“The Food and Wine of France reminds us that there are still places in the world where good food comes from history and nature unimproved…Don’t expect breezy travelogue. Instead enjoy [Behr’s] passionate search for immediacy and authenticity…Mr. Behr, thank goodness, does not care much for contemporary food writing. Like Elizabeth David or Richard Olney before him, he is more Hemingway than huckster…He throws himself into a wine or cheese tasting with earnest hopes of, in the case of Gruyère, experiencing the 83 precise aromas, grouped in six families, most frequently found by professional tasters. Underneath the facts, The Food and Wine of France provides the quiet confidence of a life uninterrupted, of traditions maintained, of putting one foot in front of another.”—Christopher Kimball, Wall Street Journal
“[An] indulgent and fascinating gastronomic tour…Where [Behr] succeeds is as much in evoking its essence and evolution as in giving us the technical end of Gallic gustatory wizardry…It is a book stuffed with surprises.”—Charleston Post & Courier
“[An] extended love letter to French food and wine…Behr makes a strong case for the ongoing international relevance of French cuisine…A solid education in France’s diverse terroir and culinary methodology.”—Publishers Weekly
“The rich and delectably edible history of France is recounted in this latest savory morsel from Behr…[He] deftly describes the more obscure ‘French tastes,’ such as vin jaune, kugelhopf, andouillette, and Comté, with so much history and grace that one can easily envision and appreciate each flavor, aroma, and experience.” —Booklist
“Behr serves as an admirable traveling companion through the world of French cuisine, offering high sailing on gustatory seas as well as grounding in history and broader cultural concerns…He is most successful in his evocation of the spirit of French cuisine, its origins, and numerous ironies…[going] behind the scenes to reveal the hows and whys of French food in all its manifestations, each allied to a desire for balance, harmony, and sensual pleasure… He also affords readers an informed survey of the finest writers on French food…Behr explores it with appetizing ardor.”—Kirkus Reviews
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