Pork & Sons by Stephane Reynaud in English

[Chris Amirault]

Just found out that Pork & Sons by Stephane Reynaud is now available in English (click the image below for a Society-friendly link):

It was the winner of the 2005 Grand Prix de la Gastronomie Francaise (francophiles click here) and I've heard some good things about it. I'm a bit worried about the "humorous hand-drawn sketches," but anything that's compared to The Whole Beast is probably worth checking out.

Has anyone seen it? Impressions?

[Dave Weinstein]

My copy should be here this week...

(Even working one handed, I'm a sucker for a cookbook on all things pig...)

[johnder]

I have it -- it is awesome. I am still going through it, but the layout, recipes and pictures are first rate. Each recipe has a full page picture to accomany it, and there is usually a paragraph or so talking about each recipe.

I can't wait to start making some items from the book -- starting with the rillions.

John

[Shinboners]

It's just been released in Australia. I've had a look through it, and it is stunning (as many of Phiadon's books are). It'll be the next cookbook that I'll add to my collection.

[phong]

Saw this at Costco today for $24.95. Good looking book.

[Jon Tseng]

Have had a couple of looks through in the store

Uber-designed. Interesting by Phaidon whom I generally come across as purveyors of art books not cook books.

Recipes don't strike me as anything particularly novel. Also the ones I looked at didn't look that detailed - although I'd have missed many.

My take is that this books is stronger in form than in content. Also some pillock has decided all the copies in the UK stores come shrinkwrapped - had to ask the permissino of the borders salesperson if they could unwrap it so I could flic. Good way to pick up the casual buyer. Not.

J

[Shinboners]

Uber-designed.  Interesting by Phaidon whom I generally come across as purveyors of art books not cook books.

Recipes don't strike me as anything particularly novel.  Also the ones I looked at didn't look that detailed - although I'd have missed many.

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I think it's the third cookbook Phiadon has released. They did the Itallian cookbook "The Silver Spoon", and one for an English cafe with the title of "Breakfast Lunch Tea".

You do raise a good point that this book can be seen as a case of style over substance, and personally, I'm going to buy it because it looks so bloody good. It's not as if I don't have many of the recipes elsewhere.....and anyway, you can't have too many pork cookbooks in the collection.

[chezcherie]

Saw this at Costco today for $24.95. Good looking book.

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costco where? thanks

[Chris Amirault]

Just got my copy of the cookbook from the Amazon link above. First impressions:

It's adorable, and only sometimes that bugs me. (I could do without the drawings.) For the most part, it's, well, piggy-cute.

The photographs so utterly evoke a deep nostalgia for The France Of Our Childhood that you can understand why it won the Grand Prix. The snaps of the farmers, charcutiers, and chums are so compelling that they make me long for my days growing up in Saint-Agréve. (I haven't even been there, btw.)

I was expecting recipes to make sausages, but I can't find any save for La Caillette. There are some paté recipes, though.

First up for me will be the rillons (mais oui, Mr. Deragon) and the pig's feet with walnut oil and caramelized onion.

[Shinboners]

An intereview with Stephane Reynaud from the Age newspaper (Melbourne, Australia).

http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/the-...7180519470.html

[phong]

Specifically the Costco in Woodinville, WA. I wouldn't be surprised if it was available at most other Costcos though.

Saw this at Costco today for $24.95. Good looking book.

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costco where? thanks

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[Baggy]

Bought it 2 days ago – went straight home and cooked Andouillettes with morels and vin jaune (p258). Not that I have andouillettes, morels or vin jaune in my cupboard, but I substituted some earthy beef sausages, Porcini and dry sherry for my missing ingredients.

It was very good!

I liked the range of recipes and the words have an authoritative ring about them. I will be trying some the terrines shortly as other recipe books have let me down.

On the negative side: the use of ‘curly’ writing for the recipe titles doesn’t work for me as I find them almost impossible to read.

[Susie Q]

They had it at at the Long Beach, Calif. Costco.

Shrink wrapped so I didn't delve into it. The next day when I went back they were gone.

Edited May 20, 2007 by Susie Q (log)

[maher]

it is truly charming, but a bit basic on the recipe front. i was hoping for rather more discussion of charcuterie technique rather than an assumption that you can just go and buy each and every item.

the folksy narrative thread is well worth the price, and the photography is stellar also

[Dave Weinstein]

I made the pork rilletes out of the cookbook this week.

The result was good, although a less strongly spiced than I would have liked. I ran into two problems, and one solution.

The first problem was that the instructions called for slowly melting the fat -- since I was using chunks of fatback, they weren't melting any time soon, so I eventually just added the pork and bacon in.

The second was that the meat wasn't ready, and it was getting quite late. The solution (and one I will use for the whole process the next time I make these) was to dump everything into my crockpot, set it on low, and go to sleep.

[adey73]

Just received the book, I was hoping that the chapter called Black Pudding Recipes would contain more than just one recipe (that'd be page.28) for actually making black pudding.

[HKDave]

I was disappointed by this book to the point of feeling ripped off. It's beautiful, and would make a nice foodie coffee table book, but if you're looking for workable information, recipes or techniques, it's not good value.

Maybe I just don't get it. But as a book on French pork cookery, this isn't remotely in the same league as Jane Grigson's classic "Charcuterie and the Art of French Pork Cookery", which Amazon US again has back in stock.

I had a look through a friend's copy of Reynaud's new 'Terrine', and it looks like more of the same fluff. I just wish I had done that before ordering 'Pork and Sons'. Anyone want a barely used copy?

[Chris Amirault]

I've got to agree: I just don't get it.

[dougal]

... Maybe I just don't get it. But as a book on French pork cookery, this isn't remotely in the same league as Jane Grigson's classic "Charcuterie and the Art of French Pork Cookery", ...

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Pork and Sons struck me as being very 'softcore' indeed.

Mrs Grigson's excellent (indeed classic) book may take a bit of getting into, but there is an awful lot in there. Just a quick warning though - the liberal quantities of saltpetre she indicates may be historically accurate, but they certainly wouldn't be recommended (or allowed) today!

[Magictofu]

I have the French version and find it a delight for the eyes... my problem is not that it lacks "hardcore" recipes for actually making 'andouillettes' or rare local versions of blood sausage... my problem is that it is made for a French audience and anyone living outside of France would find it very difficult to source the right ingredients (the author is sometimes very specific).

That being said, I love the book and have already read it two times from one cover to the other.

[Chris Amirault]

Well that helps explain the mystery. Those sorts of details haven't been translated for the US audience at all.

[Shinboners]

I've changed my mind on "Pork And Sons". From going from a view that it's about pork and it looks good, so I'll enjoy the book, but I've since found that I rarely look at the book. As others have said, there are other better books about pork, and it is very hard to get absorbed with "Pork And Sons" (the lack of depth sees to that).

Recipes don't strike me as anything particularly novel.  Also the ones I looked at didn't look that detailed - although I'd have missed many.

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He's got a new book out. It's called "Ripailles", and again, the book itself looks great. The layout is very interesting, there is a quirky personality to the book, but when you get to the recipes, there's nothing there that isn't done better in countless other French cookbooks.