The Elusive Truffle: Travels In Search Of The Legendary Food Of France

Mirabel Osler

Jan 2011 · Random House

About this ebook

In years gone by, the traveller in France could rely on coming across a restaurant where the tables were ready-laid with heavy cotton napkins, a carafe of wine and a basket of freshly baked bread, and where the ensuing meal would encompass recipes of remarkable local dishes handed down from generation to generation. But no longer.

In an inspiring quest for this rapidly disappearing traditional cuisine and culture, Mirabel Osler travels the length and breadth of France, focusing on individual chefs and restaurants, exploring producers and suppliers such the travelling butchers and bakers, and the local markets where much of the produce is bought. It is an enticing and evocative picture of a way of life which is fast being eroded by the modern world, but also an affirmation that, for some, the old traditions will always survive.

About the author

Mirabel Osler writes regularly for the garden magazine Hortus and is also the author of A Gentle Plea for Chaos, The Garden Wall, The Garden Bench, In the Eye of the Garden, The Secret Gardens of France and A Breath From Elsewhere.

Simon Dorrell is best known for his work as Art Editor and in-house illustrator for Hortus. His work also appears regularly in Country Life and he has provided illustrations for a number of books.

Michelin-starred chef Shaun Hill has been cooking for twenty-five years, and is currently chef-patron at the Merchant House, Ludlow. In 1993 he won Egon Ronay Chef of the Year, and a Catey award at the catering industry's Oscars. He is also a research fellow in Ancient Greek at Exeter University.