Auberge Of The Flowering Hearth [Paperback]

Roy Andries De Groot (Author)

Most of the cookbooks I admire, as well as many of the foods I love, are products of a place and of a way of life. Eating is a biological act, but it is also a cultural pursuit, and it is no surprise to me that "The Auberge of the Flowering Hearth" (1973), Roy Andries De Groot's monumental book, should be one of my favorites. De Groot (1910-1983), a masterly writer on food and wine, gives life to the world and food of a country inn high in the French Alps, beyond Grenoble, where he explores the lives and the seasons of the auberge and of the two remarkable women who own it. Nearly sightless since 1940, when he was injured during the blitz of London, De Groot brings together a highly visual account of a constantly changing montane valley and its products, exploring the natural world, the rich culinary traditions and the crisp but loving professionalism of the aubergistes. Although filled with recipes, this is not a cookbook as much as it is a book about experiencing food and the natural world — from streams and rain showers to rocks and soil to meadow herbs, wild garlic, country markets, fish of the mountain lakes, wines, cheeses, rustic kitchens, wood-burning hearths and the intense pride in terroir and tradition. It is a fine book, a remarkable array of feasts.

Review by Nach Waxman, owner of Kitchen Arts & Letters, a cookbook store in Manhattan.

(looks like plenty of used copies available on Amazon )