Provencal Light

Provencal Light

The author of Mediterranean Light presents more than two hundred recipes, with nutritional counts and a lively narrative, that capture the essence of fish dishes, salads, breads, desserts, soups, and other foods and dishes of Provence. Shulman, cooking teacher and writer, has lived in France for more than ten years, and she's spent a great deal of that time in Provence. Although she covered some of this same ground in Mediterranean Light ( LJ 4/15/89), now she focuses strictly on Provencal cuisine in all its glory. The Provencal diet lends itself readily to Shulman's lightening, and she offers dozens of recipes for flavorful dishes that are low-fat but still true to the spirit of the "cuisine of the sun." She includes a whole chapter on the region's famous fish soups, along with lots of delicious vegetable dishes, zesty salads and starters, breads, pizzas, pastas, and a variety of fruit desserts. Definitely not a "diet" book, this is highly recommended. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. If, as those in Provence say, garlic is the poor man's grocery store, then Shulman's latest cookbook will be a farmer's harvest for anyone, regardless of economic status. Shulman takes advantage of this French region's love for garlic, olive oil, onions, herbs, and seafood, combining these ingredients with fat-reducing cooking techniques (along with nutritional data) for a healthy peasant cuisine. Of the more than 200 recipes, few include meat dishes; expect to be overwhelmed by eggplant, zucchini, and other vegetables, as well as salt cod in various permutations. Barbara Jacobs English Language