Dining out should be fun, relaxing and never, never stressful. Whether a 3-star restaurant or a neighborhood bistro there should always be an excellent rapport qualité prix–a positive relationship between price and quality.

“Wine is, above all, pleasure. Those who would make it ponderous make it dull,” declares wine importer Lynch in this robustly irreverent account of his quest through France in search of wine. If you own only one book on wine, this is it.

“Anyone can cook in the French manner anywhere,” wrote Mesdames Beck, Bertholle, and Child, “with the right instruction.” And here is the book that, for more than forty years, has been teaching Americans how.

What is Jewish cooking in France?

That is the question that has haunted Joan Nathan over the years and driven her to unearth the secrets of this hidden cuisine. Now she gives us the fruits of her quest in this extraordinary book, a treasure trove of delectable kosher recipes and the often moving stories behind them, interlaced with the tumultuous two-thousand-year history of the Jewish presence in France.

This 50th anniversary paperback reprint contains what Julia Child referred to as “the essence of M.F.K. Fisher, one of this country’s earliest food writers

Of all of the culinary treasures that Richard Olney brought home from France for his American audience, the spritely and commanding Lulu Peyraud is perhaps the most memorable. A second-generation proprietor of Provence’s noted vineyard Domaine Tempier, and producer of some of the region’s best wines and meals, Lulu has for over 50 years been Provence’s best-kept secret.

MEET PARIS OYSTER is an engaging exploration of the Parisian love affair with the world’s most sensuous shellfish.

Here is a wonderful recipe from Patricia Wells THE FRENCH KITCHEN COOKBOOK  that I find ideal for a chilly winter night when you want a substantial dish with rich flavors without slaving over a hot stove.