Description

“Every vegetable keeps its mistress in the herb garden.” Daniel de la Falaise likes to cite this essentially French proverb when explaining his culinary philosophy. With an illustrious lineage on both sides of the Channel, Falaise is a truly cosmopolitan creature who moves gracefully among many worlds. A former fashion model, Falaise today is a private chef who prepares feasts for some of the most chic gatherings in the world, growing many of his ingredients on the grounds of his idyllic farm in Southwest France.

Falaise approaches cooking as a sensual task and a celebration of quality products involving as little interference as possible from the cook. His compass point: the taste of the raw ingredient when just plucked from the soil. His way of cooking is centered around the task of coaxing out the most flavor from that ingredient at its peak freshness. This book takes you on “a balloon ride through the seasons,” along the way divulging his excellent techniques such as using residual heat off the stove to finish cooking gently, extracting essences with broths, and using herbs both in the cooking and finishing for a layered effect. Among the dishes he shares are Carrot and Tarragon Soup, Bass Roasted on Wild Fennel, Steamed Young Leeks with Chive Flower Vinaigrette, and Chilled Melon Soup with Cardamom.

Woven throughout is a strong element of narrative text in which Falaise shares his passionate philosophy centered on peasant traditions of sustainable agriculture as well as poignant memories from his upbringing in rural Wales and his colorful family members. Nature’s Larder opens up a new way of thinking about food, one that returns to an instinctual relationship to taste and a direct connection to the natural world.