Product Description

Clotilde Dusoulier is a twenty-seven-year-old Parisian who adores sharing her love of all things food-related—recipes, inspirations, restaurant experiences, and above all the pleasure of cooking with the fresh ingredients found in her local Montmartre shops. But her infatuation with food was born not in her mother’s Parisian kitchen, but in San Francisco, where she moved after college and discovered a new world of tastes. When she returned to her beloved France, her culinary exploits inspired her popular and critically acclaimed blog, ChocolateandZucchini.com.

In her first book, Dusoulier provides a glimpse into the life of a young Parisian as she savors all that the city has to offer and shares her cooking philosophy in the form of more than 75 recipes that call for healthy ingredients (such as zucchini) and more indulgent tastes (such as chocolate). The Los Angeles Times calls her recipes "simple, charming, and fun."

Appetizers such as Cumin Cheese Puffs, sandwiches and tarts like Tomato Tatin, soups like Chestnut and Mushroom, main dishes including Mustard Chicken Stew, and desserts like Chocolate and Caramel Tart can all be found alongside menus for entertaining, as well as tips for throwing cocktail or dinner parties with French flair. Chocolate & Zucchini is the book for anyone who has journeyed to Paris and can still recall the delicious flavors and aromas—or for those of us who only dream about them.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12698 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-15
• Released on: 2007-05-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Readers of Dusoulier's ebullient food blog, chocolateandzucchini.com, won't be disappointed by this wonderful mélange of new creations and old favorites. Dusoulier's charm lies in her culinary curiosity and enthusiasm, and she deftly conveys both through 75-plus recipes and narrative commentary. The 27-year-old Parisian arranges her book into three sections. The first, Simplicité (Simplicity), includes salads, sandwiches, savory tarts, soups and eggs. Part two is Invitation (Entertaining) and features recipes for hors d'oeuvres, "impromptu" dinners like Hand-Cut Steak Tartare, dinner party fare such as Comté Cheese Soufflés, buffet items and sides. The final portion concerns sweets, clearly Dusoulier's favorite. With scintillating recipes for cakes (Apricot and Pistachio Ricotta), tarts (Blueberry Amandine), desserts (Chocolate Hibiscus Crème Brûlée) and "sweet bites" (Orange Flower Shuttle Cookies), this section brims with innovation. Overall, newcomers to French cuisine will learn to make some classics, like Pistou Soup and Beef Bourguignon, while those seeking to expand their repertoires will enjoy the author's idiosyncratic creations. Dishes like Broccoli and Apple Quiche (born out of a "greenmarket run one fall morning") and, of course, Chocolate & Zucchini Cake (which may sound "a little odd," but is "surprisingly successful" and features "real teamwork at play") are just some of Dusoulier's delightful and unusual offerings. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
Bilingual blogger Clotilde Dusoulier's Chocolate & Zucchini brings an engaging new voice to home cuisine. -- Vogue, June 2007

Chocolateandzucchini.com is an international success. Now the young Parisian has compiled a cookbook emphasizing her brand of lighter-than-traditional French cuisine. -- The New York Daily News, June 4, 2007

Dusoulier is the Parisian friend we all wish we had. [Her] voice is boisterous, spirited, delightful and entirely forgiving. -- New York Times Magazine, April 22, 2007

Dusoulier's meditations on the value of curiosity, creativity, pleasure speak to a new generation of food lovers and cooks. -- The Seattle Times, May 23, 2007

Dusoulier's zesty approach to shopping for, cooking, and presenting French food is entirely appealing. Her recipes are inventive rather than eccentric, and her enthusiasm for the pleasures of the table is infectious. -- Gourmet Magazine, November 2007

The recipes are intriguing, the photographs enticing and the writing charming. -- The Houston Star, July 23, 2007

[The book] showcases Dusoulier's fresh, creative, market-driven approach to cooking as well as a fresh helping of her unique prose. -- The Atlanta Journal Constitution, May 25, 2007

Review
“Clotilde Dusoulier, a young French woman who discovered her love for food in the United States, shares with readers her lighthearted, enthusiastic, and thoroughly modern approach to a very personal culinary passion.”
—Susan Herrmann Loomis, author of On Rue Tatin and The French Farmhouse Cookbook

"This collection of remarkably accomplished recipes, from market-fresh salads to indulgent desserts, includes a soupçon of tasty tales and tips from Clotilde’s Parisian kitchen, and is sure to inspire readers and cooks no matter where they live."
—David Lebovitz, author of The Perfect Scoop and Room For Dessert

"Is there any food lover who doesn't dream about living, cooking, and eating in Paris? This charming homage to French home cooking feeds that fantasy with a feast."
—Melissa Clark

“Clotilde Dusoulier’s comfortable, homey food has just the right amount of authentic French flair, and her stories of life in Paris speak to food’s universal ability to bring people together and make them happy. Of course, being transported to Paris never hurts either.”
—Dave Lieberman

Customer Reviews

proof of the pudding? So far all hits, no misses.
Delightful approach, and all the directions you need to recreate the special dishes with real ease. Best of all the improvisations inspired by my lack of certain ingredients were excellent as well, and made me feel as creative as the author herself. Been cooking for decades, and never dared to try icecream, but emboldened by the luscious photographs (bravo for shots of real food, not styled food) have taken a plunge from which there is no turning back. Merci. Will follow up with the Paris adventures before my Paris trip in October. Have already booked a meal at the hidden kitchen. Now to winkle out how to visit the food market at Rungis without spending a fortune on permits or tours.....

Five Stars!
I discovered Clotilde's blog only after purchasing this book. The recipes are simple, call for fresh ingredients and are absolutely delicious. Highly recommended!

I love chocolate and zucchini
This book is great and Clotilde is an interesting writer. She has written the book as a novel and that makes it so, so interesting. Makes you want to cook and feed your friends. Congratulations Clotilde!!