French food books - the perfect foodie gift guide for Christmas and birthday presentsWhether there’s a birthday looming or you’re seeking gifts for under the Christmas tree, French food books will warm the hearts of the foodies in your life. For lovers of French food, you can’t go wrong with a book on the subject. As you might expect, this list of cookbooks about French food runs long so to help you narrow down the options, we’ve compiled 14 of the best. We did try to stop at 10 but when we’re talking food, the sky’s the limit!

18 Best French food books

Read on to discover 18 coffee table, or bedside table, French food books that are bound to please even the most discerning French foodie.

Working up an appetite for French food

One More Croissant for the Road by Felicity Cloake

Well travelled, well versed in culinary skills, and well trained in wine and spirits, Felicity Cloake has been bylined in most Britain’s newspapers and food magazines. She’s the author of six cookery books of which One More Croissant for the Road was published in 2020.

In many respects, its combination of cycling and eating is the perfect combination. That this journey meanders through France at our kind of pace makes it a win-win. This culinary tour de France traces some 2,300km and each ‘stage’ ends with a recipe you’ll be hankering to try now!

French food books for kids

In the French Kitchen with Kids by Mardi Michels

Quite firmly parking any notion of inaccessible French cooking, In the French Kitchen with Kids is a refreshing take on French food books from food and travel blogger Mardi Michels.

Crammed with 60 manageable French recipes that kids of all ages can rustle up, you can dip in and help or simply cook along. To help those less fluent in culinary skills, there are tips and how to tricks dotted throughout as well as the occasional fact about France and French.

A great gift for the grandchildren and available worldwide.

French food books for picky kids 

French kids eat everything by Karen Le Billon

As anyone who has travelled extensively in France (and Spain and Italy) knows, children have far more sophisticated palates than their British or American counterparts. The author, Karen Le Billon, maintains French enfants “gladly wolf down” anything put in front of them. She then uses this observation to offer advice on how to get your kids to do the same.

Judging by the reviews, her method seems to work. And not just with the kids, but the parents too! The book also includes a smattering of recipes for your new gourmet family.

Authentic French food

Secret France by Rick Stein

English seafood specialist, Rick Stein, has had a lifelong relationship with France and has finally written a French food book. Secret France is yet another superb foodie tour de force through the world’s culinary epicentre.

Returning to l’Hexagone for this book Stein is specifically in search of authentic French cooking. Determined to find that the flavours, ingredients and skills that brought French cookery to the fore still reside, even if he can’t always find them in restaurants targeting tourists. Enjoy the journey, we did!

Quintessential French cooking

The Essence of French Cooking by Michel Roux

Legendary French chef Michel Roux combined the best of French cooking in a comprehensive selection of easy-to-follow recipes. The ingredients are refreshingly easy to source too so these dishes can be created in any domestic kitchen. The lauded late chef also added variations on the theme and bite-sized anecdotes on the recipes or the ingredients.

His choice of recipes is based mostly on his wish to include classic French dishes with a touch of modernity. So, you’ll find terrine de pâté de campagne sitting pretty with bouillabaisse, for example. Roux also mixes “the grand and the humble” in his overview of French cuisine. Cream of mushroom soup (Roux includes the Parisian version of this comfort food) therefore rubs shoulders with the much more sophisticated tournedos Rossini. As French food books go, this is a must for any aspiring French cook.

New take on the table

New French Table by Giselle and Emily Roux

Keeping this list in the family are wife and daughter of Michel Roux in their new book on modern French cooking. Giselle draws on recipes from her childhood and her experiences as wife of one of the best chefs in France. Daughter Emily offers recipes from her formal culinary education and travels round the world. The result brings together an unusual mix of French and international, classic and modern.

On the French side, you’ll find snails and Niçoise salad as well as staples such as Dauphinoise potatoes and French onion soup. International influences creep in via the Thai recipes, the lobster ravioli and a tiramisu with strawberries. Wife and daughter have added their own comments to the recipes giving them a personal touch, which together with the stunning photos make this a must-buy cookbook.

Regional French food

French Regional Food by Joel Robuchon and Loic Bienassis

When two heavyweights in French cuisine come together to produce a book about French regional food you know you’re onto a good thing. The late Chef Robuchon, who had a collection of no less than 28 Michelin stars, and Bienassis, an expert in culinary heritage, came together to compile possibly the ultimate guide to regional cuisine in France.

The glossy coffee table book takes you on a tour of 27 regions – some of which are further divided into sub-regions – and brings the best of their cuisine to the pages. Maps pinpoint the culinary highlights, which run to pastries, cheeses, wine and local produce. There’s also a good smattering of regional recipes so you can make your own speciality from just about anywhere in France.

Beyond the recipe book

French food: on the table, on the page and in French culture compiled by Lawrence Schehr and Allen Weiss

As anyone who has spent some time with the French knows, food is not just about satisfying your hunger pangs. If anything, for the French, the physiological needs come second to the cultural experience and history of eating.

In their compilation of articles about French food, Schehr and Weiss understand the deep significance of being à table for the French. As they explain in the introduction, “eating a French meal implies much more than filling a physical need”. The 16 articles look at the origins of classic French dishes, the role of food in society and how it’s portrayed in the arts. With titles such as “Monsieur Marcel’s Gay Oysters” and “Existential Cocktails” an eclectic round-up of French foods is guaranteed.

Best French food and travel book 

Mirazur by Mauro Colagreco 

As followers of the finest French dining will know, Mirazur boasts three Michelin stars and was voted The World’s Best Restaurant in 2019. A very promising backstory for a book that also ranks second in Forbes’ best French cookbooks of all time. This coffee table gem combines photography, poetry and recipes as it introduces the reader to Menton on the Côte d’Azur, home to Colagreco’s unique “frontier cuisine”.

After showcasing the Mediterranean in all its shades of blues and the charm of the nearby mountains, this French food book does a tour of Mirazur’s local producers. It finishes with the recipes, all taken from the restaurant itself and almost an after-thought. You might struggle a little to recreate some of them in your own kitchen – the hallowed trio of Michelin stars means the dishes are necessarily complex – but we think this lovely book is more about inspiring the reader to visit France and discover all its deliciousness.

Real life French cooking

In a French Kitchen: Tales and Traditions of Everyday Home Cooking in France by Susan Herrmann Loomis

American born Loomis has wholly immersed herself in French life and French food since she was an apprentice at La Varenne École de Cuisine. Since then, she has made her home in Louviers, converted a dilapidated convent, opened a cookery school and written both fact and fiction on the topic of food in France. While her candid memoir On Rue Tatin (now also the name of her blog) placed food at the heart of her efforts to settle in her new home, her latest tome brings us to the heart of her home – the kitchen.

Alongside 85 mouthwatering recipes, tips and tricks, we meet her friends and her favourite French places. What’s most reassuring is that not everyone she writes about loves cooking, but they do love food. We read how they’ve found ways to serve delicious meals at home with minimal effort inspired by the still fresh memories of their favourite dishes. A genuine reflection of the innate place food has in the homes and culture of France.

Feast of fromage

French Cheeses (in English) by Kazuko Mazui

It often takes a non-native to provide the real perspective on a country and in the case of French cheeses it’s Japan’s Kazuko Mazui. French food books dedicated to cheese rarely come as refined as this. Her fromage knowledge is second to none and the fact that her book has been translated into French gives an indication of just how much she knows about the subject.

French Cheeses is published by DK (a new edition in 2020) so you know that photos will take centre stage. This book comes crammed with mouth-watering delicious pictures of cheeses, so realistic you’re almost surprised not to smell them too. Mazui gives the lowdown on 350 cheeses: their origin and appearance, plus what they smell and taste like at different stages of maturity. And just as importantly, what to pair each cheese with.

French language version 

Translating French menus

French Menu Companion: Dictionary of French food, wine and cheese by T William Walker

We’ve all peered at a menu in France and often drawn a blank when it comes to understanding just what we’ll be eating. With this book, we no longer need to be lost in translation because it takes over 7,000 French culinary words and explains them in plain English. But not only that. This dictionary goes far beyond just the English equivalent: you get a list of ingredients and insight into how the dish is cooked.

The seemingly incomprehensible kig-ha-farz served in Brittany is a case in point. French Menu Companion explains what’s in the ‘porridge dumpling’ (milk, egg and buckwheat), tells you how it’s cooked and what you can expect on the plate to accompany it. A must for frequent travellers to France who would love to know exactly what’s on the menu.

French patisserie

Modern French Pastry by Cheryl Wakerhauser

No list of French food books would be complete without at least a small nod to the end of the meal. Cheryl Wakerhauser provides much more than a nod; she opens up a world of cakes, tarts and petits fours, all modelled on the classic French tradition of pastry making but with a modern twist. Just the photos make opening the book worthwhile and by the introduction your mouth will be really watering.

This cookbook isn’t for the novice in the kitchen – you do need a basic grounding – but helpful hints plus a long list of techniques offer more than enough assistance. You’ll discover how to make the perfect caramel and chocolate ganache, and how to glaze like a pro. And then you’re ready to create a Pistachio Picnic Cake and Blue Cheese Truffles good enough to open your own patisserie.

Marvellous macarons

Mad about Macarons! by Jill Colonna

French food books and macarons are probably ten-a-penny, but look no further. If you fancy creating your own macarons, this is your book. While Jill Colonna doesn’t pretend it’s easy, she breaks the recipe down step by step and turns it into a do-able creation. She’s certainly had plenty of practice after more than 30 years in the capital of macarons, Paris.

Colonna includes the classic flavours you’ll find in any French patisserie – vanilla, pistachio, rose and praline. She then takes macaron making up a level to some more challenging chocolate creations. She even gives you some ideas for creating savoury versions – her Thai green curry macarons guarantee an interesting start to any party. And there are tips for pairing this delicious bite with wines and teas.

Truffle truths

Simply Truffles by Patricia Wells

Despite their mundane black appearance, truffles are anything but simple. They hide a world of flavours, aromas, stories and folklore, all of which is revealed in this book. As a long-time resident of Provence, the world capital of truffles, American Patricia Wells certainly knows what she’s talking about. And this book does exactly what it says on the cover: “recipes and stories that capture the essence of the black diamond”.

Wells takes a long look at the finding of the elusive truffles and offers a few anecdotes on the myths behind them. She then dives deep into cooking with truffles with over 60 recipes, all of which showcase the unique flavour. Some recipes require skill and time to prepare while others such as the truffled Croque Monsieur take a humble snack to gourmet heights. There’s also a useful guide to pairing truffles with wine, which could make this the queen of French food books for us!

Dinner parties with French influence

Host with confidence by Anne and Bahia de Montarlot

The French are world experts at hosting meals chez them, an art they seem to carry off with effortless ease and perfection. This little book reveals the secrets behind a dinner party to remember and for all the right reasons. Written by sisters Anne and Bahia de Montarlot, this is your reference book to discover how to be a great host and most of all, enjoy the evening.

Taking the trio of ambiance, psychology and organisation, the de Montarlots break a dinner party into easy-to-follow chunks. From the flowers and music to the who sits where, no aspect of organising is left uncovered. They also offer tips on identifying what sort of host you are. Sample dinner menus and amusing anecdotes – it’s always comforting to know you’re not the only one having disasters – complete a useful book that turns a stressful event into a fun evening.

Dining French style

French Country Cottage Inspired Gatherings by Courtney Allison 

This simply stunning book has all the inspo to create the perfect dining occasion, whether you’re lakeside, in the garden or the deepest French countryside and dining with your other half or your extended family. The author offers plenty of practical ideas for place settings, floral arrangements and those little je ne sais quoi that turn a meal into an occasion.

Definitely one of the coffee table and even if you rarely host a meal, this makes a great book to dream of idyllic countryside lunches and dinners.

Dining afloat with the freshest local produce

A Foodie Afloat by Di Murrell

Combining her passions for barging and cooking, Di’s book is about as authentic an insight into regional produce and dishes as they come. Her recipes and tales of conversations with inhabitants of the waterways and river banks come together to provide a charming and true to life exposé of sorts.

Watch as the ingredients shift with the geography as the influences in the flavours differ all while Di goes about her life on the waterways. It’s one cook’s journey and their view on their favourite French delicacies. Yet this personal take is as tempting as any chef’s cookery book and earned the title of UK winner of the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards in 2020!

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Whether there's a birthday looming or you're seeking gifts for under the Christmas tree, French food books will warm the hearts of the foodies in your life.