Kitchen counter or coffee table? The conundrum of where to display Cuisine Niçoise, Hilary Davis's lavish oversized homage to the recipes and traditions of France's Nice region, is a delightful one.
Simple, frugal, healthy and fresh are the hallmarks of dining in this Mediterranean region. Davis, a food and travel journalist, moved to Nice 13 years ago and immersed herself in foraging, gardening and learning the local cuisine. She found just one regional cookbook, from 1972, so she created her own collection combining traditional and contemporary recipes. She sprinkles anecdotes and bits of local lore throughout.
American cooks can easily replicate these recipes; while a cook in New York might not be able to pick a "fat, juicy Menton lemon" from a nearby tree, Davis's directions allow for available substitutions. And Steven Rothfeld's photographs bring the sun-drenched goodness of the dishes and the locale to brilliant life. --Cheryl Krocker McKeon, bookseller, Book Passage, San Francisco