The French Ingredient: Making a Life in Paris One Lesson at a Time; A Memoir

By Jane Bertch

Book Overview

The inspiring and delicious memoir of an American woman who had the gall to open a cooking school in Paris--a true story of triumphing over French naysayers and falling in love with a city along the way

"An engaging, multilayered story of a woman navigating innumerable cultural differences to build a life in Paris and create her dream: to establish a French cooking school."--David Lebovitz, author of My Paris Kitchen

When Jane Bertch was seventeen, her mother took her on a graduation trip to Paris. Thrilled to use her high school French, Jane found her halting attempts greeted with withering condescension by every waiter and shopkeeper she encountered. At the end of the trip, she vowed she would never return.

Yet a decade later she found herself back in Paris, transferred there by the American bank she worked for. She became fluent in the language and excelled in her new position. But she had a different dream: to start a cooking school for foreigners like her, who wanted to take a few classes in French cuisine in a friendly setting, then bring their new skills to their kitchens back home. Predictably, Jane faced the skeptical French--how dare an American banker start a cooking school in Paris?--as well as real-estate nightmares, and a long struggle to find and attract clients.

Thanks to Jane's perseverance, La Cuisine Paris opened in 2009. Now the school is thriving, welcoming international visitors to come in and knead dough, whisk bechamel, whip meringue, and learn the care, precision, patience, and beauty involved in French cooking.

The French Ingredient is the story of a young female entrepreneur building a life in a city and culture she grew to love. As she established her school, Jane learned how to charm, how to project confidence, and how to give it right back to rude waiters. Having finally made peace with the city she swore to never revisit, she now offers a love letter to France, and a master class in Parisian cooking--and living.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593500423
• ISBN13: 9780593500422
• Release Date: April 2024
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Engaging memoir about starting a cooking school in Paris

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own. Of course I wanted to read this – Paris! Food and cooking! A memoir! Combine these delectable ingredients and you have an engaging memoir about an American woman who starts a French cooking school in Paris. Author Jane Bertch explains, “When I first told people I was starting a cooking school, they said, ‘Oh, are you a chef, then?’ I was not – I worked in finance. Nor was I Parisian. Nor was I independently wealthy or experienced in the world of entrepreneurship – let alone entrepreneurship in France. I was nothing. But when you are nothing, you realize that leaves you with the chance to be anything. “I wanted to open a school that offered cooking classes for nonprofessionals – for everyday people who loved to cook, for those who didn’t have months and years to improve their skills, who were in love with France and its food, who wanted more than a trip to the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower to remember Paris by.” I enjoyed seeing Jane realize her dream of opening a cooking school in Paris, sharing her experiences of all the ups and downs of bureaucracy and red tape, cultural misunderstandings, financing needs, Covid-19, terrorist attacks, strikes, etc. Her very readable story is a great example of entrepreneurship. Plus, Jane explains, “The school was more than a business for me: It was proof that I belonged, that I could make a life for myself in the city I’d fallen deeply in love with.” Even if you’ve never been to France, Jane’s personal experiences and drive to make the school successful will have you turning the pages. And if you have been to Paris, reading this book will make you feel like you’re back there again. In addition to Jane’s role as a cultural ambassador, she has written a book that she hopes will “inspire people to do whatever you dare to think you can do – despite all the obstacles and doubts. Most important in times when you think you can’t, I hope you see you can.” I have been to Paris several times, and I enjoy reading about this city and other people’s experiences there. The next time I visit, I am definitely going to ‘La Cuisine Paris – Cooking Classes and French Food Tours!’ And I hope to have the opportunity to meet Jane and congratulate her in person - for her successful school and this wonderful book.