Review: On Rue Tatin by Susan Herrmann Loomis

Title: On Rue Tatin - Living and Cooking in a French Town
Author: Susan Herrmann Loomis
Genre: Memoir/Non-fiction
Publication Date: 30th April 2002 (1st published 2001)
Pages: 320
Book Source: own purchase

Synopsis: Susan Loomis arrived in Paris twenty years ago with little more than a student loan and the contents of a suitcase to sustain her. But what began then as an apprenticeship at La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine evolved into a lifelong immersion in French cuisine and culture, culminating in permanent residency in 1994. 

"On Rue Tatin "chronicles her journey to an ancient little street in Louviers, one of Normandy's most picturesque towns. With lyrical prose and wry candor, Loomis recalls the miraculous restoration that she and her husband performed on the dilapidated convent they chose for their new residence. As its ochre and azure floor tiles emerged, challenges outside the dwelling mounted. From squatters to a surly priest next door, along with a close-knit community wary of outsiders, Loomis tackled the social challenges head-on, through persistent dialogue-and baking. 

"On Rue Tatin "includes delicious recipes that evoke the essence of this region, such as Apple and Thyme Tart, Duck Breast with Cider, and Braised Chicken in White Wine and Mustard. Transporting readers to a world where tradition is cherished, "On Rue Tatin "provides a touching glimpse of the camaraderie, exquisite food, and simple pleasures of daily life in a truly glorious corner of Normandy.

My Thoughts:

If you're a regular on my blog you know I'm drawn to anything France & vaguely foodie related. On Rue Tatin may not be for everyone, some may even find the everyday minutia tedious but for someone dreaming of living in France it's a vicariously fascinating read. 

Seriously by the last page I was wondering who I'd have to kill bribe to make my dream a reality ;)

After doing a chef's apprenticeship in France, Susan returns to America but later moves to France with husband and son in tow to live the dream, while writing a book to celebrate French farmhouse cooking. 

Not just food related chatter, recipe testing (yes there are yummy/doable recipes included and I can't wait to try the famous Tarte Tatin) but all the details on their purchase and renovation of a dilapidated old convent in Louviers, Normandy, her son starting school, interactions with neighbours, friends and townsfolk, the cultural differences, surrounding countryside and life in general. 

Susan has written a number of cookbooks and her renovated convent home is also home to a successful cooking school. If I had a spare $3500 I'd do a 5 day class at On Rue Tatin. HA

A journal-style memoir highlighting Loomis' food passion, cooking locally and seasonally.

A book to be enjoyed with crusty bread and soft cheese *nom nom*

I'm also looking forward to reading Susan's new book In A French Kitchen, published May 2015

Connect with Susan Herrmann Loomis

Website

Twitter

 Facebook

Linking up with Paulita's Dreaming of France meme over at 

An Accidental Blog

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs.

Review: The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell

Title: The Paris Key
Author: Juliet Blackwell
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction
Publication Date: 26th August 2015
Pages: 384
Book Source: Penguin Books Berkley/NAL

Synopsis: As a girl, Genevieve Martin spent the happiest summer of her life in Paris, learning the delicate art of locksmithing at her uncle’s side. But since then, living back in the States, she has become more private, more subdued. She has been an observer of life rather than an active participant, holding herself back from those around her, including her soon-to-be-ex-husband.

Paris never really left Genevieve, and, as her marriage crumbles, she finds herself faced with an incredible opportunity: return to the magical city of her youth to take over her late uncle’s shop. But as she absorbs all that Parisian culture has to offer, she realizes the city also holds secrets about her family that could change her forever, and that locked doors can protect you or imprison you, depending on which side of them you stand.

My Thoughts: 

Ooh I loved this ... falling in love with a cover paid off this time.

Why I loved it? ... just because. Does that cut it? It's a story that spoke to me for no one reason I can put my finger on ... it just did. 

... "there is something delightful about helping a key find its way back to a lock, so it can do the work it was meant for. "

"Are you going to let yourself be defeated by a little lock? Remember Genevieve: Love laughs at locksmiths! Trust your old uncle."

The story moves seamlessly from Genevieve in the present day to her time in Paris as a teenager staying with uncle Dave and tante Pasquale, to her mother Angela's bittersweet time in Paris. I was captivated by it all. 

I loved the symbolism ... secrets, locks ... opening your heart to new experiences, life and love.

All the talk about boulangerie's, baguette's, pain au chocolat had me longing once more for Paris. 

The story felt like Paris ... that beguiling mix of old fashioned values and sophistication, lingering over conversations, good food and wine, enjoying simple pleasures. 

Walking in Paris with Genevieve felt intimate, discovering along with her, places I've visited and some I'm adding to the bucket list ... Village Saint-Paul, Montparnasse cemetry, Le Pont Traversé (the old butcher's bookshop.) I loved her interactions in Paris, her struggles with French bureaucracy and efforts to learn the language.   

I adored Genevieve's Parisian friend Sylviane. I could read a book about her ... how 'bout it Juliet? 

The Paris Key is a story about secrets, family, friends and discovering one's true self ... in Paris. 

It's warm and touching and delightful. 

A just-because-favourite-read this year. 

Connect with Juliet Blackwell

Website
Twitter
  Facebook

Linking up with Paulita's Dreaming of France meme over at 

An Accidental Blog

Château de Versaille

I've long had a fascination with Marie Antoinette and the French court, over the years reading everything I can get my hands on. The Château de Versaille has been on my bucket list for years and on my trip to Paris last year visiting Versaille was a no-brainer. We stayed in the 7th arrondissement, close to the Eiffel Tower so Versailles was a short trip via the RER. 

You can easily spend a full day here, well I could lol. I pre-purchased Passport tickets (Palace, Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette's estate) but given the time of the year and choice of day to visit, the queues were non-existent although it was still busy in the palace.  

the opulence was seriously mind-blowing

ceiling in the Royal Chapel ... AMAZING!

loved the Hall of Mirrors ... all that bling makes it tough to get photos

the Queen's Bedchamber 

I loved wandering around Marie Antoinette's estate. Whilst there wasn't much flowering in the cottage gardens in the Queen's Hamlet, the grass is so green and the colours in the trees beautiful.

Marie Antoinette's drawing room - Petit Trianon

Temple of Love

view to Marlborough's Tower

I'll definitely be returning whenever I'm lucky enough to visit France again. It would be so nice to see the gardens in all their glory and hire a bike and picnic in the Queen's Hamlet. 

Paris in July hosted by Tamara @ Thyme for Tea

Also linking up with Paulita's Dreaming of France meme over at 

An Accidental Blog

Book Lover's Paradise - Shakespeare and Company Bookshop

After posting my review of The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (isn't that fictional floating bookstore a book lover's dream?) how could I not follow up with photos of Paris's quaintest book store Shakespeare and Company. I love the history and character of this place and it was a highlight of my time in Paris.

The Story of Babar the little elephant is just one of the many books I purchased for my granddaughter, (and moi` lol) on my trip.  I also wanted Madeline but it was out of stock ... next time. 

"It’s a tradition in France to ink-stamp the title page of a new book with the bookseller’s hallmark. At Shakespeare and Company, the practice dates back to shop’s opening in 1951 and, before that, to Sylvia Beach’s bookstore on rue de l’Odéon. Elect to have your book inscribed with the official Shakespeare and Company stamp, and every time you open its pages, you’ll encounter a little reminder of its Parisian origins."

It's true ... each time I open Babar there's an extra special warm-fuzzy.

The intro by A.A Milne is sweet and funny and just perfect. 

"... If you love elephants you will love Babar and Celeste.  If you have never loved elephants you will love them now. If you who are a grown-up have never been fascinated by a picture-book before, then this is the one which will fascinate you. If you who are a child do not take these enchanting people to your heart; if you do not spend delightful hours making sure that no detail of their adventures has escaped you; then you deserve to wear gloves and be kept off wet grass for the rest of your life. 

I can say no more. I salute Monsieur de Brunhoff. I am at his feet." 

Do you have a favourite french-themed picture book?

I also love Shakespeare and Company's Message in a Bottle letterbox ... how magical to receive a note, poem or drawing tucked into the pages of the book you ordered ... from Paris to far flung book lovers across the globe. I wonder where my note ended up??

Paris in July hosted by Tamara @ Thyme for Tea

Also linking up with Paulita's Dreaming of France meme over at 

An Accidental Blog

Audiobook Review: The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

Title: The Little Paris Bookshop
Author: Nina George
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publication Date: 30th April 2015
Time: 12hrs 9mins
Narrator: Ray Sawyer
Book Source: own audio

Synopsis: Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

My Thoughts:

Paris and bookshop in the same title ... who could resist? Kathryn's wonderful review clinched the deal (head on over to Book Date to check it out) and I picked this one up on audio and enjoyed both the quirky nature of the story and characters. 

I love the philosophy of the healing power of books, so the idea of a literary apothecary is simply magical. 

" … A book is both medic and medicine at once. It makes a diagnosis as well as offering therapy. Putting the right novels to the appropriate ailments: that’s how I sell books.”

"I wanted to treat feelings that are not recognized as afflictions and are never diagnosed by doctors. All those little feelings and emotions no therapist is interested in, because they are apparently too minor and intangible. The feeling that washes over you when another summer nears its end. Or when you recognize that you haven't got your whole life left to find out where you belong. Or the slight sense of grief when a friendship doesn't develop as you thought, and you have to continue your search for a lifelong companion. Or those birthday morning blues. Nostalgia for the air of your childhood. Things like that." 

Perdu is such an interesting character; insightful and outspoken with others and yet surprisingly stupid blinkered with his own emotional well being. 

I fell in love with George's prose ... Perdu's journey from Paris to Provence along the waterways, dispensing wisdom and collecting travelling companions, the beautiful descriptions of French food and wine, the blooms and herbs, the countryside, the tango scene. I felt transported and immersed in the colour and fragrance of the region. 

I imagine, like Perdu's feelings regarding books “There are books that are suitable for a million people, others for only a hundred. There are even remedies—I mean books—that were written for one person only." this won't be a book for everyone, if you're after a succinct, fast paced read this may not be for you. It wanders off on tangents but for me the meandering, contemplative style was half the charm ... to be tasted, savoured and mulled over. 

At the end of the story there's descriptions of Provencal cuisine, produce specific to the region and a number of delicious Provencal recipes that had my mouth watering. And then there is "Jean Perdu's Emergency Literary Pharmacy" ... amusing and perceptive book recommendations to suit any number of ailments. 

Fast-acting medicines for minds and hearts affected by minor or moderate emotional turmoil.

To be taken in easily digestible doses (between five and fifty pages) unless otherwise indicated and if possible, with warm feet and/or with a cat on your lap.

Suggestions such as: 

Adams, Douglas. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Five Parts

Effective in large doses for treating pathological optimism or a sense of humor failure. Ideal for sauna goers with exhibitionist tendencies. 

Side effects: An aversion to owning things, and a potentially chronic tendency to wear a dressing gown all day.

Martin, George R.R. A Game of Thrones

Helps one to kick a TV habit and to cope with love sickness, the hassles of daily life and tedious dreams.

Side effects: insomnia, unsettling dreams.

Verdict: The Little Paris Bookshop is a charming look at life and death and everything in between. It's a "love letter to books" and a journey of self discovery in the autumn of one's life. 

PS. I thought Ray Sawyer did a great job with narration and I'd be happy to listen to him again.

Paris in July hosted by Tamara @ Thyme for Tea

Also linking up with Paulita's Dreaming of France meme over at 

An Accidental Blog

Love Affair with Paris

I've had a love affair going with Paris since I was a teenager, it's up there with Disneyland. Last year I had 3 too-short-days in Paris and I can't wait to return for an extended visit.

This week Tamara @ Thyme for Tea, host of Paris in July challenged us to post something about the character of Paris or France for that matter.   

That's what I can't wait to return for ... having time to explore the less touristy areas and really soak up all that is Paris. Paris is crack for photographers and foodies and that being two of my favourite things, I was in heaven.

*sigh* ... fave. I know it's touristy but seriously, carousel and the Eiffel tower, is there anything more romantic?

Gregory Renard's @ 120 Rue St. Dominique I found after a lot of walking. They have exceptional macarons for 1 euro each ...  nom nom. Now I wasn't a huge macaron fan until I ate macarons in Paris but I can now see the appeal. We also had macarons on our walking tour from the famous Pierre Hermé, very fancy schmancy. I will save macarons for Paris :) 

Mathilde M ... that gorgeous vintage, shabby chic, provincial style

this little garden right across the river from Notre Dame, can't remember the name but it's so pretty and very quiet in comparison to the business of the city. It's also a free wifi zone. 

We did the 3 hour Chocolate and Pastry walking tour through Viator. It was expensive but I'd highly recommend doing one if you're only in Paris for a short time ... you cover a lot of ground. Our tour guide Adeline was very knowledgable and friendly.

Poilâne in Saint Germain has been on my go-to list for a while and it just happened to be on our visit list. The sourdough loaf was yum yum yum and the croissant was pretty good too. Has anyone got a died-and-gone-to-heaven recommendation for bakeries/patisseries in Paris? For next time around ... I like to be prepared lol

I'm off to spend some time in France checking out everyone's posts ... the next best thing to actually being there. 

Paris in July hosted by Tamara @ Thyme for Tea

I'm also linking up with Paulita's Dreaming of France meme over at 

An Accidental Blog

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs.