Remembrance of Things Paris

March 1, 2004
Gourmet magazine has been delivering tasty reports on France's restaurants and cuisine to Americans ever since the end of World War II. This anthology collects the magazine's best essays, which document Paris's transformation over the years, and includes descriptions of such momentous events as the demise of the market at Les Halles and the development of nouvelle cuisine. The selection is heavy on Joseph Wechsberg, a frequent contributor during the '70s, and on Naomi Barry, the magazine's first resident correspondent, but it also includes the work of Michael Lewis and Diane Johnson. The book covers everything from chocolate shops to legendary restaurants to instructions on how to make a perfect cassoulet. And it's not just food writing--there are also pieces on haute couture, flower markets and Paris icon Alice B. Toklas, making this is a charming, nostalgic collection for francophiles of all stripes.