In this companion book to Pierre Franey's new Public Television series, he revisits his native land to bring to the American home cook some of the classic regional specialties of France -- and to search out some of the latest and most brilliant culinary refinements. Franey reports on each of France's major gastronomic areas. He includes his own recipes as well as specialties confided to him in grand restaurants, bistros, and out-of-the-way villages: such mouth-watering delights as cassoulet and confit from Languedoc, hearty choucroute from Alsace, ratatouille from Provence, coquilles Saint-Jacques from Normandy. He revels in foie gras in Gascony and visits the luxuriant grazing land of Charolles that produces the famous charollais beef. We watch the harvesting of truffles in the Perigord, discover the secrets of the rich sauces of Burgundy, and relish the culinary wonders of Lyon. We discover the Cognac country of Charente, the vineyards of Bordeaux, and the precious caves of Champagne. The France we visit here is a land flourishing with cooks of every category, from the practitioners of traditional peasant cuisine to the most innovative chefs at work today. Franey meets -- and presents recipes from -- the legendary Pierre Troisgros and Alain Ducasse, as well as Pierre Gagnaire, whose restaurant in St. Etienne recently received a coveted Michelin third star. We share the secrets of Jean-Marie Miquel, whose restaurant in the town of Najac is one of France's newly discovered treasures, and of Marceline Jacomet, a fabulous cook in a rustic corner of Provence, who prepares duck as you've never tasted it. In Paris we learn about the explosion of new bistro cooking from great chefs like Joel Robuchon and Michel Rostang, whose hearty stews, pates, and roasts are taking on new and deserved cachet. In this book, the American cook (and reader) gains a greater appreciation of the French ardor for produce -- cheese, wine, meat, fish, herbs, vegetables, everything that makes eating in France the great joy it is today -- which underlines the principle, too often paid only lip service, that at the heart of great cooking is the use of the best possible ingredients, fresh as can be and with a minimum of processing. Here we have the very best of French cooking from one of America's great chefs. Pierre Franey's Cooking in America (LJ 4/15/92) was an engaging account, with recipes, of Franey's explorations across this country for a PBS series of the same name. For his new series, he returned to his homeland, and this companion book is both charming and informative. Part travelog, part cookbook, it is organized by region, starting, of course, in Paris and then moving on to the cognac, apples, and cream of Normandy; the truffles of the Perigord; and the celebrated restaurants of Lyon-all the distinctive cuisines of this culinary showcase. Franey interviewed chefs and home cooks, vintners and farmers, and fishermen and cheesemakers along the way, and their recipes appear here, as do his own dishes created on the spot, inspired by the people he encountered and the ingredients at hand. Highly recommended. [Homestyle Bks. alternate.] Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. Notwithstanding his unassuming demeanor, Burgundian-born chef Franey has achieved a relative amount of acclaim thanks to his stint at New York Times and the creation of the 60-Minute Gourmet series. Yet this is nothing near what his talent deserves. Perhaps this volume, in tandem with a PBS-TV series, will spread his name as an impeccable purveyor and translator of both American and French cuisines. Either way, Franey's warm, friendly style welcomes both old fans and new ones into the 19 regions that make up France's gastronomy. He and his cowriter introduce each with anecdotes, glances into professional kitchens, and notes about area specialites. With this approach, it's difficult to be awed when he talks to a Michelin three-starred chef or gently inveighs against the ravages of the now-dead nouvelle cuisine. His concern for the best foodstuffs on both sides of the Atlantic works well in the 200 recipes; ingredients are carefully selected for availability and freshness. Though his 60-Minute streamlined mentality remains, the dishes are occasionally complicated. Examples of his offerings include old and soon-to-be favorites. Barbara Jacobs anion book to Pierre Franey's new Public Television series, he revisits his native land to bring to the American home cook some of the classic regional specialties of France -- and to search out some of the latest and most brilliant culinary refinements. Franey reports on each of France's major gastronomic areas. He includes his own recipes as well as specialties confided to him in grand restaurants, bistros, and out-of-the-way villages: such mouth-watering delights as cassoulet and confit from Languedoc, hearty choucroute from Alsace, ratatouille from Provence, coquilles Saint-Jacques from Normandy. He revels