Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table
Savoring the Olde Ways: Book Two
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- 10,99 €
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- 10,99 €
Publisher Description
Join Carole Bumpus as she continues the culinary journey of Book One in Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table, with her incomparable guide, Josiane, as they head north from Paris to Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Normandy, and Brittany, then drop into the Loire Valley before ending in the Auvergne.
Sample family favorites and regional delights such as Flemish Potjevlesh, Algerian-influenced chicken tagine, moules (mussels) in cider and cream, salt-encrusted Lamb Grevin, Far Brêton, and Pâté de Pomme de Terre. Enjoy the music and antics of local festivals like La Bande de Pecheur (Gang of Fisherman), Feast of St. John, and the Blessing of the Fleet. Discover the wonder of troglodyte caves, wineries, and truffle farms in the Loire Valley. Then travel to Josiane’s family home, where you, too, can discover why food and family time are considered sacred in the Auvergne. And, all along the route, witness the impact WWI and WWII on the families profiled. Even seventy-five years later, the legacy of war remains—and yet, incredibly, the gift that each generation has handed down has been gratitude and a deep understanding of the importance of family.
A compilation of personal stories, memorable moments, family secrets, and mouth-watering recipes, this French culinary travelogue is sure to find a prized place on the bookshelf of readers who love France—its food, its people, and its history.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bumpus, a retired American family therapist, collects culinary traditions and oral histories in this amiable but frustratingly uninsightful sequel, which offers a glimpse into the lesser-known regions of France. Bumpus departs Paris with her friend and interpreter, Josiane, on a road trip toward the Atlantic coast to learn the ways of cuisine pauvre, which translates as "poor kitchen," as opposed to haute cuisine, through interviews conducted in people's homes. It's an inviting premise, but from the book's outset the narrative bogs down with dialogue that advances neither the book's themes nor character studies and, puzzlingly, far outnumbers any discussion about food. In Le Havre, Karyn, whom Bumpus knew in the U.S., is encouraged to speak just as much about her vacations as a child to the Balaeric Islands, "to a resort with a swimming pool," as she is about her grandmother's favorite recipes. Bumpus tells readers her conversation with Louisette, a French-Algerian woman in Rouen, "gave me a totally new perspective and appreciation of Algeria and the wonderfully rich influences that country has given to France," though beyond learning that not all French women who marry Algerian men are oppressed, she doesn't explain what those influences are. Foods and experiences are repeatedly described as "wonderful," "marvelous," or "delightful." Armchair travelers searching for transportive tales of food and culture might want to look elsewhere.