I have long wanted to not only travel to Europe, but to live there. I have yet to do either, so for the moment I live vicariously through memoirs. Elizabeth Bard is an American writer who studied and worked in England and found herself traveling to Paris, France, eventually meeting her love, Gwendal.
Bard takes us through the tentative first date jitters to the moment she knew Gwendal was the one, through ups and downs in their relationship, navigating two cultures, and more. Through it all is a carefully woven gastronomic treat--multiple recipes from Bard's Jewish American family, as well as recipes from her now husband, and others from his French family.
Although I have yet to make any of recipes, I've copied out several to try--the challenge for me, however, will be making them dairy free to accommodate my severe dairy allergy. As an aside, my dairy allergy is so severe that it's one of my biggest concerns when considering traveling or living abroad. How does one live in a place like Paris without eating dairy??? I suppose people do it--others with allergies, vegans, and so on, but it just seems like eating dairy free in Paris would be like missing a big part of the Paris experience, right?
Bard has a magical, ethereal manner when describing the markets of her Paris neighborhood and the food in the many cafes and restaurants she and Gwendal find themselves in. She also has a delicate, but honest touch when writing about the difficult aspects of immersing oneself in a new culture, despite how familiar it might be. As an American in Paris, there are just some things she misses such as the direct approach many Americans take in the face of problems or the "can do" attitude that we seem to have when faced with a challenge. She also does a good job of navigating the challenge of having one foot in each culture, but rarely both feet in one.
While I haven't lived in another country, I have lived in five states within the USA, and at times I found myself nodding with understanding when Bard wasn't as happy or comfortable or confident as she thought she should be.
Overall, I loved this memoir, and the end is excellent--Bard comes out on the upside of life as an ex-pat and I highly recommend this memoir! What I really want is to go to Paris and spend a couple of days with Bard, shopping at the various markets and cooking and eating.
I hope you'll give it a read, and if you try any of the recipes, let me know which ones you loved the best! I can't wait to try the chocolate souffle--she makes it seems so easy!
FIVE stars!
Pick it up at your local library or find it on Amazon HERE.
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