Another Fine French Cookbook Giveaway!

Two of my old food-industry pals, Laurent Gras and Mitchell Davis, have just released an interactive digital cookbook called Laurent Gras: My Provence. It includes more than 40 dishes from Gras’ early years, growing up in Antibes and working for top chefs on the Côte d’Azur. The new digital publisher Alta Editions, released the book last month and they’ve offered me two copies to give away to my readers.

The book contains hundreds of gorgeous high-resolution color photos, instructional videos, loads of chef tips and Laurent’s personal stories. It also gives readers who prepare the dishes the opportunity to share their own stories and photos directly inside the book. 

Known for his innovative cuisine, Laurent has received three Michelin stars for his cooking at three different restaurants over the past 20 years. But rather than focusing on his restaurant cuisine, the new book finds him returning to the flavors and memories of his youth. Readers can enjoy: 

*Classic Provençal recipes such as Ratatouille and Clams Marinière. 

*Creative preparations, such as Burrata Ravioli with Orange and Sage, made with time-saving wonton wrappers instead of fresh pasta. 

*A Pork Chop en Papillote made with with juniper berries, which Laurent used to collect on his family’s property in France and which are often used to flavor meat and game. 

*The Garlic-Roasted Côte de Boeuf Laurent learned as a cook at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. 

*Laurent’s  grandmother’s Gateau de Galette, a gorgeous coffee-infused cake made with LU Petit Beurre cookies, chocolate and buttercream--like a French tiramisù. 

With step-by-step photos and videos, the book requires no downloads or software; readers who purchase (or win) it access it by logging onto the Alta Editions site. It’s browser-based HTML5 e-book optimized for the  iPad that can also be viewed on any laptop or desktop. You can watch a brief video introduction to the book here. 

Alors! To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below, under ‘’comments.’’ The more creative, the better of course. Make sure to provide your email address or we won’t be able to reach you; logging in with your Google name is not enough. If you’d like go ahead and just purchase the e-book, it’s $9.99 and you can do that here. 

Here’s a bit more about Laurent. He was born into what he calls ‘’a family and culture focused on food.’’ Early in his career he worked with a remarkable group of chefs including Jacques Maximin, Guy Savoy, Alain Ducasse and Alain Senderens. After attaining three Michelin stars as chef de cuisine at Ducasse’s restaurants in Monaco and Paris, Gras moved to the U.S. where he received widespread acclaim for his cuisine, first at Peacock Alley in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (NYC) and later at the Fifth Floor restaurant in San Francisco. With well known Chicago restaurateur Richard Melman, Laurent opened L2O in Chicago in 2008. It was named ‘’Best New Restaurant’’ by Esquire that same year. Gras left in late 2010, the same month that Michelin bestowed three stars upon the restaurant, its highest rating. 

Laurent’s co-author, Mitchell Davis, knows a thing or two about the kitchen as well. He’s a cookbook author, food journalist and the executive vp of the James Beard Foundation (NYC), with a Ph.D. in Food Studies from New York University. In addition to three previous cookbooks, Mitchell has written extensively for GQ, Food & Wine, The Art of Eating, Saveur and Gastronomica. Mitchell also co-authored the book Foie Gras ... A Passion, which won the International Cookbook Review’s ''Best International Cookbook of the Year.'' Mitchell is a frequent guest lecturer and panelist on a variety of food-related topics, and has taught food and theory classes at New York University and Cornell University. You can follow him on Twitter here and read his blog here. 

So leave a comment below to enter the contest, the more creative the better. Winners will be picked next week. Bon Chance et Bon Appetit!