French – Page 2 – Shelf Quest

An American in Provence (Early Review)

July 11, 2022 Jess Comments 0 Comment

I was so excited to receive a preview of An American in Provence by Jamie Beck. It has all of my great loves: France, photography, stories, and recipes. I’ve read the Autumn section (there’s one for each season). Beautiful, moving essays on her life in France and before moving and how the terroir has changed her. Photography tutorials include working with natural lighting, bug styling, and posing. The recipe I’m most excited to try once the weather starts to turn…

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When a Francophile Gets Pregnant…

August 16, 2020 Jess Comments 0 Comment

I read Bringing Up Bébé and bookmarked the Babyzen Yoyo stroller long before I wanted a bébé of my own, just in case, so you can imagine that when it came time to make a registry and do a bit of shopping I tried to find French items to add to my lists. I also tried to find a bit of inspiration about making my pregnancy more French but that was more difficult. I also discovered that since many women…

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The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux by Samantha Vérant (Early Review)

August 13, 2020 Jess Comments 0 Comment

I was so excited to find out that Samantha Vérant was coming out with a first-to-me fiction book. I loved her memoirs, Seven Letters From Paris and How to Make a French Family, and knew that a novel by her about cooking and France would be great. Sophie is a chef in NYC until her life falls apart: she loses her job at a Michelin-starred restaurant and just weeks later her grandmother in France has a stroke. She jumps on…

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Wednesday Whimsy #36

July 22, 2020 Jess Comments 0 Comment

Bonjour and happy Wednesday. Another long, sad break between Wednesday Whimsy posts. I’ve been half-heartedly trying to find French-themed content but most things have been a bust. I’ve tried watching a few French movies on Netflix or Kanopy but haven’t been enjoying them so stop watching. I have been continuing with French lessons though so at least my language skills are (hopefully) evolving. BookParis on Air by Oliver GeeOverall, this is a great Paris memoir read that is funny and…

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Wednesday Whimsy #30

August 21, 2019 Jess Comments 0 Comment

Bonjour and happy Wednesday. I am recently back from a nine-day road trip to Montana and Wyoming and a weekend trip to Victoria, BC. I’ve been spending as much time at home as possible to recharge my batteries and don’t have any trips planned until New England in October. BookOne of my favorite food bloggers, Audrey from Pardon Your French, has a cookbook coming out in October. She has created my favorite quiche recipe and I’ve heard there’s a savory…

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French Recipes for My Birthday Week

February 4, 2019 Jess Comments 0 Comment

I like to put a a decent amount of thought into celebrating around my birthday each year. After having a kind of crummy beginning of the year I decided to cook French meals for the week of my birthday. I usually only eat twice a day- an egg and veggie scramble around 11am and then dinner- so I mostly focused on dinners.Here’s what I made: Croque Madame from Tasting Paris. Quiche from Pardon Your French. Swiss Chard Potato Gnocchi from…

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Wednesday Whimsy #22

January 2, 2019 Jess Comments 0 Comment

Happy New Year and happy Wednesday. I hope you enjoyed the holidays and have some good ideas of how you’d like to spend 2019. I spent New Year’s in Whistler, BC with Joe and his parents. It was my first time there and the fact that we don’t take many snowy, wintery trips made this one special. It gave me a good excuse to break out all of my cold-weather gear. On to some links! Book I’ve mentioned Tasting Paris…

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The Lost Carousel of Provence by Juliet Blackwell

December 19, 2018 Jess Comments 0 Comment

I have conflicting feelings about this book. I love the story but not the writing; it feels too neat and tidy to be realistic. The dialogue feels written instead of spoken and real and the foreshadowing feels like a sticker placed over the natural story. There are errors such as “Latine Quartiere” instead of Latin Quartier or Quartier Latin (hopefully this was fixed for the final book as I read an ARC) and having Caty, a photographer, make individual prints…

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Wednesday Whimsy #21

November 7, 2018 Jess Comments 0 Comment

Happy Wednesday, the first one of November. I have a massage scheduled for today so it is an especially happy one. I’m looking at my calendar for the month and I notice that I don’t have anything French on the books. I’ll have to find a new themed book release or a Whole 30-friendly French recipe to try to spice things up a little. Oh! Or I can find a new French movie I haven’t seen. Once I finish binging…

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Ageless Beauty the French Way by Clemence von Mueffling

July 31, 2018 Jess Comments 0 Comment

Ageless Beauty the French Way is not just another French lifestyle book. While I thoroughly enjoy most of those books out there, this one gives me what I actually want: How to care for myself the way the French do in an accessible way to me. After introducing all of these wonderful skin, hair, and body care tips, von Mueffling shares with you places she recommends (mostly in NYC) and in most cases gives suggestions on how to care for…

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