Mastering The Art Of French Eating: From Paris Bistros to Farmhouse Kitchens, Lessons in Food and Love

(Paperback)

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Description

When journalist Ann Mah's husband is given a diplomatic assignment in Paris, Mah - a lifelong foodie and Francophile - begins plotting gastronomic adventures deux. Then her husband is called away to Iraq on a yearlong post...alone. This overturns Mah's vision of a romantic sojourn in the City of Light. So, not unlike Julia Child, another diplomat's wife, Mah must find a life for herself in a new city. Mah journeys through Paris and the surrounding regions, combating her loneliness by exploring the history and taste of everything from cassoulet to buckwheat cr pes.

Reviews

"Mastering the Art of French Eating makes you want to be in Paris as [Mah] describes the delight of crusty baguettes spread with butter and jam, surprise glimpses of Notre Dame caught from the bus, nursing a glass of red wine in a cafe that has mirrored columns and a zinc bar. . . . the book has appealing honesty and vulnerability, overlaid as it is with the pain of her husband's absence. It will also make you very hungry.
Wall Street Journal

Mah admirably fits her research into easily digested bites, the readers enthusiasm mirroring her own.
The New York Times Book Review

"A well-written entre into French dining."
The Daily Beast

Our readers were enraptured by [Mahs] luscious and detailed descriptions of the meals that became the rich medium for a lonely wifes tentative socializing in a strange land.
Elle

"Consistently passionate and emotionally resonant, Mahs prose brims with true love . . . A bighearted, multisensory tour of France."
Kirkus

"The authors investigations into the importance of each dish to the people she meets are beautifully woven together with her reflections on culture, identity, love, and marriage, resulting in an enjoyable and thoughtful read that sparkles with humor. . . . This honest, funny, and eloquent memoir is sure to delight lovers of France, food, or travel."
Library Journal

"The real joy of this book . . . is in Mahs mouthwatering, bite-by-bite descriptions of the plates set before her in Parisian cafs, country homes, and hole-in-the-wall foodie hideaways. Francophiles will delight in the smattering of French words and phrases sprinkled throughout every page, and serious cooks may endeavor to follow the lengthy recipes for a signature regional dish included at the end of each chapter."
Booklist

"Whether youre French or Francophile, a long-time connoisseur of French food or someone whos just figuring out the difference between frites and frangipane, feasting through France with Ann Mah is a delicious adventure. Anns writing is lovely, her curiosity boundless and her good taste assured. Spending time with her in Mastering the Art of French Eating is a treat."
Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table and owner of Beurre & Sel Cookies

"Ann Mah dishes up a welcoming concoction, a good dose of French history, a personal, vibrant, enthusiastic picture of life in a country she adores, without apology. I am hungry already!"
Patricia Wells, author of The Food Lover's Guide to Paris and Simply Truffles

"Excellent ingredients, carefully prepared and very elegantly served. A really tasty book."
Peter Mayle, author of The Marseille Caper and A Year in Provence

Ann Mah writes inspiringly about basic French dishes we thought we knew all about. She joins Elizabeth David in being a joy and an instruction to read."
Diane Johnson, author of Le Divorce

"A tour de force through French cuisine, Ann Mah crisscrossed France, learning about all my favorite foodsfrom buckwheat galettes to the secrets of authentic cassoulet. Her personal culinary tale will have you packing your bags. But if you cant make it to France, Ann offers delicious recipes, culled from experts!"
David Lebovitz, author of The Sweet Life in Paris

Ann Mah goes straight to the essential in this lively, mouth-watering book as she explores the foundations of French cuisine. She even goes where all before her have failed to treadthe wild country of andouilletteto tempt with her stories and her approachable recipes. Bravo!
Susan Herrmann Loomis, author of On Rue Tatin

"Like a bowl of homemade cassoulet, this book is warm to the touch. Ann Mah writes about her international experiencesand originswith great sensitivity. She gives us a peek into French kitchens foodies will envy, and no Francophile could resist."
Elizabeth Bard, author of Lunch in Paris

From the peaks of the French Alps to Brittanys buckwheat fields, Lyons bouchons to Burgundys wineries, Ann takes us all over France in pursuit of its culinary traditions. But at the heart of her story is Parisand all the love, wistfulness and deliciousness found there.
Amy Thomas, author of Paris, My Sweet

Author Bio

Ann Mahis a journalist and the author of two novels,The Lost VintageandKitchen Chinese. Her articles have appeared in theNew York Times,Conde Nast Traveler, Washingtonian, the South China Morning Post,BonAppetit.com, Vogue.com, and other media outlets. In 2005, she was awarded a James Beard Foundation culinary scholarship. Mah currently splits her time between Paris and Washington, D.C. If you'd like to receive a special recipe from Ann's travels in France, email her at ann@annmah.net.