Product Description

This is the funny and inspiring account of Kathleen Flinn's struggle in a stew of hot-tempered chefs, competitive classmates, her own "wretchedly inadequate" French, and the basics of French cuisine. Flinn was a thirty-six-year-old middle manager trapped on the corporate ladder-until her boss eliminated her job. So she cashed in her savings and moved to Paris to pursue her lifelong dream of attending the venerable Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. Fans of Julie & Julia and the late Julia Child will be richly rewarded by this vibrant tale of self-discovery, transformation, and ultimately love.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #180116 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-09
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

From Publishers Weekly
When the author, an American journalist and software executive working in London, is sacked from her high-powered job, she enrolls as a student at the Cordon Bleu school in Paris. With limited cooking skills and grasp of the French language, she gamely attempts to master the school's challenging curriculum of traditional French cuisine. As if she didn't have enough on her plate eviscerating fish and knocking out pâtéà choux, she determines to write a book about her experience and gets married along the way. The result is a readable if sentimental chronicle of that year in Paris in which her love life is explored in great detail, dirty weekends and all, and cooking features as a metaphor for self-discovery. Some readers may feel disappointed that the narrator's encounters with French cookery remain largely confined to her lessons at the Cordon Bleu. On those rare occasions when she ventures into the food-obsessed city, the descriptions of meals are glancing at best. Although her struggles with the language and lack of knowledge about the culture lend comic elements to the story (once, trying to order a pizza over the phone, she said, Je suis une pizza—I am a pizza), they, too, constrain the author's culinary explorations. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile
Finding herself suddenly unemployed, former middle manager Flinn fulfills a lifelong dream by enrolling at the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. Listeners are there step-by-step as she learns to chop, fillet, saut, braise, and plate hundreds of entres, overseen by finicky chefs. Flinns French was originally spotty, but Cassandra Campbells pronunciation isnt. Neither is her portrayal of Flinn, determined, dismayed by dropping her half of a duck, delighted by her intensifying relationship with her future husband, Michael. Even non-cooks will be fascinated by her clear descriptions of food dishes, Paris, her lodgings, and new friends. Only the recipes that are included are out of place for audio. They sound delicious but are read too fast for copying. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About the Author
Kathleen Flinn has been a writer and journalist for nearly twenty years. Her work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, USA Weekend, Men's Fitness and many other publications. She is a proud member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the Author's Guild. She divides her time between Seattle and southwest Florida.

Customer Reviews

A wonderful love story -- for food, cooking, Paris, partner, life.
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School, Kathleen Flinn.

One of the joys of being a book lover is that people always can find me great birthday presents. Especially true since I have lots and lots of different interests. These presents have formed the kernels of dozens of collections, everything from mountaineering to nishigoi to Antarctica to book collecting itself.

A few years ago I attended a week long Boot Camp course at the Culinary Institute of America, and published my notes on the Internet. As a result, I have a collection of books on attending cooking schools, and this is one of the very best of the genre. Kathleen Flinn is a very experienced writer with a 1000 articles to her credit. She got fired from a job and decided to take a year off to attend Le Cordon Bleu Paris. I am absolutely delighted that she did so -- and then used her writing skills to put together this funny, informative, joyous love story -- for food, for learning, for Paris, for a partner. A wonderful read.

Very highly recommended.

Flinn has followed up with a one way blog on Amazon in which she reports on her recent activities, in particular her current book tour, including a recent interview on the Leonard Lopate show. She came across as a charming, down to earth, fascinating person on the radio. She also maintains an excellent web page, which includes some of her recipes from her book.

http://www.kathleenflinn.com/

Lapin ou poulet à la moutarde
Rabbit or chicken with mustard sauce

You can make this dish with either rabbit or bone-in chicken thighs. Rabbit is similar to the dark meat of chicken, but with a gamier flavor. Traditionally, youd drink white wine with this, perhaps a Sauvignon Blanc or a Pouilly-Fumé. But if youre [partial to red wine, try a soft one such as a Pinot Noir.
This dish pairs nicely with simple green beans. In cold weather, I add in cream for a richer dish. Serves six.

2 pounds (1 kg) rabbit pieces or chicken thighs
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme
All-purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon butter
3 shallots, finely chopped (about cup)
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cups)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup (75 ml) brandy
2/3 cup (150 ml) chicken stock
Bay leaf
Five sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
2/3 cup (150 ml) heavy cream (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C. Sprinkle the meat with salt, pepper and dried thyme. Dredge lightly in flour, shaking off excess. In a Dutch oven large enough to hold all the ingredients comfortably, heat the oil over medium heat. Brown the meat, in batches if necessary. Remove meat from the pan and drain the oil. Using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, apply a generous coat of mustard to each; set aside.

Over medium heat in the same pan, melt the butter. Add the shallots and onion and cook until translucent. Stir in garlic. Add the brandy and chicken stock, and simmer until slightly reduced. Add the bay leaf. Return the chicken or rabbit pieces to the pan. Cover and cook in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until an instant-read meat thermometer reads 160°F / 75°C degrees. Remove the meat and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Put the pan on medium heat and bring the pan juices to a simmer for about five minutes until slightly reduced, skimming off any fat from the surface. (Rabbit is oilier than chicken and will require significant skimming.) Add the remaining two tablespoons of mustard and the cream (if using) and let simmer for about seven to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Once thickened, pour sauce through a fine mesh sieve, pressing it through with a spatula to get as much liquid as possible. Check seasonings and adjust, adding salt and pepper if needed. Spoon the sauce over the chicken or rabbit pieces.

A Great Read
I had read a favourable review of this book in the newspaper just before Christmas, so decided to buy it for both my mom and my mother-in-law as gifts. They both really enjoyed the book. Of course then I read it for myself, and agree wholeheartedly. This book will make you long for Paris, and to follow those dreams you may have put on the shelf...

Deliciously Excellent!
This book is interesting and funny.It is one of those books that make you laugh out loud ... as proven for me at work when I was trying to look like I was working but was actually devouring this book.

SO BUSTED.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!