With anticipated excitement, Sondra Bernstein's second book Plats du Jour; the girl & the fig's Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country really takes you on a Sonoma journey. The book features over 125 full color photographs and over 100 wine country recipes.
These are recipes from the beloved wine Country Destination restaurant in Sonoma that have been tailored for the home cook with easy ingredient substitutions, wine pairings and cheese platter suggestions and more.
Since the publication of the first book in 2004, different aspects in the girl & the fig world have evolved. One of the changes that has been introduced is a wine country take on the concept of Plats du Jour, a set weekly menu that includes a starter, main course, and dessert or cheese course. The Plats du Jour concept began as an innovative way to offer our guests a great value utilizing the very best of the season. Plats du jour is a very traditional concept in France dating back to the 1800 s when restaurants served only one meal each day. (It literally means plate of the day. ) Each year the restaurant creates 52 new, three-course seasonal menus to show off the best of what s available in Sonoma County at that time. In the book, Plats du Jour, the menus are distilled down into a more manageable 28 menus for the home cook.
The Plats du Jour menus are an ingredient tour through the year. The 28 three-course menus are arranged by season, and include a cheese pairing for each menu. While set menus are introduced, there is plenty of opportunity for creativity. You can mix and match the recipes from various menus according to your taste. The menus simply give you a chance to plan ahead for a dinner party or family gathering. All of the recipes serve six people, allowing for a weekend dinner party or a weekday dinner with a day or two of delicious leftovers. This stays true to Sondra's philosophy that friends and family should gather over a great meal!

Aside from the wide range of recipes, Sondra fills the book with stories about some of the restaurant's cherished producers and interesting tidbits about ingredients and life in Sonoma.

As one might expect from a book originating from Sonoma, there is wonderful information about the unique Rhone grape varietals that are featured at the girl & the fig. Each recipe offers wine suggestions that will entice any palate.
The book is generous with resources, contact information and especially gorgeous photographs that show off Sonoma Wine Country in such a way, that you may find yourself visiting before you realize.