Book review: On Rue Tatin by Susan Loomis

I bought this book during one of Whitcoulls' fabulous 50% off sales. I'm glad I didn't pay any more money for it, as I would classify it as more of a library read. Oh, I suppose I shouldn't be too harsh - I might read it again. It's a good book for the holidays: a slow, gentle read.

You know the formula: an anglophile falls in love with a Mediterranean country and sets up a home there. They experiment with the local cuisine and are baffled and amused by the locals (and vice versa). The subtitle of this book "Living and cooking in a small French town" pretty much covers it. The author studied at a French cooking school when she was younger. Several years later, she and her husband decide to settle in France. She is heartily enthusiastic about everything she experiences. The book includes recipes which Susan has put together with French inspiration, including "Dordogne potato cake", "Goat cheese with raspberry vinegar and lavender honey", "Normandy mussels" and "Rustic apricot sorbet". I confess I haven't tried making any of these, but other readers attest to great satisfaction with them.

A great deal of the story is about the renovation of the Loomis' home. A vivid imagination is required to put all the bits and pieces together in the mind. The various descriptions of daily life and visitors are pleasant. I would recommend this book as a good light read; another addition to a crowded genre that doesn't really stand out from the pack.

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