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Title details for The French Ingredient by Jane Bertch - Available

The French Ingredient

Making a Life in Paris One Lesson at a Time; A Memoir

by Jane Bertch
Barrie Kreinik
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
The inspiring and delicious memoir of an American woman who had the gall to open a cooking school in Paris—a true story of triumphing over French naysayers and falling in love with a city along the way
“An engaging, multilayered story of a woman navigating innumerable cultural differences to build a life in Paris and create her dream: to establish a French cooking school.”—David Lebovitz, author of My Paris Kitchen
When Jane Bertch was seventeen, her mother took her on a graduation trip to Paris. Thrilled to use her high school French, Jane found her halting attempts greeted with withering condescension by every waiter and shopkeeper she encountered. At the end of the trip, she vowed she would never return.
Yet a decade later she found herself back in Paris, transferred there by the American bank she worked for. She became fluent in the language and excelled in her new position. But she had a different dream: to start a cooking school for foreigners like her, who wanted to take a few classes in French cuisine in a friendly setting, then bring their new skills to their kitchens back home. Predictably, Jane faced the skeptical French—how dare an American banker start a cooking school in Paris?—as well as real-estate nightmares, and a long struggle to find and attract clients.
Thanks to Jane’s perseverance, La Cuisine Paris opened in 2009. Now the school is thriving, welcoming international visitors to come in and knead dough, whisk bechamel, whip meringue, and learn the care, precision, patience, and beauty involved in French cooking.

The French Ingredient is the story of a young female entrepreneur building a life in a city and culture she grew to love. As she established her school, Jane learned how to charm, how to project confidence, and how to give it right back to rude waiters. Having finally made peace with the city she swore to never revisit, she now offers a love letter to France, and a master class in Parisian cooking—and living.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 9, 2024

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593822791
      • File size: 212598 KB
      • Duration: 07:22:54

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 26, 2024
      Bertch chronicles the ups and downs of running a Parisian culinary school in this saucy debut. Growing up in the Midwest, Bertch learned to cook by observing her grandmother throw meals together without glancing at a recipe. That informal attitude served Bertch well in her personal kitchen, but it clashed with the outlooks she encountered in Paris—first as a wide-eyed teen on a high school trip, then as an adult when her banking job transferred her to a French office. “Paris was tough on me,” Bertch admits; her French was rough, and she found locals snobbish. The author gradually curried favor with her banking colleagues, but when she developed an itch to open a tourist-focused French cooking school for people who “wanted more than a trip to the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower to remember Paris by,” she faced backlash from acquaintances and professionals alike. Still, she got La Cuisine Paris off the ground in 2009, and in the memoir’s back half, she recounts the challenges of keeping it open, from real estate snags to the existential threat of the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout, Bertch is tenacious, self-aware company, cognisant enough of her own judgmental tendencies to balance her portrait of nay-saying French nationals. Entrepreneurial readers will find much to admire in this tale of grit and gumption. Agent: Gail Ross, Ross Yoon Literary.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Barrie Kreinik is an excellent guide through this memoir and travelogue by Jane Bertch, founder of La Cuisine Paris. She captures Bertch's adventures in Paris as a banker turned entrepreneur. With warmth and authenticity, Kreinik conveys the humorous self- deprecation underlying each anecdote as Bertch grows to accept a city--and country--she once hated. Kreinik balances the complexities of love, ambition, and cultural adaptation. Through her nuanced delivery and impeccable pacing, Kreinik transports listeners into the heart of the bureaucracy of bustling Paris, where dreams are forged and futures are shaped. Fans of travelogues and memoirs will find the perfect blend here as listeners join in on a transformative journey of resilience, growth, and the pursuit of French culinary skills. M.R. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      May 31, 2024

      A proud Chicagoan, Bertch never imagined she would return to Paris after a high school trip that left her disillusioned with a city known for its romance. But that is exactly where she found herself after being transferred from London to Paris by the bank she was working for at the time. Although it took some time for her to adjust to Parisian culture (and speak French well), Bertch soon fell in love with the city. After playing a game with friends who asked her what her dream job would be, she realized it was opening a French cooking school in Paris. This memoir outlines her dream and the process it took to bring her love of food and Paris together, all while learning the nuances of French culture and cuisine and gaining confidence in her own abilities. Barrie Kreinik's narration brings forth the love, excitement, heartache, and strength it took Bertch to build her business, La Cuisine, and navigate tumultuous events along the way. VERDICT A memoir for foodies, travel enthusiasts, or entrepreneurs, and an especially fitting recommendation for expatriates who need inspiration in their new home.--Kaitlyn Tanis

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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