Frenchie: New Bistro Cooking

Paris is seeing a surge in a new hip style of bistro that has rarely been represented in English-language cookbooks. Fortunately, the translation of this smart and very inviting book marks a change from that situation. Marchand’s cluster of restaurants on the cobblestoned Rue de Nil in the 2nd all bear the “Frenchie” moniker the chef, who grew up in Nantes, earned working in London and New York. They offer bright, seasonal food, revealing an adroit awareness of ingredients from beyond France’s borders. This is sophisticated fare, but not difficult to prepare, suggesting that France is fitting very well into the modern world: tomato and red currant salad with basil and croutons; beef cheeks with roasted beets, watercress, and grated horseradish; Spanish jam with corn, bell peppers, kaffir lime, and pickled ginger.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.