The World in My Kitchen - by Colette Rossant (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"We are on our way to Le Havre. The train is going so fast that the landscape is all but a blur. From time to time, I can see a farm in the mist surrounded by a sea of green fields. I am excited but also scared. It is 1955, and we are on our way to New York."

So begins the marvelous journey of Colette Rossant, just married to an American architect and about to leave France for a new life in the heart of New York City. At first, Colette finds Americans' manners to be as mystifying as their cuisine, but before long, she discovers the myriad charms of her adopted country. Between taking on an astoundingly diverse series of jobs, raising four children, and renovating a Soho town house, Colette develops her own flair for food -- and for superb food writing. In this spirited and deliciously entertaining memoir, Colette shares the unforgettable stories of her forty tumultuous years at the heart of American and international cuisine.

The children's cooking school she starts for her daughter's friends turns into a starring role on a PBS television series. As New York magazine's "Underground Gourmet," she hails the city's staggering array of outstanding ethnic cuisine. Either with her husband and children, or on her own, she travels to Africa, China, Japan, and South America, exploring cuisine and culture around the globe. She rides camels through the Australian outback, barters lipstick for fresh vegetables in Tanzania, and is almost arrested as a spy by the Chinese secret police -- just because she is trying to eat like a local.

Charming, indomitable, endlessly curious and adventurous, Colette Rossant inspires us to savor every meal -- and every day. With a wonderful array of mouth-watering recipes, The World in My Kitchen is an irresistible celebration of family, food, and life.

Review Quotes

"[Rossant] has had a genuinely adventurous life, with a lot to tell, both about her New York neighborhood and the larger world.... Rossant's writing is vivid and opinionated, which makes her good company, and the recipes that follow each chapter are as eclectic as one would wish from a well-traveled writer." -- Publishers Weekly

"Mostly French and all courage, Colette Rossant shows us a woman continually reinventing herself as she reinvents cuisine. Rossant is both funny and seriously reflective. She truly has had the world in her kitchen, and readers will feel as if they've been fed one of her elaborate, exquisite, but seemingly effortless meals." -- Mary Jo Salter

"Rossant concludes her trilogy of memoirs with this mouthwatering reminiscence of marriage and her stellar epicurean career.... Great fun to read.... Delectable: Bon appetit!" -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)