When Michael Booth decides it’s time he learns
to cook without the guidance of his favourite celebrity chefs he doesn’t take
the decision lightly. Starting with a bonfire of the cookbooks he has
accumulated over the years he moves his family to Paris and enrolls in Le Cordon
Bleu in what he describes as ‘as noble a way of jeopardizing the security and
well-being of my family as I could think of.’ Despite commenting on how not
child-friendly Paris is the family seem to settle in and other than piling on a
few pounds from all the rich food he brings home they don’t seem to suffer too
much for the upheaval.
Despite the prestige and eye-wateringly
expensive tuition fees Le Cordon Bleu is somewhat run down and offers fairly
rudimentary equipment. Their tutors however, eccentric as they are, have such
depth of knowledge that the experience proves to be absolutely worth it. Despite
a disastrous first practical in which he slices his hand open, Booth
flourishes. He doesn’t agree with all that is taught – the use of pre-grated
cheese constantly niggles at him and turning vegetables never seems necessary.
However, he does learn to cook without the need for recipes and in reading this
book you’ll pick up tricks and tips that you likely didn’t know before.
There are recipes littered throughout, none of
which I have yet tried – French cooking is not known for being vegetarian
friendly, but I am intrigued by the idea of a chocolate risotto. There are some
gruesome descriptions of having to decapitate live crabs and lobsters, for
which he feels bad, but the taste of the final dish seems to negate any guilt
he may have felt.
This is a humorous account of the author’s
journey through French cooking, the camaraderie and competition with his fellow
students, and at its heart a love of good food. A treat of a read for foodies
and Francophiles alike.
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