TASTE LE TOUR

Gabriel Gaté

Hardie Grant Books -
Hardback - NZ$40

Each year in July millions of people all over the world enjoy watching the Tour de France bicycle race on television. Le Tour, as it is fondly called, is a marathon race of more than 3,500 gruelling kilometres across the stunning French Countryside.
It begins on the first Saturday of July, always from a different town – usually a French town but sometimes from outside France. Competitors cycle around France through at least a dozen different regions. The race always includes the challenging mountain roads of the Alps and the arduous Pyrenees and it finishes on the fourth Sunday of July with a wild sprint along the majestic Champs Elysées in Paris.

The broadcast of the Tour is a lot more than merely sporting coverage: it’s a cultural experience. Day by day, via wonderful camera shots and expert commentary, viewers discover the beauty of France – its great history, stunning architecture and amazing agriculture – and delight in picturesque views of orchards, vineyards, pastures, grand homes, villages and much more.

Gabriel Gaté been a fan of the race for many years, and since 2005 has travelled to France to produce and present Taste Le Tour, a television segment, featuring the best of all the French gastronomy. It showcases the food, wine, cheese and special dishes of all the French regions that the cyclists pass through over the course of that year’s race.

This cookbook is a collection of the delicious French dishes that were prepared for the show over the past five years. The recipes come from a handful of French chefs, in particular, Philippe Mouchel and the author, but also from local French pastry cooks and food artisans. Many of the dishes are easy to prepare, whole others will challenge you !

About the author:

Gabriel Gaté was born in France and trained as a chef there before moving to Australia. He is also an author, television presenter and cookery teacher. Gabriel has presented on numerous programs including Fun in the Kitchen, The Good Food Show and What’s Cooking, and has authored twenty cookbooks.
Author photo - The Age.

Link to read story in The Age.