Nicoise

At the foot of the French Alps, on the Mediterranean coastline, the city of Nice is sun-drenched, bursting with colour, and replete with vibrant, full-flavoured food. In Niçoise, Rosa Jackson, founder of the popular cooking school Les Petits Farcis and a resident of the city since 2004, invites home cooks to discover much more than salade Niçoise and ratatouille. With its reliance on olive oil, fresh produce, fish, whole grains and chickpeas, the Italian-influenced Niçoise cuisine includes panisses (chickpea fries), daube (orange-scented beef stew) and a sweet Swiss chard pie. Encouraging readers to follow the seasons, Jackson structures her delicious and easy-to-master dishes around the freshest ingredients and celebrates casual street food like the tuna, egg and vegetable sandwich known as pan bagnat. Beautiful photography, visits to local shops and restaurants, and conversations with the mamies who keep traditions alive further transport readers to the hidden corners of this tourist mecca.