• Coquilles, Calva and Crème

  • Exploring France's Culinary Heritage: A Love Affair wtih Real French Food
  • By: G.Y. Dryansky
  • Narrated by: Jean Brassard
  • Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (6 ratings)

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Coquilles, Calva and Crème  By  cover art

Coquilles, Calva and Crème

By: G.Y. Dryansky
Narrated by: Jean Brassard
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Editorial reviews

In France, eating is a cultural event, and G.Y. Dryansky's intelligent gastronomical travel story Coquilles, Calva, and Crème explores the minutia of French cooking with gusto. Quebec-born stage and screen actor Jean Brassard warmly narrates Dryansky's culinary memoir, giving a native French speaker's smooth pronunciation to the various places and cuisines. Covering ground from Paris and Alsace to Normandy and the Basque country, this award-winning audiobook introduces listeners to the traditions of French cuisine, as well as the challenges that come with modernity.

Publisher's summary

Winner of the 2012 Gourmand World Cookbook Award

A celebration and critique of the changes in the French culinary landscape and a gastronomical excursion across the French countryside in search of the unsung cooks who are still doing it right. A culinary memoir that brings to life some of the most fascinating, glamorous food years in France and reveals gastronomical treasures from gifted artisans of the French countryside. From small cafes in Paris to Normandy, Alsace, the Basque country, and beyond, Dryansky takes us on a sweeping sensory journey, with a voice as thoughtful as Kingsolver, as entertaining as Bourdain, and as cogent and critical as Pollan.

©2012 Andara Films (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Coquilles, Calva and Crème

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The author does know a lot about French food

The previous reviewer complained about name dropping and a generally pretentious tone. While this is a fair critique, the author is less pretentious and boring than the average progressive Democrat, and he actually seems to have a fair amount of expertise on his topic. This title is currently offered for free, so for foodie Francophiles, it’s a recommend.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Uggh. So Shallow and Full of Name Dropping

If only he had stuck to the food.

Overall, VERY boring, and absolutely FULL of name dropping (to the point you wonder if these stories being relayed really even happened, or if the author's inventing his memories). He also keeps referring to a female companion or wife and kids but tells us nothing about her/them (at least not up to the point I simply had to quit reading).

Because I thought there might be interesting pictures, I also bought a hardback copy of the book, but the pictures in the book are as boring as the text in the book, almost an after thought, and often just generic proprietors awkwardly standing in front of food.

It's hard to make this subject matter boring, but the author excels at it. This is lifeless on the page (or in the earbuds).

Knowing what I know now, I'd absolutely pass on this title; and I couldn't recommend it to anyone.

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8 people found this helpful