A beautiful and deeply researched investigation into French cuisine, from the founding editor of the Art of Eating and author of 50 Foods.
"I read this on audiobook and just loved it. Edward Behr takes us with him from Champagne to Provence and shares local specialities from cheeses to bread to wine, peasant dishes, haute cuisine, and it is pretty amazing. I admit to being a Francophile and can't wait to get back again to sample again and again. This novel in book form would probably be even better as a guide book! However, part of the reason I rated it 5* is because of the easy to listen to, talented French accented narrator (or faked it well) named Graham Halstead.
Halstead read with such expertise, I would think he was a Frenchman. I think he actually lives in Brooklyn - lol. A narrator who takes such care, a publishing house, Tantor, who expects it, along with Behr's creative genius is worthy of 5*.
One of the parts I really enjoyed was learning more about Alsace in the NE of France, which is one group of people that are my ancestors. I came away wanting to buy Alsatian wines and make some of their food. And how do you go wrong with learning more about the people and their regional cultures, for instance in Champagne (YUM - best bevy ever)?!
I don't often reread a book because the pot out there is just too big, however, if I had this one in print....I would surely go back and highlight places... and maybe even put post-it notes on it. YES, that good.
One con: there was one overly lengthy chapter on a lot of smelly cheeses - can't recall which ones - but like I do, turn the speed up or speed read if you really have lost interest in one area. Not a deal-breaker."
—
Coco9 Chi-Girl (5 out of 5 stars)