Elizabeth Bard

Oh my god, LOVE! This book chronicles the ultimate love story and pairs it with food, but not just any food, PARISIAN food! Elizabeth Bard couldn’t have written this book better, because as her story of love and happiness unravels, the recipes become increasingly delicious. Truthfully, the tea she describes in the first chapter is AMAZING and any tips that she has advised on in the book, I have used with success. The evolution of her journey from an American Jew disenfranchised in London show more into a French-American wife residing in Paris is truly phenomenal. She leaves little to the imagination and is surprisingly honest about her own shortcomings, particularly in regards to her family. Her brutal honesty makes her relatable and her creativity and passion with regards to life make her memorable. Her Jewish background adds to the romance of both cooking and her transition into French life and into her own as a wife, French woman and a Jew. A must read if you are a fan of Julie and Julia or Eat Pray Love. On the cooking notes, her recipes are easy to follow and surprisingly simple. Paying homage to each aspect of her new and old life, she rebuilds her each recipe and tailors it so that a novice in the kitchen would be able to make the food she so deliciously describes. show less

Subtitle: A Love Story, With Recipes
When Bard was a graduate student in England (art history), she took a weekend trip to Paris, where she met and had lunch with a Frenchman. And the rest, as they say, is history.

This is a charming memoir where Bard explores the many differences between French and American culture. I did get a little tired of her whining about not knowing where she was going (career wise), but I loved her descriptions of the many meals she enjoyed – from simple brioche show more and coffee for breakfast to elaborate lamb dishes and the mouth-watering chocolate soufflé. As I read the recipes I found myself inspired, and thinking “I could make this.” (But I know I won’t.)

On the whole, an enjoyable, fast read. show less

There are few cities in the world with the inherent glamour of Paris. To name it is to instantly conjure up a city of romance, of passion, of love. Even the thought of Paris, for the giddy Francophile, is enough to induce palpitations. It would be easy to follow the clichés, to write of an idealised life that works in all the stereotypes, particularly when writing a book like this aimed at an English-speaking audience so eager to hear only wonderful, fantastic things about France and Paris show more in particular. Happily, Bard avoids this path. Her life in Paris is neither too glamourous nor too squalid. In fact, at times, it is downright boring. After moving to Paris, Bard is unemployed and her life revolves around the miniscule apartment that she shares with her boyfriend (and future husband) Gwendal. It is during these months that she begins her cooking adventures, spending hours going to the markets and various venders to track down the perfect ingredients (and even more hours looking up and memorizing the vocabulary necessary for these excursions). I found Bard’s description of visits to butcher, of the strict protocol that must be followed, both amusing and stressful: butchers wield incredible power, no matter what country you’re in, and I’ve had some very terrifying lost-in-translation moments of my own with butchers and their patrons in several countries.

Full review: http://thecaptivereader.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/lunch-in-paris-elizabeth-bard/ show less

This is a love story. Not so much the romance between American born Elizabeth Bard and yummy Gwendel started over lunch and stretching through marriage and beyond. And really not even between Elizabeth and her newly adopted home, France. Life as an ex-pat, even one as enthusiastic as she, can be downright frustrating as she tries to acclimatize to a Parisian mindset with its attendant language and cultural misunderstandings. No, the amor propre here is between Elizabeth and food. She moves show more incrementally away from her New Yorker penchant for convenience, snacking, and buying and bulk. As the story progresses, we see her gain confidence when shopping the local markets, selecting fresh ingredients and trying on new recipes. Locavores certainly aren't restricted to Paris, but this is where she finds them and falls in love. We get the benefit of some pretty stories, and even better, some interesting recipes. Foodie Lit is a particularly favorite genre of mine. I especially liked this book because of the touches often missing in similar books -- an index of the recipes, and reference to the numbers served. The food here is not an afterthought, but an equal partner and focus with stories of family,young marriage and discovery. show less