Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes

by Elizabeth Bard Narrated by Ann Marie Lee

Overview

In Paris for a weekend visit, Elizabeth Bard sat down to lunch with a handsome Frenchman-and never went home again.

Was it love at first sight? Or was it the way her knife slid effortlessly through her pavé au poivre, the steak's pink juices puddling into the buttery pepper sauce? Lunch in Paris is a memoir about a young American woman caught up in two passionate love affairs-one with her new beau, Gwendal, the other with French cuisine. Packing her bags for a new life in the world's most romantic city, Elizabeth is plunged into a world of bustling open-air markets, hipster bistros, and size 2 femmes fatales. She learns to gut her first fish (with a little help from Jane Austen), soothes pangs of homesickness (with the rise of a chocolate soufflé), and develops a crush on her local butcher (who bears a striking resemblance to Matt Dillon). Elizabeth finds that the deeper she immerses herself in the world of French cuisine, the more Paris itself begins to translate. French culture, she discovers, is not unlike a well-ripened cheese: there may be a crusty exterior, until you cut through to the melting, piquant heart.

Peppered with mouth-watering recipes for summer ratatouille, swordfish tartare, and molten chocolate cakes, Lunch in Paris is a story of falling in love, redefining success, and discovering what it truly means to be at home. In the delicious tradition of memoirs like A Year in Provence and Under the Tuscan Sun, this book is the perfect treat for anyone who has dreamed that lunch in Paris could change their life.

Editorial Reviews

This memoir begins, "I slept with my French husband halfway through our first date. I say halfway because we had finished lunch but not yet ordered coffee." From that slightly dizzying takeoff, Lunch in Paris glides to numerous small landings, each of them punctuated by a recipe for a delicacy such as Zucchini Flowers Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Mint or Creamy Carrot Soup. Bard guides readers through her unplanned courtship, marriage, and continent-change with the grace of a Parisian lady which, of course, is what she has become. A Discover New Writers selection; now in paperback. (P.S. This edition contains a reader's guide, making it perfect for book clubs.)

Publishers Weekly

In this pleasant memoir about learning to live and eat à la française, an American journalist married to a Frenchman inspires lessons in culinary détente. Bard was working as a journalist in London and possessed of the “wonderful puppy-dog” enthusiasm of young Americans when she first met her husband-to-be, Gwendal, a computer engineer from Brittany. Soon he had the foresight to put her name on the gas bill of his Parisian apartment in the 10th arrondissement, and they were destined to marry—and cook together. Her memoir is really a celebration of the culinary season as it unfolded in their young lives together: recipes for seduction (onion and bacon); getting serious over andouillette; learning to buy what's fresh at the Parisian markets (four and a half pounds of figs); surviving a long, cold winter in an unheated apartment; and warming up their visiting parents over profiteroles. Bard throws in some American recipes “that feel like home,” such as noodle pudding, and comforting soups for a winter's grieving over the death of the father-in-law. Bard carefully observes the eating habits of her impossibly slender mother-in-law for tips to staying slim (lots of water and no snacking). Bard keeps an eye to healthful ingredients (“Three Fabulous Solo Lunches”), and, as a Jewish New Yorker, even prepares a Passover seder in Paris, in this work that manages to be both sensuous and informative. (Feb.)

Kirkus Reviews

American journalist Bard traces her relationship with her French husband from the first lunch date to the present, framing the narrative around mouthwatering menus. The book starts out vanilla, but the author's charming narrative and penetrating insights quickly add a subtle complexity that will captivate readers. Having met her future husband Gwendal at an academic conference in London, Bard soon invented an excuse to visit Paris. Eventually she moved in to Gwendal's tiny apartment and began her initiation into Parisian life. She pleasantly details her joys and obstacles, including her difficulties with grumpy fishmongers and complicated meat-market lines, and she provides poignant revelations about cultural differences that are alternately easy to overcome and seemingly insurmountable. The idea of love conquering all is certainly a cliche, but the author's unique voice prevents her story from becoming stale. One of the most enlightening aspects of French culture that Bard reveals is the fact that in Paris, the customer is not always right. Whether it's the chef for the wedding hors d'oeuvres or the doctor treating her father-in-law's colon cancer, the author learned that one must bow to the opinion of the professional. Ultimately, Paris had much to offer Bard, including lessons in how to cook delectable meals with whatever is at hand, or the simplicity of sitting in a cafe and relaxing with a coffee and croissant. Despite the many delicious recipes, the motif of food only provides a loose framework for the book, leaving the narrative somewhat disjointed in places. This does not, however, diminish Bard's entertaining voice. A cozy, touching story. Agent: Wendy Sherman/Wendy Sherman &Associates

From the Publisher

"As charming and coquettish as Paris itself, Lunch in Paris reawakens our tired hearts and palates with a deliciously passionate journey through the city of lights. Be prepared to be seduced by french kisses, the richest chocolate, and the sweet charm of Bard's prose."—Nani Power, author of Crawling at Night and Feed the Hungry

"Elizabeth Bard's Lunch in Paris is delicious, romantic, and sexy, just as the title indicates. What captivates you is the story of a woman finding herself after she finds love, and the challenge that entails. I devoured this book with all the gusto I would bring to a plate of steak tartare with pommes frites."—Giulia Melucci, author of I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti

"A love story is always delightful, and one with recipes is also useful in the long run, part and parcel of a real French relationship."—Diane Johnson, author of Le Divorce and L'Affaire

"Lunch in Paris has got it all: romance in full on the front burner with delicious French recipes for sustenance. Elizabeth Bard's voice is filled with lust and longing-it's Eat, Stay, Love with a side of spiced apricots."—Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of Very Valentine

"In this pleasant memoir about learning to live and eat 'à la française,' an American journalist married to a Frenchman inspires lessons in culinary détente.... Bard's memoir is really a celebration of the culinary season as it unfolded in their young lives together.... both sensuous and informative."—Publishers Weekly

"A charming narrative.... Penetrating insights quickly add a subtle complexity that will captivate readers...She pleasantly details her joys and obstacles...provides poignant revelations about cultural differences ... A cozy, touching story."—Kirkus Reviews

Harper's Bazaar

"[A] delicious story about falling in love-over food-in France."

People "Style Watch"

"sweet and heartfelt with delicious recipes"

Carol Memmott - USA Today

"In this charming memoir, Bard searches for her new identity by balancing her love for two countries. She discovers the common denominator that will give her life meaning: food.... If you enjoyed the Julia Child romance that made the Julie & Julia film so entrancing, you'll love this voyage into the gastronomic soul of the French - complete with luscious recipes."

Adriana Trigiani

"Lunch in Paris has got it all: romance in full on the front burner with delicious French recipes for sustenance. Elizabeth Bard's voice is filled with lust and longing-it's Eat, Stay, Love with a side of spiced apricots."

Diane Johnson

"A love story is always delightful, and one with recipes is also useful in the long run, part and parcel of a real French relationship."

Giulia Melucci

"Elizabeth Bard's Lunch in Paris is delicious, romantic, and sexy, just as the title indicates. What captivates you is the story of a woman finding herself after she finds love, and the challenge that entails. I devoured this book with all the gusto I would bring to a plate of steak tartare with pommes frites."

Nani Power

"As charming and coquettish as Paris itself, Lunch in Paris reawakens our tired hearts and palates with a deliciously passionate journey through the city of lights. Be prepared to be seduced by french kisses, the richest chocolate, and the sweet charm of Bard's prose."

"Style Watch" - People Magazine

"sweet and heartfelt with delicious recipes"

Carol Memmott

In this charming memoir, Bard searches for her new identity by balancing her love for two countries. She discovers the common denominator that will give her life meaning: food.... If you enjoyed the Julia Child romance that made the Julie & Julia film so entrancing, you'll love this voyage into the gastronomic soul of the French - complete with luscious recipes.
— USA Today

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170863747
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	07/30/2012
Edition description:	Unabridged

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