I have to admit it, I like to save things. So when my friend Ann Mah and her publisher’s at Penguin were kind enough to send me an advance copy of her new book, “Mastering the Art of French Eating,” I did what any perfectly illogical person would do, I put it aside…in wait of the perrrfect…moooment (please tell me I am not the only one to do this)…when I was in desperate need for a truly excellent read.
That is, until yesterday, when I was snapped to by an email from Ann, excitedly announcing that the day had arrived and that the book was available in stores! Well, obviously, now is always the perfect moment, so, fortified with a navette à la fleur de la lavande and a piping hot cup of joe, I turned the cover and dove in…
Now, wait a second. Let me just say something first. This is going to sound snobby and perhaps I am snobby on the following subject: I don’t usually read “expat” books. Why? Let’s just say that having a dream and following it to Singapore/Hawaii/Paris does not a writer make.
But Ann is a writer and a really fine one at that. Not only is she the author of the novel “Kitchen Chinese” but her articles have appeared in such choice venues as The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler (excuse my slight whimpers of jealousy), the Huffington Post, etcetera…
The premise is as follows–Ann is finally able to spend a three year stint in the city of her dreams, Paris, when Calvin, her diplomat husband, is transferred for a year in Baghdad, leaving her alone in the City of Light. Now, it is harder than one might think being an expat, yes even in Paris and yes, even if Ann already had plenty of experience in moving from country to country. It would take as strong a woman as she is not to fall into a whimpering series of “Whyyyyy?”‘s…a strong woman like, say, Julia Child? Ah ha. Inspired by Julia’s efforts to document la cuisine française in the legendary “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and fueled by her own insatiable curiosity, she decided to visit ten different regions to get to the heart–the how’s and why’s plus the je ne sais quoi’s–of each area’s signature dish.
One of the trickeries of travel writing is that it has to strike a real balance between dreaming and learning. Kind of a “feet on the ground, head in the stars” type of thing (and a key reason for my afore-mentioned snobbery is that I find most expat books rely solely on the latter with little of the former). Not so here. Already in the very first chapter on the steak-frites of Paris, I found myself gobbling up so much that was new to me and I lived there for four years! And yet it is tasty going down, I will tell you that. I dare you, I double dare you to try to read just the introduction without continuing on…
As you can see, Kipling can’t put it down.
If I sound like I am gushing, it isn’t just because Ann is a friend (and she truly is so lovely that it is little surprise that she collects new friends wherever she goes) but also because I have been really trying to get back to reading for the sheer joy of it and “Mastering” really fits the bill. Like a hungry man at table, I have to keep telling myself to “slow down, slow down” and…enjoy the meal.
“Mastering the Art of French Eating” by Ann Mah is Ben-approved.
to read an excerpt, please click here
Available on Amazon and itunes (although the quality of the book itself is lovely) as well as other online sources or by all means…go to your local bookstore!
Don’t believe me?
“Excellent ingredients, carefully prepared and very elegantly served. A really tasty book.”
–Peter Mayle, author of “A Year in Provence”
*Oops! Perhaps because I am a hopelessly lazy cook, I forgot to mention that there is a recipe at the end of each chapter. And while I WON’T be attempting to make my own andouillet any time soon (and give Ann mega-props for getting down to the guts of that chapter–ahem–I most certainly will be making the cassouelet this winter…*
Have an absolutely delicious weekend everyone!
Thank you for the compliment and I agree with you entirely! Ann really counterpoints her adventures with the real pain of worry and sadness of missing her husband while never falling into the maudelin. V, you of all people would love this book–I have learned SO much! About French food! Food in general! Really sharp and funny as well.
Aaaand, the navette is the cookie in the second photo down. Ask Henrietta if we had them while she was here–I often serve them to guests. They are a really basic cookie (supposedly harder and drier the closer you get to Marseille) but these are stuffed with lavender. Insanely good. Ben did a massive pee right in front of the door to my friend Christine's boutique and so I bought her one to say "sorry" and bought one for myself too!
Yep, def-in-itely NOT a book to read while hungry! I have learned that the hard way…
When I read this, my first reaction was "that sounds like Heaven." So I did as close to it as I could for the entire weekend! Remi was here but bless his heart was working like mad in front of the computer and as it was rainy, the dogs got shorter walks and the rest of the time was left for diving in to Ann's adventures, far, far more interesting than my laundry and daily stress of the moment. So merci, it was a wonderful suggestion…
Heeheehee…why didn't I think of that! And if you look at the first photo that is exactly the chapter K is reading!!!
I feel really fortunate to know some incredibly, incredibly talented people with books either out or on their way. Not only Ann but Tish Jett (more about that soon) and in 2014, our mutual friend Sophia Stuart! Yippee!! It does make it special and those are books that are NOT being given to the library, sorry!!!
Not only are you reading a lot of poetry but you seem to be writing a wonderful amount as well! Your readers are appreciative…
So happy for you, D! Now if you could kindly convince autumn to come and visit us, I would be most grateful…
I am still finishing it Susan and it keeps getting better and better.
She really is Loree. Funny and smart, cultured yet grounded. I feel lucky to have met her.
And ps. I love that you keep things forever–me too. 🙂
I've been waiting for this book since I first heard about it! So tomorrow, off to my wonderful local, independently owned bookstore to buy it! Cannot wait: and thank you for the great review!
First up, what is navette à la fleur de la lavande? It sounds deliciously floral, but I have no idea what it is. So I got stuck on that pondering!!
I rarely read, let alone relish, books written by expats, unless they are grippingly honest and not imbued with glossed over romanticism. Tell us about the bits that were hard, not just the bits that are beautiful, type thing. But reading your post, I am wondering if it perhaps because they are often written by people who are adventurers but not necessarily writers??? Food for thought.
But if you are recommending this book, then it gets placed into a thoroughly different category…one worthy of reading.