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Cassoulet Confessions: Food, France, Family and the Stew That Saved My Soul
Cassoulet Confessions is an enthralling memoir by award-winning food and travel writer Sylvie Bigar that reveals how a simple journalistic assignment sparked a culinary obsession and transcended into a quest for identity. Set in the stunning southern French countryside, this honest and poignant memoir conveys hunger for authentic food and a universal hunger for home.
In Cassoulet Confessions, Sylvie travels across the Atlantic from her home in New York to the origin of cassoulet—the Occitanie region of Southern France. There she immerses herself in all things the quintessential historic meat and bean stew. From her first spoonful, she is transported back to her dramatic childhood in Geneva, Switzerland, and finds herself journeying through an unexpected rabbit hole of memories.
Not only does she discover the deeper meanings of her ancestral French cuisine, but she is ultimately transformed by having to face her unsettling, complex family history.
Sylvie's simple but poetic prose immerses us in her we smell the simmering aromas of French kitchens, empathize with her family dilemmas, and experience her internal struggle to understand and ultimately accept herself.
In Cassoulet Confessions, Sylvie travels across the Atlantic from her home in New York to the origin of cassoulet—the Occitanie region of Southern France. There she immerses herself in all things the quintessential historic meat and bean stew. From her first spoonful, she is transported back to her dramatic childhood in Geneva, Switzerland, and finds herself journeying through an unexpected rabbit hole of memories.
Not only does she discover the deeper meanings of her ancestral French cuisine, but she is ultimately transformed by having to face her unsettling, complex family history.
Sylvie's simple but poetic prose immerses us in her we smell the simmering aromas of French kitchens, empathize with her family dilemmas, and experience her internal struggle to understand and ultimately accept herself.
160 pages, Hardcover
Published September 13, 2022
30 people are currently reading
320 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
February 14, 2023
The illustrated cover and the dream of living in a French villa by the sea were the best parts of this book. Some of the time-traveling and name-dropping left me baffled. It’s as if I just tried to bake a mile high sponge cake but the directions were confusing and I ended up with a partridge pancake. I think this book didn’t really know what it wanted to be.
November 15, 2022
A mixed stew of feelings for this book
I can’t say flat out that I didn’t like this book or author, but it wasn’t enjoyable. I think the arrangement of the book is poor. The back-and-forth between different years is not smooth and doesn’t always make sense. Perhaps the book should have started with that final vacation before the break up of her marriage instead of ending with it. Then the book and it’s subtitle would have made much more sense. I felt that her accounts of time spent with Chef García and the making of his cassoulet were too broken up by other narrative to invoke any real feel for what is going on. As a travel writer, one would think that Bigar would give more attention to the descriptions and details of her field trips with Garcia and her stays in Carcasonne — but no.
The best part of the book was her account of her maternal grandparents and her mother’s lives leading up to and just after WWII. Unfortunately, the position of wealth and privilege from which she writes is up in the clouds and unreachable for 90% of us.
Finally, despite the cover being reminiscent of the Maille’s humorous Provence romp, there is no comedic or self-deprecating humor in these pages. Rather, this is a reminder not to judge a book by its cover art.
I can’t say flat out that I didn’t like this book or author, but it wasn’t enjoyable. I think the arrangement of the book is poor. The back-and-forth between different years is not smooth and doesn’t always make sense. Perhaps the book should have started with that final vacation before the break up of her marriage instead of ending with it. Then the book and it’s subtitle would have made much more sense. I felt that her accounts of time spent with Chef García and the making of his cassoulet were too broken up by other narrative to invoke any real feel for what is going on. As a travel writer, one would think that Bigar would give more attention to the descriptions and details of her field trips with Garcia and her stays in Carcasonne — but no.
The best part of the book was her account of her maternal grandparents and her mother’s lives leading up to and just after WWII. Unfortunately, the position of wealth and privilege from which she writes is up in the clouds and unreachable for 90% of us.
Finally, despite the cover being reminiscent of the Maille’s humorous Provence romp, there is no comedic or self-deprecating humor in these pages. Rather, this is a reminder not to judge a book by its cover art.
February 28, 2023
Okay, so, this was not at all what I was expecting. Yes, this is about French food culture and Cassoulet but that is just a vehicle for Sylvie Bigar to delve into her family, their relationships and history. I would say 60% is about her exploring her history and relationships and 30% is about food.
I feel like this is a bit of a bait & switch book with the way it is presented and marketed I was expecting a "Picnic in Provence", Year in Provence", "Driving Over Lemons", "One More Croissant for the Road", or "Relish" style of work, you know, actually focused on food for 80-90% of the (quite short) book. Sylvie's dive into her family is all very well but, quite frankly, I just don't care.
I don't even know her and suddenly I am getting the story of grandma and granddad getting up-rooted from their comfortable lives in France due to being Jewish. They make their way back to Switzerland and ride out the war in relative peace. Then it is the story of her dad being a closeted homosexual (reminded me of FunHome by Alison Bechdel), and her sister's mental instability, and lastly the death of her father to cancer (while Sylvie was pregnant with her second child and living in New York). These, while no doubt personally very upsetting and tragic, seem to be set against a life of extraordinary privilege (house on Lake Geneva, groundsman, butler and cook), freedom to travel, live and work in other countries.
It is a story that I can help feeling got published because Sylvie is clearly known in the publishing world, having worked as a food & travel writer as well as helping write several cookbooks for famous chefs.
I am glad Sylvie found some peace and worked out where she comes from but again, why should I care? Or anyone outside of her personal sphere? I fell a bit of a bitch writing this but I left this story with no insights, no wider intellectual ideas, not even any real insight into who Sylvie is as a person. It was not even clear until right at the very end that she was seeking something more than cassoulet. Was she unaware of that herself or did she just fail to communicate it?
I feel like this is a bit of a bait & switch book with the way it is presented and marketed I was expecting a "Picnic in Provence", Year in Provence", "Driving Over Lemons", "One More Croissant for the Road", or "Relish" style of work, you know, actually focused on food for 80-90% of the (quite short) book. Sylvie's dive into her family is all very well but, quite frankly, I just don't care.
I don't even know her and suddenly I am getting the story of grandma and granddad getting up-rooted from their comfortable lives in France due to being Jewish. They make their way back to Switzerland and ride out the war in relative peace. Then it is the story of her dad being a closeted homosexual (reminded me of FunHome by Alison Bechdel), and her sister's mental instability, and lastly the death of her father to cancer (while Sylvie was pregnant with her second child and living in New York). These, while no doubt personally very upsetting and tragic, seem to be set against a life of extraordinary privilege (house on Lake Geneva, groundsman, butler and cook), freedom to travel, live and work in other countries.
It is a story that I can help feeling got published because Sylvie is clearly known in the publishing world, having worked as a food & travel writer as well as helping write several cookbooks for famous chefs.
I am glad Sylvie found some peace and worked out where she comes from but again, why should I care? Or anyone outside of her personal sphere? I fell a bit of a bitch writing this but I left this story with no insights, no wider intellectual ideas, not even any real insight into who Sylvie is as a person. It was not even clear until right at the very end that she was seeking something more than cassoulet. Was she unaware of that herself or did she just fail to communicate it?
June 27, 2022
Like its eponymous dish, CASSOULET CONFESSIONS is a delicious slow-simmered concoction. Sylvie Bigar blends personal memoir with culinary research, history, and lore and the result is a heartfelt ode to terroir, family, and all the places we call home.
October 29, 2022
A tale that's about much more than the wonders of a delicious French dish or the master chefs who make it. The reader also takes a ride with writer Sylvie Bigar through the rigors of her past and present family life. The road is not always smooth, but we find comfort along with her in the flavors and textures of the savory cassoulet, as well as several impressive recipes (although I will only be attempting the Gateway Cassoulet that has a prep time of 40 minutes - the Cassoulet de Toulouse has a prep time of 9 1/2 hours over 2 days!). A charming look at the stew of life.
March 23, 2023
Cute storyline, however, the recipes in the back of the book which are 2 to 3 days of work are too much for me to attempt!
July 4, 2023
This book made me fall in love with French food and gastronomy all over again. The author is very vulnerable about her own past and experiences around this dish. It has inspired me to give cassoulet a try and I’m looking forward to trying all the different versions listed in the back of the book!
March 22, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. I am not a huge nonfiction reader but when it is written as fiction and about food, how could I resist? Loved it!
February 8, 2023
It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a book this little. The jumps in time make no sense and happen so frequently that it’s hard for the reader to care let alone fully understand what’s going on. I found the prose wrought and the author is coming from such a place of wealth and privilege that she’s completely unrelatable . I even found myself rooting against her. If you’ve found this book because you like cassoulet and wanted to know more about it, look elsewhere. There are better recipes online.
May 29, 2022
Lovely memoir with both it's family and culinary dilemmas. I definitely enjoyed this mouth watering family saga.
December 7, 2023
She doesn't really get into Cassoulet as other culinary books do with their topics.
February 24, 2023
Strongly recommend reading the 3*, 2* and 1* reviews here. Not the 'light and breezy' travel/food memoir I was hoping for with this read.
July 31, 2022
Cassoulet Confessions by Sylvie Bigar is an enchanting memoir which contains all of the ingredients necessary for a compelling and enticing adventure. Mouth-watering descriptions of food are provided throughout, along with romantic settings and a varied cast of characters that include a loving but closeted-gay father, a sister who attempts to murder Sylvie, an elegant Parisian mother, and a doting staff, most notable of whom is a gardener who works in the nude. The book also describes luxurious family estates in Switzerland and France and passionate, eccentric Michelin-starred, celebrity chefs working in the finest restaurants in Europe.
Bigar is a food writer who specializes in researching the connections between locale and specialized traditional recipes. Deftly sketching her privileged childhood and early fascination with food, Bigar comments early on that, “the world of food was completely woven into the fabric of society,” in her context, and this understanding of the connections between culture and food set the course of Bigar’s career.
While married with two children and living in New York, Bigar accepts a freelance writing assignment about the history of cassoulet, a French delicacy containing beans and meats and prepared over three days in a specialty clay casserole. Cassoulet has a storied history and continues to be a popular dish in Toulouse and Carcassonne. Not only does this spectacular recipe have a fascinating provenance but also carries the distinction of having its own society. Chefs must be inducted into this society if they wish to lay claim to preparing an authentic cassoulet. When Bigar first experiences a cassoulet in Carcassonne, it is paraded into the restaurant:
"And this parade had a float. A centerpiece shaped like a stretcher and framed by two elongated poles made of raw wood held a platform fashioned from planks. From the side hung a red satin banner with gold fringes, emblazoned with the words Académie Universelle du Cassoulet. Resting on the platform, presented with a pride ordinarily reserved for an infant prince, was a pair of gargantuan cassoles too big for me to wrap with my biggest bear hug. Each end of the stretcher was gripped by a man in a robe…"
As part of this pageantry, we also learn that the staff were singing a hymn to the cassoulet in the medieval romance language, Occitan.
As Bigar continues her exploration of the dish, she sketches in a rarified world that many of us may never access. We enter chateaus and small castles and meet a world-famous chef about whom Bigar says, “(h)is hands showed burns, cuts, and a lifetime spent cooking for others.” We also visit restaurants where there is a “ballet of elegant waiters carrying twinkling silver trays and steamy copper pans.” We learn about duck confit, jambon de Paris, Breton blue lobster, truffles, fois gras, pigeon, and many other gastronomic asides that will appeal to the secret gourmande in all of us.
This memoir is not, however, entirely focussed on the elite world of food or eponymous restaurant experiences. Rather, its brilliance lies in the delicate ways that Bigar flavours the text with her own experiences and seasons it with reflections about the role that food and travel have had upon her life. Through the subtly recounted details, we gradually come to understand that Bigar is coming to terms with grief over the death of her father and the end of her marriage. As she seeks to explore the history of cassoulet, she provides a window for the reader into her reconciliation with her own history and, ultimately, her eventual ability to embrace and celebrate her rich heritage.
This is a delightful, beautifully written, engaging and often amusing book. For the ambitious cook, Bigar has included several recipes for cassoulet and cholent (a similar dish to cassoulet – and an emblematic dish in the Ashkenazi Jewish repertoire). For readers who savour the experience of breaking bread with their loved ones, appreciate the experience of fine dining, enjoy time in the kitchen, or are passionate about travelling and trying new foods – this is a book for you. You will relish the taste! Highly recommended.
Bigar is a food writer who specializes in researching the connections between locale and specialized traditional recipes. Deftly sketching her privileged childhood and early fascination with food, Bigar comments early on that, “the world of food was completely woven into the fabric of society,” in her context, and this understanding of the connections between culture and food set the course of Bigar’s career.
While married with two children and living in New York, Bigar accepts a freelance writing assignment about the history of cassoulet, a French delicacy containing beans and meats and prepared over three days in a specialty clay casserole. Cassoulet has a storied history and continues to be a popular dish in Toulouse and Carcassonne. Not only does this spectacular recipe have a fascinating provenance but also carries the distinction of having its own society. Chefs must be inducted into this society if they wish to lay claim to preparing an authentic cassoulet. When Bigar first experiences a cassoulet in Carcassonne, it is paraded into the restaurant:
"And this parade had a float. A centerpiece shaped like a stretcher and framed by two elongated poles made of raw wood held a platform fashioned from planks. From the side hung a red satin banner with gold fringes, emblazoned with the words Académie Universelle du Cassoulet. Resting on the platform, presented with a pride ordinarily reserved for an infant prince, was a pair of gargantuan cassoles too big for me to wrap with my biggest bear hug. Each end of the stretcher was gripped by a man in a robe…"
As part of this pageantry, we also learn that the staff were singing a hymn to the cassoulet in the medieval romance language, Occitan.
As Bigar continues her exploration of the dish, she sketches in a rarified world that many of us may never access. We enter chateaus and small castles and meet a world-famous chef about whom Bigar says, “(h)is hands showed burns, cuts, and a lifetime spent cooking for others.” We also visit restaurants where there is a “ballet of elegant waiters carrying twinkling silver trays and steamy copper pans.” We learn about duck confit, jambon de Paris, Breton blue lobster, truffles, fois gras, pigeon, and many other gastronomic asides that will appeal to the secret gourmande in all of us.
This memoir is not, however, entirely focussed on the elite world of food or eponymous restaurant experiences. Rather, its brilliance lies in the delicate ways that Bigar flavours the text with her own experiences and seasons it with reflections about the role that food and travel have had upon her life. Through the subtly recounted details, we gradually come to understand that Bigar is coming to terms with grief over the death of her father and the end of her marriage. As she seeks to explore the history of cassoulet, she provides a window for the reader into her reconciliation with her own history and, ultimately, her eventual ability to embrace and celebrate her rich heritage.
This is a delightful, beautifully written, engaging and often amusing book. For the ambitious cook, Bigar has included several recipes for cassoulet and cholent (a similar dish to cassoulet – and an emblematic dish in the Ashkenazi Jewish repertoire). For readers who savour the experience of breaking bread with their loved ones, appreciate the experience of fine dining, enjoy time in the kitchen, or are passionate about travelling and trying new foods – this is a book for you. You will relish the taste! Highly recommended.
August 8, 2025
I love a memoir and the premise of a food & travel journalist exploring the origins of a regional dish while also learning about herself, sounded like perfection.
The structure of this memoir, like many others, juxtaposed modern day with past experiences. When an author can weave multiple timelines together into a satisfying culmination with a cohesive message, it’s magic. And while the author was successful with the structure, the content left me wanting. This book clocked in at a lean 153 pages and it really could have been 100 more.
Where this memoir fell short was balancing the timelines. We got quite a bit of her family history and back story, which was captivating and important, there was not nearly enough about the cassoulet. There was potential for this to be a five start book, but the fact that the title was Cassoulet Confessions, and we got very little about the cassoulet in relation to the author’s personal story, was disappointing. It felt like there were plenty of opportunities to expand upon the author’s travel to southern France, her attempt at making cassoulet, and her efforts in writing about cassoulet.
All in all, I enjoyed my time reading this memoir, but I wanted more.
The structure of this memoir, like many others, juxtaposed modern day with past experiences. When an author can weave multiple timelines together into a satisfying culmination with a cohesive message, it’s magic. And while the author was successful with the structure, the content left me wanting. This book clocked in at a lean 153 pages and it really could have been 100 more.
Where this memoir fell short was balancing the timelines. We got quite a bit of her family history and back story, which was captivating and important, there was not nearly enough about the cassoulet. There was potential for this to be a five start book, but the fact that the title was Cassoulet Confessions, and we got very little about the cassoulet in relation to the author’s personal story, was disappointing. It felt like there were plenty of opportunities to expand upon the author’s travel to southern France, her attempt at making cassoulet, and her efforts in writing about cassoulet.
All in all, I enjoyed my time reading this memoir, but I wanted more.
December 1, 2022
Sylvie is a Swiss-French travel and food writer who lives in New York City. While talking with her editor one day she had an idea to explore the origins of a local specialty cassoulet found in the French region of France called Occitanie. It is made with beans and ancestral meat. Her editor agrees and off Sylvie goes to France to learn how to make this magical dish. Once she tastes the dish, it puts her in mind of her childhood in Geneva. This trip turns out to be a wonderful experience, being taught the true art of making a cassoulet by an expert but also causes her to face her childhood with her dysfunctional family members. It is account of a woman 's travels to discover her true identity.
January 15, 2025
A lovely & appealing cover & story, with more focus on the south of France and Bigar's wealthy & often troubled family of origin history through Europe before & after WW2, as well as Bigar's own family & work life in New York as a travel & cooking/gastronomy writer, vs the cassoulet journey & challenges. It's a personal examination & reflection tied around one person's life and changes. It was interesting and an interesting read, although not a journey with which I could particularly relate. In the end, seemed more like a frothy, vanity project appealing to a particular sector of wealthy global gourmands(and possibly wannabes & cooks).
April 19, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this book. It motivated me to try one of her cassoulet recipes. today I started with “Sylvie’s Cassoulet” recipe. I am almost done with DAY 1 but there seems to be a lot of stock left over in the cassole. I don’t think it should be this liquidy. But as soon as it is done in the oven, I’m going to cool it on the counter before it gets refrigerated overnight. Hopefully the beans will soak up more of the liquid. Fingers crossed. tomorrow is Easter and I hope I can serve my family this delicious dish.
August 22, 2023
I'll admit up front I absolutely LOVE food / cooking memoirs, particularly when set in France.
Ms. Bigar is a superb writer, absolutely capturing the many strange practices and rituals it takes to make a perfect Cassoulet. Her character development (although limited : just 136 pages to create the entire story) is lovely, and completely renders the opinionated, experienced French chef "Garcia."
I could just taste & see it all.
My only complaint : it was TOO SHORT!
Ms. Bigar is a superb writer, absolutely capturing the many strange practices and rituals it takes to make a perfect Cassoulet. Her character development (although limited : just 136 pages to create the entire story) is lovely, and completely renders the opinionated, experienced French chef "Garcia."
I could just taste & see it all.
My only complaint : it was TOO SHORT!
November 29, 2022
An odd mix of French cuisine and family history. I should have seen it coming from the title. Too many times with the personal history I was asking myself why this would be interesting to others? The research on the French dish and the occasionally interesting family history saved it from disaster, but it really could have been a better magazine article at less than half the writing.
April 5, 2023
What a beautiful, passion filled memoir that had me laughing, tearing up or cheering on the author. Her story is poignant and travels between childhood and adulthood while trying to discover the reason for her obsession with cassoulet. Filled with history and vibrant storytelling, the ending surprised me but made so much sense. I loved this book!
November 27, 2024
Charming story about a woman's obsession with cassoulet and her attempt to learn the history and recipe of this French classic; easily read in one sitting, this book includes her family history (wealthy Jewish family impacted by WWII) along with some (time-consuming) recipes. Francophiles will enjoy this as she includes details about her trips to Carcassonne, Lyon, etc.
November 20, 2022
Sylvie Bigar takes on a journey through her family's joys and trials, as well as a gastronomic adventure with cassoulet. This beautifully written adventure makes you feel as if you were there in the kitchens, at the beaches, and in the gardens.
July 24, 2025
Author Sylvie Bigar explores the origins of a regional dish in the Occitan (southwest) region of France, as she also explores her own roots. She has led a fascinating life. There's a passion for cooking here, very necessary to low-level foodies like me.
May 4, 2022
Not quite as enthralling as I was promised on the cover, but an interesting read all the same.
June 13, 2022
More like a 3.5, at first I was confused by jumping between family history and the cassoulet story, by the end it was satisfyingly brought together
November 13, 2022
This is a lovely book, both an homage to the author's family and her traditions, and a fascinating voyage of self-discovery.
November 26, 2022
Loved this book…Little visits to charming destinations.
December 19, 2022
A quick easy read about an interesting and tasty dish!!
February 19, 2023
Reminiscent of Peter Mayle. The brief chapters and descriptions left me wanting more…
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews