Win One of These Beautiful New Books

Le Grand Véfour:

 the new book, the gilded dining room, a fish course, Michelin three-star chef Guy Martin.

Restaurant Sola: 

the new book celebrates the Michelin chef's exquisite  Franco-Japonais cuisine. 

From Must Eat Paris: the interior of Septime and pretty plates at La Verre Volé.

The good folks at ACC Art Books, a major distributor, just reached out to tell me about three new titles for the fall: two French cookbooks and and a guide to eating out in Paris. They asked if I was interested in receiving a copy of any one of them, perhaps to use in a give away. And I, well-mannered as always, said "How about all three?"

The answer was yes...so read on! Then leave a comment and you could win the title of your choice. All three books are in English.

Behind door number one we have: Le Grand Véfour (Editions du Chêne), with 56 signature recipes from the venerable Michelin three-star restaurant and its superb chef/owner, Guy Martin. One of the oldest "gourmet" restaurants in Paris (founded in 1784), Le Grand Véfour--next to the Gardens of the Palais Royal--is a true monument of French cuisine, a jewel of the 18th century "art décoratif" period and the cherished haunt of Parisian political, artistic and literary society for more than 200 years. (I ate there just once, 20 or so years ago, and finding my way back has been a goal ever since.) The book retraces the history of this splendid culinary landmark, with anecdotes and text about the many celebrities who've dined over the years, the chef's take on service and atmosphere and 141 color photos from food photographer Michel Langot, whose previous books include Chocolat (La Martinière, 2012) and Cuisine (La Martinière, 2011). 

The second book is the 288-page Sola (Editions du Chêne) featuring the exquisite Franco-Japanese fusion cuisine of Hiroki Yoshitake, chef of the Michelin one-star Sola, also in Paris. Considered one of the city's great talents, Yoshitake spent three years at the French restaurant La Rochelle in Sakai (Japan) before moving to Paris in 2009 and toiling in in a number of kitchens including L'Astrance. When Sola opened in 2010, Yoshitake was named its head chef...and he received his first Michelin star two years later. (Michelin says: "This restaurant is just a few yards from the banks of the Seine overlooking Notre Dame and yet you'd be forgiven for thinking you were already in Japan! The young Japanese chef is living proof that the cuisine of his home and adopted countries can combine to create harmonious and gracefully presented culinary creations.") This is the seventh book for author Chihiro Masui; previous titles include Petits Gâteaux, Astrance, Tartes and Amandine Chaignot.  Color photos (more than 100 of them) are by Richard Haughton a London-based Irish food photographer.

And last, we have Must Eat Paris (Lannoo Publishers), the fourth title in the Must Eat series. It's the perfect guide for anyone looking "for established values, new addresses and upcoming greatness" on their Parisian dining forays. The book has more than 100 tips from "super foodie" author Luc Hoornaert, who--with photographer Kris Vlegels--presents what he believes are the greatest spots right now for the best of French and international cuisine. From food stalls to small cafés to imaginative, high-end restaurants, Hoornaert sticks to his criteria: authenticity, devotion, high-quality ingredients and a no-nonsense approach to food. 

Ok, onward! To enter the contest, simply leave a comment under "comments" below. Tell me which book you'd most like to win and why. Make sure to leave your email address so I can reach you if you win; signing in with your Google account isn't enough. If you're confused by how to leave a comment, email your comment to me at provenceblog@aol.com and I'll post it for you. And don't forget your name, please. Bon Chance!