The third of Rossant's memoirs with recipes (after Apricots on the Nile
; Return to Paris
) takes the reader briskly from her 1955 marriage to an American architect right through to the present. It is less personal than her earlier books—after recounting initial difficulties with her new in-laws, she more or less lets her family (four children) fend for itself in these pages—perhaps because she has had a genuinely adventurous life, with a lot to tell, both about her New York neighborhood and the larger world. Her first boss was a criminal, but she soon found a new job as a French teacher, while she learned how to cook with American ingredients. These two callings, teacher and cook, led her through many jobs, a television show, friendships with celebrity "foodies," several cookbooks and eventually around the world collecting recipes and experiences in not only the usual destinations but also such exotic spots as Xi-an, a Chinese Muslim city. At times clichéd, Rossant's writing is vivid and opinionated, which makes her good company, and the recipes that follow each chapter are as eclectic as one would wish from a well-traveled writer. Illustrations. (Sept.)
