Maman: The Cookbook Review

Maman: The Cookbook: All-Day Recipes to Warm Your Heart

Who doesn't love the smell of freshly baked cookies, cakes, quiches, and croissants? In this week's cookbook review, you will experience all this with the Maman: The Cookbook.

‍‍Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte opened maman to fill a void in their hearts. They wanted to create a warm, cozy place for people to come together and savor a freshly baked madeleine or slice of savory quiche with the comfort and familiarity of being in their own living room. This collection of 100 recipes spans bestselling dishes from their locations in New York City, Montreal, and Toronto - like Banana-Lavender Cornmeal Waffles with Vanilla Mascarpone, Cumin Chickpea Salad, and the Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies made famous by none other than Oprah.

French café culture and urban-rustic design come together to create a cookbook as delicious as it is visually inspiring. Whether you’d like to make one of Elisa’s naked cakes for a special occasion or a roasted chicken sandwich with basil aïoli for lunch, maman welcomes you with open arms.

‍

‍

A Story of Love and Food

Maman: The Cookbook is filled with stories about homemade food and time spent with family. The book starts with the story of how Benjamin and Elisa met, across several years of failed setups and accidental run-ins. It’s a story of love and food, and love for food, and the improbable success of two people with no formal culinary training opening an ever-expanding series of favorite neighborhood eateries.

The book is organized to reflect the different ways you can enjoy maman experience. Part I, Sunrise, is dedicated to breakfast and brunch and includes both sweet and savory options. Part II, All-Day Café features dishes that can be enjoyed throughout the day, from soups and salads to sandwiches and quiches. Part III, Sweets and Sips, is devoted to what maman is famous for, irresistible sweets, including cakes, cookies, and tarts, plus recipes and tips for making delicious drinks at home.

Maman is more than a cookbook, accordingly to the authors “We hope you’ll think of this book as a scrapbook, a place where you can gather and record your ideas and inspirations,” it reads. “Don’t be afraid to scribble on the pages and jot down your ideas. When it comes time for you to pass these recipes on to your loved ones, you’ll want them to know how you made them your own.”

‍

‍

Family Recipes

The recipes in Maman: The Cookbook are incredibly accessible with the exception of a few recipes that offer a bit more challenge. After all, they’re designed for and by home cooks. There’s even a cheat sheet for translating home cook intuition (a “pinch” of this, a “splash” of that) into concrete measurements.

The recipes are drawn from a repertoire of family classics that are both simple and adaptable, so you can cook and enjoy them again and again. They are meant to draw you to the kitchen, inspire you to create, and then lead you to the table to connect you with the ones you love the most.

Although Maman: The Cookbook is packed with family-style recipes, some of the ingredients might surprise you. Like using seltzer water in crepes or pureed kale in crème fraîche pancakes. There’s also a lot of liquors like bourbon or Grand Marnier to perk up a dish. Some recipes are quite French, like mushroom-gruyère crepes, while others, like bourbon bacon jam, lean on the New American side.

‍

‍

Final Thoughts

Maman: The Cookbook puts together an accessible and inspirational collection that will look as amazing on your shelf as its recipes will look on your table. It’s a book you’ll want to share with everyone you know, a couple of hundred pages of French hospitality in the palm of your hand.

Named one of the best cookbooks of the year by Taste of Home, Maman: The Cookbook is the perfect way to bring the French café culture to your own home!