At the outset I should declare myself: I have a weakness for cookbooks, fuschia lipsticks, Waikiki sunsets and N'awlins beignets (even though I've yet to taste one - I just know I'll love them). I am a sometime writer, a lazy cook and someone who can be very shallow when it comes to judging books by covers. So when I saw this gorgeous tome in the bookshop (a real bricks and mortar bookshop, as opposed to my recent online outings), I had to have it.
Mr Reynaud and I already have an on-again, off-again relationship. My copy of Ripailles is still in pretty good nick, which means I both baby it and don't use it often enough. The recipes are fantastic, but fancy. Terrines, I think I can master. What can go wrong with a small pot of rich goodness?
My commitment is thus: don't just look at the pretty book, use it! Cook up a storm! Create wonders in the kitchen! Become a master of...the...er...terrine! Yes, that's glamorous - be the terrine-meister you always wanted to be! Luckily, I love rich French food in all its forms; and have been the recipient of a terrine (the crockery; not the food). I have the book; I have the terrine; now all I need to do is follow Mr Reynaud's recipes and I shall have a terrine a week.
Before you can throw Julie and Julia at me, I'll be honest: I'm no great cook, I don't have a Brooklyn apartment, no charming yet semi-supportive husband waiting in the wings. Life is a lot less exciting than that. But by God I have a kitchen and a terrine: therefore I am. Join me, fellow terrine-lovers, Francophiles and friends as I embark on this rather ill-founded journey. A year's odyssey in which I commit to cooking and recording a gelatinous, sumptuous feast once a week...Enjoy the ride!
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