Breakfast in Burgundy

A Hungry Irishman in the Belly of France

By: Raymond Blake

Narrated by: John Keating

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Laced with compelling writing about French food and its ways, Breakfast in Burgundy is part travel memoir, part foodie detective story, and part love song to Raymond's adopted home. This audiobook tells the story of the Blake's decision to buy a house in Burgundy. Raymond describes the moments of despair such as the water leak that cost a fortune and the fantastic times too. Blake has admitted to being fascinated by flavor and how it is created." Breakfast in Burgundy contains tales from the kitchen, and the answer to the question that begins each day ("What's for dinner?") is given ample coverage. The hunt for the best jambon persill is portrayed in detail. The same diligence is applied to the search for the best Comt cheese; for there's Comt and there's Comtonce nibbled, never forgotten. Yet to be perfected by Blake is Chicken Gaston Grard, said to have been first cooked in Dijon in 1930 for the celebrated gourmet Curnonsky by the mayor's wife. A neighboring winemaker's wife prepared it for Blake, as he watched over her shoulder. Breakfast in Burgundy documents these results and more. Included are tips on how best to prepare, cook, and serve the various goodies, as well as the story behind the wines (some of the most sought after in the world) that complement the foods, telling of people and places, who made the wine and where it is from - without recourse to tedious technical detail or dry-as-tinder tasting notes.

©2014 Raymond Blake (P)2014 Audible Inc.

the narrator's French is painfully terrible

Why get a narrator who can't speak a word of French? His mispronunciations are painful.
Does Mr Blake speak French this badly? No wonder he had so much trouble being understood.

Good read

Ingenious writer, I learned about the culture of France, listened to French words, a lot of vocabulary. I recommend it.

Literally Laugh out loud!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Not being a wine connoisseur myself. I vowed to learn more more and rehabs take a class! Wonderful sense of humor and top notch narration!

Lovely content marred by performer

The story is as I expected: the “Year in Provence” food-wine-locality narrative. It’s a testimony to the strength of the writing that I stuck through despite the narrator, who performs with an annoying tempo as if a scratchy voiced grandpa reading to children.

Performance is distracting

The content is somewhat enjoyable, but the performance makes this nearly unlistenable. Sing-song-y delivery, rather than conversational; odd inflection and overall sleep-inducing. Likely doesn’t do justice to the content (which some would find dry in itself, but I typically enjoy).

surprisingly lulz and interesting

Funny introduction by someone who went the immersion route. The Irishman's humor drew me in even as a millennial whos idea of French culture is limited to Louis Vuitton, DJ Snake, slightly disgusting Brie, and long multi-course meals.

I'm not that into wine and was just learning a bit about france. He gives unexpected background on French attitudes toward work (which you might accurately call stereotypes).

Unexpected, fascinating background on:

-French labor (not the focus but there's anedoctal context to the 35 hr work week, vacation)
-deeply ingrained food attitudes (almost no mention of fish albeit he's not a native)
-fascinating introduction to bouchon, eating offal
-many other details that are hard to even google without knowing french

A snoozer

If you need some white noise while you're driving, cooking or to help you fall to sleep. Here you go. This book is one long list of boring minutiae after another. It has its moments wherein the author actually tells us something of interest but, the long passages of French wine names or every bloody food and drink item consumed in a longer list of meals well, I'm walking away. There's not enough substance for me.

A good listening

For wine lovers.
Good narration but mostly for wine lovers, who will appreciate this book.

Had to quit

I really tried to finish but it kept putting me to sleep! Not sure if it was the narration or the book but nonetheless I am giving up and not finishing this listen.