The World in My Kitchen: The Adventures of a (Mostly) French Woman in New York (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: New York, The Travels, Sullivan Street (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The third of Rossant's memoirs with recipes (after Apricots on the Nile; Return to Paris) takes the reader briskly from her 1955 marriage to an American architect right through to the present. It is less personal than her earlier books—after recounting initial difficulties with her new in-laws, she more or less lets her family (four children) fend for itself in these pages—perhaps because she has had a genuinely adventurous life, with a lot to tell, both about her New York neighborhood and the larger world. Her first boss was a criminal, but she soon found a new job as a French teacher, while she learned how to cook with American ingredients. These two callings, teacher and cook, led her through many jobs, a television show, friendships with celebrity "foodies," several cookbooks and eventually around the world collecting recipes and experiences in not only the usual destinations but also such exotic spots as Xi-an, a Chinese Muslim city. At times clichéd, Rossant's writing is vivid and opinionated, which makes her good company, and the recipes that follow each chapter are as eclectic as one would wish from a well-traveled writer. Illustrations. (Sept.)
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From Booklist

This latest volume of Rossant's memoirs finds her marrying and departing Paris for New York with her architect husband. Postwar, pre-urban-decay New York endlessly fascinates even so well traveled a young bride. Although Rossant deplores much of 1950s American food, she does delight in beef rib roast. After a horrific job experience that brings the FBI down on her, she scours the city's outer boroughs, discovering with delight Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue with its Arab markets that allow her to cook dishes celebrating her Cairo childhood. Moving into a SoHo townhouse proves daunting in a Mob-controlled neighborhood. She starts a cooking school for children, which leads to a brief television series and a disastrous encounter translating an egomaniacal French chef's ill-conceived cookbook. She nevertheless perseveres, and her kitchen skills and writing talent open up new opportunities that allow her to travel the world. Recipes included. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Atria (September 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743490282
• ISBN-13: 978-0743490283
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,262,836 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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