Little Culinary Triumphs
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
“Sexy encounters, irreverent humor, and subtle twists keep up the pace of this quirky tale about a variety of French appetites” (Publishers Weekly).
Sandrine works as a functionary in an employment office, but there is a lot more to her than one might suspect from her job description. With a volcanic personality and an imagination to match, she is also a world-class cook waiting for the right occasion to realize her dream of opening a restaurant of her own. With a master plan that one could only describe as Machiavellian, Sandrine ropes Antoine, an unemployed professor, into her venture. A carousel of extravagant characters follows: the giant Senegalese man, Toussaint N’Diaye; the magical chef, Vairam; the extravagantly flatulent Alsatian Schmutz and his twelve-year-old daughter Juliette (IQ 172!); the alluring psychologist and Kama Sutra specialist Annabelle Villemin-Dubreuil. Plans for the restaurant proceed smoothly until Sandrine discovers a shady newspaper operation next-door that leads her to a sinister magnate’s plot . . .
Set in the storied and culturally diverse Parisian quarter of Montmartre, made famous by artists, writers, and bon vivants of every ilk, this heartwarming, comic tale is a must for foodies, Francophiles, and lovers of a good story well told.
“This farcical novel envelops readers in the sights, sounds, and smells of Montmartre and is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Mary Simses, Laura Madeleine, and Nina George. With lively characters and a dreamy setting, Little Culinary Triumphs will awaken the Francophile in all.” —Booklist
“Pujol keeps the tone light as she takes on serious themes of economics and immigration. . . . The plot adds characters like ingredients in a recipe until everything finally sets like a creamy quiche. Will everybody get what they want—or deserve? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s fun watching the schemes unfold.” —The Star Tribune
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Pujol's pleasant and fun debut features well-rounded characters and a delicious, Parisian appreciation of food. Sandrine Cordier has always loved to cook, and she possesses talent, but she felt obligated to follow her family's wishes to study law, marry, and have children. The law degree was left unfinished, and now she works at a government employment agency in Paris's Montmartre neighborhood and cooks for her husband, her two teenage children, friends, and neighbors. When the overeducated, highly opinionated, unemployed Antoine Lacuenta shows up to apply for benefits, Sandrine cooks up a plan to send him to a culinary school via a government program, and then employ him in the restaurant she has fantasized about owning since childhood. Antoine can assist with managing the new restaurant, and he also has helpful friends, including the dapper Toussaint N'Diaye, who joins the team as maitre d' when the business opens, and the gifted chef Vairam Navaratnarajah, who has always believed that "cooking was not simply a matter of human survival, but belonged to a truly spiritual realm." Sexy encounters, irreverent humor, and subtle twists keep up the pace of this quirky tale about a variety of French appetites.