The Provence Cookbook by Patricia Wells (HarperCollins Publishers 2004)

Spring finally arrived in my hometown of Washington, D.C. after many cold, rainy days. It was a bright, crisp Sunday morning when I made my way to the Dupont Circle Fresh Farm Market--my favorite producers only farmers market in the District. In recent years there has been an explosion in farmers markets in and around Washington. I was there to meet up with food writer Patricia Wells who has served for over twenty years as a culinary ambassador for the wonderful foods and wines of her adopted homeland of France. Patricia devotes half the year to living in Paris where she is the restaurant reviewer for The International Herald Tribune. The rest of the time Patricia can be found in her northern Provence farmhouse. Her cooking school brings devotees from around the world.

Patricia Wells' latest book is one dear to her heart. It is her own personal tour of the sun drenched, lavender scented land of Provence famed for its olive oils, fruity wines, and wealth of seafood. One of the wonderful qualities of Patricia's books are not only the great recipes geared towards the home cook and the lover of good, honest French family bistro cooking, but they are always about educating us on the importance of good, fresh locally produced food, cooking it and sharing family meals that are so important to the culture of the French people. As she writes in her introduction, The Provence Cookbook is "the story of farmers and winemakers, tradesmen, shopkeepers, and restaurateurs, the men and the women who bake our bread, age our cheese, press our olives, unearth our truffles."

With this book, you can take a tour of the northern Provence Patricia Wells calls home. The many photographs in this book (all taken by the author) give you a sense of the rich variety of foods grown in Provence and Patricia introduces you to her friends--the artisanal bakers, farmers, winemakers, cheese makers and shopkeepers who share their beloved recipes with Patricia and explain with ardor how they should be prepared. The recipes are accompanied by vignettes of daily life in Provence and the abundant outdoor markets with their collections of olives "in all colors and sizes, with an endless variety of flavorings." Here we are introduced to the wrinkly Tanche olives, cracked olives with wild fennel flavoring and big green olives seasoned with hot pepper flakes. And Patricia also shares with you her favorite growers and producers and gives you their addresses, e-mail information and websites (if they have them). Try Patricia's "Fricassee of Chicken With White Wine, Capers, and Olives." She says "this is comfort food personified. " Her wine suggestion for this is a nice simple white like Cotes-du-Rhone from the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyard of Le Grand Veneur. Or the "Pourcel Brothers Chilled Lentil Gazpacho with Fresh Mint." This is excellent for warm summer evenings and the mint is ready to be plucked from its bush. At the Pourcel brothers' restaurant, Le Jardin des Sens in Montpelier, they serve this refreshing soup in little espresso cups.

In The Provence Cookbook, you will be filled with the joie de vivre of the Provencal people. It is a splendid excursion into flavorful foods and local producers and will give you a perfect excuse to visit Patricia Wells' Provence for yourself. Like her, you may decide not come back!

Fricassee of Chicken with White Wine, Capers, and Olives
(Adapted from Patricia Wells' The Provence Cookbook)

Equipment:
A deep 12-inch skillet with a lid.
1 fresh farm chicken (4 pounds), cut into 8 serving pieces, at room temperature.
Sea salt.
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
2 cups white wine
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 cup Picholine green olives, pitted (you can substitute pimiento-stuffed olives)
¼ cup capers in vinegar, drained

1. Season the chicken pieces on all sides with salt and pepper.
2. In the skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chicken pieces and brown about five minutes. Turn the pieces and brown them on the other side, 5 minutes more. When the chicken pieces have all been browned, transfer them to a platter.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the onions. Cook, covered over low heat until soft for 3 minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes, olives and capers. Cover and simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour. Season to taste.
4. Serve with rice or pasta.