Anne Desjardins Cooks at L'eau à la Bouche: The Seasonal Cuisine of Quebec

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

More than two decades ago, self-taught chef Anne Desjardins and her
partner Pierre Audette opened a small restaurant called L’eau а la
Bouche (Mouth Watering) in a small village in the Laurentian Mountains.
By offering simple but unusual dishes using only the finest local
ingredients, L’eau а la Bouche quickly earned a reputation as one of
the top fine-dining restaurants in Quebec. This book contains some of
the recipes that have made the eatery so famous.

The content is arranged by season, beginning with spring and ending
with winter. Spring recipes include Atlantic Lobster Medley with
Cauliflower Semolina Spiced with Coriander and Ginger, Scallop Tartare
with Témiscaming Trout Caviar, Pan-Seared Escalope of Fresh Duck Foie
Gras with Rhubarb and Onion Salsa and Sweet and Sour Sauce, and
Cannelloni Stuffed with Morels and Duo du Paradis Cheese. In the summer
chapter, you’ll find Coriander and Pepper Confettie and Yellow Tomato
Granita, Organic Tomato Gazpacho with Scallop Tartare, and Smoked Duck
Salad with Julienned Yellow Beets. If you crave a little autumn fare,
Desjardins offers Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Miniature Escalope of
Fresh Duck Foie Gras and Truffled Croutons, Toasted Pine Nuts and
Wabassee Cheese, and Roasted Loin of Lamb in an Almond Sage Crust. To
fight off Old Man Winter, try the Maple-Marinated Trout and Fennel,
Venison Tartare with Julienned Yellow Beets and Yellow Beet Jelly with
Chard and Shavings of Sheep’s Milk Cheese, or Pan-Roasted Goose
Supreme with a Braised Leg and Foie Gras-Stuffed Cabbage Roll.

If mere food descriptions are not enough, the pictures of the dishes
will definitely get your mouth watering. Although the recipes sound
complicated, they are laid out in short, easy-to-follow instructions
that any cook with a moderate level of kitchen experience and a strong
sense of adventure should feel competent enough to try.