Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10923 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Synopsis
While walking in South-west France, cook and journalist Orlando Murrin dreamed up the adventure of a lifetime: why not wave goodbye to the rat race and come to live in this rural paradise, where the only traffic is the boulangerie van delivering baguettes? His book tells the story of how he set up a boutique b&b and includes 100 amazing recipes. The story of the Manoir de Raynaudes begins on New Year's Eve 2001 when Orlando and his partner first glimpse the ruined manoir at dusk. Set in 13 acres of lush meadow, woodland, lakes and garden, they set about transforming the dignified old manor house into a phenomenally successful boutique b&b with its own magnificent kitchen garden. A Table in the Tarn charts the discovery, acquisition and renovation of the property. Along the way, we learn about the local food scene, with its astonishingly rich heritage of ingredients and dishes, about working in France and coping with the famous French bureaucracy, and about the unforeseen delight of working with the locals.Four years on, with countless plaudits and a coveted entry in the classy Mr and Mrs Smith directory, the business attracts visitors from around the world and continues to be a gastronomic destination for anyone seeking peace, tranquillity and above all fantastic food.

Everything at the Manoir is home made, from breakfast breads to after-dinner chocolates, and the book includes 100 recipes. From the sublime Roquefort Brioche via Savoury Mini Clafoutis and Roast Pigeon Breasts in Armagnac to the unparalleled Chocolate Nirvana with Creme Anglaise, this collection of recipes offers a vivid experience of life in rural France. Cooks everywhere will devour the descriptions of country cooking as mastered by generations of French cooks. Not only will you learn the insider secrets of making acclaimed dishes from the Manoir, but find out what it's like to make a dream come true.

From the Inside Flap
What happens when you make the choice to live out your dream ...?

When Orlando Murrin made the momentous decision to leave his life in London and open a boutique guest-house with his partner in a little known part of rural South-west France, he had some idea of how much he was taking on, but very little idea what a huge success it would turn out to be.

Le Manoir de Raynaudes, a modest but dignified old manor house amid a landscape of gorges and fortified villages, has been painstakingly transformed into a gastronomic destination. And in transforming himself from keen amateur cook to passionate professional, Orlando has created a table that is widely considered one of the finest in the Midi-Pyrenees.

A Table in the Tarn is a remarkable and intimate cookbook which describes in detail how to make more than 100 of the Manoir's acclaimed dishes. The origin of every recipe is given, along with the secrets that make the dish special and the learned-the-hard-way tips for achieving perfect results. The book also tells the fascinating story of the challenge of finding and renovating the Manoir, the creation of magnificent vegetable, fruit and herb gardens to supply the kitchen with produce, and the extraordinary people, from the neighbouring hamlet and from further afield, who play their part.

About the Author
Food writer and journalist Orlando Murrin was editor of BBC Good Food magazine for six years, launch editor of BBC Olive and author of three previous cookbooks, including the bestselling No Cook Cookbook, before he moved to South-west France, renovating Le Manoir de Raynaudes with partner Peter Steggall and opening it as a gastronomic maison d'hotes in 2004. The Manoir is now a top destination for food-lovers from all over the world. In his previous life Orlando moonlighted as a restaurant pianist, notably at Kettner's in Soho; he continues to play at the Manoir.

Customer Reviews

Feel Good Factor
This is not 'another cookbook'. It is a story of a renovation of a once pretty house into a rather lovely manoir. Beautifully written and illustrated. The book is a memory of happy times and some disastrous - normal problems which happen to anyone renovating in France. This is not just for francophiles but anyone who likes a good story and some wonderful recipes, which are easy to follow and delicious to eat. For gardeners, it has some wonderful ideas. It has to be on the Christmas wish list. Keep it on the kitchen table and when the winter is too much, have a little bit of France to cheer you up.

A great yarn about the Tarn
I was initially sceptical about the purpose of this book - I kept thinking, is this just a fantastic marketing exercise, an extended advertisement for a beautiful boutique place in France, something I could find in one of the glossy foodie or travel mags? And in a way, yes - but it is so much more, and so beautifully and engagingly done that I have completely succombed to its many charms. It really is the stuff of dreams - only these guys really did it, and did it with great success. It is a gorgeously put-together book, with seductive recipes - I salivate just reading them through, the mark of a favourite cookbook in the making for me. I look forward to going beyond the page one day, and make a visit to this lovely looking place and sampling its food, particularly the sweet variety.

Wonderful!
I asked for this for my birthday having read an excerpt in a Sunday paper. It's the best sort of travel/lifestyle/cook book. Everything's here; I defy anyone not to want to book themselves in for a stay having read it. And the recipes work too!
I keep it by my bed, and can't wait for "A Table in the Tarn, Book 2".