Bonjour Kale: A Memoir of Paris, Love, and Recipes

by Kristen Beddard

Overview

A memoir of love, life, and recipes from the woman who brought kale to the City of Light

The story of how one expat woman left her beloved behind when she moved to France—her beloved kale, that is. Unable to find le chou kale anywhere upon moving to the City of Light with her new husband, and despite not really speaking French, Kristen Beddard launched a crusade to single-handedly bring kale to the country of croissants and cheese. Infused with Kristen's recipes and some from French chefs, big and small (including Michelin star chef Alain Passard) Bonjour Kale is a humorous, heartfelt memoir of how Kristen, kale, and France collide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492630043
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	676,855
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Kristen Beddard started The Kale Project in France and has been featured in the NYT, Glamour, Elle, and more. She has a partnership with Whole Foods and her first book about cabbage recipes and gardening will be released in France next year.

Editorial Reviews

03/07/2016
In summer 2011, Beddard, a young former ad exec, joins her husband in Paris on his new business adventure and begins one of her own. She was raised in Pittsburgh by a single mother who appreciated a wide variety of vegetables, so while Beddard is in France, she yearns for kale instead of more typical American comfort foods. Given the popularity of kale in the U.S., she’s surprised to find how difficult it is to come by in France. With a few hurdles along the way—such as communicating with shop owners in French—she enlists the help of local farmers, and eventually launches the Kale Project. Parisian food writer and chef Bruno Verjus invited Beddard to his restaurant and applauded her efforts; author Elaine Sciolino interviewed Beddard her for the New York Times, giving the Kale Project an international spotlight. Voilà, she brings legume oublié, the forgotten vegetable, back to France. With colorful descriptions of travel and the conversational tone of a best friend, Beddard’s story is full and satisfying. Agent: Bridget Wagner Matzie, Zachary Schuster Harmsworth. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"As someone who roamed the streets and markets of Paris in search of the elusive kale, I (and many others) have Kristen to thank for revolutionizing the city for légume-lovers. Bonjour Kale is a charming tale of how she found her place in Paris, becoming a tireless advocate for the the leafy green that we all now know, and love...in abundance!" — David Lebovitz, author of My Paris Kitchen

"Of the great kale heroes, none rival kale crusader Kristen Beddard. Beyond the kale, read this book for the inspiring tale of love, Paris, and how the tenacity of one woman changed French food." — Drew Ramsey, MD, author of Eat Complete, 50 Shades of Kale and co-founder of National Kale Day

"This is a sweet story…. Bonjour Kale reminds us not only to eat our greens but also to follow our dreams." — BookPage

"Every time I spot a crate of kale in a store near me, I whisper a prayer of thanks to Kristen, patron saint of leafy greens in Paris. Beyond the culinary gratitude, hers is an inspiring tale of finding an identity and a purpose in a foreign city — one you are bound to relate to if you’ve ever sought a home away from home." — Clotilde Dusoulier, author of Chocolate & Zucchini

From the Publisher