Customer Reviews

Food for the Soul: A Texas Expatriate Nurtures Her Culinary Roots in Paris

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In my view this is a good book for someone who remembers home and wants to duplicate some of home in a far away place. I grew up in New Orleans and now live in Texas. If you don't know it, we New Orleans people are picky about our food. I have also spent a lot of time in a lot of places outside the US. Sometimes you just want to taste some of those simple things you grew up eating. The hardest thing is finding the "stuff" you want and deciding on a reasonable substitute when you can't find it. So, I really appreciate the list of where to get the "hook-up" in Paris. There is noting worst than being in Paris or Lisbon for a few weeks and just wanting some red beans, greens and corn bread and not knowing where to go to get the dish or the ingredients. Now I know it is not just me. I love the art work and the background material.

This book isn't just a collection of recipes. The author has gathered family recipes and shared family memories as well. The recipes aren't overly complicated, particularly good for people like myself that don't have a lot of time for cooking. Ms. Wells has provided some of the history behind different ingredients, alternate ingredients if some are hard to find, and laid out the recipes in a very easy to follow manner. I love how she has shared some of her own family's history in this book. The photography of the food is outstanding. This is a book to enjoy reading start to finish, as well as trying out the recipes.

This cookbook was a HUGE disapointment! These recipes are the same ones that you can get on the boxes and labels at the grocery store for free! Fried eggs? The pictures are nice, tho they don't name the pictured food. If you want a good soul food cookbook, get "The Black Family Reunion Cookbook" for 1/4 the price.

The book was ok. Having grown up on soul food there were no surprises.

I was hoping that there would be a french twist to the recipes such as

"Soul Food ala French Bistro"

Excellent book for expatriates that cook and enjoy "soul food" with many excellent recipes and useful resources and tips. The photos are marvelous and the narrative invokes memory and tradition and family and friends. This is a highly recommended cookbook and food lovers book.

I found the recipes to be nothing new. Yes, there were stories thrown in to disguise Ms. Wells lack of culinary skills. The illustrations and the photography were quite pleasant, I found myself looking for these two things. Ms Wells I think needs to try again.I was sorry I purchased this book.

The recipes in this book turned out to be the same old ones you get over and over but here, the author has cleverly cushioned them with "stories" that hype them up and flush them out to make up for a lack of culinary skills. Nice try, but I can get better recipes, and stories, off the internet.