Le Sud is a gorgeous book showing the charms of the south of France. It portrays a beautiful lifestyle and setting. I did find some of the recipes a little intimidating but maybe that's just me and my skills level. I loved it as an inspiration book and showing pictures of an area I've traveled in and loved. The recipes were hit and miss for me. I think for the true aficionado of France, this would be great.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautiful cookbook that showcases the essence of the South of France. With recipes and drinks that epitomize the region, this has everything you might want to reminisce or transport you to Le Sud.

Flipping through the pages of Le Sud will immediately transport you to the south of France. The photos capture the light that only seems to exist in that part of the world and the styling will appeal to cooks and armchair travelers alike. The recipes are accessible and well explained. I plan to add this to my kitchen library and think it would make an excellent gift as well.

Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a great cookbook that helps to bring in a taste of summers in France. The photography was beautiful and there were some great recipes. It would make a great gift for those getting married or who have honeymooned in the south of france.

Le Sud is an absolutely beautiful book. The stories are a lovely read and the photography is stunning but I didn't find that the recipes were approachable to me right now. I did try the Poulet à l'Ail (Garlic Chicken) and it was delicious, but I had a difficult time deciding on a second recipe to try. Sometimes the ingredients were not to my taste or out of season (spring for me currently) or just not the types of foods I regularly consume (like the -ades: those types of foods usually don't get finished in my house). This would be more a coffee table book for me, using recipes as the occasional occasion would arise. This is a great book for the right person (or maybe a future me!).

Embarking on my own adventure to Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France, this summer, I was delighted to stumble upon "Le Sud" by Rebekah Peppler. It has quickly became a cherished companion in my kitchen. With a keen interest in exploring recipes from specific places, I found this cookbook to be a delightful treasure trove of French culinary delights.

What immediately captured my attention was the flawless (and I do mean flawless) photography of "Le Sud." Each image was a masterpiece, beautifully composed with creative lighting and crisp, refreshing colors that effortlessly transported me to the sun-kissed landscapes of the French countryside and riviera. As I flipped through the pages, I couldn't help but feel immersed in the rich tapestry of the region, eager to recreate its flavors in my own kitchen. What a gift to have cookbook images that inspire!

One standout recipe that I tried was an herb salad that left my taste buds tingling with its fresh and delightful flavors. But beyond the recipes I tried, what truly impressed me was the thoughtful layout and graphic design of the cookbook. The clear column layout with ingredients listed on the left made it easy to follow along, while the clever titles for each recipe added a touch of whimsy to the pages.

Moreover, I appreciated the personal stories that accompanied each dish, providing insight into the culinary traditions and cultural significance of the recipes. Rebekah Peppler's expertise shone through in every word, making French cooking feel accessible, chic, and utterly delightful.

If there's one aspect of the cookbook that I found lacking, it would be the absence of numbered recipe steps. While the paragraphs were descriptive and well-written, I occasionally found myself lost in the instructions, wishing for a clearer roadmap to guide me through the cooking process.

Despite this minor drawback, "Le Sud" remains a wonderful addition to any foodie's kitchen. Its versatility and appeal make it suitable for cooks of all skill levels and taste preferences. Whether you're a seasoned chef or an amateur enthusiast, I believe this hidden gem is sure to inspire and delight with its exquisite flavors and captivating stories.

Thank you Rebekah for giving us something that celebrates the vibrant flavors and rich traditions of Provence.

Le Sud is a wonderful treasure of stories, recipes and pictures of travels throughout the South of France. The book is organized in three section followed by subsections: to start, to continue and to finish. A more aesthetically pleasing and organized Table of Contents to the cookbook. The cookbook has beautiful pictures and wonderful French recipes. I felt as through the pictures gave you the ambiance and view for each recipe’s provenance. I felt the book was so pleasing to look thru and not only would it be a great cookbook for your collection, but a great Table book for those who often are reminiscing on the South of France. I loved the pictures of the fresh food and the great locations for the pictures. The recipes are easy to follow and ingredients easy to find.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

LE SUD is Rebekah Peppler's follow-up to A TABLE and it does not disappoint. This is a gorgeous book. It's the next best thing to being on vacation in southeastern France, you feel transported just flipping through the pages. The location and food photography is just exquisite. I made a couple of things from the book this week (garlic chicken and moules in aioli), following the recipes to a T, and both were absolutely delicious. A TABLE has a place in my cookbook collection and certainement so does LE SUD.

I am a big fan of Rebekah Peppler’s À Table and was very excited to see her latest cookbook, Le Sud. The photographs are stunning and immediately transported me to the south of France. This cookbook contains a wonderful variety of recipes that are both elevated and approachable. I found myself adding something new to my “to cook” list with each page. The ingredients list placement on the recipes did feel a bit unnatural at first, but it didn’t take long to adapt. After cooking my way through this book I have a feeling I’ll be ready to book a ticket to France!

The pictures in this book are stunning. I feel like I am summering on the coast of France or Italy. The ingredients list is easily typed out in a clean and concise format. Some of the time metric measurements are included, but most of the time of the time it is in the USA measuring system. The steps on how to make the recipe could be a bit easier to read. On my version, it looks like it is all one paragraph. Perhaps having bullet points or numbers and separating various steps could help. For more step-intensive recipes such as the "Daube Provencal" on page 127 this could be helpful. Shorter recipes I don't think it's necessary.

I could see myself purchasing this as an e-book (I tend to cook that way more) or as a physical book for friends as a wedding gift. I have not cooked anything yet in this, but I see potential in it. I am excited to try the tomato tarte recipe this summer!

Le Sud
Author: Rebekah Peppler
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is beautiful - the photographs are amazing and I really like the whole style for the book. However, I did not like how they formatted the ingredients at the bottom of the page (it feels like they get lost) and I would have appreciated having more photos of the food instead of aesthetic pool photos. There are quite a few delicious recipes but I feel like this would not be one of my go to cookbooks and would be more of a display/coffee table book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Chronicle Books, and Rebekah Peppler for an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I am currently listening to French Cooking radio, mouth is watering, and feeling very nostalgic for my brief time in Nice seven years ago.

An extremely atmospheric cookbook that personifies the Cote d’Azur lifestyle to a T, the recipes were straight-forward and effortlessly stylish; which seemed to be the personality of its author as well. Le Sud is a book fit to grace the tops of kitchen countertops as well as showcased on the most stylish of coffee tables. I wanted to make absolutely everything in the Snacking chapter so much that I overlooked the fact that there was a recipe for wine over ice (I know, I know, it was intentionally kitschy). The recipes definitely seem simple at a glance, but I also think showcasing the refined elegance of the French Riviera was the intention.

The accompanying photos aired on the more aesthetically minimal side (i.e. something you’d come across in an art gallery) and my only wish was for more close ups of each pertaining dish. However, I loved the wittiness of Rebekah’s commentaries and intros so much that it did the job of making each recipe enticing, even without the typical mouthwatering accompaniments. Reminiscent of Alison Roman and Peter Mayle, Rebekah is a talented storyteller and I would read a travel memoir by her any day.

It is always nice to find an approachable, but elevated cookbook. The recipes are unique, but attainable - all ingredients you can find in a US grocery store, but maybe you wouldn't pair together on your own. It was also visually stunning - every photo should be framed and displayed - true works of art. Upon finishing reading, I was ready to book a trip to the South of France immediately. It transported me. I can't wait to get a physical copy when it comes out.

Le Sud by Rebekah Peppler is filled with beautiful photos depicting the south of France. While the photos were lovely I was not all that inspired by the recipes. I did like some of the sauces and dessert recipes. The rest of the recipes were just okay. The strongest selling point of her cookbook are the photos.

Beautiful book. Some recipes are harder to source ingredients for where I live, but that's to be expected. All of the recipes I tried came out very well with varying levels of difficulty but none that left me stumped or frustrated. Recipes that were more of a process were all worth the extra effort.

Absolutely lovely cookbook the photography the gorgeous recipes.Im a lover of French food and looking forward to trying many of them.#netgalley #chroniclebooks.

I've made quite a few TikTok videos demonstrating a few of the recipes from "Le Sud". Since reading, all I can think of is how desperately I want my own Sapphic Côte d'Azur vacation; thankfully, eating the recipes from "Le Sud" helps feed that urge (pun intended). I enjoyed Rebekah's voice in the excerpts about the recipes and her travels, and Joann Pai's photography amplified the experience. I appreciated the section on picking a French wine, which I have slowly been requesting from my local distributor. I also enjoyed the very large tapenade section, which will be perfect for any future cocktail parties I may have.

The highlight of this cookbook is without a doubt the "Daube Provençale". I did adjust the recipe slightly, substituting the pancetta with pork belly and almost doubling the garlic amount, but for the most part, Peppler did an amazing job describing the necessary steps. I also highly recommend marinating overnight, as I didn't feel the marinade had soaked enough after 2 hours. This would adjust the recommended cook time from 2 days to 3 days, but it is well worth it. After day two, I served it with some pappardelle pasta, and while the flavor was still rich, on the third day (served over rice pilaf), the beef absolutely melted in my mouth. I also appreciated Peppler's recommendation to save the leftover jus and freeze it until needed. Two weeks later, I needed to quickly make a dish and remembered Peppler's "La Macaronade" excerpt.

I prepared "The Market Day Chicken and Potatoes" with the "grande aioli" on the side for my husband's 30th birthday dinner, and he was absolutely impressed. It was my first attempt at spatchcocking a chicken, and while I wish Peppler did a better job explaining HOW to actually spatchcock a chicken, I figured it out through YouTube videos.

Of the recipes I have attempted, the only one I didn't enjoy was the "Ratatouille". The recipe was still easy to follow, although it did take a very long time. However, my complaint was with the eggplant. I potentially salted it too much, didn't let it soak out enough, or used unripe eggplants without realizing; but they had an overwhelmingly bitter taste. It could also be that I am so used to eating the same Crock Pot Ratatouille since 2010, that since this didn't taste exactly the same, it seemed off.

This book is a treasure trove of authentic recipes from the South of France, curated with precision and expertise. From classic drinks to simple, delicious recipes, "Le Sud" guides you through the intricate and elegant world of French cooking. I think this would make a great gift for lovers of France!

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

Ok, so as a pretty book to have on display and a book more about lifestyle than practicality? Yeah, sure. The photography is nice and gives the vibe of the culture.

As a cookbook? Not so much. First of all, I was deeply offended that the first "recipe" was to put ice in sparkling wine. Just no. Do not ruin a good sparkling wine by watering it down with your lowly frozen water. Any self-respecting wine connoisseur would never contaminate their wine like that.

(Semi-) joking aside, there were no pictures of the food from the recipes. Sure, the vibe pictures are beautiful, but if I'm going to cook something, I'd like to see the finished result, for functionality as a cookbook if nothing else.

While there are many French cookbooks available, James Beard finalist and award winning author, Rebekah Pepplar has focused on one not so well-known region of France in her cookbook, Le Sud: Recipes from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. While this cookbook has some classic French recipes, it has lots more unique and innovative recipes using the ingredients of the region. This cookbook is absolutely beautiful, and not only contains mouthwatering recipes that cooks will want to prepare, but also gorgeous photographs of the region, photographs of the food, and stories that will make everyone want to visit the area as soon as possible. This is one cookbook that is nice enough to be a coffee table book, and so well-written, most will want to curl up in a corner and read it cover to cover.

The recipes are written in the traditional manner with ingredients listed along with step-by-step instructions. But each recipe has stories or notes about the recipe which are worth reading and will make each dish seem more special. The book is well-written and definitely fun to read (not to mention the fact that the “must make soon” queue will grow longer every time the book is opened).

While I own dozens of good French cookbooks that I use often, none seem as wonderful after owning this one. It is fun to cook from and the recipes turn out beautifully. It will be the goal of every reader who cooks from this and reads this to visit the region and eat everything mentioned in the book.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.