This past week I just finished this book that combines my love of food and wine. I picked it up out of curiosity, and I am so glad I did! What a delightful read! Peter Mayle is a British ex-pat living in Provence and has written many books on his experiences in France. Apparently his earlier books focus more on life in southern France, but in French Lessons, he journeys all over the country attending various food and wine celebrations, partaking in excess and essentially living every food lover’s dream. This is the first Peter Mayle book I’ve read, and judging from this book, I’ll gladly read more. His writing style reminds me of Bill Bryson, delighting and marveling at the way the French go about appreciating the gastronomic pleasures of life. He attends annual festivals of truffles, Livarot cheese, snails, frogs legs, and Bresse chickens across the country. Later, he joins the events surrounding the Médoc marathon and the Les Trois Glorieuses wine auction in Burgundy. He ends his indulgences with an excursion to explore French spa food and a wonderful tribute to the institution of the Michelin guide.
This book was published in 2001 and is filled with so many sentiments expressing the value of well-raised food, in season, locally at the source. It is astonishing that this approach to food so inherent in French society is only starting to be given mainstream consideration in America today. Mayle’s writing is mouthwatering, and I can’t believe myself, as a former vegetarian, I was literally getting hungry wondering what frogs legs might taste like. The descriptions of the small villages, countryside and people Mayle encounters create a world almost too perfect! I can only guess how France is in reality (probably very costly!), but who doesn’t like a good fantasy adventure every once in a while? For certain, this book makes me want to go to France more badly and gorge on long lunches like the author. If you are a foodie, wino, francophile or all of the above, this book is for you!
French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew by Peter Mayle
