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David Lebovitz
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The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious-and Perplexing-City Hardcover – May 5, 2009

by David Lebovitz (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 1,703
See all formats and editions
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Like so many others, David Lebovitz dreamed about living in Paris ever since he first visited the city in the 1980s. Finally, after a nearly two-decade career as a pastry chef and cookbook author, he moved to Paris to start a new life. Having crammed all his worldly belongings into three suitcases, he arrived, hopes high, at his new apartment in the lively Bastille neighborhood. But he soon discovered it's a different world en France.From learning the ironclad rules of social conduct to the mysteries of men's footwear, from shopkeepers who work so hard not to sell you anything to the etiquette of working the right way around the cheese plate, here is David's story of how he came to fall in love with€”and even understand€”this glorious, yet sometimes maddening, city.When did he realize he had morphed into un vrai parisien? It might have been when he found himself considering a purchase of men's dress socks with cartoon characters on them.
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  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Broadway Books
  4. Publication date
    May 5, 2009
  5. Dimensions
    5.65 x 1.05 x 8.55 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0767928881
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0767928885
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The title of the fifth book from Lebovitz, celebrated pastry chef and Chez Panisse alum, is a bit of a misnomer: this feisty memoir-with-recipes is just as tart as it is sweet. Writing with the same cheeky tone that has made his blog one of the most popular food sites on the Internet, Lebovitz presents an eclectic collection of vignettes illustrating his experiences living as an expatriate in Paris. After reading accounts of perpetually out-of-service public toilets and hospitals that require patients to BYOB (bring your own bandages), one begins to question what, exactly, Lebovitz finds so intoxicating about the City of Lights. It certainly isn't something in the water, but it just might be in le chocolat chaud. With this book, for the first time Lebovitz expands beyond his standard repertoire of desserts and includes a smattering of savory recipes. These range from such classic French dishes as a warm goat cheese salad to nostalgic American favorites like oven-roasted pork ribs with ketchup marinade. This is not to say Lebovitz's legions of sweet-toothed fans will be disappointed—many of the 50 recipes are made with plenty of butter and sugar; a flawless rendition of dulce de leche brownies is sure to become the home baker's equivalent of that très chic little black dress, returned to again and again. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

American baker Lebovitz, alumnus of California’s famed Chez Panisse, moved to Paris following his partner’s untimely death. There he found a culture whose rituals and courtesies mystified him. It took him a while to get used to personally greeting every clerk and shopkeeper, to consuming every morsel of food using both fork and knife, and to coping with an uncommonly wily bureaucracy fond of enforcing self-contradictory regulations. He discovered the social necessity of pressing every wrinkle out of his clothes, even from his jeans and his towels. Recipes dominate the text, many of them Lebovitz’s signature chocolate dessert creations. Some of these pastries display their Parisian provenance, an absinthe cake in particular standing out. But he also includes popular Mexican mole and crispy pork carnitas, about as exotic to most Parisians as one could imagine. An annotated list of food and equipment sources brims with good information. --Mark Knoblauch

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Broadway Books; Later prt. edition (May 5, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0767928881
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0767928885
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.65 x 1.05 x 8.55 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 1,703

About the author

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David Lebovitz

David Lebovitz

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Author of The Perfect Scoop, the complete guide to making the best ice cream and frozen desserts at home, Ready for Dessert, a compilation of baking favorites, from an extra-moist Fresh Ginger Cake, to crunchy Double-Chocolate Biscotti, My Paris Kitchen, stories and recipes from the glorious foods markets and shops in Paris, and Drinking French, recipes and stories inspired by the iconic café drinks, apéritifs, and cocktails of France.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,703 global ratings
Missing pages 223-254
3 Stars
Missing pages 223-254
Can't review the content, I'm sure it will be great! My book had a bunch of pages missing, not ripped out but more like a publishing error. Pages 223-254 were just not there. Fortunately, I figured this out early on and have exchanged for the Kindle version. I look forward to the read!
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Top reviews from the United States

John Sykes
5.0 out of 5 stars As Perfect as a Flaky, Parisian Croissant . . .
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book is perfection. It contains the 3 elements that I consider to be integral to any good book: laughter, tears, and good, old fashioned relate-ability.

I purchased this book a few months before I went to Paris for the first time. I admit, I wasn't sure what to expect of it, having never read the author's blog. My, was I in for a pleasant surprise.

From the first page, he had me smiling, then chuckling, then throwing back my head and laughing, imagining his adventures through the city of lights. What I loved about this book was that it wasn't touristy-- it was genuinely the experience of someone who has lived there and discovered both the unexpected good and bad of a city that has become legend.

His descriptions are so lovely, vibrant, and colorful. I learned that "real butter" croissants are straight across, while butter substitutes are curved (and tried the real thing when I went to Paris-- thanks David!). His descriptions of the food, and the care and pride with which Parisians prepare and present their craft, are mesmerizing. Thanks to David I knew to say "Bonjour, Madame!" when I entered the famous Pierre Herme macaron Patisserie in Paris, as well as to say "Merci, Monsieur," when I left the bus. I found that just these little bits of Paris etiquette helped me enormously when I visited.

The recipes are amazingly delicious, and his commentary throughout makes it feel like you are sitting at the kitchen table with a trusted friend, rather than listening to a chef rattle off a recipe. I loved his observations about what you can do to troubleshoot, or even what to do to cover mistakes.

Overall, just a treasure. Rarely does a "celebrity" book live up to the hype. This one is going to live to be 100 ;) Thanks David for an inspiring book through which I intend to reread whenever I get homesick for my Paris vacation.
29 people found this helpful
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Deb Nance at Readerbuzz
4.0 out of 5 stars Delicious
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2012
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The Sweet Life in Paris is the moving-and-starting-over story of Lebovitz's venture into Parisian life. It's a story we have heard many times before, of the trials of dealing with French bureaucracy, of figuring out how to get service in French stores, and of trying to fit into a world that secretly scorns everything that is not French. Yes, we have heard this story many times before, but it is a story we will never tire of, a story we want to read again and again, until maybe, one day, we tell the story of our own move to this magical place.

I loved how Lebovitz tells how he realized he was finally un vrai parisien. It was not a big day, but a simple day, the day he dressed up to take out his garbage. How we all want to live in a world where everyone dresses up to take out the garbage!

The best part, of course, is David's take on Paris treats. David is, of course, an expert on pastries, so who better to take us around Paris and share pastry gossip?

An absolutely delicious book, filled with stories about those amazing sweets of Paris. With recipes.
One person found this helpful
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Lulu
5.0 out of 5 stars J'adore!
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2013
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So many ppl have reviewed this book that there isn't much left to say but I wanted to put my two cents worth in just to say I love this book! I've read it twice now and each time have savored it like a pain au chocolat!

David is hilarious and I love his take on the Parisian way of life and Parisians' cultural idiosyncrasies. If you haven't checked out his blog yet, do! I've been to Paris twice and have read the book before each trip. Not only do I find it helpful and entertaining, but I add a few of his shop or restaurant recommendations to my "must visit" list with each trip. Also, the book keeps reality in check when I leave Paris and think "I should move here!" David's hilarious stories about Parisian bureaucracy and many things we take for granted in the ease of American life remind me that there is a sweet life to be had in Paris, but it certainly is an adjustment for Americans and not always for the faint of heart.

I don't think I've tried too many of the recipes in the book, but love that recipes accompany most or all of his tales and I have several bookmarked to try. Although, this is a delightful book simply for it's great storytelling.

To sweeten the deal further, I purchased from one of Amazon's affiliated used book sellers and received a used version in pristine condition (I think the book was less than $3 and the shipping was more than the book), which turned out to be an autographed copy. What an unexpected, lovely, little bonus for the Francophile!
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Top reviews from other countries

Mark Bennett
5.0 out of 5 stars A delicious tale and a perfect read before a trip to Paris
Reviewed in Canada on February 20, 2023
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I have recommended this to my mother and husband, and can definitely recommend it to you! Enjoy the flavours of Paris!
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Mira
5.0 out of 5 stars Endlessly entertaining
Reviewed in Germany on August 2, 2018
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I found the book surprisingly funny and didn't expect to laugh as much as I have with this book. I couldn't put it away and finished it in under a week. Can't say a lot about the recipes yet because I haven't had the chance to try that many but the chocolate financiers were a great hit at the party I brought them along for.
Really I can only recommend getting this book. Since it's just such an entertaining and easy read it would probably also be lovely to take on vacation or as an entertaining read if you've been to Paris yourself.
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Martin Corkery
5.0 out of 5 stars How the French cook differently
Reviewed in Australia on December 2, 2018
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Great read
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Yasra Khoker
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and informative
Reviewed in India on June 30, 2016
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This book kept me entertained for the three days that I read it whenever I had the time. Lebovitz does an excellent job of relating his adventures in Paris without making it sound too self absorbed and hence boring for the reader.
The book tells you of myths and truths that you'd probably heard of Parisians and by the end of it, your ill-informed, romanticist picture of Paris shatters and you might feel content living in Muradabad, dipping Parle-G in cutting chai.
Lebovitz throws in a generous amount of recipes in there and educates the reader of the Parisian way of life in a funny way, often anecdotally, laughing at himself. A nice, light read. Do try the recipes- they're really good! You could have a mug of super thick hot chocolate as Lebovitz suggests somewhere in there with a recipe.
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Shanti
5.0 out of 5 stars Super !
Reviewed in France on December 14, 2013
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Are you a foreigner in Paris? Do you love cooking? In that case, I strongly recommend this book. David Lebovitz describes his life in Paris with excellent franco- american recipes. I adore his sense of humor and I totally agree with him, as a foreigner living in Pairs, how difficult / wonderful it is to survive in the city of light. I also recommend his blog.
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