Paleo French Cuisine

Book excerpt: Paleo French Cuisine by Chef Alain Braux is a beautiful and surprising book. A panoply of Paleo inspired appetizers, entrees and desserts is preceded by a tough-love rational conversation about food and industrial culture, and our need to make informed and responsible choices. It is brimming with simple sensible scrumptious recipes, with and without meat, drawing from traditions of old world country comfort food while adding to the modernist trend of repurposing known ingredients in amazing ways. Chef Alain Braux is acutely aware of the contrary trends in current dietary philosophy. Paleo is the diet of the alpha, the Yang, the "hunter." The Raw Food movement promotes the diet of the receptive Yin, the vegan, the "gatherer." Chef Braux sees value in each approach to nourishing ourselves. He compares these contrary culinary philosophies from a common sense perspective, and creates a cuisine that draws on the best of both worlds. All recipes are free of grains and many are also dairy-free. There is plenty to love here for vegetarians as well as confirmed meat eaters, plenty of fully raw recipes as well as sautees and stews. Tips on shopping and cooking techniques leave little room for confusion, and all the while the writing style is so friendly and conversational that you may feel this kindly chef is by your side. The recipes are exquisite! French names for each dish give a sense of elegance and romance, but the ingredients are not exotic, the techniques are not complex. The hard work has already been done, recipes perfected, and the artful balance of flavors, colors, textures, tastes and nutrients is effortless as you follow Chef Braux's instructions. The dessert section is simple and splendid, each dish light and refreshing. I highly recommend this book as the best of a generation. This is a keeper! Thank you Chef Braux!