Soups of France: Regional French Cooking

In France, a nation of small villages, an incredible variety of soups have evolved over time, with cherished family recipes handed down from generation to generation. The Soups of France uncovers those recipes, many still enjoyed today, others long forgotten. From famed Pot-au-Feu and Bouillabaisse to Baratxuri Salda, a spicy Basque broth of garlic, sausage, and red pepper, and the Dordogne?s Sobronade, ham and bean soup, each of the 90-plus recipes celebrates a melting pot of flavor. Rich with glorious photographs illustrating the lush countryside, quaint villages, and vibrant marketplaces, The Soups of France is a delightful culinary ramble. A labor of love on an art the French take for granted, this is a treasure no true collection of cookery books should be without.

Lois Anne Rothert is the founder of duJour, an Indiana restaurant of French-influenced cuisine. She has spent the last ten years collecting the many soup recieps served at the restaurant and travelling the French countryside in search of their origins. Don Smith is a photographer, film editor, and producer. He is professor of film and video at Columbia College in Chicago and lives on Pretty Lake in northeast Indiana.