Literary Bites

"The French Ingredient" by Jane Bertch

Join us, either on Zoom or in person at No Thyme to Cook, to discuss and digest a culinary novel. This month we're reading "The French Ingredient" by Jane Bertch. Register to sign up for a free ticket to attend virtually. In-person attendance at No Thyme to Cook in Solomons requires a paid ticket registration and includes dinner.

***Registration for the virtual program is a multi-step process. Choose register on this listing and then choose buy ticket. Choose virtual login, select number of participants and then Checkout. Complete the questionnaire and then complete the purchase. You will receive an email confirming your purchase/registration, as well as an additional email with login-in information***

When Jane Bertch took a graduation trip to Paris she was thrilled to use her high school French. Upon finding her halting attempts greeted with withering condescension by every waiter and shopkeeper she encountered, she vowed never to return.

Yet a decade later she found herself back in Paris, due to a job transfer. She became fluent in the language and developed a dream: to start a cooking school for foreigners like her, who wanted to take a few classes in French cuisine in a friendly setting, then bring their new skills to their kitchens back home. Predictably, Jane faced the skeptical French, as well as real-estate nightmares, and a long struggle to find clients. Thanks to Jane’s perseverance, La Cuisine Paris opened in 2009. Now the school is thriving, welcoming international visitors to come in and knead dough, whisk bechamel, whip meringue, and learn the care, precision, patience, and beauty involved in French cooking.

The French Ingredient is the story of a young female entrepreneur building a life in a city and culture she grew to love. As she established her school, Jane learned how to charm, how to project confidence, and how to give it right back to rude waiters. Having finally made peace with the city she swore to never revisit, she now offers a love letter to France, and a master class in Parisian cooking—and living.

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