As she told GG2P, “My mother always used to tell me, ‘Never be afraid of risks. What’s the worst thing that can happen?’ That became my motto for life, and it continues to shape how I think. So, although my aim is to bridge cultures and to help women, the way I write remains frankly French—and, I am proud to say, feminine.”
Like her other works, Guiliano says, the cookbook was shaped by her upbringing and work experience. “Cookbooks usually organize themselves by theme or by ingredients. You know, ‘Here are my fish recipes, here is what you can do with eggs.' I read cookbooks like I read novels, but that style just isn’t me.” Instead, she presents her personal tips, reminiscences and suggestions loosely organized around “my three favorite pastimes—breakfast, lunch and dinner." Stuffed with stovetop secrets from her French relatives, friends and champagne-business cohorts, the book meanders freely and happily. Along the way, it takes in everything from brunches to memories, market stalls to formal cosmopolitan dinners. It also boasts more than a soupçon of female persuasion as Guiliano seeks to convince us why (and how) we should trade our cupcakes for chocolate mousse and swap our Diet Cokes for champagne.
The project came about after years of requests from fans. As a result, readers will find many more of the easy, quick and healthy recipes that contribute to all the French Women books. Guiliano wanted it to be "polycultural," she says, “because I’ve spent my working life between Paris, Manhattan and Provence and I now have wonderful online friends all over the globe. So, while the flavors and the tips in my book remain French, as always, they should be able to fit into different lives.”
Cooking, she maintains, “is above all an act of love. However, it also vindicates our intellects and abilities. Cooking holistically is every bit as challenging as what I handled as a CEO. It’s a world that should be open to any—no, every—woman.”
Editor's note: Please join us for a live Twitter chat with Mireille Guiliano this Wednesday, May 19, from noon to 2 p.m. EST.
That’s what Mireille Guiliano counsels, and I’m beginning to believe it. Her enthusiasm for these recipes abounds, and they don’t sound at all
like the traditional diet crap. Can you feel sorry for yourself when
eating Duck Breast à la Gasconne, Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and
Sausage, or Apricot Tart?
I am a crazed foodie, I’ll admit it. I obsess over whether to buy yet
another fleur du sel or that perfect pink salt from Japan. I am a
follower of real foodies with more qualifications than I, and I’m a
voracious researcher of what and where to eat next.
At first glance, the rue de Chabrol (Métro Poissonnière, in the 9th
Arrondissement) vindicates its absence from guidebooks; it’s just the
sort of unremarkable area the Lonely Planets and Rough Guides of the
world ignore. But what I’m searching for here is anything but ordinary.
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Another French Revolution (With Chocolate and Champagne, of Course)
by Sandra Ban
Monday, May 17, 2010 at 09:47 AM
By Cynthia Rose
Andrew French
Maybe your next trip to Paris isn’t just around the corner—but your heart and appetite have taken up permanent residence here. In that case, you will definitely want The French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook, recently published by Atria Books. This is the latest offering from Mireille Guiliano, everyone’s favorite expert Frenchwoman. As we might expect, the former CEO of Veuve Clicquot turned best-selling author (French Women Don’t Get Fat; French Women for All Seasons; Women, Work and the Art of Savoir Faire) has come out with a cookbook that couldn’t have been written by anybody else.
As she told GG2P, “My mother always used to tell me, ‘Never be afraid of risks. What’s the worst thing that can happen?’ That became my motto for life, and it continues to shape how I think. So, although my aim is to bridge cultures and to help women, the way I write remains frankly French—and, I am proud to say, feminine.”
Like her other works, Guiliano says, the cookbook was shaped by her upbringing and work experience. “Cookbooks usually organize themselves by theme or by ingredients. You know, ‘Here are my fish recipes, here is what you can do with eggs.' I read cookbooks like I read novels, but that style just isn’t me.” Instead, she presents her personal tips, reminiscences and suggestions loosely organized around “my three favorite pastimes—breakfast, lunch and dinner." Stuffed with stovetop secrets from her French relatives, friends and champagne-business cohorts, the book meanders freely and happily. Along the way, it takes in everything from brunches to memories, market stalls to formal cosmopolitan dinners. It also boasts more than a soupçon of female persuasion as Guiliano seeks to convince us why (and how) we should trade our cupcakes for chocolate mousse and swap our Diet Cokes for champagne.
The project came about after years of requests from fans. As a result, readers will find many more of the easy, quick and healthy recipes that contribute to all the French Women books. Guiliano wanted it to be "polycultural," she says, “because I’ve spent my working life between Paris, Manhattan and Provence and I now have wonderful online friends all over the globe. So, while the flavors and the tips in my book remain French, as always, they should be able to fit into different lives.”
Cooking, she maintains, “is above all an act of love. However, it also vindicates our intellects and abilities. Cooking holistically is every bit as challenging as what I handled as a CEO. It’s a world that should be open to any—no, every—woman.”
Editor's note: Please join us for a live Twitter chat with Mireille Guiliano this Wednesday, May 19, from noon to 2 p.m. EST.
For more on food in Paris, read our guides Foodie Haunts and Food Sources.
You might also like:
Eat French—Stay Slim!
That’s what Mireille Guiliano counsels, and I’m beginning to believe it. Her enthusiasm for these recipes abounds, and they don’t sound at all like the traditional diet crap. Can you feel sorry for yourself when eating Duck Breast à la Gasconne, Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage, or Apricot Tart?
>> Read more
My Foodie Hero: David Lebovitz
I am a crazed foodie, I’ll admit it. I obsess over whether to buy yet another fleur du sel or that perfect pink salt from Japan. I am a follower of real foodies with more qualifications than I, and I’m a voracious researcher of what and where to eat next.
>> Read more
History in a Jam
At first glance, the rue de Chabrol (Métro Poissonnière, in the 9th Arrondissement) vindicates its absence from guidebooks; it’s just the sort of unremarkable area the Lonely Planets and Rough Guides of the world ignore. But what I’m searching for here is anything but ordinary.
>> Read more