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Paris and the Provinces

The cuisine of the capital city represents

a convergence of all French provincial culinary talent

Only two of the fourteen chefs who contributed recipes to this book were born in Paris and even they are first-generation Parisians: one has parents from the regions of Charentes and Brittany on the Atlantic coast, while the other's parents originally came from Normandy and the Périgord. The others together represent nine different French provinces and their distinct cuisines, plus one chef from Japan whose cooking shows a distinct enthusiasm for the food from the Basque country. The siren song of the capital has long attracted the ambitious: how can you keep them "down on the farm" when they dream of making a name for themselves and revealing their talent to the world? When chefs come to Paris seeking fame or fortune, their bags are packed with local products and local savoir-faire. So even the most Parisian of dishes are provincial in origin: fresh seafood comes from Brittany and Normandy, escargots from Burgundy, salade niçoise from Nice, warm lentil salad and andouillette sausage from Lyon, potatoes au gratin from the Dauphiné, choucroute from Alsace. It is true that the flavors of the provinces are adapted to suit the Parisian table, and in the process gain something spiritual, subtle, and elegant, even down to the humblest dish of offal. Cooking in Paris allows the chef artistic license that would not be granted elsewhere. Parisians meanwhile are absolutely passionate about the authenticity of regional traditions and celebrate peasant dishes, handmade charcuterie, and the desserts their grandmothers served. This is even more pronounced because it comes on the heels of the oh-so-precious nouvelle cuisine. It also explains their refusal to submit to fast-food and other forms of culinary globalization—feasting on a heritage handed down by generations of connoisseurs is one way of keeping the taste buds from being dulled. Drinking is another: Parisian wine bars are temples to the glory of Burgundy, Touraine or Bordeaux and the arrival of beaujolais nouveau every autumn is a much awaited event.

Le Rallye du Nord, like thousands of Paris bistros, announces the day's specials directly on its windows. Inside, dishes are listed on blackboards.