IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS, AND THE JOY THEY BRING

Pages worth turning: French Women Don't Get Fat - The Secret of Eating For Pleasure

This book pretty much rocks - it's no wonder it has been a #1 National Bestseller for a hot minute. Frenchwoman Mirielle Guiliano, who splits her time between NYC and Paris, takes us on an entertaining culinary adventure of personal experience and observation, while offering a palate-pleasing plethora of recipes and suggestions for anti-American-eat-til-you-grow-a-food-baby gluttony (you KNOW what I'm talking about here- that lovely protrusion that makes you look instantly 6 months pregnant).

"...the French know there is much more to life than eating, so here you'll find the French take on other diversions, like love and laughter."

This is truly a must-read for anyone in the least bit interested in relishing every opportunity to eat fresh, in-season, lovingly prepared food - preferably with a fine glass of wine or (Mirielle's bev of choice) champagne, in the company of fellow food and life lovers. That's the thing about this book that makes it so diverting, the premise is to enjoy food, to enjoy drink, to enjoy CHOCOLATE, and long walks, and sex (it's all inter-connected, right?), and LIFE.

Great book - we raise our mason jars filled with Veuve Clicquot to it. Here's one of our favorite recipes from the book:

CHICKEN AU CHAMPAGNE

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (with skin and bone)

salt and freshly ground pepper

chervil, tarragon, or thyme

1 shallot, quartered

1 cup Champagne

1. Place the chicken breasts in a roasting pan, skin side down, and season them. Pour 1/2 cup of the Champagne over breasts. Make a slit in each breast and insert a piece of shallot.

2. Place the pan under the broiler for 3 minutes. Turn and broil the other side for 5 minutes, until the skin is nicely browned.

3. Remove the chicken from the broiler, baste with the pan juices, and add the remaining 1/2 cup of Champagne. Adjust the oven temperature to 475 degrees and bake the chicken for 30 minutes, basting once or twice.

4. Serve over brown rice. Sauteed mushrooms add a special touch and go beautifully with Champagne. (In a warm frying pan with a touch of olive oil, add clean, roughly chopped mushrooms, and cook for a few minutes. Add a few drops of lemon juice, freshly chopped sage, seasoning to taste, and 1 tablespoon of butter.) Pour the cooking juices from the chicken over the meat and rice. Serve the remainder of the bottle of Champagne with the meal. (As if we needed permission. Ha!)

(image courtesy of mireilleguiliano.com)