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Liked It “A much more enjoyable book than :Julie and Julia" -- a woman's journey through Le Cordon Bleu. Loved it!” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Don't take my word for--apparently I'm in disagreement with the other 90% of readers. I found the cooking stuff interesting but not wondrous, the pseudo-philosophy grating, and the boyfriend bits gag-worthy. It's a cumulative effect, however, and I would have given the first half of the book four...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“I expected to enjoy this book much more than I actually did. The author comes across as irritatingly pretentious throughout. ”
Kim L wrote this review 19 hours ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Don't take my word for--apparently I'm in disagreement with the other 90% of readers. I found the cooking stuff interesting but not wondrous, the pseudo-philosophy grating, and the boyfriend bits gag-worthy. It's a cumulative effect, however, and I would have given the first half of the book four stars.”
Christina D wrote this review 12 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“A much more enjoyable book than :Julie and Julia" -- a woman's journey through Le Cordon Bleu. Loved it!”
dirckhals wrote this review Friday, December 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A British ex-pat who finds new meaning for her life at the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. It's along the lines of "Julie & Julia" but graduation did not lead to a prestigious cookbook publication or PBS cooking program! A fabulous tale of self-discovery, love and perseverance. Vive la France!”
Marcie B wrote this review Monday, November 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A 36-year-old woman goes to Paris to attend the Cordon Blue School. Charming, light, but well-seasoned with stories of chefs and students of varying temperaments. I liked that she is not gifted in French or the ways of the people--no pretense of an American who has learned to be like the Parisians--she learns a way to get along in a foreign country, as would most of us.”
Ginny L wrote this review Tuesday, October 27 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Awesome !!!! Being a novice chef wanna be this book gives you the high priced cooking school for about ten bucks. Plus the recipes rock.”
Marcus L wrote this review Monday, September 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Interesting memoir about taking classes at Le Cordon Bleu.”
Sylvie wrote this review Monday, September 7 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“doughgirl5562 said: 4 stars
Play Book Tag Shelf wrote this review Tuesday, August 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
I don't love to cook. I don't even really like to cook all that much. But I DO love to watch cooking shows on TV and am addicted to the Food Network and Top Chef on Bravo. So while searching for books tagged France, I ran across this one and just knew that I had to read it. It turned out to be a very entertaining memoir, and I learned a lot about cooking - and a few other things.
At the beginning of the memoir, the author (an American working in London), returns from vacation only to find out that she has been laid off. Everyone advises her to look for another job immediately, but her boyfriend tells her that this is the time she should pursue her life's dream - the dream of attending Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. To further convince her, he even offers to quit his very nice job in the US and move to Paris with her. Wow, what a boyfriend! So, despite the fact that attending Le Cordon Bleu will deplete pretty much all of her savings and that she only has a very rudimentary knowledge of French, she goes for it.
This memoir takes you through Kathleen's experience as she moves the the three parts of the "Classic Cycle" at Le Cordon Bleu - Basic, Intermediate and Superior cuisine. I laughed with her when she dropped a cooked duck on the floor, but applied the five second rule and picked it up and continued on - or when her classmate's lobster escaped off the chopping block and even managed to get a wildly waving claw free before being wrangled and quickly dropped into a pot of boiling water. I cringed with her when she learned to use her cleaver to cut off a rabbit's head - and a duck's feet. I cried with her when a chef told her that her meal was horrible and she was wasting her time in the school. And later felt proud when a chef told her that her souffle "C'est parfait!" (It's perfect.).
And of course there are lots and lots of great recipes in the book. They aren't the type of simple 5-ingredient recipes that I normally go for, but they look so good that I just might follow Kathleen's example and go for it and make one. Maybe the Boeuf a la Bourguignonne (beef braised in red wine) - or the Coq au Vin et Thym (chicken in wine and thyme).....”
“A great story to read while I prepare to go to Paris with Vicki. So glad she finds love and Cordon Bleu.”
bsox wrote this review Monday, August 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
