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Armchair Travel August 2020
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Dirt: Adventures in Lyon, as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the... by Bill Buford What it's about: New Yorker writer Bill Buford worked in the kitchen at DC's famed Citronelle restaurant to learn about French cooking before moving to Lyon in 2008 with his wife and three-year-old twins, where they lived for almost five years.
Who it's for: those who appreciate haute cuisine, stories of families abroad, or vibrant travelogues with amiable guides.
About the author: Buford also wrote about living and cooking in Italy in 2006's Heat. | | Braver Than You Think: Around the World on the Trip of My (Mother's) Lifetime by Maggie Downs What happened: With her mother suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disease, newly married newspaper journalist Maggie Downs quit her job to travel -- her mother had always put trips off. Traveling cheaply and mostly alone, Downs visited 17 countries in a year.
Activities included: rafting down the Nile, volunteering at a primate sanctuary in Bolivia, hiking Machu Picchu.
Want a taste? "The decision to live while my mother dies has brought me to the dirty floor of an airport, muddy hiking boots and suitcase wheels near my face." | | All the Way to the Tigers: A Memoir by Mary Morris What's inside: compelling, short chapters that move back and forth between time and place describing the acclaimed author's 1950s Chicago-area childhood, her catastrophic 2008 ankle injury, and a 2011 solo tiger-spotting trip to India during the middle of a cold snap.
Read it for: candid writing, interesting factoids, an evocative look at India, and a thoughtful examination of life and travel.
Did you know? Unseen tigers are always referred to as "she." | | Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard What happened: Elizabeth, an American working in London, instantly connected with Gwendal, a Frenchman in England for a conference. Before long, they were having lunch together in Paris, falling in love, and getting married.
Why you might like it: Using food as a frame, Elizabeth charmingly documents their courtship, describing mouth-watering dishes (such as molten chocolate cake and summer ratatouille) as well as food shopping in a foreign language and choosing a wedding cake.
Want more? Pick up Picnic in Provence, which continues the story. | | Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels through Spain's Food Culture by Matt Goulding What it is: an evocative celebration of the culture and cuisine of every region of Spain by an American foodie who lives there.
What inside: personal stories, including the author meeting and dating his Spanish wife; short bios of fascinating Spanish people; tips on what to eat and drink (hint: forget Sangria); mouth-watering descriptions of tapas, acorn-fed pig, paella, and more.
Still hungry? Goulding, a co-founder of Roads & Kingdoms, gives a similar though less intimate treatment to Japan in Rice, Noodle, Fish. | | From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke What it is: A poignant, heartfelt memoir by actress Tembi Locke, who fell in love with Saro, an Italian professional chef. Saro's Sicilian family wasn't sure about him marrying a Black American, but as he battled and then succumbed to cancer, Tembi grew closer to them and spent summers in Sicily with the couple's adopted daughter.
Media buzz: a Netflix series produced by Reese Witherspoon and Zoe Saldana, who'll also star, is planned. Also working on the production are Tembi and her sister, bestselling writer Attica Locke. | | The Comfort Food Diaries: My Quest for the Perfect Dish to Mend a Broken Heart by Emily Nunn What it's about: Grappling with the aftermath of her brother's suicide and the end of her engagement, grief-stricken food writer Emily Nunn embarked on a cross-country road trip visiting friends and family and indulging in favorite comfort foods.
Why you might like it: It's a compelling, unflinching story beautifully told with insight and humor.
Recipes include: Country Ham Biscuits; Lemon Sponge Cups; Cream Cheese and Olive Sandwiches; Collard Soup. | |
Contact your librarian for more great books!
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