Books that Smell Like Baguettes; Five Stories of Butter, Bread and Belonging

August Feature | Atlas, Ink and Espresso

There is a cafe in my hometown; Café des Chutes. It is the most adorable bakery, tucked into an old brick building, the walls painted and chipped. They serve french inspired fare which, in good weather, you can eat in their outdoor courtyard (and pretend you are in France). My favorite meal is jambon-beurre, complete with a crunchy cornichon and chased with a latte (of course in a porcelain cup).

Cafes are great places to tuck in, to bury your nose in a novel, and pretend one is galavanting through Europe (instead of simply being on their lunch break). Books that center around hearth, home and food are especially good at this. They allow you to stroll down cobblestone streets, peer through fogged up cafe windows and peruse the wares. The gleaming copper pots, piles of breads and cheeses, pastries heaped with jams, and well-used espresso machines.

These books are not just about food, they are about life. They nourish our physical and mental hunger and make us long for more.

Here are six books that “smell like baguettes”. We’ve got you covered with memoirs, cookbooks and romances, a genre for every taste. These stories are full of friends, family and food.

Bon Appétit!

1. On Rue Ta tin by Susan Herrmann Loomis

Susan Loomis is an American food writer who, along with her husband, purchased and renovated their home in Louviers, Normandy. As Americans they were outsiders and felt the community had given them the cold shoulder. That is, until Loomis baked her neighbors fresh dinner rolls. And oh what a delivery! Warm and wafting from the oven, just waiting to be slathered in rich French butter. Is your mouth watering? Because mine is.

This book details the purchase and renovation of their ancient stone house. You can see Loomis’s most glorious kitchen here. I was immediately smitten when I saw this real estate listing and was ready to buy (unfortunately my husband thought such a purchase might be rash, and thus we missed a phenomenal opportunity). But I still have the bo ok.

Loomis’s book is both a memoir and a recipe box, so you, too, can woo your neighbors with fare such as a classic tarte tatin, tender mussels in cider, or those glorious dinner rolls.

🍷 Best paired with: a wedge of Camembert and cider, preferably enjoyed near an open window, where you can hear the rain come down.

2. The Secret French Recipes of Sophi e Valroux by Samantha Vérant

A French born American chef dreams of being one of the first females to work in a three-star Michelin kitchen. But then disaster strikes and Sophie finds herself disgraced, unemployed and completely unsure of herself. She retreats to her grandmother’s estate in Southwestern France, with hopes of rediscovering her talent. There she finds her three stars, just not in way you might think.

The Secret French Recipes is a closed door romance so be prepared for the rollercoaster of the genre. It also comes with a trigger warning as this book deals with sensitive subjects such as mental illness and suicide. Having said that I’d consider it an easy read (it took me a day). You’ll get several descriptions of the Southwest of France and some of the general French lifestyle. But where this book really shines is in the recipe building and descriptions. And there are even a slew of shared recipes included in the appendix.

🍷 Best paired with: chocolat chaud and a bowl of fresh-picked cherries, consumed on a picnic blanket in a field of bright red poppies.

3. My Life in Fr ance by Julia Child

Everyone (at least everyone I know) associates Julia Child with France. From her early days in Paris to her wildly popular TV show lauding French Cuisine. And, if not for her, I wouldn’t know of E. Dellherin; the epitome of kitchen supply stores (if you are looking for a copper pot – this is your place).

This book takes you to Paris in the early 1950s. To Marseille and to Provence. You’ll also wander off to Germany and Norway and the United States. There are mouth-watering food descriptions on nearly every page. This book makes me want to explore the world and eat, eat, eat. Julia Child was an icon. And this memoir is a fantastic read.

🍷 Best paired with: a classic french onion soup and a Bière de Garde, ideally taken in the wee hours of the morning after a night in Paris.

4. The Little French Bistro by Nina George

The main character, Marianne, in The L ittle French Bistro is 60-years-old. She has had enough of her husband and her life in Germany and finds herself in Paris ready to end it all. But, instead of drifting off to Neverland, a series of events carry her to a windswept Breton village where she finds employment in a seaside bistro. She befriends the quirky locals, learns to speak French and gains a new lease on life.

I absolutely love a book with an older main character and I’d catagorize this one with such works as A Man Called Ove, The Unlikely Pilgr image of Harold Fry, and Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk. It’s fun and quick read, and a perfect mental retreat to the French Coast.

🍷Best paired with: a bowl of mussels and a glass of crisp white wine, with the sea in sight.

5. A Kitchen in Fra nce by Mimi Thorisson

A Kitchen in France is primarily a cookbook, accompanied by amazing photographs of food and family life in the Médoc region of France. To me this cookbook is reminiscent of the early food blogs such as Molly Wizenberg’s Orangette (on a side note I loved Molly’s first book, A Homemade Life.). These types of books and blogs bring me a sense of nostalgia and envy. Oh how I want to be these people. I want to live their lives.

But I digress, the author of A Kitchen in France, Mimi Thorisson, is half French and half Chinese and thus she brings a unique flare to her cooking and her life (and even includes recipes for Chinese New Year). Her writing, recipes and photographs make me want dive headfirst in french country life with a pile of dogs at my feet.

🍷 Best paired with: whatever’s in season, served at a table full of family and surrounded by pets.

Where These Books Take You

Normandy: Convent kitchens, apple orchards, and the quiet hum of village life.
Southwest & Brittany: Bistros, lavender fields, and salty coastal winds.
Provence: Golden light, vineyard air, and the delightful scent of fresh baked bread.
Paris (and beyond): Market stalls, copper pans, and the comforting clatter of café spoons.

Welcome to the kitchen. Welcome to France. Welcome home.