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Simple French Cookery
by Raymond Blanc
ISBN-10: 0563522852
ISBN-13: 9780563522850
ISBN-13: 9780563522850
Region: France
Publisher: BBC Books
Publication Date: March, 2007
Recipe Index
Publishers Information
About Simple French Cookery
Publisher Web Link: http://www.eburypublishing.co.uk/
Author Information
About Raymond Blanc
Author Web Link: http://www.raymondblanc.com/
Raymond Blanc is totally self-taught. Today he is one of the country’s most respected chefs. Born in Besancon, the capital of the Franche Comté region in eastern France, between Burgundy and the Jura mountains. Raymond was inspired by the local terroir, and most of all by his mother, the formidable Maman Blanc who uses fresh, local and seasonal produce to produce meals for her family full of goodness and full of love.
Raymond started his career in England as a waiter at the Rose Revived Restaurant, and when the chef was taken ill one day he took over. In 1977 Raymond and his wife Jenny opened their first restaurant, Les Quat’ Saisons in Oxford. They put together all their meagre savings and mortgaged their house to raise the cash. Les Quat’ Saisons was an overnight success, winning him Egon Ronay Restaurant of the Year, prestigious Michelin stars and a host of other distinctions.
Maison Blanc, Raymond and Jenny’s bakery and patisserie opened in Oxford in 1981 and was soon supplying Harrods and many top London restaurants with authentic French bread and patisseries.
It was in 1984, however, that he fulfilled a personal vision, creating a hotel and restaurant in harmony when he opened Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in Great Milton, Oxford. Le Manoir is the only country house hotel in the UK which has achieved two Michelin Stars for a total of 25 years. “His house is as beautiful as a tale of Lewis Carroll” commented Gilles Pudlowski.
In 1991, Raymond Blanc established The Raymond Blanc Cookery School, welcoming both enthusiastic amateurs and professional cooks to the kitchen. The school provides the opportunity to develop their skills whilst learning some of Raymond Blanc’s kitchen secrets.
Raymond Blanc opened his first Le Petit Blanc brasserie in Oxford. His aim was to be the best within the brasserie scene in England - serving good quality, freshly prepared food at a price that was accessible and represented excellent value. Another three brasseries were opened in the subsequent years and achieved the perfection which Raymond Blanc had set out to achieve by becoming the only brasseries in the United Kingdom to achieve the Michelin Bib Gourmand.
In 2006, Le Petit Blanc Brasseries were relaunched as Brasserie Blanc, offering French classic and modern dishes made with fresh, seasonal ingredients at affordable prices to encourage guests to visit regularly. A place to relax and enjoy ‘real French food, close to home’. There are now eightBrasserie Blancs around the country.
Over the past few years, RB has written a selection of best sellers, including ‘Cooking For Friends’, ‘A Blanc Christmas’, the Sunday Times bestseller ‘Recipes from Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons’, ‘Blanc Vite’ and his most recent book, ‘Foolproof French Cookery’.
In 1998 Raymond Blanc worked alongside top interior designer Emily Todhunter to complete a major development project at Le Manoir. Together, their visions and creativity prepared the 15th Century Manor for the demands and expectations of the new Millennium.
Sir Terence Conran commented that “Raymond Blanc has transformed his Manoir aux Quat” Saisons into a hymn of contemporary style. Gone are the heavy chintzes, billowing swags and over-gilded ornamentation and in their place is light and comfortable modernity”.
Raymond Blanc comments “as well as refurbishing seven bedrooms we spent £300,000 updating the kitchens with new ranges and our ultimate goal is to achieve a third Michelin star. It is through the dedication and commitment of the whole team at Le Manoir that we strive to meet the guests’ demands in every way. We aim to touch excellence in all we do here, whoever we are and whatever our role”. (http://www.manoir.com/)
