Book Review | Culinary Adventures in the Dordogne

Walnut Wine & Truffle Groves – Culinary Adventures in the Dordogne

Kimberley Lovato

Anyone who has ever visited the Dordogne will recognise the notion that this lovely southwestern département is, like so many corners of la France profonde, an ideal stomping ground for those with a penchant for gastro touring. Indeed the area has, quite rightfully, been the food lover’s focus in many a cookbook over recent years. But Kimberley Lovato – a travel writer who splits her time between the United States and France – gives us something altogether more compelling and innovative with her love letter to the Dordogne menu.

By interviewing those who make the local food what it is – from humble home cooks who know best and provide their own generation-held recipes, to professional chefs, local farmers and wine makers, she is able to get under the skin, often off the beaten track, of this richly gourmand region.

The book’s design approach and layout is equally unique, with maps and beautiful photography vying for page space alongside helpful glossaries and evocative vignettes from pretty villages. And then there’s the book’s raison d’être, of course – the food. Who could resist Perigordine garlic soup or seared duck breast with walnuts and raspberries, especially when presented with such love and passion?