What do you think?
Rate this book
Bruno, Chief of Police
Bruno's Cookbook: Recipes and Traditions from a French Country Kitchen
From the author of the internationally best-selling "Bruno, Chief of Police" series, comes a sumptuous French cookbook that immerses readers in the delectable countryside cuisine of Bruno’s beloved Périgord region, featuring favorite meals from Roasted Tomato Tapenade and Tarragon Chicken to A Most Indulgent Chocolate Cake.
Bruno Courrèges, the protagonist of Martin Walker’s internationally acclaimed mystery series, is not only the local police chief of the idyllic French village of St. Denis, but he also happens to be an impassioned amateur chef. In this delightful cookbook, the culinary and cultural inspiration behind Bruno’s fictional world comes to life. Featuring meals from the best-selling series, local recipes, charming anecdotes, and a history of the novels’ French setting, Bruno’s Cookbook invites readers into the bucolic life of Martin Walker and his wife, Julia Watson, and showcases their passion for the Périgord region’s rich cuisine.
Brimming with truffles and pâté, Bruno’s Cookbook features more than 90 recipes,
Also included is a new Bruno short story, "The Question of Chabrol." A feast for the senses, Bruno’s Cookbook is a gorgeously illustrated edition that transports readers to France’s heartland.
Bruno Courrèges, the protagonist of Martin Walker’s internationally acclaimed mystery series, is not only the local police chief of the idyllic French village of St. Denis, but he also happens to be an impassioned amateur chef. In this delightful cookbook, the culinary and cultural inspiration behind Bruno’s fictional world comes to life. Featuring meals from the best-selling series, local recipes, charming anecdotes, and a history of the novels’ French setting, Bruno’s Cookbook invites readers into the bucolic life of Martin Walker and his wife, Julia Watson, and showcases their passion for the Périgord region’s rich cuisine.
Brimming with truffles and pâté, Bruno’s Cookbook features more than 90 recipes,
Also included is a new Bruno short story, "The Question of Chabrol." A feast for the senses, Bruno’s Cookbook is a gorgeously illustrated edition that transports readers to France’s heartland.
177 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2023
93 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Martin Walker
68 books1,520 followersMartin Walker is the U.S. bureau chief for The Guardian (London), a regular commentator for CNN, and a columnist for newspapers in the United States, Europe, and Moscow. A published novelist and poet, he lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, the novelist Julia Watson, and their two daughters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 3, 2024
Interesting. These people are really into cooking!
April 10, 2024
Great layout. I enjoyed learning all of the historical bits. Now, to cook the recipes! I believe there are going to be several show stoppers.
November 10, 2024
A great book for anyone who is a Bruno fan. Martin and his wife bring together lovely country cooking à la française and marry it with Bruno and his friends.
November 29, 2023
Great recipes, beautiful pictures & a bit of Bruno too!
October 11, 2024
Martin Walker and Julia Watson provide an excellent window on the southwest countryside of France through its culinary life. Yes, recipes are in this book, but the opinions of Walker's character Bruno are incorporated throughout. As a reader of the Bruno, Chief of Police series, I found it captivating that the chapters are arranged not as a traditional cookbook would be, but as the people of the Vézère valley contribute to the novels.
The recipes celebrate denizens of the market and home garden to hunters to bakers and five other professionals or enthusiasts. Oh, the significant number of bakers in the Perigord village where Walker and Watson live! Oh, the dishes foragers create! Oh, is Bruno speaking or are the authors commenting? There's nothing wrong with reading a passage twice.
Once upon a time, this might have been called a coffee table book. The photography is a joy. It's the kind of book from which I copy recipes to take into the kitchen. It's much too pretty to risk being splashed by brown butter or coulis.
The recipes celebrate denizens of the market and home garden to hunters to bakers and five other professionals or enthusiasts. Oh, the significant number of bakers in the Perigord village where Walker and Watson live! Oh, the dishes foragers create! Oh, is Bruno speaking or are the authors commenting? There's nothing wrong with reading a passage twice.
Once upon a time, this might have been called a coffee table book. The photography is a joy. It's the kind of book from which I copy recipes to take into the kitchen. It's much too pretty to risk being splashed by brown butter or coulis.
May 3, 2024
Bruno, Chief of Police
Bruno's Cookbook: Recipes and Traditions from a French Country Kitchen
Martin Walker, Julia Watson
Recipes used by a fictional small town cop with a penchant for gourmet culinary pursuits. Many of the ingredients are either hard to find outside large cities or too expensive for the average budget. This is French Cuisine at its finest. Most don’t have a wild boar or a basset to help find truffles or have a taste for paté de foie gras. I’d never thought of cooking with duck fat--$32 for 11 oz. on Amazon--nor am I ever likely to try. It is interesting to see how the other half eats mind you. These are Jones with whom I have no desire to emulate.
Restaurants with delusions of grandeur tend to use French equivalents to describe their dishes. For example Coulis rather than fruit sauce. Crème Glacée for ice cream. Pomme de Terre Frit for French Fries.
I’m not likely to ever use any of these recipes but the descriptions and chatter are interesting.
Bruno's Cookbook: Recipes and Traditions from a French Country Kitchen
Martin Walker, Julia Watson
Recipes used by a fictional small town cop with a penchant for gourmet culinary pursuits. Many of the ingredients are either hard to find outside large cities or too expensive for the average budget. This is French Cuisine at its finest. Most don’t have a wild boar or a basset to help find truffles or have a taste for paté de foie gras. I’d never thought of cooking with duck fat--$32 for 11 oz. on Amazon--nor am I ever likely to try. It is interesting to see how the other half eats mind you. These are Jones with whom I have no desire to emulate.
Restaurants with delusions of grandeur tend to use French equivalents to describe their dishes. For example Coulis rather than fruit sauce. Crème Glacée for ice cream. Pomme de Terre Frit for French Fries.
I’m not likely to ever use any of these recipes but the descriptions and chatter are interesting.
July 29, 2025
Martin Walker, author of the popular Bruno, Chief of Police series set in France, teamed up with Julia Watson, an award-winning cookbook writer, to create Bruno’s Cookbook: Recipes and Traditions from a French Country Kitchen. The blurb on the front cover describes the contents: “Featuring favorite meals from the best-selling series, Bruno, Chief of Police.
While he is chief of police, Bruno is also an amateur chef. Bruno’s Cookbook is a beautiful book of recipes with full-color pictures. Along with the recipes, cooks will find stories about the ingredients and recipes. For example, on page 136, in “Cheesemaker and Dairy Man: Le fromager-laitier,” cooks will find a story about making cheese.
Some of the recipes that caught my attention include the following: Walnut Meringue Cake, Pamela’s Fish Pie, and Strawberry Shrub, a simple recipe. The cookbook covers everything from fish and fowl to desserts. It is a delightful book.
While he is chief of police, Bruno is also an amateur chef. Bruno’s Cookbook is a beautiful book of recipes with full-color pictures. Along with the recipes, cooks will find stories about the ingredients and recipes. For example, on page 136, in “Cheesemaker and Dairy Man: Le fromager-laitier,” cooks will find a story about making cheese.
Some of the recipes that caught my attention include the following: Walnut Meringue Cake, Pamela’s Fish Pie, and Strawberry Shrub, a simple recipe. The cookbook covers everything from fish and fowl to desserts. It is a delightful book.
November 11, 2023
Lovely book that is also quite different. Gorgeous photos complement brief essays for almost all recipes. These essays are written by fiction writer Martin Walker who writes the Bruno Courreges mysteries, a series I am fond of.
Like the mystery series, this cookbook takes the reader into the rural heartland of France. Readers learn a lot about the culture of ordinary folk, the terrain of mountains and rivers, and the play-by-play of day-to-day life: rugby, hunting, farmers' markets, etc.
Most of the recipes are probably ones I would not necessarily make, but that does not mean they are overly difficult. They incorporate tons of fresh herbs and garlic, and feature ingredients like wild board, rabbit, figs and belgian endive which tend to be ingredients I don't use, but perhaps you may enjoy. Many wine pairings are included. Get to know the people of France.
Like the mystery series, this cookbook takes the reader into the rural heartland of France. Readers learn a lot about the culture of ordinary folk, the terrain of mountains and rivers, and the play-by-play of day-to-day life: rugby, hunting, farmers' markets, etc.
Most of the recipes are probably ones I would not necessarily make, but that does not mean they are overly difficult. They incorporate tons of fresh herbs and garlic, and feature ingredients like wild board, rabbit, figs and belgian endive which tend to be ingredients I don't use, but perhaps you may enjoy. Many wine pairings are included. Get to know the people of France.
April 3, 2024
The long-running "Bruno, Chief of Police" mystery series is a fascinating and ongoing story about a rural French policeman in the Périgord region. The stories usually have brief digressions into the meals that Bruno serves to his guests, cuisine and gardening being his hobbies in between his crime solving. Martin Walker, the author of the series, has made his home in the Périgord and shares these hobbies as well as a love of the region. Here, with his wife Julia Watson, Walker has gathered the recipes into this book, along with sumptuous photography of the region, the food and the dishes. The recipes are accessible enough to do -- I've made the slow-roast leg of lamb and it was a wonderful Easter dish. Even if you haven't read the Bruno mysteries, you will find this cookbook a window into this beautiful region. Highest recommendation.
January 1, 2024
I enjoy the Bruno books about a local policeman in France. Much of his stories include the descriptions of wonderful meals that Bruno and his friends create, often leaving me terribly hungry. So when I read about this cookbook I was intrigued.
This is a beautifully made book, with lovely photographs that the author notes are taken just as the dishes come out of the oven with no embellishments. The descriptions of the region of France and the various livelihoods that contribute to the delicious food (fisherman, hunter, butcher, etc.) are quite interesting and add to my understanding of the cuisine.
The recipes are all well described although I have not yet actually tried to cook one. But I will!
This is a beautifully made book, with lovely photographs that the author notes are taken just as the dishes come out of the oven with no embellishments. The descriptions of the region of France and the various livelihoods that contribute to the delicious food (fisherman, hunter, butcher, etc.) are quite interesting and add to my understanding of the cuisine.
The recipes are all well described although I have not yet actually tried to cook one. But I will!
Read
October 31, 2023Bruno's Cookbook is a captivating French culinary masterpiece that invites readers to savor the exquisite countryside cuisine of Bruno's cherished Périgord region. This well-crafted book is adorned with vibrant imagery, transporting you to the heart of French gastronomy. With its eloquent prose and captivating visuals, this book not only tantalizes your taste buds but also offers a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of the region. Each page is adorned with colorful pictures that bring the recipes to life, making it a feast for both the eyes and the palate. Whether you are an experienced chef or a passionate home cook, Bruno's Cookbook is a lovely addition to your culinary library.
November 15, 2023
It was lost on me that this cookbook was inspired by a fiction book - I had no previous connection. All I saw was a beautiful French cookbook that reminded me of travels in France - hunting truffles in the Perigord, meals with the farmer, and beautiful regional ingredients. As a stand-alone cookbook, I want to add it to my collection. The whole package is on-brand with classic French recipes that seem manageable, uncompromising, and seasonal - I shared them immediately with a student who was interested in learning about French cooking.
December 13, 2023
Walker has put together a cookbook of some of his character Bruno's favorites from his "Bruno, Chief of Police" series. It is a gastronomical celebration of southwest France's food and drink! While some ingredients may be harder to come by in the midwest US (green walnuts, pate, duck fat) the recipes look to be delicious. They also are true to the region - being simple, hearty food. The kind of meals that are meant for wine and conversation. We are ready to try a great many of these - as produce comes into season.
November 6, 2023
I love gorgous cookbooks and this one is going into a prominent place on my shelf! This cookbook has sumptuous French recipes and beautiful photos and even little snippets beside each recipe about how the recipe relates to the Bruno books. If you’re a fan of the Bruno, Chief of Police books, you need this cookbook!
January 27, 2024
Bruno's Cookbook is a slightly advanced and incredibly useful cookbook.
The tie-in with the series of books is pure genius as good food seems to be a secondary character
The recipes themselves are regionally specific and are delightful. The ones I've tried anyway.
The tie-in with the series of books is pure genius as good food seems to be a secondary character
The recipes themselves are regionally specific and are delightful. The ones I've tried anyway.
Want to read
December 15, 2022I think that this book, published November first of 2022, should be available by now, but no one even recognizes its ISBN.
November 9, 2023
11/9/2023 Sumptuous is certainly the word! Full review tk at CriminalElement.com.
November 27, 2023
Delightful!
December 19, 2023
Beautiful pictures with wonderful insights into the region. I made the walnut tart and it was delicious! Highly recommend.
February 29, 2024
Love the series and rhe cookbook is no exception. The layout is unusual, but not a problem. I now want to move to France 🇫🇷
March 23, 2024
One of my favorite mystery series + yummy, doable recipes + lovely pictures = win
June 2, 2024
What a great cookbook and background for the series! Can’t wait to tey a few of the recipes!
July 13, 2024
Checked this out from my local library - this is a cookbook you'll want to own, especially if you're a fan of Walker's Bruno series as I am.
July 29, 2024
Want to make the roasted tomato tapenade, the perigord quiche, and the burnt truffle cream recipes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2025
As I enjoy reading about Bruno's meals, it has been fun to have recipes. But just OK as a cookbook
May 20, 2023
Always anticipating the next installment in the Bruno, Chief of Police series, for the food at scenery as much as the story, I have long been hoping the cookbook would be released in America. The stories describe the food so well, your mouth waters. Reading the introduction about living in the Perigord region and short story about Chabrol builds the excitement for the recipes and they do not disappoint.
The roasted tomato tapenade will be a perfect use of tomatoes from my garden this year. French green beans stewed in butter will be another summer time favorite using home grown beans. The Fried Potatoes Sarlat style is similar to a dish my father taught me using onion instead of garlic. I look forward to trying this version. The section on fish and seafood has me wishing I did not live in the land locked Midwest. I would love to try the fish pie or mussels.
Fans of good simply prepared foods using what is available seasonally will love this cookbook. The beautiful photography and information about the locality will have you planning your next vacation to the Perigord.
The roasted tomato tapenade will be a perfect use of tomatoes from my garden this year. French green beans stewed in butter will be another summer time favorite using home grown beans. The Fried Potatoes Sarlat style is similar to a dish my father taught me using onion instead of garlic. I look forward to trying this version. The section on fish and seafood has me wishing I did not live in the land locked Midwest. I would love to try the fish pie or mussels.
Fans of good simply prepared foods using what is available seasonally will love this cookbook. The beautiful photography and information about the locality will have you planning your next vacation to the Perigord.
November 5, 2023
Gorgeous cookbook that is all things French - not kind of or sort of French - this is the real deal. Recipes are simple with fresh, seasonal ingredients. I appreciate the beautiful writing which made me want to learn the metric system (finally!) and measure things in grams. This is a lovely cookbook and one I’d happily put on my coffee table for others to pick up and admire.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews