THE GOURMANDS' WAY Six Americans in Paris and the Birth of a New Gastronomy

Narrator Bronson Pinchot's excellent French accent sets the mood for this well-researched, somewhat gossipy account of six classic American food writers and their lifelong love of France and its food and wine. During the postwar years, A.J. Liebling, Alice B. Toklas, M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, Alexis Lichine, and Richard Olney lived, ate, and drank all things French, crossing paths through their shared passions and mutual acquaintances. Their cookbooks, guides, and articles forever changed America's expectations of both restaurant and home dining. Pinchot's soft, nonjudgmental delivery allows listeners to come to their own conclusions as they peek behind the facade of whitewashed fame and good PR. Pinchot deftly signals the numerous extracts and footnotes and wisely refrains from using distinct voices for the famous gourmands. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2017]