Didier Quemener

Chef Q in Paris: The Fall Collection by Didier Quemener

Chef Q in Paris: The Fall Collection is a warm, inviting culinary companion that feels like stepping into a Parisian kitchen just as the seasons begin to shift. Didier Quemener blends approachable recipes with personal anecdotes, creating a cookbook that reads as much like a conversation with a friend as it does a guide to fall cooking.

The charm of this collection lies in its balance: comforting classics sit alongside inventive dishes; show more all grounded in seasonal ingredients and French sensibilities. Quemener’s voice is encouraging without being precious, and his instructions are clear enough for beginners while still offering nuance for more experienced cooks. The photography and layout reinforce the cozy, autumnal mood, making it a book you’ll want to keep open on the counter as the weather cools.

If you enjoy cookbooks that celebrate both food and the stories behind it, this one delivers a satisfying blend of flavor, personality, and seasonal inspiration. show less

This is a really tailored little cookbook, with some chic little recipes fit for fall ingredients. In addition to recipes for a couple of courses, there are also drink and dessert recipes, and all the recipes come with wine suggestions. Chef and author Didier Quemener offers personal stories about dishes and ingredients, and gives ideas for variations on his themes that also feel like they come from an expert friend. I absolutely adored this very personal collection - like a boutique show more cookbook with just-so French style. I plan to try a couple of his recipes as soon as I can, and luckily they feel well within the abilities of a cook even with little experience. show less

I was all set to love this book, and in fact there are many things I do love about this book. Seasonal cooking is always a good idea, and the book is full of great fall suggestions. In addition, there are drinks paired with each recipe, which adds another cool dimension to help round out your meal. It would be a great book to use for a party, as there are quite a few dessert and appetizer ideas, all with matching drink pairings. There is only one problem with this book - the recipes do not show more necessarily work out as planned.

I tried three to properly evaluate it. The first, chocolate pudding and coffee sauce, I loved, especially paired with a vanilla ice cream. It is a bit like a hot fudge pudding, as my mom would call it, with French sophistication in the form of coffee and spice - the cake uses ginger and Cayenne. I thought it was excellent, however, I think my family was hoping for more of a straightforward chocolate dessert.

Unfortunately, the other two recipes I tried were not quite as successful. Mushrooms in Cream and Herbs sounded awesome, and the picture looked very tasty. However, when I attempted to follow the recipe...well, I did not finish, as one of the first steps is"heat a frying pan or wok on high, then add all mushrooms and butter at once," It calls for you to then cook the mushrooms on high for 10 minutes, stirring 'occasionally' until all of the water has evaporated. I don't know if stoves in France lack the oomph of my American stove, but even stirring constantly, and tossing them in the wok, my mushrooms were carbonized long before 10 minutes were up - and you are supposed to cook them on medium with garlic for another 3 to 4 minutes after that! I gave the mushrooms that were looking decidedly brown 1 minute with the garlic, after cooking them for about 3 minutes on high and 7 on medium, and then skipped to the next step of add cream, but when I added cream, it sizzled with such force that I took another look at my mushrooms and realized that they were indeed charcoal briquets now. It occurs to me that even making it successfully to the end, I am not sure how Chef Q achieved a smooth green broth by adding chopped herbs, since at no point does it call for you to puree the soup. It should have been a light brown liquid with green herbs floating in it.

For my final recipe, I chose Roasted Iberico Pork Loin with Rosé and Wild Rice. This was not bad. Pork tenderloin was a nice fall recipe. However, I did have a few issues with this as well. One is really just a personal preference. It calls for a salad on the side composed mostly of tomatoes, and I'm not sure that these are a fall vegetable, or that they really go with pork and wild rice. But to each his own! What was of more concern is that the liquids in this recipe are solely rosé and water. So the rice that was touching the pork is not bad, but the rice at the sides of the pan is missing the nice flavor it would have had if you had substituted broth for the water.

I feel like this book is better on theory than execution. It will definitely give you a few nice ideas for your next party or dinner party, though. I just wouldn't blindly follow the directions here.This is not that sort of cookbook. show less

This is a very nice but very short little book with mouth-watering recipes, all expertly explained. And Chef Q includes lots of extras, like wine pairings, substitutions, accompaniments, tips for success, and stories from his childhood related to the food he is offering. He packs a lot of expertise into this little volume, showing his talent for writing as well as cooking. I love it when professionals share so much with us amateurs! He makes sure to explain everything so even novices can show more make these recipes with good results.
This isn't my final review - I just wanted to get the word out now, that this book is tiny but so far, well worth buying and reading. I will be making some of the recipes within the next week and I will report back. After all, a cookbook review isn't generally worth reading unless one has made some of the recipes. I think my first try will be the original, authentic Irish coffee, which I will probably sip while I make his cod and bacon in papillote with tomatoes.
One thing I know for sure - I would dearly love to meet Chef Q's grandmother! She was probably his most important culinary muse and sounds like a beautifully wonderful lady.

Okay - I've made three recipes from this book. The Irish coffee was excellent. Nice and clean and light, not full of sugar and whatever else is used to sell these things as a dessert drink.

Then I made the cod & bacon in papillote with tomatoes. Oh, wow - this was so good I ate most of it right at the stove while I cooked squash (not from this book) as a side dish! Couldn't wait to eat it properly at the table like a civilized person. I've never cooked en papillote before, and Chef Q's instructions were perfect. The combination of the grainy mustard and sour cream with the cod and tomatoes was delicious, and something that I never, ever would've thought to do myself. The small amount of bacon is perfect for this, adding just a slight bacon flavor. I can see why Chef Q's guests never get tired of this dish. Oh - one thing - if you make this recipe, be sure to have some good, crusty bread to sop up the delicious sauce, or at least get yourself a spoon and eat it up. You won't want to waste a drop.

Lastly, I made the chocolate pudding & coffee sauce. Another winner! It is actually a pudding-style cake, with a sauce that makes itself. Many of the measurements were in weight instead of volume, something that I hope is changed for the US version of this book. And I wish Chef Q had explained that the sauce appears at the bottom of the cake instead of the top. I was tempted to continue baking, thinking it wasn't done, but I figured out what was going on. The top is slightly crunchy (unexpected but pleasing), the middle is nice and cakey, and there is a small layer of a delicious chocolaty sauce at the bottom of it all. The spice mix of ginger and cayenne is surprisingly good! There is no vanilla in this recipe, and it isn't missed. There was a hiccup with the pan size, and I have notified the publisher so it can be corrected before the book is published. I ended up using two 9x9 pans instead of the one 9x9 called for in the recipe. I don't know if the whole pudding will bake if a 9x13 pan is used, but I expect this will be corrected before the book is published.

This is a great little cookbook and I highly recommend it. show less