The French Ingredient

Praise

“I love everything about this book. I love how Jane Bertch tells her story with sparkle and charm even when her prospects are daunting and dim. I love that the school she created from a dream grew to be cherished around the world. I love Jane’s spirit and can-do-ness and how she figured out the very tricky balance of being an American in Paris. And I love what she teaches us about facing challenges, holding on to what’s dear and sharing what’s learned. Like its author, The French Ingredient is funny, generous, witty, wise and whip smart.”—Dorie Greenspan, New York Times bestselling author of Baking with Dorie

“I loved following Jane around Paris as she built her dream business. I relished her excitements and frustrations as she absorbed her new life and balanced it with her commitments from home. Savvy, determined, resourceful Jane—her exhilarating story lures us all to take a big chance. Or at least to move to Paris.”—Frances Mayes, author of Women in Sunlight

“A rare Paris memoir that’s astute and boldly honest about how challenging it is to create a happy life in this beautiful city . . . It takes intelligence, charm, hard work, and gumption to prevail in Paris. Jane has all of these qualities, which is why the story of how she built a life and an internationally renowned cooking school in Paris is such a fascinating read.”—Alexander Lobrano, author of My Place at the Table

“The French Ingredient differs from the bounty of books about living and working in Paris as an American. The reader discovers that the French are not all maddening and inflexible, but also imaginative, hard-working, and attentive to life’s pleasures, great and small. A captivating read.”—Thad Carhart, author of The Piano Shop on the Left Bank

“Seasoned with wisdom Jane learned along the way, The French Ingredient is the engaging, multilayered story of a woman persevering, overcoming obstacles in her search for happiness, and sharing the joys of French cuisine to people from around the world.”—David Lebovitz, author of My Paris Kitchen and Drinking French