Dinner in French: My Recipes by Way of France: A Cookbook

by Melissa Clark

New York Times star food writer Melissa Clark breaks down the new French classics with 150 recipes that reflect a modern yet distinctly French sensibility.

Just as Julia Child brought French cooking to twentieth-century America, so now Melissa Clark brings French cooking into the twenty-first century. She first fell in love with France and French food as a child; her parents spent their August vacations traversing the country in search of the best meals with Melissa and her sister in tow. Near to her heart, France is where Melissa's family learned to cook and eat. And as her own culinary identity blossomed, so too did her understanding of why French food is beloved by Americans.

Now, as one of the nation's favorite cookbook authors and food writers, Melissa updates classic French techniques and dishes to reflect how we cook, shop, and eat today. With recipes such as Salade Nicoise with Haricot Vert, Cornmeal and Harissa Soufflé, Scalloped Potato Gratin, Lamb Shank Cassoulet, Ratatouille Sheet-Pan Chicken, Campari Olive Oil Cake, and Apricot Tarte Tatin (to name a few), Dinner in French will quickly become a go-to resource and endure as an indispensable classic.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, France, Foodie, Food and Drink

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 10, 2020

About the author

Melissa Clark is an American food writer and cookbook author. Since 2007, she has been a food columnist for The New York Times. She has written more than 40 cookbooks and in 2018 won a James Beard Award.

Reviews

[Karen Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the egg and cheese chapters alone, this book is worth every penny. Modern, creative and classic all at once. Loved it 💕

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hated this book, it broke down my resistance to not but any more cookbooks, but the photography was gorgeous and even though I just finished dinner I was salivating too much to not instantly add to my library! I always use the library, when you read as much as I do I would be bankrupt purchasing books daily, but after borrowing I knew it was a keeper, unusual recipes always grab my attention!

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I can't really speak French, but I cook in French." That's Melissa Clark. It's the merging of French cuisine with the food she grew up eating in Brooklyn that Clark has mastered, and it's that merging that is the core of Clark's cookbook, Dinner in French.

Dinner in French shares recipes for soups, quiches, tarts, savory pies, fish and shellfish, salads, eggs, cheese, chicken and other meats, vegetables, and after-dinner treats. I was especially taken with the recipes for Jam-Filled Sables, Crispy Duck Legs with Satsumas, French Onion Soup with Grilled Gruyere Sandwiches, Truffled Mac and Cheese, and Meyer Lemon Tart with Olive Oil and Fleur de Sel. I will make the Meyer Lemon Tart with Olive Oil and Fleur de Sel. Soon.

But I decided to start by trying Clark's Roasted Pork Loin with Rosemary.



ROASTED PORK LOIN WITH ROSEMARY

5 garlic cloves, finely grated or very finely minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard, plus more for serving
1 3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more as needed
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 (2 1/2-3 pound) boneless pork loin
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
Chopped fresh fennel fronds or parsley, for serving



1. In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the pork, cover, and refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pat the pork dry and place it, fat-side down, in a large ovenproof skillet. Drizzle the roast with the oil. Roast for 25 minutes, then turn it over and roast until it reaches 135 degrees F on a meat thermometer, 15 to 25 minutes longer. Transfer the pork to a plate and tent it with foil.

3. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and whisk in the sine, scraping up the browned bits. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 1 minute, then add any juices from the plate holding the roast. Whisk in the butter, a little at a time, until the sauce emulsifies; then simmer until it has thickened, 1 minute. Taste and add more salt if needed.

4. To serve, thinly slice the pork. Drizzle the slices with the sauce and top them with the fennel fronds or parsley. Serve with whole-grain mustard on the side.

[Patrick]

I'm into cookbooks now. But what to do about them on Goodreads? Not a "read," per se. I'll move ones I peruse and cook a few things from into the "partial" list. This was beautiful and sumptuous to read through, and has a good number of exciting recipes. We're doing the hake in parchment paper and hopeful the yogurt cherry bread this weekend.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melissa Clark's Dinner (in English?) is my favorite cookbook. I've prepared over 40 of the recipes and many are in regular rotation. Dinner in French is a lovely book, however the recipes feature too much dairy for my taste. I recall that Clark's husband doesn't eat dairy so I wonder what he eats when his wife prepares these dishes :)
I made a shortcut version of the "Duck with Satsumas" where I cut the 3 1/2 day preparation to 30 minutes by following Clark's suggestion to use prepared duck confit. It was easy, delicious, and festive. I didn't find too many recipes that I was very eager to make, but French food lovers and dairy lovers will have a different, and more satisfying, experience.

[Jenn Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

French food is notoriously fussy and the author/chef here helps combat that and make it more approachable, without taking away its charms. Some recipes are French classics with some customization/twist. Others are dishes from other cultures with a French spin. Every recipe has a solid blurb about its inspiration. I would have loved if all of the recipes had pictures - some didn't that I really wish had, but I'll live. A really nice touch was the "Thinking Ahead" tips on how to plan/prepare in parts to streamline complex recipes.
3.5

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook has your mouth watering. The only caution is the ingredients, preserved lemon, buckwheat flour, for example, you may not have on hand. So that may rule out trying some of the recipes. Melissa Clark does a good job simplifying the recipes and gives a nice history, both personally and professionally, on her choices for your inspiration.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book with some new recipes to try out (Campari olive oil cake, hello)
Working at home has perks, and being able to plan some fun meals is one of them. Can't wait until tomato season.

[Alisa]

One of my favorite cookbook authors, not one of my favorite cuisines.

[Aneesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a 16-ingredient recipe in this book described as "having very few ingredients."

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Book Club pick for August. All of the recipes looked and sounded so lovely. However, I did not have a lot to pick from as I am cooking on a budget and some of the ingredients were high above my threshold of $ I could spend.

I ended up picking Vegetable Soup au Pistou. A pistou is similar to pesto, but contains no nuts so it is a lot smoother. It's normal use (as in this recipe) is to be stirred into soups as a powerful seasoning. I will be using the bounty of herbs and tomato's I have from my garden.

The menu for the meeting is always sent out ahead of time, and the goodies this month look delicious:

Pumpkin Brulee Tart with Creme Fraiche
Savory Gruyère Bread with Ham
Herbed Tomato and Gruyère Pie
Gazpacho by Way of Provence
Raspberry-Lavender Clafouti
Gateau Breton with Plums and Cardamom

Wish you could join us 😁

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Melissa Clark and am very much predisposed to like her cookbook. So I was a little bit disappointed, but once you get over the unfathomable amounts of butter, and a lot more traditional than I might of hoped for, but what I and other members of the cookbook club that I am in have found is that the recipes are good and very tasty. I would say if you have another French cuisine cookbook that you love, that this will not seem like a game changer, but if you don't, Clark is a very good recipe writer.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an incredible reference. While I doubt anyone would cook from it every day, the recipes are very clear and easy to follow and the photographs are beautiful but also practical, in the sense you can really work from them (no random author shots of fruit or blankets here). What I really love are her sidebars, giving the history and ways of serving each recipe. Even if you don't cook the recipe, you'll have learned a bit about it and may end up ordering it in a restaurant when you previously wouldn't. I found the eggs and fish chapters to be very strong.

[Shyla Strathman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dinner: Changing the Game is a favorite of mine. It's so accessible, but still with unique flavors and recipes (the Tofu recipes alone are worth the price of the book!).
This cookbook, Dinner in French, is beautiful and unique. The stories about her introduction to French cuisine and lifelong love of it really make this book a joy to have on my bookshelf. I won't probably use it as much as the other book, but everything I've made has been delicious!

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a library book, absolutely loved it, and will add it to my shrinking cookbook collection (I've given away one-half of my cookbooks and am honing my library to contain only the best cookbooks in the collection). There are some wonderful recipes and ideas in this French rustic selection of dishes. Thumbs up!

[Laura Bradbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melissa Clark, a renowned New York Times
food writer, gives a refreshingly modern
spin on French cooking in this bright and
innovative new cookbook with such recipes
as Ratatouille sheet pan chicken (a sheet
pan meal? Ca alors!).

This book has been doing incredibly well and
rightly so. It is modern while still honoring
the French culinary tradition.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great-looking recipes, which are very focused and well edited. Gives a taste of Clark's love of France, but if you want all the real, messy stories and self-gossip (with less focus in the recipes), you'll need to read IN THE KITCHEN WITH A GOOD APPETITE. It's less glossy, but more full of the stories behind the recipes.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous photography, easy to follow recipes, and approachable ingredients make for a great French cookbook here. This isn't Julia Child's French cooking, but a more modernized approach for home cooks such as myself looking to whip up some French inspired meals, appropriate for dinner parties or weeknights alike. Every recipe I have made from this so far has been fabulous. Highly recommended.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous book. Only giving it four stars because I find the recipes are a touch on the labour-intensive side, and ingredient lists can be a touch finicky. (Am I the only one who has trouble consistently sourcing crème fraiche?) Made the beef spare ribs for dinner this week, and they were a revelation.

[Gaucho36 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love most of what Melissa Clark puts out and rank her book “Dinner” as one of the best I have used in the past 20 years. One of the things I like about her is she has some amazing recipes and flavor combinations that are also very easy to throw together.

This book to me was the opposite… complex recipes that when I flipped through did not feel like shopping for and making most of the time.

I’m giving this one away to our local thrift shop

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not have been happier to receive this in the mail! I love reading cookbooks and this one reminds me so much of my own memories of high school summers spent in France! The photos are so enticing- I cannot wait you try out some of these recipes!

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First cookbook I've immediately wanted to buy a copy for myself in a few years (mostly a library reader). The seafood and poultry recipes especially shine for me. The dessert section also has some clear hits.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the Kindle version of the cookbook, checked out via Overdrive from the local library, and think it’s an incredibly impressive collection of recipes. I love the recipe layouts, too, which include detailed instructions and ways you can prep ahead of time if you choose. Nice photos too!

[CC · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of the egg dishes, especially, looked grand. But there are so many ingredients in each recipe, I know I'll never make any of them. Take you loads of time for essentially a side dish. Pretty, yes. Accessible, no. I'll stick to Ina Garten, I guess, and even those I only make a few of.

[Rachel P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read cover to cover and highlighted many, many recipes to try. Extremely accessible as a cookbook goes, and Clark does an excellent job offering alternatives/variations based on what may be in season or available in your local market. Cannot recommend more.

[Libraryassistant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d actually call it French-ish in a lot of places, but some yummy sounding recipes, great pictures, and a few good little stories.
I think I probably won’t get cookbooks digitally anymore, though, as I find the layout disruptions greatly affect my enjoyment of them.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous book, though as you might expect it's completely dripping with dairy, which is a problem in my house--but more or less the only reason I'm not bookmarking half the recipes immediately.

[Luke Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning and well thought out cookbook that would have gotten 5 stars except for the consistent use of like a single hard to find ingredient for most dishes.

Also this lady should be sponsored by big Crème Fraîche for the amount she mentions it. Not mad about though.

[Rose Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not make any of the recipes in this beautiful cookbook, I only read them, and looked at the pictures. My cooking skills are not advanced enough for any of these. But it was sure a "purty" book to look at, though!

[Laura Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love me some Melissa Clark. Her recipes are always stellar and not difficult to make. Am enjoying her cookbook thru this COVID time.