CUISINE REVIEW: The Skinny French Kitchen - Harry Eastwood

Release Date: 17/03/11

SYNOPSIS:

Harry Eastwood has taken on the challenge of a lifetime: marrying her love of classic French cookery with a desire to maintain her waistline. The Skinny French Kitchen is the result of Harry's year spent tasting, testing and tweaking the great French classics in her tiny Parisian kitchen up seven flights of stairs. Every recipe has been slimmed down to a fraction of its usual calorie cost without robbing it of flavour or its French character. From light and delightful Tarte aux Pommes and Mousse au Chocolat to irresistible Coq au Vin Blanc and Croque Monsieur, Harry has proved once again that fat and flavour don't always go hand in hand ...


REVIEW:

French Cuisine is all about big hearty meals with the family that balances flavours with good quality ingredients with meal times being an experience rather than just a fuelling stop. It has some wonderful classics which have translated well to the British Palette and whilst some of the national dishes may not be to everyone’s taste you’ve got to admit that it’s a way of life that we really should adopt more.

However with everyone being more health conscious it’s always a good thing to find some of the classics that manage to not only keep the big taste but also maintain the subtlety of flavours that cut down on the calories within. Harry has done not just an admirable job but has created a truly masterful classic. Yes if you want your haute cuisine and food you need GPS just to find on the plate you can stick with Ramsey, but for real meat on the bones, generous helpings and of course a lot of time lavished upon it you have to go for good hearty dishes. Harry’s look at the way of life and tastes are brought across lovingly and that’s really what good food is about, having people to share your experience and whilst the cooking times and preparation can feel like a chore, if you really want to do something special, it’s to the dishes contained within like Boeuf Bourguignon that you have to turn with a wonderful selection of veggies cooked to bring out their flavour and characters that you should seek out.

Add to this some great ideas for combo’s with easy to follow instructions alongside practical advice and it’s the book that no kitchen can be without which makes this title a great all-rounder and one that will be used time and again within my own household.