Франция. Путешествие с вилкой и штопором

Updated: Peter Mayle is a very accomplished writer. I think he could make the nutrition facts of shredded wheat cereal sound impossibly droll. However, the real magic here is the narrator, Simon Jones. The whole family loved this (okay, not the three-year old) and we cannot wait to go to Provence. But we'll have to because there are no plans in place. Just some dreams and this audiobook which you will not be sorry you listened to.

Just started listening to this whilst (he's British, okay? It's in Updated: Peter Mayle is a very accomplished writer. I think he could make the nutrition facts of shredded wheat cereal sound impossibly droll. However, the real magic here is the narrator, Simon Jones. The whole family loved this (okay, not the three-year old) and we cannot wait to go to Provence. But we'll have to because there are no plans in place. Just some dreams and this audiobook which you will not be sorry you listened to.

Just started listening to this whilst (he's British, okay? It's infectious.) I run. I WAS listening to the Winston Churchill (also British) 3-volume series on WWII but I needed a break because, seriously, am I really supposed to care how many damn Howitzers they had? Give me something to hang on to, Winnie, tell me about some of the repartée between you and ol' FDR. When did you realize he couldn't walk? Did your gaydar go off the exact second you met Eleanor or was it not until she gave Clementine the once-over? No? Don't want to talk about that? Okay then, sure, you just carry on about tanks and ammunition and for gosh sakes don't forget to continue cataloging every damn nap you took while in office and I'll just take a second here to dart in front of THIS ONCOMING BUS!

Or, I will just roll my eyes and run home and go to Audible and pick something else. Like this perfectly reasonable little book on food and travel which I'm hoping is just the ticket. . more

I came across this book during our "book clean out." Having read Mayle's previous books, I picked this one up at Logos when I still worked there, but had never read it. I decided to finally read it, so I could give it away. For this book, Mayle, an English author living in France, decided to investigate fairs and festivals connected with food and drink, the more unusual the better. Frogs, truffles, snails, and always wine. If he had read his maps correctly, he would also have written about a blo I came across this book during our "book clean out." Having read Mayle's previous books, I picked this one up at Logos when I still worked there, but had never read it. I decided to finally read it, so I could give it away. For this book, Mayle, an English author living in France, decided to investigate fairs and festivals connected with food and drink, the more unusual the better. Frogs, truffles, snails, and always wine. If he had read his maps correctly, he would also have written about a blood sausage festival. I'm sorry to have missed that. All of Mayle's books are so deliciously complete that you feel you were there. You can taste 20 different wines in a night without a hangover. He seems to have been invited to all the best events, including a French marathon (he was a spectator) where the runners take wine breaks rather than water breaks. By the time I was halfway into this book, I had a strong desire to find a French restaurant, but being unadventurous in my food choices, I couldn't possibly have appreciated it the way Mayle does.

His description of how the Michelin system works, at the end of the book, was fascinating. . more

This is the second book I've read by Peter Mayle (the first one is "A Year in Provence").

It is a funny and informative book, with details about the food festivals around France. Festivals that celebrate the eating of snails, or frogs legs, or cheese, or drinking wine.

If you have never heard of fleur de sel from Camarague, Avenue de la Rabsse which is in fact Truffles avenue, or Burgund wines, you should read this book to take a real journey around France.

There is a chapter that reveals the Cuisi This is the second book I've read by Peter Mayle (the first one is "A Year in Provence").

It is a funny and informative book, with details about the food festivals around France. Festivals that celebrate the eating of snails, or frogs legs, or cheese, or drinking wine.

If you have never heard of fleur de sel from Camarague, Avenue de la Rabsse which is in fact Truffles avenue, or Burgund wines, you should read this book to take a real journey around France.

There is a chapter that reveals the Cuisine minceur's secrets and another chapter about Michelin guide.

The book is more like a travel guide that brings you on a trip around French cuisine.After reading it, you won't feel strange eating frog legs, more than that, you will be eager to taste this French specialty. . more

The author Maybe, goes around to some regional food events around France: frogs, snails, wine, chicken, etc. There seems to be a celebration of every spectrum of French culinary delights. While I would have appreciated it most from an American, I enjoyed the French perspective from an Anglo Saxon Englishmen. He also compares and contrasts the English with the French quite a bit too which I thought was interesting. For example, at one point, he describes english cuisine as "stodgy", which was a b The author Maybe, goes around to some regional food events around France: frogs, snails, wine, chicken, etc. There seems to be a celebration of every spectrum of French culinary delights. While I would have appreciated it most from an American, I enjoyed the French perspective from an Anglo Saxon Englishmen. He also compares and contrasts the English with the French quite a bit too which I thought was interesting. For example, at one point, he describes english cuisine as "stodgy", which was a big payoff for me from watch the British Baking Show. Insights into the French food culture and psyche helped me to understand the world a little better as the French, especially, French cuisine have so much influence over western culture. For example, look a the menu from any given western restaurant in the world and you will see traces of a French heritage.

One critique is he gets a little excited w/ French phrases scattered throughout the book and most of them I couldn't understand. :( . more

-- a funny, gentle waddle through a few of France's regional food festivals

Mayle guides us through his long affair with French food, notably his most recent bouts of gastro-tourism. He hits the major experiences - frog's legs, truffles, escargot, wine tasting - with a balance of wit that makes you wish you were there and feel a bit relieved that you're not. -- a funny, gentle waddle through a few of France's regional food festivals

The author writes about food and wine in France.

I think I received this via a “white elephant swap” a while back. I’m not a foodie, and I’m sure someone who appreciates food, particularly French food, would get much more out of this. I found most of the food he discussed quite disgusting. I also don’t drink alcohol, including wine, though I think there was only one chapter on wine (maybe two?). At the same time, he actually is an engaging writer. And there were a couple chapters near the end that didn’t talk about food that I found more interesting – one was about food critics and travel guide ratings, and one was an entertaining chapter as the author and his wife stayed at a spa for a few days. . more

I won this book as a white-paper-wrapped door prize at a going-away party for my friend Katharine Miller and her boyfriend Kris. I also now own dozens of vinyl records that belonged to Kris, which I purchased from him in the move.

From the frog's legs festival to the French Riviera, Englishman Peter Mayle delighted and educated me every step of the way. If part of being French means understanding French food, I felt decidedly more French after reading this book. I'm also glad Peter pointed out hi I won this book as a white-paper-wrapped door prize at a going-away party for my friend Katharine Miller and her boyfriend Kris. I also now own dozens of vinyl records that belonged to Kris, which I purchased from him in the move.

From the frog's legs festival to the French Riviera, Englishman Peter Mayle delighted and educated me every step of the way. If part of being French means understanding French food, I felt decidedly more French after reading this book. I'm also glad Peter pointed out his undying love for Duck Confit - I tried it in Paris and was so happy for having read this book.

Required reading if you're traveling to France - this book could even help you make travel plans. . more

This book was a bit dull and confusing at times. The humor fell flat and the colorful journey looked gray.

Mr. Mayle samples different cuisines at food events and describes his journey. This book captures the interactions with the French people and Mayle's English background. The book breaks down into episodes which repeat the same process without any unifying elements. This book will definitely match well with some food connoisseurs. This book was a bit dull and confusing at times. The humor fell flat and the colorful journey looked gray.

Peter Mayle is like your worldly, curious uncle who can stumble into any scenario and have the best time. In this installment of his pursuit of the intricacies of French gastronomy, he shares his experiences of attending French culinary festivals, from Les Trois Glorieuses (the legendary annual November wine auction in Burgundy) to La Foire aux Grenouilles (frog festival in Vittel) to Le Marathon du Médoc (a wine-soaked marathon that's full of costumed runners and the most delicious kind of carb Peter Mayle is like your worldly, curious uncle who can stumble into any scenario and have the best time. In this installment of his pursuit of the intricacies of French gastronomy, he shares his experiences of attending French culinary festivals, from Les Trois Glorieuses (the legendary annual November wine auction in Burgundy) to La Foire aux Grenouilles (frog festival in Vittel) to Le Marathon du Médoc (a wine-soaked marathon that's full of costumed runners and the most delicious kind of carbo-loading imaginable). Hilariously, this book was published in a time where the "info" section at the back includes only fax numbers if you'd like to reach out to the organizers about attending.

Each festival featured here, even if its origins are in agriculture, fit into the country's "deep fondness for luxe et volupté, for coddling themselves inside and out." It would be an absolute dream to attend any of the events of Les Trois Glorieuses, to taste the butterscotch notes of the beautiful, pricey Burgundian bottles I'm always ogling on wine lists and at wine stores.

But unfortunately, in this COVID age, I shy away from any events with throngs of attendees. I'm thankful for this intrepid and amusing reporting to fuel my daydreams of France until I can return and engage in their tradition of luxe et volupté that I also so immensely enjoy.

"As I've often said, there is nothing a Frenchman likes more than a self-confessed ignoramus, preferably foreign, who can be instructed in the many marvels and curiosities of France. I think it must be part of the national psyche, a compulsion to educate and thus to civilize those who have suffered the misfortune of being born in a less privileged part of the world." p. 46

"The French are not normally sentimental about their food, but they do like whatever it is they are about to eat to look happy. [. ] Thus, in butchers' shops and market stands, on posters and wrapping paper, you will see anthropomorphic expressions applied to the most unlikely faces. Chickens smile, cows laugh, pigs beam, rabbits wink, and fish smirk. All of them seem to be thrilled that they will be making an important contribution to dinner." p. 108-109

"I always find it difficult to make intelligible notes when I'm enjoying myself, possibly because my hand is often holding a wine glass when it should be holding a pen." p. 151

"Down a steep flight of steps we went, inhaling the subterranean bouquet, a wonderful musty mixture of oak, wine, ancient cobwebs, and chilled stone." p. 162

On Michelin inspectors: "The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like life in the witness protection program, but with better food." p. 217 . more

Mayle takes a break from his usual Provence tales to take a tour of lesser known food festivals in the small towns of France. Adventures with Knife, Fork and Corkscrew, as the subtitle suggests, include:

* The town of Bourge-en-Bresse takes its chickens very seriously; they can even claim their own AOC (appellatin d'origine controlee) but they must meet the standards of colors of the French flag - blue feet, entirely white plummage, and a bright red crest.

* At the Marathon du Medoc runners dress Mayle takes a break from his usual Provence tales to take a tour of lesser known food festivals in the small towns of France. Adventures with Knife, Fork and Corkscrew, as the subtitle suggests, include:

* At the Marathon du Medoc runners dress up in outlandish costumes and stop regularly to sample fine Bordeaux wines such as Lync-Bages and Lafite Rothschild.

* in Saint-Tropez at Club 55 or Cinqante Cinq, the beautiful bodies comes by yacht to see and be seen in vestigial bikinis on the beaches of the Mediterranean to "undress for lunch." Here the emphasis is less on food and more on women who show off their latest plastic surgery. One has overdone it; when she lifts her arms, "the breasts don't move. They have been anchored like buttons on a waistcoat."

Snails star at a weekend fair, Foire aux Escargots, in Martigy-les-Bains; black truffles are venerated and worshipped in Richerenches; Vitel is usually associated with its water, but its frogs' legs are tasty, too; and, of course, an eating tour of France must include its cheeses, and Mayle chooses one of Normandy's stinkiest best, Livorot.

Also included here is a history of the venerable Michelin Guide, 81 years old when the book was written, the identities of whose inspectors are closely guarded secrets as they anonymously travel the country to sample and rate restaurants and award the much-coveted stars. . more

I've read Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence and I new going into this book that I like his writing style. Pleasant, charming, and witty, like your very British uncle that likes telling stories. This one was just the ticket for what I needed right now during social distancing as it was a nice story overall, and reminds me of one of my very favourite places in the world (France, of course).

I feel like this one was better at distinguishing what French people are actually like versus English stereot I've read Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence and I new going into this book that I like his writing style. Pleasant, charming, and witty, like your very British uncle that likes telling stories. This one was just the ticket for what I needed right now during social distancing as it was a nice story overall, and reminds me of one of my very favourite places in the world (France, of course).

I feel like this one was better at distinguishing what French people are actually like versus English stereotypes of French people (a criticism that has been lobbed at his writing in the past).

I do also feel that some things were dated, some in humorous ways like how he said no one cares about types of salt but the French (if only he could see the obsession with pink himalayan salt today!).

But an entire chapter that led to me wincing. Please don't put a chapter in about a faux-festival in a club in my nice food book. It doesn't matter to me if you went or if it's a French thing, it has nothing to do with the food that's the theme, and I find it super ick to hear an entire chapter about damp sarongs and boobs popping out of swimsuits.

All in all, I enjoyed almost all of the book in a pleasant, easy-read, France-nostalgic way, but that one chapter threw me off so much it's bringing it down to a 3/5 rating.

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