An intimate peek inside French homes and lives, a collection of traditional French recipes (cuisine pauvre or “peasant foods”), and a compendium of culinary cultural traditions—sprinkled with historical anecdotes and spiced with humor and deliciously candid memories—this culinary food and travel memoir reveals French families at their best and at their own dinner tables.

2021 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY Awards): Gold Winner in Book Series - Non-Fiction 2020 CIBA Hearten Book Awards Finalist 2020 International Book Awards, Finalist in Cookbook: International 2020 IPPY Awards Silver Winner in Best Regional Non-Fiction—Europe 2020 International Book Awards Finalist in Cookbook: International 2019 Chanticleer I & I Book Awards for Instruction and Insight Finalist “Both a regional history and a cooking memoir, this is even more than the sum of its parts, and a celebration of living life every moment. Francophiles, history fans, and foodies will love this book.” —Booklist “. . . engaging. . . . Bumpus’s writing is perspicuous and economical. . . . The recipes, too, are enticing and detailed, and the book as a whole should appeal to Francophiles and ambitious cooks. A culinary adventure that’s enhanced by familial and regional histories.” —Kirkus Reviews “The book is peppered with descriptions of regional and family dishes . . . and is a wonderful ride through four regions of France, generating great excitement for its follow-up.” —Foreword Reviews “Mouth-wateringly delicious, evocative, and utterly charming.” —French Book Worm, on Good Life France.com “These are stories of history and change, of cherishing traditions partly because of the sense that they may not continue forever, making them even more precious and Bumpus’s recording of them even more vital. . . .” —Jeannette Ferrary, author of MFK Fisher and Me: A Memoir of Food and Friendship “Carole’s enthusiasm for the region’s people, history and culinary traditions leaps from the pages in this down-to-earth exploration of north-eastern France. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a glass of wine and dig in!” —Fiona Valpy, author of The French for Love “This is a gem of a book for foodies, francophiles and lovers of storytelling. Carole Bumpus is an insightful and gracious guest.” —Patricia Sands, author of the bestselling Love in Provence series “In a carefully constructed itinerary, and with notebook in hand, Carole visits with local families who recount how traditional French dishes have been woven into their everyday lives and upbringings. . . . This book is chock-full of details and foodie inspiration and gives the reader intimate insight into French home-cooking traditions.” —Belle Provence Travels “This book is a gem . . . . If food, France, history, and culture interest you, then don’t miss this book that perfectly combines all of these and more.” —The French Village Diaries “Warning: Do not read this book if you are hungry or within reach of a credit card. You will end up cooking (and eating) all of the included recipes, or buying a ticket for the next flight to France, or both—all while devouring this book. Because, much like the dishes and stories she describes, Carole Bumpus’s writing is simply delectable.” —Pink Pangea

A retired family therapist, Carole Bumpus began writing about food and travel when she stumbled upon the amazing stories of women and war in France. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area but has traveled extensively through France and Italy, where she has interviewed more than seventy-five families to date for her food and travel blogs. Her historical novel A Cup of Redemption was published October 2014, and her unique companion cookbook, Recipes for Redemption: A Companion Cookbook to A Cup of Redemption, was released August 2015. She has also had three short stories published in the Fault Zone anthologies: Words from the Edge, Stepping up to the Edge, and Over the Edge. Visit her website at: CaroleBumpus.com.