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Вечеряй с мен: 50 френски тайни за забавно хапване
„Вечеряй с мен“ ще добави нотка joie de vivre не само в кухнята, но и в живота ви!
Авторката на „Обяд в Париж“ и „Пикник в Прованс“ отново ни предлага завладяващ и изпълнен с остроумие мемоар.
С полезни съвети и лесни за изпълнение рецепти Елизабет Бард въвежда читателите в очарователния свят на френските кулинарни и житейски тайни. Разкрива ни как да се храним и живеем по-добре, кои са петте най-важни готварски инструмента на французите, както и 15-минутните ястия, популярни в цяла Франция. Книгата съдържа и съвети за родители – защо френските деца ядат много зеленчуци и как да научим нашите да бъдат като тях.
Елизабет Бард е известна американска журналистка, която от дълги години живее във Франция. Кореспондент е по теми пътешествия, изкуство и кулинария на "Ню Йорк Таймс", "Интернешънъл Хералд Трибюн" и други издания.
Авторката на „Обяд в Париж“ и „Пикник в Прованс“ отново ни предлага завладяващ и изпълнен с остроумие мемоар.
С полезни съвети и лесни за изпълнение рецепти Елизабет Бард въвежда читателите в очарователния свят на френските кулинарни и житейски тайни. Разкрива ни как да се храним и живеем по-добре, кои са петте най-важни готварски инструмента на французите, както и 15-минутните ястия, популярни в цяла Франция. Книгата съдържа и съвети за родители – защо френските деца ядат много зеленчуци и как да научим нашите да бъдат като тях.
Елизабет Бард е известна американска журналистка, която от дълги години живее във Франция. Кореспондент е по теми пътешествия, изкуство и кулинария на "Ню Йорк Таймс", "Интернешънъл Хералд Трибюн" и други издания.
240 pages, Paperback
Published August 12, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 26, 2021
Wow~I got this book at the $1 Store! I just needed a birthday card and this wonderful book was there. I love the recipes and reading about French Culture. Terrific! Love ❤️. Excellent, Easy Recipes. This I can do, but the French do not snack. That is going to be hard, but can do….maybe. Well, the dr tells her to walk a mile a day 3x a week. Heard this before. This think I can achieve. The French eat everything but in serious moderation, hmmm…yes, but a bit harder, but agree 100%. Ok, try recipes after 1 mile walk and continue. Common Sense yes, but hard for an American. I will try, I definitely will.
April 4, 2017
The Gist
What the cookbook is: An afterthought addition to a French themed gift basket full of wine and cheese.
What the cookbook is not: Sure of what it is.
Who this book is best suited for: A young woman looking for a light escape from university finals. Or the beginner cook.
Three words to sum it up: Médiocre at best.
Bard describes her past-self as a typical American (because we all love Kraft singles and General Tso's chicken) who's done a complete 180 since moving to France. There, she's found a love for fresh, seasonal, and unfamiliar ingredients. She speaks to writing a book for people in the states who are trying to find a similar love in their own lives and kitchens. Though that's mentioned in her intro, it is soon apparent that the book's purpose is not clear--I couldn't quite figure out what it was trying to do.
Is it meant to be a listicle?
Bard lists 50 'secrets' for why French cooking and lifestyle is preferable to the American way. Each secret is an ingredient, piece of equipment, or cooking/serving suggestion. Something about the written descriptions under each feels pretentiously bright and enthusiastic, and don't seem to be contributing very much. Such as:
"Although celery root may look like Frankenstein's brain, it is among my favorite French discoveries."
I couldn't help but wonder if the top 50 list is better suited for Buzzfeed.
Is it a memoir about living in France?
Throughout the book, Bard uses personal anecdotes and life lessons she's learned from the people in France but offers little to no insight. She does the exact opposite by using insipid metaphors instead. Like this one:
"Even with the rise of hypermarchés--giant American-style supermarkets--the butcher remains an important local figure. Mine is at once alluring and reassuring, like having a cute doctor. He gives me the confidence to try new things, like rabbit, which I would never buy under cellophane."
I'm not sure I understand what that even means. And then there's this one:
Like a red bra under your business suit, [using cinnamon with meat and vegetables] changes everything, even though you might be the only one who knows it's there.
Some might find these quips funny or endearing. I couldn't help but find them distracting and they feel like, in some ways, desperate attempts by the author to relate to her readers.
Is it a diet book?
I got exhausted reading about eating habits, banished ingredients (snacks, condiments, sugar, etc), and small portions. To be honest, I felt a little like I was being chastised for occasionally wanting a little Duke's mayonnaise spread on my turkey sandwich or wanting a Reese's peanut butter cup after a bad day.
"This is France, so of course you are entitled to your indulgences...invest in bars of 70 percent dark chocolate. But act your age and leave the candy for the kids."
I'm not saying American diets and food habits are not without their problems, but I think it would have better served Bard to do more guiding and less chiding. I'd like to have seen her describe why French food is better for its quality than for its benefit to one's waistline.
Or is it a cookbook?
While nontraditional in the sense that it dips its toe in all the things listed above, it's definitely an intro-level cookbook. I tested the Crevettes et pois chiches aux épices, or Spiced Chickpeas with Garlic Ginger Shrimp. I chose to test it because it promised to be fast. And it was, which I appreciated. However, in this particular recipe, the directions are formatted as one big paragraph versus individual steps. I found myself hunting for what to do next.
The directions also puzzled me. The entire book is written for the beginner cook, as evidenced by its inclusion of directions defining that raw shrimp are gray rather than pink. The steps didn’t really jive with beginner-level instruction. Bard advises to cook the 'chickpeas [until] they start to make a sound like popcorn.’ Mine didn’t make popping noises, so they burned. And her direction to cook frozen shrimp until they 'are pink and just cooked through. (This should not take long)’ is very unclear. I’m an experienced cook, so I know when a shrimp is 'cooked through,' but the audience for which it's written may not. Perhaps this is Bard's attempt to be more casual and conversational versus technical in her instruction. Burned chickpeas and semi-raw shrimp aside, the flavors of the recipe were lackluster at best.
In the end, it's safe to say Dinner Chez Moi doesn't offer very much that is significant. Maybe Bard could have done more if she had focused on just one idea for her book. I'm sure there are women out there (perhaps fans of her previous books) who this book will speak to, but I'm afraid I'm not one of them.
Disclosure: I received a copy in advance of the official release date for the purposes of an honest review.
What the cookbook is: An afterthought addition to a French themed gift basket full of wine and cheese.
What the cookbook is not: Sure of what it is.
Who this book is best suited for: A young woman looking for a light escape from university finals. Or the beginner cook.
Three words to sum it up: Médiocre at best.
Bard describes her past-self as a typical American (because we all love Kraft singles and General Tso's chicken) who's done a complete 180 since moving to France. There, she's found a love for fresh, seasonal, and unfamiliar ingredients. She speaks to writing a book for people in the states who are trying to find a similar love in their own lives and kitchens. Though that's mentioned in her intro, it is soon apparent that the book's purpose is not clear--I couldn't quite figure out what it was trying to do.
Is it meant to be a listicle?
Bard lists 50 'secrets' for why French cooking and lifestyle is preferable to the American way. Each secret is an ingredient, piece of equipment, or cooking/serving suggestion. Something about the written descriptions under each feels pretentiously bright and enthusiastic, and don't seem to be contributing very much. Such as:
"Although celery root may look like Frankenstein's brain, it is among my favorite French discoveries."
I couldn't help but wonder if the top 50 list is better suited for Buzzfeed.
Is it a memoir about living in France?
Throughout the book, Bard uses personal anecdotes and life lessons she's learned from the people in France but offers little to no insight. She does the exact opposite by using insipid metaphors instead. Like this one:
"Even with the rise of hypermarchés--giant American-style supermarkets--the butcher remains an important local figure. Mine is at once alluring and reassuring, like having a cute doctor. He gives me the confidence to try new things, like rabbit, which I would never buy under cellophane."
I'm not sure I understand what that even means. And then there's this one:
Like a red bra under your business suit, [using cinnamon with meat and vegetables] changes everything, even though you might be the only one who knows it's there.
Some might find these quips funny or endearing. I couldn't help but find them distracting and they feel like, in some ways, desperate attempts by the author to relate to her readers.
Is it a diet book?
I got exhausted reading about eating habits, banished ingredients (snacks, condiments, sugar, etc), and small portions. To be honest, I felt a little like I was being chastised for occasionally wanting a little Duke's mayonnaise spread on my turkey sandwich or wanting a Reese's peanut butter cup after a bad day.
"This is France, so of course you are entitled to your indulgences...invest in bars of 70 percent dark chocolate. But act your age and leave the candy for the kids."
I'm not saying American diets and food habits are not without their problems, but I think it would have better served Bard to do more guiding and less chiding. I'd like to have seen her describe why French food is better for its quality than for its benefit to one's waistline.
Or is it a cookbook?
While nontraditional in the sense that it dips its toe in all the things listed above, it's definitely an intro-level cookbook. I tested the Crevettes et pois chiches aux épices, or Spiced Chickpeas with Garlic Ginger Shrimp. I chose to test it because it promised to be fast. And it was, which I appreciated. However, in this particular recipe, the directions are formatted as one big paragraph versus individual steps. I found myself hunting for what to do next.
The directions also puzzled me. The entire book is written for the beginner cook, as evidenced by its inclusion of directions defining that raw shrimp are gray rather than pink. The steps didn’t really jive with beginner-level instruction. Bard advises to cook the 'chickpeas [until] they start to make a sound like popcorn.’ Mine didn’t make popping noises, so they burned. And her direction to cook frozen shrimp until they 'are pink and just cooked through. (This should not take long)’ is very unclear. I’m an experienced cook, so I know when a shrimp is 'cooked through,' but the audience for which it's written may not. Perhaps this is Bard's attempt to be more casual and conversational versus technical in her instruction. Burned chickpeas and semi-raw shrimp aside, the flavors of the recipe were lackluster at best.
In the end, it's safe to say Dinner Chez Moi doesn't offer very much that is significant. Maybe Bard could have done more if she had focused on just one idea for her book. I'm sure there are women out there (perhaps fans of her previous books) who this book will speak to, but I'm afraid I'm not one of them.
Disclosure: I received a copy in advance of the official release date for the purposes of an honest review.
December 25, 2022
Elizabeth Bard is a charming and unpretentious guide to French home cooking and family life, in four parts: Ingredients, Equipment, Rituals, and Family.
She moved to France after meeting a French man in New York, and has lived there for fifteen years in Paris and Provence, where they own an ice cream shop. The elegant, attractive book contains much useful and interesting information, interspersed with simple, quick, healthy, and delicious recipes, some of which I have written down.
I recognize much of what Ms. Bard and others admire so much about the French approach to food and eating as being true in Asian cultures well. My Taiwanese wife of 33 years brought a profound knowledge of healthy eating and delicious cooking to our marriage, and instilled a much needed eating discipline (not quite so rigorous as the French) to our kids, in always eating together, not eating between meals, and taking smaller quantities.
I contributed the Australian "cuisine" of the 1950's, consisting of English-style meat and two veg meals, with American convenience added, in the form of Kraft cheese, canned baked beans and canned spaghetti. Ms. Bard acknowledges that her Jewish American family's food was much worse:
She moved to France after meeting a French man in New York, and has lived there for fifteen years in Paris and Provence, where they own an ice cream shop. The elegant, attractive book contains much useful and interesting information, interspersed with simple, quick, healthy, and delicious recipes, some of which I have written down.
I recognize much of what Ms. Bard and others admire so much about the French approach to food and eating as being true in Asian cultures well. My Taiwanese wife of 33 years brought a profound knowledge of healthy eating and delicious cooking to our marriage, and instilled a much needed eating discipline (not quite so rigorous as the French) to our kids, in always eating together, not eating between meals, and taking smaller quantities.
I contributed the Australian "cuisine" of the 1950's, consisting of English-style meat and two veg meals, with American convenience added, in the form of Kraft cheese, canned baked beans and canned spaghetti. Ms. Bard acknowledges that her Jewish American family's food was much worse:
I grew up in Bruce Springsteen's USA of the 1980s, eating instant macaroni, General Tso's chicken, and vanilla frosting out of the can. I did not have a French grandmother who made me leek soup or served me fish with the head on. Like almost everyone I knew, I ate baked beans and fish sticks. Cheese meant fluorescent orange Kraft singles.The audience for this book is probably largely female, so I didn't mind her woman-to-woman tone. It took me back to reading my mother's copy of the Australian Women's Weekly in desperate boredom and the search for bra ads.
August 28, 2017
Part recipe book, part cultural critique / memoir, Dinner Chez Moi contrasts the American approach to food (what to eat to fuel a healthy, beautiful body) with the French approach (how to eat for healthy pleasure and to foster relationships).
"Dinner is not just about feeding yourself," the American author's French husband explains to their son, "it's about enjoying each other's company...as a family."
Who won't like this book? people who: believe the American way is superior in every way; would prefer a Jetson world where we pop pills on the run instead of sitting down to eat because sitting down is such a time-suck; gag at the thought of chickpeas or lentils.
Who will probably like this book? Foodies, Francophiles, and people who have believed any of the above, but are open to hearing reasons they might want to change their minds.
The recipes are simple and quick, the book is also easy to read. I enjoyed my copy from the library (renewed it instead of returning it), and have it on my list of cookbooks I might possibly buy. I limit myself to 1-2 new cookbooks / year, and only buy the ones I've returned to the library and months later, wish I had.
"Dinner is not just about feeding yourself," the American author's French husband explains to their son, "it's about enjoying each other's company...as a family."
Who won't like this book? people who: believe the American way is superior in every way; would prefer a Jetson world where we pop pills on the run instead of sitting down to eat because sitting down is such a time-suck; gag at the thought of chickpeas or lentils.
Who will probably like this book? Foodies, Francophiles, and people who have believed any of the above, but are open to hearing reasons they might want to change their minds.
The recipes are simple and quick, the book is also easy to read. I enjoyed my copy from the library (renewed it instead of returning it), and have it on my list of cookbooks I might possibly buy. I limit myself to 1-2 new cookbooks / year, and only buy the ones I've returned to the library and months later, wish I had.
July 30, 2020
Elizabeth Bard grew up eating macaroni and cheese from a box. But she grew up to marry a Frenchman and that sort of thing just won't do over there. Fifteen years later Bard knows all the secrets.
Dinner Chez Moi is Bard's guide to French tips, tricks, and recipes that add flair to your kitchen. Bard includes recipes for Cherry Clafoutis, Madeleines, Broiled Sea Bream with Lemon and Herbs, and many more classic dishes.
But some of the best parts of the book are the simplest. A steaming pot of Moroccan mint tea, for example:
"It was a rainy afternoon in December the first time Gwendal lured me to his apartment in Paris with the promise of a steaming pot of Moroccan mint tea. He served it in his grandfather's teapot, beaten tin with a graceful spout and an ivory bead at the top so he wouldn't burn his fingers. The rest is history.
To re-create that afternoon, all I need is 2 teaspoons of gunpowder green tea, several springs of fresh mint, and 2 or 3 sugar cubes. Put everything in a teapot, cover with boiling water, and let steep for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir, remove the tea and mint, serve."
Dinner Chez Moi is Bard's guide to French tips, tricks, and recipes that add flair to your kitchen. Bard includes recipes for Cherry Clafoutis, Madeleines, Broiled Sea Bream with Lemon and Herbs, and many more classic dishes.
But some of the best parts of the book are the simplest. A steaming pot of Moroccan mint tea, for example:
"It was a rainy afternoon in December the first time Gwendal lured me to his apartment in Paris with the promise of a steaming pot of Moroccan mint tea. He served it in his grandfather's teapot, beaten tin with a graceful spout and an ivory bead at the top so he wouldn't burn his fingers. The rest is history.
To re-create that afternoon, all I need is 2 teaspoons of gunpowder green tea, several springs of fresh mint, and 2 or 3 sugar cubes. Put everything in a teapot, cover with boiling water, and let steep for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir, remove the tea and mint, serve."
April 4, 2017
Mouth watering recipes...and the secrets of entertaining the French way (let’s face it– the French know how to do it). Elizabeth Bard’s Dinner Chez Moi is filled with advice, humor, and more importantly, good down-to-earth cooking! As an expat living in France, can I just say that this book is an American Triumph!!! Eat for pleasure! Follow the seasons! Oh, and buy this book! You’ll not only become inspired to cook...you will learn a lot.
May 12, 2017
I have read both of Bard's memoirs and absolutely loved them. As an American who has always entertained somewhat of an obsession with French culture, cuisine and everything in between, her books were often my go-to's for a rainy day.
My only disappointment with this book was that, while it is a cookbook, it lacked the personality and depth of her memoirs. I say that because all of the recipes are bookended by anecdotes and stories but none of them really connected with me. Also, her memoirs had a lot of recipes in them already because at the end of the day, her books have always been about food. I would have preferred another memoir ;-)
My only disappointment with this book was that, while it is a cookbook, it lacked the personality and depth of her memoirs. I say that because all of the recipes are bookended by anecdotes and stories but none of them really connected with me. Also, her memoirs had a lot of recipes in them already because at the end of the day, her books have always been about food. I would have preferred another memoir ;-)
April 26, 2017
Elizabeth's new cookbook is like a delightful visit to your girlfriend’s Provençal country kitchen, filled with gossipy chat and solid advice. The recipes are easy and down-to-earth and, most importantly, they’re the type of food I want to cook – simple, delicious, and moderately healthy. If you’ve ever wanted to know what French people eat everyday, Elizabeth spills the beans (or should I say chickpeas? Ha ha).
February 25, 2021
If you haven’t discovered Elizabeth Bard’s books yet you are in for a treat. They are part storytelling and part recipes and show how she and her family eat at home.
They are all about fun, flair, and health, and many of her recipes have become staples in my kitchen.
She’s a fellow North American convert to French eating, so I feel we get each other.
They are all about fun, flair, and health, and many of her recipes have become staples in my kitchen.
She’s a fellow North American convert to French eating, so I feel we get each other.
May 31, 2017
Oh, yes! Yum, yum, yum! Can't wait to try a few of these and the Parisian diet wisdom is an added nugget of gold.
March 14, 2017
When paralysis kicks in at the thought of menu planning, I often turn to a new cookbook to reignite my enthusiasm for cooking for my family. Elizabeth Bard’s Dinner Chez Moi recently offered me the inspiration I needed to carry on in the kitchen.
Chez Moi is not a cookbook in the traditional sense. It is a friendly and accessible guide to the french food lifestyle—with recipes. Bard, a New Yorker, has lived in France for the past fifteen years complements of falling in love with Gwendal, her french husband.
Bard uses the book’s four sections (Ingredients, Equipment, Rituals, and Family) to share favorite recipes and compare the American lifestyle she grew up with to the French one she has eagerly adopted. Observations like “The French know that between-meal hunger isn’t deprivation, it’s foreplay” and “I greatly admire Paul Newman, but to me, the salad-dressing aisle remains the greatest mystery of American culinary life” will have you laughing, blushing, or nodding your head in vigorous agreement.
Bard offers enough practical tips and insights, especially where farro is concerned, to make Dinner Chez Moi a useful read. Easy and appealing recipes for Classic Yogurt Cake, Lentil and Sausage Stew,and Pear Spice Bread will have you ready to hit the kitchen.
Chez Moi is not a cookbook in the traditional sense. It is a friendly and accessible guide to the french food lifestyle—with recipes. Bard, a New Yorker, has lived in France for the past fifteen years complements of falling in love with Gwendal, her french husband.
Bard uses the book’s four sections (Ingredients, Equipment, Rituals, and Family) to share favorite recipes and compare the American lifestyle she grew up with to the French one she has eagerly adopted. Observations like “The French know that between-meal hunger isn’t deprivation, it’s foreplay” and “I greatly admire Paul Newman, but to me, the salad-dressing aisle remains the greatest mystery of American culinary life” will have you laughing, blushing, or nodding your head in vigorous agreement.
Bard offers enough practical tips and insights, especially where farro is concerned, to make Dinner Chez Moi a useful read. Easy and appealing recipes for Classic Yogurt Cake, Lentil and Sausage Stew,and Pear Spice Bread will have you ready to hit the kitchen.
May 23, 2017
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.
Within a few hours of receiving this book I had finished reading it. I normally flip through new books, but after coming across the first few recipes I was hooked, and I read through the entirety.
This book is cute! The prose is conversational; it's easy to read and makes you feel like you've sat down with Bard to go over some cooking tips, to trade secrets, and swap stories.
Personally, I'm looking forward to making her Pear Spice Bread and Classic Cherry Clafoutis. I've also got a mind to try her homemade Mayonnaise for some deviled eggs I promised to bring to a family barbeque this weekend.
The advice given in this book is sound. Not only does Bard touch on what makes a French Pantry, she addresses the French relationship to food, and how it varies from the American version. You'll get some amazing recipes from this book, but you'll also get some sound advice on how to improve your own relationship to food.
Within a few hours of receiving this book I had finished reading it. I normally flip through new books, but after coming across the first few recipes I was hooked, and I read through the entirety.
This book is cute! The prose is conversational; it's easy to read and makes you feel like you've sat down with Bard to go over some cooking tips, to trade secrets, and swap stories.
Personally, I'm looking forward to making her Pear Spice Bread and Classic Cherry Clafoutis. I've also got a mind to try her homemade Mayonnaise for some deviled eggs I promised to bring to a family barbeque this weekend.
The advice given in this book is sound. Not only does Bard touch on what makes a French Pantry, she addresses the French relationship to food, and how it varies from the American version. You'll get some amazing recipes from this book, but you'll also get some sound advice on how to improve your own relationship to food.
February 22, 2018
Bard's versions of French dishes will more than satisfy the palette. I appreciated most that Dinner Chez Moi is at the same time personal and informational: We learn about the dishes that Bard's French husband offered on their first date that just clinched the romance. We observe the essential ingredients and equipment that the traditional French kitchen must have. We get a glimpse of how to dress up vegetables that children (including Bard's young son) will find hard to resist. I have spent time in France, and it's true that the children there enjoy celery root and l'aubergine as much as le gateau. I will enjoy trying many of Bard's French delices. She simplified them so that non-French readers are not in the least intimidated to endeavor as they might be with Julia Childs's classiques.
April 4, 2017
A cookbook for the basic to mid level cook. It's written in a casual conversational way. So if you are looking for a traditional style cookbook simply listing French recipes, this would not be it.
The book is written by an American expat and includes the French cooking tips and everyday recipes she has acquired. She also writes about how the French approach cooking and eating their meals.
I like this book for it's simplicity in recipes, the author's writing approach, and insights into France's food culture. I'm a fan of her previous two books and this one too.
The book is written by an American expat and includes the French cooking tips and everyday recipes she has acquired. She also writes about how the French approach cooking and eating their meals.
I like this book for it's simplicity in recipes, the author's writing approach, and insights into France's food culture. I'm a fan of her previous two books and this one too.
June 5, 2017
Ms. Bard is a very interesting woman! I have her books Lunch in Paris and Picnic in Provence, both full of France, food and love.
She is not a fussy chef. She is a cook, who after being raised on the typical American Fare,adjusted her sails and learned how to cook and eat like the people around her do.
This book is full of basic and easy recipes utilizing the 50 Secrets of a French kitchen. And they could not be any simpler. This new book came out in April.
Charming and Delicious, it's a win-win!
She is not a fussy chef. She is a cook, who after being raised on the typical American Fare,adjusted her sails and learned how to cook and eat like the people around her do.
This book is full of basic and easy recipes utilizing the 50 Secrets of a French kitchen. And they could not be any simpler. This new book came out in April.
Charming and Delicious, it's a win-win!
June 8, 2017
What a delightful book! The storytelling was great and it was packed with tips that made me feel French. After I read it I spent a lot of time with my mom and I could not stop spouting Elizabeth Bard's cooking, entertaining, and lifestyle tips. Of course you should be hungry before you eat! Of course you should eat a cheese course after and not before a meal. Of course you should put salad dressing in the bottom of the bowl and then mix greens in. I felt like I was talking to my fun, relatable girlfriend. A girlfriend with a life and lifestyle that made me envious.
March 1, 2023
Харесвам такива книги, хем с истории, хем с рецепти, които си набелязвам дапробвам, хем с някой съвет, който си казвам - да, че аз тъй правя или пък - я, имам вече писмено оправдание тъй да правя.
Лека, приятна и вкусна ми се стори, според моя вкус 😉
Лека, приятна и вкусна ми се стори, според моя вкус 😉
June 19, 2023
Fun to read. Nice illustrations. Good ideas about quick and simple recipes, how to shop for them, cook them, season them, and when to abstain from eating. That last one is what I would most like to implement about French eaters, they don’t eat a lot, and they (mostly, anyhow) don’t eat junk, and don’t eat between meals, because it’s good to get hungry. For most of us anyway. Don’t eat cheese when it’s cold. Drink wine. Quality over quantity. And I need to use my madeleine pan more often!
October 9, 2017
I enjoyed reading this book. It's about the French way of eating rather than French cooking. There are some recipes in the book but it is much more than a cookbook. The author writes from the perspective of an American who has lived for 10+ years in France, married to a Frenchman. She contrasts the French approach to eating to the American one, e.g. less "fast food", no snacking between meals. Portions sizes are generally smaller, with an emphasis on high quality ingredients applied to lesser amounts of food.
An interesting and informative read.
An interesting and informative read.
July 9, 2017
Part memoir, part cookbook, part list of things that try to define the French meal. I haven't cooked anything from it yet, although there are some ideas I'm interested in. And there are the contradictions: she talks about how many French kitchens have small, under counter refrigerators, yet she also talks about how she freezes a lot of food, so her family doesn't eat the same thing all week.
It's a quick read.
It's a quick read.
November 18, 2017
Dinner Chez Moi: 50 French Secrets to Joyful Eating and Entertaining is a culinary memoir. American Elizabeth Bard takes the reader into her own French kitchen with tips and recipes designed to de-mystify French cuisine. The result is a good read for someone who likes to read cookbooks. And left me wanting to try out some of the French secrets to joyful eating described in the book.
I received a free review copy of Dinner Chez Moi through Goodreads Giveaways.
I received a free review copy of Dinner Chez Moi through Goodreads Giveaways.
January 10, 2018
Another winner by Elizabeth Bard. I love her honesty about the difficulty of shedding some of her American habits, i.e snacking after dinner, to the consternation of her french counterparts. She admits she is American through and through even as she embraces many of the finer points of cooking, eating and feeding her French family. I'll be trying many of these recipes soon and continue to try to embrace these healthy tips as well (hunger is good!)
May 29, 2017
While some of the author's anecdotes seem pretentious and utopian, others are absolutely delightful. Overall, she presents the French approach to food very simply, with recipes following each suggestion (I'm definitely going to try a few!). Very light read.
June 5, 2017
I read this book (downloaded from the library) because I loved the cover. I ended up loving the book, too. Thoughtful, helpful, enjoyable. And the recipes looked good, too. I would like a paper copy on hand.
June 9, 2017
Meh. A cute little hostess gift that will make you feel bad for just wanting some damn ice cream once in a while. French Women Don't Get Fat has basically identical recipes but if only half as condescending.
June 21, 2017
There wasn't a lot of substance to this book, I read it in about an hour. I don't plan to make any recipes (I think it went back to the library the next day) but the look at how the French do things "better" always interests me.
January 28, 2018
This book was delightful and was a good prep before traveling to France. Inspires me to adopt some french habits and has me dreaming of travel even more than I was before! Can't wait to read her other books.
May 17, 2017
A fun and comprehensive book about the joy of eating, preparing and sharing food French style. Includes a wide range of easy and delicious recipes.
May 22, 2017
There's not much in the way of new information, but there are a few recipes I want to try.
May 23, 2017
A fun book and a good read.
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