How to Cook a Book

A Fork in the Road

I’m just back from a quick trip to France, ostensibly to update the pet passports, but how could I miss an opportunity to follow the advice of Carolyn Boyd’s aka

France Traveller Newsletter

just published Amuse Bouche: How to Eat Your Way Around France?

There’s always a fork in my road. Food is my way in to a country, and if Carolyn has dedicated the last 20 years or so to seeking out the best food finds in every teeny corner of France, I’m hot on her heels.

And so we whizzed straight past the more obvious Cote d’Opale stops of Boulogne and le Touquet on the road less travelled this weekend, and found … treasure.

Montreuil-sur-Mer. Where? Exactly. Well, as it turns out, it’s home to Rock Star chef, Alexandre Gauthier’s La Grenouillere, 48th in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023. Ok, so it’s closed for a refurb following a flood, but his latest opening is Sur Mer, an ocean liner-inspired diner on the beach at Merlimont, just down the road. A vibrant joint in yellow and neon blue, it was absolutely kicking on Friday night, with a bill that wouldn’t leave us with a headache on Saturday morning.

How about le Crotoy on the Baie de Somme, home to the largest colony of seals in Northern Europe, and a rather fabulous restaurant? The lights appeared to be out as we peered through the unlikely food find of l’Auberge de la Marine, but inside, it was packed to the gills, buzzing with the sheer joy of haute cuisine served with a story.

This is where local sea vegetables are delicately plated alongside the best of the region’s produce - there’s even a book about them, Des Cueillette et des Hommes (On Foraging and Men) including recipes from our chef, Pascal leFebevre, that you can buy on your way out. Which you probably will, because the entire bill, including wine, came to just £45 per person.

Who knew?

Well, Carolyn Boyd, for one. And that, my friends, is one sure way how to cook a book. Find your niche, drill deeply, speak the language - literally in Carolyn’s case, do your research, keep your ear to the ground, and you too could become king or queen of your patch.

‘Profile has landed Amuse Bouche: How to Eat Your Way Around France, by French culture and food expert Carolyn Boyd’ writes The Bookseller. Cecily Gayford said of the book: "I have never felt as hungry—or perhaps greedy is the word—as I have while reading’s Carolyn’s brilliant proposal for Amuse Bouche: at various points it caused me to rush out of the house in search of Brittany butter, and google ‘kouign amann London delivery’ late at night. It is such a delight: not just a mouth-watering guide to France’s uniquely delicious specialties and regional delights, but a chance to see this fascinating country anew through Carolyn’s expert and enthusiastic eyes. I am hugely excited to be publishing it."

I first discovered Carolyn’s work when we began our series of electric road trips across France. If I was going to give up flying to reduce my carbon footprint after the delicious podcast years, I was going to fill my boots with the best European food finds instead. But random is not how I roll. Happily Carolyn has been to most places in France first, and our early autumn trip through The Dordogne last year was a dot to dot food trail that kept me very happy indeed. She’ll be coming soon to Cooking the Books, so let me know which corner of France you want to know about. But the message I bring you from her Amuse Bouche is: what’s your niche? What can you tell us that only you could know? Why do we need you in our lives?

Answers on a postcard…