David Lebovitz

This is a lovely book filled with gorgeous photographs of food and drink and many, many recipes. But what brings it to life is David Lebovitz’ joyous engagement with all the elements of drinking in France -- from one’s first café au lait in the morning to apéritifs and liqueurs in the afternoon to cocktails in the evening. It is a pleasure to wander from café to cocktail bar in his company, with many stops at vineyards and distilleries along the way.

Some of the drinks described herein show more will be familiar to most people. Some are interesting french variations on drinks you may have already enjoyed. And some will be totally new to you, either because the ingredients are difficult to source outside of France or because Lebovitz is being especially inventive. There is a nice range of things which you will feel comfortable to try right away or plan ahead to try. And some will be drinks or dishes which you’ll never want to try yourself but which are still lovely to read about and enjoy vicariously.

But more than that, this book has me longing to return to Paris and other locales in France. Surely that will be one of our first destinations after this long siege of social distancing is finally and safely over. For now, a fine book like this one will just make dreaming that much easier.

Recommended. show less

If you are secretly (or not so secretly) fascinated by the sight of car wrecks (where no one is injured, of course), you might really like this book.

That's not why I bought it, or course; I thought I'd be reading a breezy memoir about moving to Paris and buying a fabulous, though a tad run down, old apartment and the joys of renovating it. I imagined living vicariously through the author as he haunted the flea markets and found fabulous old doors, lamps, hardware, crockery, etc. Sure, the show more title says "disasters", too, but they're probably the run of the mill disasters everyone faces when building/renovating, right? Someone painted the kitchen the color meant for the baths, or switched the hot and cold taps.

Not even close. In fact, looking at the title, I'm not at all sure where the "delights" come into play. Maybe book 2? Because I gotta tell you, after reading this, I have a lot more sympathy for people who burn the house down for the insurance money. I also have a new appreciation for just how much worse Australian real estate could be. I've always tried to be positive or, at least tactful, about my current home country, but I've never held back on how bent I believe their real estate industry is, particularly Melbourne's (I'm not wrong either: Victoria has been cited numerous times for fraudulent real estate practices; not that it slows anybody down). But boy howdy, Paris makes it clear Aussies are in the minor leagues.

But the buying dramas (did you know you need a medical examination to get a home loan?) were just the amuse bouche; the real nightmare, the one you can't stop reading because it's like a train that just keeps on wrecking itself, a metal snowball gaining mass and spreading destruction, is the renovations. There. are. no. words.

This is where I stop to give a heartfelt thanks to my Daddy, an electrical engineer, and for the grace of god that I was born curious. Foreign country or not (and you can't discount how big a difference that makes - even if the foreign country speaks your language), I'm fortunate that I know enough about electricity, plumbing, and (very) basic building construction to suspect when something isn't right, or safe. Lebovitz was not so blessed and neither was his partner, although he was at least Parisian, and so was able to bridge the language - and sometimes the cultural - gaps, as well as throw well timed fits of temper. But even so, what happens, what they end up with... nope. Still no words. I cannot imagine what I'd have done in his shoes, but it probably would have been neither legal or sane.

It ends well enough, but, though he doesn't give any real figures, one has to assume he had a shit ton of money somewhere because by my rough reckoning, that renovation cost him more than 3 times the original budget.

Throughout this nightmare, he does paint a vivid and gorgeous picture of Paris markets and food, both of which, from what I read here, are better experienced as a tourist. And most of the chapters end with a recipe; some easy, and some for the experienced baker. At some point in the future I'll be giving his Swedish meatball recipe a shot.

And Swedish meatballs leads me to this final thought: there is nothing on this earth that would ever compel me to stand in line for 4 1/2 freaking hours in Ikea. Nothing. Not if the kitchen cabinets were made of solid mahogany and gilded in solid gold. Omg...4.5 hours in Ikea... show less

I have never been to Paris but when I get there I want to have this book with me. In telling us about his adventures living in Paris Lebovitz has written the perfect insider’s guide. He covers all the things you need to know to live in (or visit) Paris like a pro. I loved the short funny informative chapters each imparting a little bit of hard won wisdom - how to wait in line, how to dress like a Parisian, the most important words to use when shopping...Each chapter ends with recipes that show more will satisfy both French and American sensibilities. show less

This book made me hungry!! I probably gained a few pounds just dreaming about the food he talks about - the pastries, the cheese, crepes, chocolates. I loved the the everyday anecdotes of the author's life in Paris, becoming assimilated into the culture and nuances of life there. I also learned how to properly slice different kinds of cheeses, which is always good to know.

I loved his chapters on chocolate and coffee- two of my favorite things. It seems that while Paris has amazing chocolate, show more and I would love to have some delivered to my door in a turquoise bag from Patrick Rogers (I would like to try Arrogance please), it appears that I would hate the coffee. Immensely. I think that was my favorite part in the book- where he discusses French coffee, and the many ways it can be ordered, and how you should order it if even in Paris. Since I practically have a coffee drip attached to me, this is information I can use.

I plan on passing this book on to my husband, who actually enjoys cooking and baking, and his favorite is French cooking and baking. Hopefully he will try his hand at some of the recipes provided, such as the financiers, the cinnamon meringue with espresso, and the fromage blanc souffle. And of course the nutella crepes. show less