La Tartine Gourmande

From the French countryside, to rugged New Zealand, to the New England coast, Beatrice Peltre brings us a book of recipes, stories, and photographs inspired by her life--classic and delicious, always with a twist. Taking us on a journey, not only through the meals of our day and the tools of our kitchen, but to the places we visit in our memories and travels, Peltre uses her life as an example to inspire ours. Peltre uses unexpected ingredients in traditional dishes and creates recipes that are effortlessly healthful and balanced. Similarly, her photographs show not just the food, but the mood around the food--the colors, the flavors, the setting--to show how it feels to create and enjoy something that is both beautiful and delicious. Bea's stories are sometimes as simple as the little conversation she has with her husband before she rolls out of bed to make homemade granola; other times she takes you on her travels, sharing all the rich senses of the place and the recipe it inspires. All together, these elements create an incredibly warm ambience that invites the reader to share in the beauty and simple pleasures of life, with food at the heart of it. Bea begins the book by introducing the reader to her world. There are stories from her childhood and travels that show how her love for food was shaped and an overview of her kitchen, ingredients, methods, and basic recipes. The rest of the book is divided into the meals of the day (see Table of Contents below for detail). In nearly 100 recipes Bea shares her inventive creations, ranging from the simplest to prepare delights, to complex layered mousse cakes. All recipes are gluten-free--whole grains like quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and nut flours replace wheat flour and lend depth of flavor and more nutrients, even to desserts. Each recipe is accompanied by stories, anecdotes, or tips, and her lushly styled photographs. This book provides a door into a life full of joy, beauty, inspiration--all centered around food. Table of Contents: Introduction: Thinking About Food Part One: My Kitchen My Kitchen; Guidelines; My Ingredients; My Equipment; My Basic Recipes and Methods Part Two: The Recipes Breakfast and Brunch to Inspire Lunches to Inspire: A Tartine and a Bowl of Soup; Le pique-nique (The Picnic); Casual Lunches with Friends Dinners to Inspire: The Party with Small Bites; Dinners for Getaway Weekends; Casual Dinners with Friends; Sophisticated and Elegant Dinners Desserts to Inspire: French Childhood Memories; A Love for Fruit; Everyday Baking; Beautiful and Irresistible Desserts