Mastering the Art of French Eating: Lessons in Food and Love from a Year in Paris

When writer and lifelong Francophile Mah (Kitchen Chinese: A Novel About Food, Family, and Finding Yourself) learned her diplomat husband had been assigned to Paris, she envisioned three years of bliss in the City of Love—until her spouse was sent to Iraq for a year on an unaccompanied posting, leaving her in France alone. Here, she chronicles her year of solitude, framing her personal journey through her experiences with French food and culture. Each of the ten chapters focuses on the signature dish of a particular city or region—steak frites for Paris, for example, and choucroute (sauerkraut) for Alsace—and concludes with a recipe. The author's investigations into the importance of each dish to the people she meets are beautifully woven together with her reflections on culture, identity, love, and marriage, resulting in an enjoyable and thoughtful read that sparkles with humor.