RICK STEIN’S SECRET FRANCE,

BBC Books, $60 Twenty years on from his bestseller Rick Stein’s French Odyssey, the British celebrity chef has embarked on a trip along the back roads of France, prompted by the question ‘Is French cuisine still alive and well?’ Secret France is the response – a resounding ‘mais oui!’. With juicy tips, anecdotes and recollections, Stein serves up 120 dishes informed by his recent sojourn. Recipes as French as Charles Aznavour – Medallions of Pork; Moules; Onion Tarte; Floating Islands – and less familiar fare: Octopus with Mash and Gravy; Duck Cottage Pie; Leg of Lamb Cooked in Hay. It’s French home cooking at its best, with a generous measure of Stein ‘je-ne-sais-quoi’ thrown in.