Remembrance of Things Paris: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet (Modern Library Food) [Paperback]

Gourmet Magazine Editors (Author), Ruth Reichl (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 8, 2005 | Series: Modern Library Food

For sixty years the best food writers have been sending dispatches from Paris to Gourmet. At once unique and universal, these essays by Joseph Wechsberg, Naomi Barry, and Diane Johnson, among others, present tantalizing glimpses of culinary life in the world capital of love and food.

From unforgettable vignettes of resourceful chefs feeding hungry Parisians after World War II to the birth and rise of nouvelle cuisine–it’s all here: the old-time bourgeois dinners, the tastemakers, the hero-chefs, and, of course, Paris in all its charm, arrogance, and splendid refinement.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gourmet magazine has been delivering tasty reports on France's restaurants and cuisine to Americans ever since the end of World War II. This anthology collects the magazine's best essays, which document Paris's transformation over the years, and includes descriptions of such momentous events as the demise of the market at Les Halles and the development of nouvelle cuisine. The selection is heavy on Joseph Wechsberg, a frequent contributor during the '70s, and on Naomi Barry, the magazine's first resident correspondent, but it also includes the work of Michael Lewis and Diane Johnson. The book covers everything from chocolate shops to legendary restaurants to instructions on how to make a perfect cassoulet. And it's not just food writing-there are also pieces on haute couture, flower markets and Paris icon Alice B. Toklas, making this is a charming, nostalgic collection for francophiles of all stripes.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Praise for Remembrance of Things Paris:

“With selections from the last six decades, this book gives the reader snapshots of Paris that are crisp, clear, and often poignant, proof that things really have changed in the temple of food. The cameos of the sleeves-rolled-up individuals behind the big names—including Berthillon and Lenôtre—read like fiction and remind us of a fundamental truth: creating magic in the kitchen is hard work, and the French have been at it far longer than others. An entrancing book.”
—Thad Carhart, New York Times-bestselling author of The Piano Shop on the Left Bank


From the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library (March 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812971930
• ISBN-13: 978-0812971934
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reading and Remembering Why I'm an Armchair Traveler, August 20, 2005

By 

Janet M. Sanders "Armchair Traveler" (Canfield, OHio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Remembrance of Things Paris: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet (Modern Library Food) (Hardcover)

What a great opportunity to learn more about the Paris I love, and French food which I do not prepare at home. I wait for my trips. I am not intimidated with the snooty waiters, as I did my "homework." I'm prepared to ask questions about loaves and wine and anything else. The set-up of the chapters was easy reading, too. I trusted the writers. I discovered more secrets in Paris via their investigations and risky ventures. I didn't have to suffer the frustrations of getting lost on the metro nor the pains of tusseling with those Parisian cabbies. I especially enjoyed the trips to the new and modern Paris as described by Paul Goldberger. Do you want to loaf with a loaf, drink a bottle away from the bottlenecks? Read this book. Also, I will read other books in the Modern Library Food series based on my enjoyment of Ruth Reichl choices.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Paris, December 13, 2010

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JFS - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Remembrance of Things Paris: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet (Modern Library Food) (Paperback)

Just a terrific book recalling the "dining" history of Paris. Nice short varied chapters that will make a foodie's mouth water. I recommend it.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars paris wife, September 9, 2011

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Lucylee Chiles (usa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Remembrance of Things Paris: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet (Modern Library Food) (Kindle Edition)

A silly shallow story but gives an idea of the times and the people in them. Interesting that great art can be produced dispite messy lives.