Made in Marseille: Food and Flavors from France's Mediterranean Seaport
For the longest time gritty Marseille suffered an image problem,  but all that changed a few years ago when a whole raft of  artists and intellectuals quit Paris and made the southern city  their home. Having received reports that a cultural revolution  was afoot, Young, a New York restaurant critic and food  commentator on NPR's Weekend Edition, installed himself in  Marseille to track the changes. The resulting work is a portrait  of a city by way of its food. Interviewing spice merchants, fish  mongers, home cooks and local chefs, Young follows the scent of  the food of Marseille in all its permutations. While rooted in  the Proven al tradition, the food of Marseille is spiced with  the flavors of Tunisia, Senegal, Vietnam, Italy and Morocco,  absorbing the influence of all the different peoples who have  settled within its precincts. While the recipe selection  includes many classic Proven al dishes, from anchoiade to  bouillabaisse, more noteworthy are the riffs on tradition.  Readers might not actually make the elaborate Napoleon of Sea  Bass with Tapenade with Tomato Confit and Peas, but they will  enjoy reading about it. There are also a number of wonderfully  simple recipes, such as the idea of freezing extra-virgin olive  oil and serving it partially thawed as a spread. Equally  interesting is a section on fusion dishes, the best of which  meld the tastes of France and North Africa. Enhanced by  Boffredo's moody black-and-white photographs, Young's book will  appeal to cooks and Francophiles alike. (Sept.)Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.