Twenty-five years ago Amanda Hesser's The Cook and the Gardener: A Year of Recipes and Writings for the French Countryside was published. This year the book is being republished on April 22nd as a special 25th anniversary edition.

At just 22 years old, Amanda Hesser worked as a live-in cook for Anne Willan's prestigious Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne. This remarkable 600-page cookbook was inspired by lessons learned from Monsieur Milbert, the school's 79-year-old gardener, emphasizing seasonal cooking with local ingredients.

What makes this book extraordinary is its endurance. Published in 1999 by a then-unknown young writer with no serious writing experience and without photographs, it has stood the test of time through the quality of its content alone. The book offers no trendy recipes - just delicious, simple French cuisine at its finest.

After her time in France, Hesser moved to New York City (via Los Angeles), where she became a New York Times reporter and later founded Food52. She maintains that the principles of shopping locally and cooking seasonally still guide her culinary approach today.

I was thrilled when the publisher sent me a copy, having never owned this book before. The recipes immediately inspired me, making it a welcome addition to my library. Having received a second copy, I'm excited to share it with one of you - hence this review and giveaway, which concludes shortly after the book's republication.

For those curious to sample Hesser's approach, two recipes are available online:

I plan to make the braised chicken soon, along with several other enticing recipes including: Fresh garlic-and-rosemary soufflés, Potato-chervil tart, Pork tenderloin with peaches, and nearly every bread recipe in this gorgeous volume.

Enter our worldwide giveaway to win a copy of this title. Entry options include answering the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you like to try first?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won’t be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Once you log in and enter your member name you will be directed to the next entry option – the blog comment. After that, there are additional options that you can complete for more entries. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on May 9th, 2025.