Book Review: the Bonne Femme Cookbook

It’s been said that the three nations with the deepest, richest culinary traditions are China, France, and Italy. The Bonne Femme Cookbook by Wini Moranville, provides a solid introduction to the French culinary tradition by introducing readers to the “bonne femme” style of cooking. Translated into English, bonne femme literally means “good wife” but this expression also refers to a culinary style that uses fresh, honest, simple, everyday ingredients and cooking methods. The bonne femme way is how the average French family cooks. They start with fresh ingredients that are in season and they transform these ingredients into simple, delicious dishes using the most basic techniques. The ingredients used are, for the most part, inexpensive and easy to substitute if unavailable. The Bonne Femme Cookbook was inspired by this simple style of cooking that the Author experienced during her many visits to France.

Wini Moranville is extremely knowledgeable about French cuisine and culture. She first visited the country with her high school class when she was only 17 years old and has returned to France often for both work and leisure. In fact, during the last 20 years she has spent each of her summer vacations in France. During her many visits, she has had extended stays in Burgundy, Fleurance, French Cataluña, and the Poitou-Charentes regions to name a few. She shares many of her experiences from these stays in the descriptions of her recipes as well as in special “Culinary Travels” sections that appear throughout the book.

The Bonne Femme Cookbook is packed with over 250 recipes ranging from French classics that use inventive, time-saving short-cuts to new dishes that use traditional French cooking methods and ingredients. In addition to the recipes, Moranville also includes several sections that focus on practical advice and techniques such as “using fresh versus dried herbs”, “stewing and roasting basics”, “prepping chicken”, and a “goat cheese primer” for example. As if this were not enough, the book is filled with beautiful illustrations by Nishon Akgulian and has a unique letter press cover.

In our review of the Bonne Femme Cookbook, we first tried an aperitif called a Kir that is made with crème de casis, cognac, and champagne. We found these drinks to be refreshing ice-breakers that would make a great start to any dinner gathering. We moved on to try the chicken calvados, a classic dish popular in Normandy. This recipe was fast and easy to prepare and featured the delectable flavor combination of chicken and apples. We also tried another classic French dish, Coq au Vin, in which the Author simplifies the recipe by using frozen pearl onions instead of boiling and pealing them in the traditional manner. Despite the instructions in this recipe to leave the skin on the chicken, we removed it to cut down on the amount of fat and the dish was still outstanding.

Based on the recipes that we tried, we give the Bonne Femme Cookbook five stars out of five. There are a lot of reasons to love this book. In addition to its many delicious, easy, time saving recipes that will appeal to any cooking enthusiast, the book is beautifully organized and illustrated. The Bonne Femme Cookbook may become a timeless culinary work in the same way that “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child has inspired chefs around the world. It is a must read in that it not only teaches the Bonne Femme way of cooking, but it also introduces readers to the cuisine, culture, and country that is France.