I saved this review to do around the holidays because I think it would make a great gift and is filled with rich French food that makes me think of the holidays.

French Feasts: 299 Traditional Recipes for Family Meals & Gatherings

Stephane Reynaud

French Feasts at Amazon

Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang (2009)

This is a beautiful book that covers everything from classic French stews to creme brulee. It is filled with fun illustrations, gorgeous photographs and 299 recipes. Below each recipe is a wine pairing. I love the book’s character and style.

Ratings:

Presentation of book: A (hard cover, lots of great photographs, heavy to carry around)

Difficulty of recipes: A- (overall recipes seemed easy to follow despite their complex names, a few dishes took a while to cook but not all of it was preparation time)

Healthy: C+ (many whole food ingredients were used and some recipes could probably be adapted to make them more healthy, lots of butter, oil and cheese)

Vegetarian/ Gluten Free: B (veggie or gluten free recipes were not on purpose but there were some, and modifications could be made to these recipes)

Entertaining: B+ (you could use this to entertain with, but I would suggest trying a few recipes first)

Overall, I would buy this for my coffee table because it is so pretty and it makes a statement. I don’t see myself opening it up and using it very often but I would also use it for a gourmet club dinner I was hosting or a special holiday dish. I think it would be a great gift for a friend who is into French cooking or culture or someone who just got back from a European trip!

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