The Farm to Table French Phrasebook

by Victoria Mas

FRENCH CULINARY PHRASES, FOODIE TERMS AND CULTURAL TIPS COME TOGETHER IN THE ULTIMATE FOOD-LOVER’S GUIDE PAYS DES DÉLICES

Whether you’re spending a semester in Paris, vacationing in the Riviera, dining at a local bistro or mastering the French culinary art in your own kitchen, The Farm to Table French Phrasebook opens a bountiful world of food that you won’t find in any textbook or

• Navigate produce markets, charcuteries and patisseries
• Prepare meals the French way with delicious, authentic recipes
• Speak the lingo of Paris’s top restaurants and bistros
• Pair regional wines with delightful cheeses
• Master the proper table etiquette for dining at a friend’s house

Genres: Cookbooks, France, Food, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 18, 2014

About the author

Victoria Mas was born in 1987. The Mad Women's Ball, her first novel, has won several prizes in France (including the Prix Stanislas and Prix Renaudot des Lycéens) and been hailed as the bestselling debut of the season. She has worked in film in the United States, where she lived for eight years. She graduated from the Sorbonne University in Contemporary Literature.

Reviews

[Carma Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love French cuisine or are traveling to France and wish to taste the local flavor, this French phrasebook will help you do it with savoir-faire. “By gaining insight into what, how, and why the French eat, you will come to appreciate a French meal to its fullest,” says author Victoria Mas, “and, perhaps, you’ll become a little bit French yourself.”

Read my full review here: https://www.carmascookery.com/book-re...

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. I picked up this book because I love the illustrator’s work, but ironically the illustrations were few and far between. What I found instead was a surprisingly rich and informative read; ostensibly about food, but really about French history, culture, and the place food holds within both. I’ve lived in French‑speaking Europe for over a decade and speak the language fluently, yet I still came away with plenty of new vocabulary.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful and informative, this book made me want to return to France long enough to actually go to all the different shops that sell food and drink. One of the fonts was a bit wispy for easy reading, but overall the layout was fine.

[Mackay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
A fun, light, surprisingly useful little book.

[Donda Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suprisingly a good little book. Lots of phrases. Some French etiquette. A few recipes. I really wish there were more recipes.

[Vanessa (V.C.) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is truly delightful. It's not just a culinary phrasebook, but also gives so much rich and invaluable insight into French culture from the perspective of a French-native. It's also great for all French-learners whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced because it's simply oh so fun and pleasurable to read, the layout is easy on the eyes, and it's written in a way that feels very personable, laid-back, and exciting. This book was fabulous, insightful, and so helpful, and is by far my favorite read of 2022!

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as a goodreads first reads win. I have mixed feelings about this book. There were some lovely aspects. The size of the book, for one thing, made it easy to read. It wasn't so bulky that it became hard to hold onto. The informational sections about cheese and wine were fabulous. So much information there and so well explained that for once I actually feel like I might understand some of what makes a good cheese so good. My issues with this book began at the start, though. We do get a small pronunciation guide at the beginning, but that's the only time you'll see any tips on how things are pronounced. So trying to fumble my way through the sentences further on became rather distressing when I faced one such as "Ca a le meme gout que do vrai pate alors que ce n'est que du page de legumes." ("It tastes like real {liver} pate when it's only vegetable pate.") All those "que ce n'est que....." So many sounds in French are silent or run together, and it would have been nice to see pronunciation guides for some of the sentences. Not every one, but some of the more difficult sentences. That being said, it was great to see such a fabulous breakdown of the various ways one might finish a sentence for just about any given idea in regards to food.

For all the brilliance of the information on cheese and wine, I was very disappointed in the selection of recipes. Ms. Mas gave us two sauce recipes, two appetizer, two meat, two fish, two chicken, two vegetarian, two soup, and two dessert recipes. These fourteen recipes included instructions for Bechamel sauce, Tomatoes Provencale, French Onion Soup, Sole Meuniere, Trout Almondine, Ratatouille, and Floating Islands. I've seen variations on these recipes in darned near every French cookbook I've ever perused, so I really would have liked to see something different out of Ms. Mas.

Ultimately, while I was pleased with the coziness of the book itself, it was rather disappointing in regards to the lack of pronunciation help for some of the harder phrases included, and the extreme lack of recipes.

[Mardi Michels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this little book when I was buying "Edible French" and one of those “You might be interested in…” links popped up. Normally I am adamant about sticking to my guns and not adding $20 to an order that’s $2 short to qualify for free shipping and ignore those suggestions but I’ll admit the cover of this one was so enticing that I couldn’t resist… Each chapter gives an explanation of its topic, giving you valuable insights into the “what” and “why”, then going on to give you the “how” – the actual language you’ll need to navigate that meal, store or recipe. It’s so much more than a phrase book. At just over 200 pages it’s a goldmine of information and its compact format means you can tuck it in your purse so it’s easily accessible on the go. There are no photographs in the book, just simple, charming line drawings throughout but don’t be put off by its plain pages. The information in this book is golden. If you’re at all interested in the French language and food, you need to buy this book. Whether you’re planning a trip to France or not. The Francophile, the teacher and the food lover in me love everything about this book. There’s something for all of us! Highly recommended.

[Plaguedoctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in the goodreads giveaway.

This book was actually a pretty interesting read. I thought it would just be filled with recipes and a brief description or explanation of generic terms. However, it extensively goes over terms and definitions. I really like how it actually gives a brief history description for foods, cuisine, and much more. The best part about this books is that it actually going over names and phrases in both English and French.

Here's an example:

Describing wine
Decrire le Vin

How would you describe this wine?
Comment decririez-vous ce vin?

I just thought that was a cool feature to add to the book since I don't know anything about the french language. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes french culture or anyone who is interested in another cultures cuisine!

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book made me want to hop a quick flight to Paris in search of a nice, flaky croissant or maybe even some coq au vin. I loved how the author broke everything down to a level that most people can understand, without seeming pretentious. From including proper pronunciation to incorporating the stories behind the various foods and wines, this book has it all. I do believe a trip to France soon is in order.