French Lessons - Adventures with Knife, Fork and Corkscrew

Zusatztext “Delectable . . . as satisfying as a meal in a Michelin-rated three-star restaurant.” — USA Today “Mayle’s descriptions are as mouth watering as the food he samples.” — Rocky Mountain News “So evocative you can almost feel the bib tied around his chin and sip the last drop of Bordeaux at the bottom of his glass.” — The Washington Post “Charming. . . . [Peter Mayle] whets the reader’s appetite for all things French. Even frog legs. Or especially frog legs.” — Nashville City Paper “Armchair diners will doubtless find the fourth volume…as tasty as ever.” — New York Magazine “Savory! sensual! positively transporting stories about his encounters with Gallic gustatory delights and about his growing appreciation of the central place food occupies in French life…. His descriptions of the meals they serve allow us to practically taste the frog legs and truffles right along with him.” — Booklist “Whether you’re going to France or just to eat! Mayle is worth reading.” — San Jose Mercury News “Foodies and Francophiles will discover a like-minded devotee. And all but the strictest vegetarian will be made hungry by this book. Mayle’s form is every bit as good as ever.” — The Associated Press Informationen zum Autor Peter Mayle Klappentext A delightful, delicious, and best-selling account of the gustatory pleasures to be found throughout France, from the beloved author of A Year in Provence. The French celebrate food and drink more than any other people, and Peter Mayle shows us just how contagious their enthusiasm can be. We visit the Foire aux Escargots. We attend a truly French marathon, where the beverage of choice is Château Lafite-Rothschild rather than Gatorade. We search out the most pungent cheese in France, and eavesdrop on a heated debate on the perfect way to prepare an omelet. We even attend a Catholic mass in the village of Richerenches, a sacred event at which thanks are given for the aromatic, mysterious, and breathtakingly expensive black truffle. With Mayle as our charming guide, we come away satisfied (if a little hungry), and with a sudden desire to book a flight to France at once. Leseprobe The Inner Frenchman The early part of my life was spent in the gastronomic wilderness of postwar England, when delicacies of the table were in extremely short supply. I suppose I must have possessed taste buds in my youth, but they were left undisturbed. Food was fuel, and in many cases not very appetizing fuel. I still have vivid memories of boarding school cuisine, which seemed to have been carefully color-coordinated--gray meat, gray potatoes, gray vegetables, gray flavor. At the time, I thought it was perfectly normal. I was in for a pleasant shock. Not long after I became the lowliest trainee in an enormous multinational corporation, I was instructed to accompany my first boss, Mr. Jenkins, on a trip to Paris as his junior appendage. This was the way, so I was told, to start learning the ropes of big business. I should count myself lucky to have such an opportunity at the tender age of nineteen. Jenkins was English and proud of it, English to the point of caricature, a role I think he took some pleasure in cultivating. When going abroad, he announced his nationality and armed himself against the elements with a bowler hat and a strictly furled umbrella. On this occasion, I was his personal bearer, and I had been given the important task of carrying his briefcase. Before we left for the great unknown on the other side of the English Channel, Jenkins had been kind enough to give me some tips on dealing with the natives. One piece of advice was a model of clarity: I should never attempt to get involved with what he referred to as "their lingo." Speak English forcefully enough, he said, and they will eventually un...

Info autore

Peter Mayle is the author of fifteen books, nine of them novels, including the beloved bestseller A Year in Provence. A recipient of the Légion d’Honneur from the French government for his cultural contributions, he lived in Provence with his wife, Jennie, for more than twenty-five years. Mayle died in 2018.

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: Peter Mayle
• Editore: Vintage USA
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Tascabile
• Pubblicazione: 09.04.2002
• EAN: 9780375705618
• ISBN: 978-0-375-70561-8
• Pagine: 240
• Dimensioni: 140 mm x 210 mm x 16 mm
• Serie: Vintage Departures; Vintage Departures
• Categorie: Guide e manuali > Mangiare e bere > Libri di cucina generici, tecniche e ricette di base; Viaggi > Reportage di viaggio, racconti di viaggio