Doing Without Delia: Tales of Triumph and Disaster in a French Kitchen

by Michael Booth

Michael Booth has had his fill of celebrity chefs and their recipes. He wants to know how to cook, not just to follow recipes. So, he burns his cookery books and, together with his young family, heads for a new life in Paris - reasoning that, if anyone can be trusted to make food complicated, it's the French. He embarks on the ultimate foodie fantasy, enrolling at the world's most famous cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu, whose wise and cranky French chefs begin to transform him into a professional, tutoring him in the fascinating, bizarre and occasionally arcane ways of classical French cooking. Meanwhile, he and his family try to adjust to the challenges of life in dealing with the park Nazis, sweet-talking the Metro police and trying not to look when the neighbours start having sex out of their window.In this riveting and hilarious book, Booth introduces us to his fellow food-obsessed students from around the world; meets Gerard Depardieu (who reveals why you should never eat vegetables from his grandmother's garden); and hears the extraordinary predictions of the future of food from Herve This, the founding father of molecular gastronomy. Booth shares with us the secrets of his training at Le Cordon Bleu and of French cooking itself, explaining how to make the perfect sauce; the secret of great stocks; how to win a fight with a lobster; and how to avoid maiming yourself while cleaning your knives. He explores how France rose to culinary pre-eminence and asks if Paris still deserves its reputation as the culinary capital of the world. Following both traumas and unexpected triumphs at school, Booth embarks on the ultimate chef's challenge, he goes to work at the Michelin-starred Paris restaurant of the most famous chef in France, Joel Robuchon.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Foodie, Travel

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Michael Booth is an English food and travel writer and journalist who writes regularly for a variety of newspapers and magazines including the Independent on Sunday, Condé Nast Traveller, Monocle and Time Out, among many other publications at home and abroad. He has a wife, Lissen, and two children, Asger and Emil.

In June 2010 Michael Booth won the Guild of Food Writers/Kate Whiteman Award for work in food and travel.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know a lot about French cooking before reading this book and now I'm feeling a bit more enlightened on the subject. I quite enjoyed reading this book as there were a few funny moments scattered throughout and the cooking part itself was also intriguing. I will say that reading this book made me hungry and it also made me want to get into my own kitchen and start cooking more interesting dishes.

[Helena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really did enjoy it and there were some funny moments, but I couldn’t get past the casual sexism/xenophobia that tainted the whole thing for me.

[Gilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just been reading a delightful book about Food and Cooking of course
 Called 'Doing without Delia'
An Englishman's  tales of Triumph and Disaster in A French Kitchen

Written with humor, but also passing on excellent tips from the Paris Cordon Bleu cookery school.

Michael Booth, lucky man, burnt all of his celebrity chef cook books and embarked on a journey to live in Paris  with his young family. Enrolled himself in the Cordon Bleu school of cookery and really learnt to cook
Taking the reader along with his classes.

Of course now I am desperate to go back to Paris to find the markets and shops he mentions
The chocolate festival sounded divine. I was almost sick on his behalf as  he waded through all those chocolate tastings.
Have to try his chocolate risotto 

I can smell the bread from Poilane's famous bakery. Still haven't been there yet.
(must put on the bucket list)
If you are obsessed by food like me or just love it...follow Michael's journey it's a good one

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read this, I now sorely want to give up my existing life, fly to Paris, rent a chic apartment near the Eiffel Tower, study at le Cordon Bleu for a year and then apprentice in a couple of Paris restaurants. Michael Booth makes it all sound so romantic and easy.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

funny yet a good way to see into the le cordon bleu

[Audrey Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. Didn't like the author so didn't get the most from this book.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book ever!