks, but there are some simpler recipes for those that aren't so fluent in the kitchen. I've made it a personal goal (in true Julie Powell fashion) to cook every recipe in here before the end of the year. That's how much I enjoy it!
June 13, 2012
An amazing book from an amazing cook. Rachel Khoo runs a tiny two person restaurant in her little Paris apartment. Her food is exquisite, French and fabulous. Simple rustic authentic French cuisine that anyone can copy easily. I thoroughly recommend this book to any French food lover, who wishes to replicate French cuisine with ease.
September 5, 2013
Dreadful. Are we reading about French cooking or viewing a fashion spread of the author?
November 1, 2014
Rachel is cute, and the book has a lot of photos of Rachel looking cute.
There are nice stories of her adaptation to Paris and life in a small Paris apartment. And running an underground two-seat restaurant in her small apartment, and how she cooked restaurant quality food with limited cooking equipment.
There are also recipes. I made one that looked really interesting. I didn't understand how it would be very tasty, but the photo looked good, and, heck, it was in her cookbook. I tried it and it was horrible. It was a sauce. We had company coming, so I added ingredients to fix it. In the end, the sauce looked nothing like the photo, but our guests liked it.
Given one bad recipe, I'm not likely to try another one from this cookbook. There are plenty of cookbooks full of recipes that actually work.
There are nice stories of her adaptation to Paris and life in a small Paris apartment. And running an underground two-seat restaurant in her small apartment, and how she cooked restaurant quality food with limited cooking equipment.
There are also recipes. I made one that looked really interesting. I didn't understand how it would be very tasty, but the photo looked good, and, heck, it was in her cookbook. I tried it and it was horrible. It was a sauce. We had company coming, so I added ingredients to fix it. In the end, the sauce looked nothing like the photo, but our guests liked it.
Given one bad recipe, I'm not likely to try another one from this cookbook. There are plenty of cookbooks full of recipes that actually work.
June 5, 2013
I rarely follow recipes or cook from cook books, but I still enjoyed reading through the little intro paragraphs of each recipe in this book. Before I was even gifted this book, I was a fan of Rachel Khoo's. I watched all the episodes of her show of the same name. There's something about being crammed in that tiny kitchen of hers that makes all her cooking look amazing. I love the water-colored pages and photos in this book.
This book doesn't contain the most authentic of French recipes (there's a recipe for fajitas in here!) but most recipes are French-ish. After reading it, I'm inspired to try my hand at making some savory buckwheat galettes.
This book doesn't contain the most authentic of French recipes (there's a recipe for fajitas in here!) but most recipes are French-ish. After reading it, I'm inspired to try my hand at making some savory buckwheat galettes.
April 2, 2015
Published: 2012
Author: Rachel Khoo
Recommended for: fans of Rachel Khoo and anyone who wants to do french style cooking
I purchased this book after watching the series on TV, there are so many nice recipes to do and they are very easy to follow in the fun style that she writes that books. There are alot of ones that will become firm family favourites, my first one I did was chicken dumpling soup...it worked perfectly and was extremely tasty! A good book for people who are wanting to try do french cooking or who are looking for a different style of cooking to do.
Author: Rachel Khoo
Recommended for: fans of Rachel Khoo and anyone who wants to do french style cooking
I purchased this book after watching the series on TV, there are so many nice recipes to do and they are very easy to follow in the fun style that she writes that books. There are alot of ones that will become firm family favourites, my first one I did was chicken dumpling soup...it worked perfectly and was extremely tasty! A good book for people who are wanting to try do french cooking or who are looking for a different style of cooking to do.
April 9, 2013
This cookbook thus far is a total dreamfest. So many good ideas (And so many insanely tempting photos)... I suspect I will be buying a copy of this one... she makes me want to attempt to bake all those delights (with gluten free flour) and dig out my copy of Tante Marie's French Pastry from 1954, by Charlotte Turgeon. You wont lose weight with this book, but you will be very happy.
January 5, 2014
I'm not quite sure why the author called this book "Simple But Classic French Recipes". The recipes look very fancy and call for ingredients which I don't have in my kitchen. The book looks very cutesy and French, but I didn't see one recipe in there that I would actually make.
December 11, 2013
These are not my kind of recipes. I had to draw the line at Steak tartan with a raw egg on top and liver in everything. No thanks! The photography is well done.
May 17, 2015
One of my favorite French cookbooks. I LOVE the lemon + lavender chicken and duck l'orangina and have made them both several times.
January 19, 2019
Rachel is living my dream !
October 22, 2024
Nice cooking book. Easy to follow recipes and beautiful photos.
September 3, 2013
This is the first cookbook that I purchased as an eBook. Although the photographs are great and I do like some of the features that having an eBook allows, like clicking on a link within the book to move to a cited area, I'm not certain that I will buy many cookbooks in this form, there's just something about having a cookbook in hand for me. This is a sweet book with easy to follow recipes that are well laid out. However, if you are feeding a family of 4 consistently, especially if you have hearty eaters, many of these recipes will have to be adapted to feed more. There are quite a few 2 person recipes, the 4 person recipes would not feed my husband plus my girls, and there are even some that only serves 1. This is not marketed as a family friendly cookbook, so there's no bait and switch here, I just assumed that the recipes would feed at least 4. But you know what they say about assuming...The recipe that I've made and I enjoyed but it was a fail for the family is the Lemon and Lavender Chicken. I thought that it was lovely and the smell that filled the house while it was cooking was amazing, but alas the lavender flavor was a bit of a stretch for hubby & co. so I won't be making it again. However, there's a recipe for Burgundy Beef with Baguette Dumplings that I have my eye on to try. I think what will save this cookbook from being a bust for me will be the desserts, there's a recipe for a very simple creme brulee with my name on it. If you are looking for an introduction to French cooking this may very well be worth your while if you don't mind adjusting measurements, or are only feeding a very small family.
www.theblissfulplate.com
www.theblissfulplate.com
May 4, 2015
This ain't my first French cookbook, so I'm no stranger to the gratuitous use of local flavour photography, but the first 50 pictures of the author were more than enough to establish that she is cute as a bug and perhaps even to justify her repurposing her book proposal as an introduction (she's obviously too busy having her picture taken to write). After that I spent as much time reflecting on the marketing angle as I did on the recipes. Am I supposed to believe I will look like her if I cook like her or something? There was no information on where to buy the dresses, so I'm assuming that's what I was supposed to get out of it. Anyway, I did mark about one quarter of the recipes to try later, and it does have some good basic cooking tips, so in the likely event of this book not altering my looks, not all will be lost.
June 15, 2012
Heb je ooit een kookboek echt uitgelezen? Volgens mij niet... Wat een prachtig cadeau kreeg ik van Simone ("mijn protégéetje" :-)) als dank voor mijn begeleiding! Ik ben sinds een week heerlijk aan het genieten van het kookboek van Rachel (toeval?) die in haar mini-keuken in Parijs de Franse keuken in acceptabele, makkelijk te maken recepten heeft gevat. Ze heeft het boek ingedeeld in het leefritme van de Parijzenaars en dit geeft meteen en erg leuk cultuurinkijkje. Ik heb er nog niets uit gekookt, maar dat gaat de komende tijd zeker gebeuren! De belangrijkste les is al binnen: je moet Madeleines altijd vers uit de oven eten...
January 19, 2014
I think it's a great collection of recipes regardless of their authenticity or provenance. So the book looks nice and the photography is attractive, ditto the author, yet Rachel Khoo demonstrates her training as a pastry chef very well in the way the recipes are explained. Not one recipe I have tried has disappointed me so far, this is due to the fact that unlike many food writers today, the recipes in this book have clearly been tried, tested and adapted to suit the home cook's ability and level of skill. The section at the back is fantastic if you need background knowledge on techniques, etc., something that is lacking in a lot of similar books these days.
July 17, 2014
I found this author on a BBC television show and was entranced at how she was cooking in the tiniest kitchen I had even seen - in fact if she had to bake anything, it was in a toaster oven and she had only 1 propane burner for sauces, etc. - amazing - and yummie. I got this book from the library and it is packed with lovely recipes - not too too fussy (we own the Julia Child's French Cookbook which is more complicated and have cooked from it), so my husband and I are looking forward to doing a French night once a week and making some recipes from traditional french cooking - a fun, yummy read!
February 13, 2015
Do you like to cook? Do you like French cuisine? Then this is a cook book for you! I have made a handful of recipes from this cook book and they have all been excellent. I loved Rachel Khoo's TV show and was happy to find that she had a companion cook book. The recipes are well written, easy to follow and are accompanied by lovely photos. (I don't like cook books that don't have photos of the dishes.) The ingredients called for in the recipes are ones that I either had on hand or could easily get. All of those ingredients make for a cook book that I will purchase and add to my collection. Bon Appetit!
July 11, 2016
Pra começar, o livro é lindo! Não tem como não querer se aventurar nas receitinhas francesas com edição e fotografias tão belas assim. Achei as instruções claras e fáceis de seguir, mas algumas receitas são "ousadas" demais para o meu paladar (lê-se: fresca). Aprendi muitas bases clássicas da culinária francesa e só por isso o livro já vale muito a pena. Tanto que algumas das receitas já entraram definitivamente para o meu cardápio de casa. Também gostei muito de que a Rachel conta pedacinhos da sua história e da cozinha francesa em meio as receitas, isso deixa o livro super agradável de se ler. Adorei.
March 27, 2014
This is a fabulous recipe book; you can tell from the little touches like the labelled drawings dotted throughout and the brief histories of dishes above each recipe that Rachel has really put love and passion into creating this! The soupe au pistou, in particular, has become a firm favourite at home; the only criticism I have, as one would expect from a cookbook about French cuisine, is that I'm a vegetarian so cannot eat a fair proportion of the main courses. Still, when the desserts are as good as the ones found here, who cares!
April 19, 2013
Pretty book - cheap in Smiths (60%off) but far too many pictures of Khoo, billed as the 'British Amelie of cooking' (sticks fingers down throat and vomits copiously). Twee floral dresses and pretty French friends standing decoratively about clutching glasses of vino notwithstanding, some of the recipes actually look good. Personally, this useless cook could do without Khoo with her cafe, Khoo with her baguette, Khoo by the Eiffel Tower, Khoo with her models on le pic-nic, Khoo sticking her fingers between her always scarlet daubed lips, comprenez?
June 8, 2012
I watched most episodes (from the corner of my eye) but wasn't a big fan of Rachel's tv show (dunno why exactly, maybe I'm suffering from cooking show overdose). Still, today I flipped through the book and couldn't tear myself away. Most recipes look simple enough and French food is one of my favourite things to cook at home. (She has recipes with quenelles! I've always wanted to make those). I hope this cookbook lives up to its looks...
March 5, 2013
Rachel Khoo demystifies French cooking. Some of the recipes are so easy, even I can do them. Check out our upcoming eat and tweet on twitter this month. There will be a recipe from this hot swish title. Rachel Khoo, is a top personality in Paris. You can find her on TV, or you may even be lucky enough to have dinner with her, as she opens up her apartment to customers to see the real little Paris Kitchen.
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