Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking

Once you’ve mastered Italian cuisine, what’s next? New Yorker writer Buford (Heat) recounts his time working for Mario Batali, and deciding to move—along with his wife and twin toddler sons—to Lyon, France. From a rocky start, which included missed flights and difficulty securing visas, Buford eventually found work in a local bakery, studied at L’Institut Bocuse, and navigated the hierarchy of the award-winning La Mére Brazier. But besides grueling days at the restaurant, Buford also spends time investigating the contentious history of French cuisine (could there be a connection with the Italian Medici daughters, who moved to France when they married?), and researching the seminal recipes of Brillat-Savarin. The author and his family remain in France for five years before returning to New York.