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Review: Bon Appétit! by Peter Mayle



Full title:  Bon Appétit! Travels through France with knife, fork and corkscrew
Genres: Food writing; travel writing
Subjects: Food and eating, wine and drinking, festivals, France, the French, the Michelin guide 
Reading challenge: The 2016 Nonfiction Reading Challenge, hosted by The Introverted Reader 
Challenge tally: 2 books.

I have previously reviewed two of Peter Mayle books, the ones with „Provence“ in the title, and I thoroughly enjoyed both. In this book, Mayle has abandoned the joys and frustrations of expatriate home-ownership in France and turned his attention to food, a subject that just happens to be quite as close to my heart as travelling. 

He writes with skill and humour about food and drink (mostly wine) and about the relationship of the French with it. He pokes affectionate fun at the French tendency to turn into gastronomic know-it-alls in the presence of foreigners and self-confessed novices, and visits food and wine festivals to sample the goods.  He goes to a gourmet spa and discusses the history of the famous Michelin guide. 

This is a light and enjoyable read that goes down easy, by a writer who does not pretend to be an expert on the subject and allows the reader to join him on his journey of discovery and gastronomy.

If you enjoy the subjects of France, food and/or travel, you could spend an hour or two in worse ways than reading this book.
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