Book Review: My Paris Kitchen

My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories
David Lebovitz

Release Date: April 8, 2014

Book Description:
A collection of stories and 100 sweet and savory French-inspired recipes from Chez Panisse pastry chef turned popular food blogger David Lebovitz, reflecting the way modern Parisians eat today and featuring lush photography taken around Paris and in David's Parisian kitchen.

French cooking has come a long way since the days of Escoffier. The culinary culture of France has changed and the current generation of French cooks, most notably in Paris, are incorporating ingredients and techniques from around the world. In My Paris Kitchen, David Lebovitz remasters the French classics, introduces lesser known French fare, and presents 100 recipes using ingredients foraged in the ethnic neighborhoods of Paris. Stories told in David's trademark style describe the quirks, trials, and joys of cooking, shopping, and eating in France, while food and location photographs reveal modern life in Paris.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
Egalley courtesy of Ten Speed Press via NetGalley in exchange for fair and honest review.

Paris! What can I say? I simply can’t resist my fascination, love, and admiration for the city of lights. Then you add food to the mix… and I really can’t help it. I spied My Paris Kitchen while browsing on NetGalley one day and I had to have it, so I’m incredibly grateful for a chance to get acquainted with this gorgeous and inspirational cookbook and feel honored for a chance to share it with you.   

David Lebovitz, the man behind My Paris Kitchen, is no stranger among foodies and food enthusiast. He is a celebrated food writer, blogger, and former top pastry chef. He first started his food blog in 1999 (you can check it out here), and even though I don’t regularly follow the blog myself, I peek around once in a while and often find his recipes and suggestions – creative and inspirational. But what I enjoy most about the blog and this cookbook, are the approachable manner in which David manages to present his recipes and ideas.  



Browsing through My Paris Kitchen collection of recipes I often found myself immersed in the stories prefacing each recipe and section of the book. I felt that these stories allowed me to picture and experience Paris, as if I, myself, was there along for the ride. It was exciting, new perspective, which I greatly enjoyed.

As for the recipes themselves, they are not strictly French, because right there along the fancy and French Duck Confit, you find a recipe for Moroccan Lamb Shank Tagine, Levantine Baba Ganoush, and Indian Naan. This cookbook is as much a cultural experience as it is a culinary one, and I think it beautifully underlines and presents Paris, as a cultural and culinary epicenter, where both coexist and intermingle to create beautiful and unique experiences. 

My Paris Kitchen reads like a culinary memoir of Paris. Its collection of recipes is unique and interesting. And even though I won’t attempt every single one of them, a few are definitely on my to-try list. At the end I really enjoyed this cookbook. From setting up a kitchen, shopping local, and cooking “by the nose,” to picking a knife, and slicing bread, My Paris Kitchen is a thoughtful guide to simple but elegant entertainment, French-style and I highly recommend giving it a try.

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