French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew | Peter Mayle

French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew | Peter Mayle | An informed and engaging guide to proper etiquette

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	French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew Peter Mayle Vintage, 2002 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 46 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Delightful gastronomic tour of France!

Here's a book that entertains in many ways. It succeeds as a travelogue, as a food book, and as humorous writing. One can almost see the expressions of offended Fenchmen, revel in anticipation of bountiful and unusual food exquisitely prepared by some of France's fine chefs, as well as end up with an almost belly-ache or hangover. It's great fun to learn about French food and beverage favorites such as truffles, escargot, and burgundy with such an entertaining tour host as the British Peter Mayle. He tells about the quirks of the French with such devotion, one cannot help but love them despite their elitist behavior regarding the preparation, celebration, and enjoyment of food and drink.

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An informed and engaging guide to proper etiquette

French Lessons: Adventures With Knife, Fork, And Corkscrew by Francophile and culinary expert Peter Mayle is an informed and engaging guide to proper etiquette with respect to the French culinary culture. From what to wear, to instructions on gracefully wielding dining utensils, to the author's personal and anecdotal stories of gourmet delights, French Lessons is the next best thing to enjoying sumptuous French cuisine itself! Also highly recommended are Peter Mayle's previous books on French culture and country, A Year In Provence; Anything Considered; Chasing Cezanne; Toujours Provence; and Encore Provence.

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Read Lightly with a Glass of Good Wine & Enjoy

Peter Mayle's lighthearted romp through some of the greatest gastronomic events occurring in modern-day France. Here's an enjoyable and easy read that one can complete in one transcontinental flight or a couple of evenings before bedtime. In his continuing style of astute British observation in France, which served him so well in "A Year In Provence", Mayle walks you through festivals devoted to frog legs, French wine, gastronomic running marathons, near-nude dining of the beautiful (and rich) people at the beach and finally a trip to the 'fat farm'. I must admit Mayle had me busting with laughter as he describes the female attendant's methods to cleanse his body after the mud bath. As a finale, Mayer provides a few elusive insights into the creation of the "Michelin Guide". That famous organization that over a hundred years has kept its workings out of the public eye so that they can provide near truth for their restaurant and hotel ratings.

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Another winner from Mayle

As a fan of the author's Provence books, I picked up this audiobook for a long road trip. I was not disappointed. Mayle's writing is still as funny and educational as before. His "research" for this book takes him (and others) all over France, sampling the country's best cuisine--helped appreciably by the famous red Michelin guide.

Mayle's long descriptions of escargot and wine-tastings are never boring, and Simon Jones lends the perfect voice to this reading. He has an excellent grasp of the French tongue and the foreign words blend with the English with no slips. This was also a comfortably familiar voice to travel with, as Jones played Arthur Dent in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series I liked so much as a child.

This is a terrific audiobook to travel with--or, I expect, to stay at home with. A warning, however. Be prepared to salivate at the descriptions of the wonderful French food. If traveling, you may have to pull over to the nearest French restaurant to sample their fare. The greatest compliment I can pay this book is to say that my only complaint was that it was too short.

So, sit back, tie a bib round your neck and tuck in to Peter Mayle's latest offering.

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adventures with snails, frogs, wine, and more wine

Another fairly quick read. Nothing really WRONG with the book, but after a while, all the meals seems to blend together as Mayle travels France experiencing the traditions of French cuisine. Somehow all the meals start to look alike. Much more interesting is the recent book "A Cooks Tour," where the author travels the world looking for the perfect meal.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, page 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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