My confession: I’m obsessed with stories about traveling. About stepping away from the daily grind and setting up life in a (usually European) city full of buildings more than centuries old and baking tasty things, or growing tasty things, or building and rebuilding quaint homes.
In my dream (next) (future) life, there’s a wind farm and an olive grove. Somewhere in Southern Spain.
In the meantime, I have teenagers to hang out with and help launch, dogs to let snuggle under the blankets with me, and pastries to bake right here.
In the meantime, Caputo’s has a wonderful olive selection.
In the meantime, I have books that take me there.
Elizabeth’ Bard’s “Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes” is one of those reads. Elizabeth moves to France with her now-husband, and since she can’t find work, she cooks, and learns to shop in French, and adjust to being French, and live with other French people. With profiteroles and ratatouille.
Her story on how she adapts to her new life is well-written, funny and entertaining, inspiring the requisite amount of longing for trying that life on for a spell. Each chapter includes stories about food she prepares and the recipes for those dishes follow at the end of each chapter. I enjoy the format as much as I enjoyed the book, although I confess to having not made any of her recipes.
Bard recently moved to Provence, and has a child now, and is building more story and recipe to share, I hope.