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The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears in Paris at the World's Most Famous Cooking School | Kathleen Flinn
15 posts | 20 read | 31 to read
Kathleen Flinn's unforgettable, New York Times Bestselling account of her French culinary adventures Kathleen Flinn was a thirty-six-year-old middle manager trapped on the corporate ladder - until her boss eliminated her job. Instead of sulking, she took the opportunity to check out of the rat race for good - cashing in her savings, moving to Paris, and landing a spot at the venerable Le Cordon Blue cooking school. The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry is the funny and inspiring account of her struggle in a stew of hot-tempered, chefs, competitive classmates, her own "wretchedly inadequate" French - and how she mastered the basics of French cuisine. Filled with rich, sensual details of her time in the kitchen - the ingredients, cooking techniques, wine, and more than two dozen recipes - and the vibrant sights and sounds of the markets, shops, and avenues of Paris, it is also a journey of self-discovery, transformation, and, ultimately, love. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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EvieBee
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Pickpick

This was delightful! I‘ve never had an interest in visiting Paris, but that‘s changed after reading this culinary memoir. This is the experience I had wanted when I tackled Julie & Julia so long ago.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½

JamieArc I think this is the first time I‘ve ever heard of someone not having an interest in visiting Paris. Sacré bleu! ?? 1y
EvieBee @JamieArc The idea of Paris overwhelms me, plus I don‘t speak the language. I agree with you, I must be nuts! 1y
JamieArc @EvieBee Well, if you ever do find yourself in Paris, the good news is that most people speak French. I always had a hard time practicing my French there because they would immediately switch to English for me! 1y
EvieBee @JamieArc That is great to know! 1y
40 likes4 comments
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britt_brooke
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#HungryHeart | In her mid-30s, Flinn suddenly lost her corporate job. Instead of immediately looking for a new one, she capriciously moved to Paris to persue her dream of attending the famous Le Cordon Bleu. I read this for book club 10+ years ago and it far exceeded my expectations. Plus, it has lots of recipes! 🍽😋

Anyone read her other books? I haven‘t yet.

#marchintothe70s
📷: Jose Mandojana

Cinfhen Another #SuperStacked 💋🙏🏻 5y
Mdargusch Sounds great! I love when there are recipes in my books! 5y
Leftcoastzen She was not on my radar #stacked 5y
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britt_brooke @Cinfhen @Mdargusch @Leftcoastzen And I think she has two memoirs since this one! 5y
AlaMich I love stories like this. They make you believe that it really is possible to remake your life, but you have to be courageous enough to go for it. 5y
Cinfhen Ohhh, good to know 💕 5y
98 likes1 stack add7 comments
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DebinHawaii
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#QuotsyJune18 #drive #HeyJune

From one of my favorite foodie memoirs set mostly in France at Le Cordon Bleu.📚🥄🥐And cooking school and cooking for a living certainly make for #AHardDaysNight 👩🏻‍🍳🥄

Cinfhen Yes!!! Chef‘s have crazzzy long hours and I often forget that🙌🏻 6y
85 likes1 comment
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Kenyonbird
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Currently on Page : 14 How fantastic to just live in the moment • #bucketlist #dowhatmakesyouhappy I was intrigued by this novel from the quote on the top of the cover from #elizabethgilbert • "flinn's tale of chasing her ultimate dream makes for a really lovely book-engaging, intelligent, and surprisingly suspenseful." / so far so good.

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SaraFair
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Pickpick

I just savored this book. It has all the favorite pieces for this francophile. The chapters are snippets of the author's experiences in Paris, showing the differences between American and French lifestyles and cooking. I just love her voice and can't wait to delve into her other writing (and youtube videos!)

Laura317 I like foodie memoirs. Stacked! 7y
Lindy I have a vivid memory of listening to this with one of my sisters when we were travelling the 2,300 kms between my place and hers. 🚗😊 7y
britt_brooke I read this several years ago for my then book club. Loved it! 7y
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SaraFair @Laura317 - It is an easy read and the way the chapters are set up, I read it alongside another book with no problem when picking it up and down. 🥐🥖 7y
SaraFair @Lindy - that's a long way! Kind of like her journey of food in the book- 7y
Lindy @SaraFair yes, she moved from Alberta to Yukon 30 years ago, so I've driven the Alaska highway many times. Lots of audiobooks. 😉 7y
SaraFair @britt_brooke ~ I heard about it on What Should I Read Next and the found it at the thrift store. It was meant for me! 7y
33 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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DebinHawaii
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Day 5 AndItsAugust #Sharp Still playing catch up on challenges from yesterday & today. 😬 I've posted about this foodie memoir before--it and the author are favorites of mine, but it is the first book I thought of for 'sharp.' 😀 I loved living vicariously through Kathleen Flinn as she attends Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.🍴📚#foodiebookd

LauraBeth I need another food memoir 😀📚 7y
Kenyonbird I just got this book !!! I can't wait to read it 7y
DebinHawaii @LauraBeth @Kenyonbird This is a good one! 📚🍴👍 7y
SaraFair Just finished it. I got the same feeling from the professional chefs in 7y
82 likes5 stack adds4 comments
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SaraFair
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When you hit the jackpot at the thrift store!

minkyb 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y
EvieBee Yes you did!!' 7y
mom2bugnbee EMILY! One of my all-time favorites. Loved it more than *gasp* Anne. 7y
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DebinHawaii Great haul! 📚👍 7y
Mamashep Wow - I'm never that lucky at the thrift store! 7y
SaraFair @Mamashep -some are no good for sure, but I can't believe how many books this one had. 😁 7y
SaraFair @mom2bugnbee -Anne Bogel is always talking about how good it is, so I am trying it! 7y
mom2bugnbee @SaraFair One of the many reasons I love Anne! 7y
35 likes8 comments
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DebinHawaii
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Day 14 #JubilantJuly #SetInFrance Some enjoyable foodie books, memoir and fiction, that are set or mostly set in France. 🥖🍇🥐🍷☕️🍾🧀

needleminding I have to read anything with a title like that. 😄 7y
DebinHawaii @jaimeisbionic It's a great title 😆and book too! 📚👍 @mrsmarch Isn't it a great book?! Love Julia! 💜🥄 7y
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KarenUK Such great picks! 🙌👍💕 7y
Bookwormjillk My Life in France was so good. She led such an interesting life. 7y
Lidia I loved Lunch in Paris! 7y
113 likes4 stack adds6 comments
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raelaschoenherr
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Pickpick

I did a year-long traveling book club through another reader group, and my original book just made it back to me after traveling across the US by media mail six times over :) We also included a journal for each person to record their thoughts. I was so touched reading each of the five other women's entries and thinking how sweet it is that we--total strangers--shared such a neat reading journey together!

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Loreen
Pickpick

The book is fine. It hits all the beats of this type of memoir. Girl wants to change life, girl goes to school and learns many lessons in class and in life. The hook for this one is she moves to Paris and goes to the Cordon Bleu. The most interesting parts are her descriptions of the classes. But the best part is she includes recipes at the end of each chapter. It's not the best cooking memoir I've read, but it's not the worst either.

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Loreen
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Loreen How I feel this morning! Coffee ! 8y
Texasblues I've usually had TWO cups of coffee by 8:00 - I'd be seriously groggy if I hadn't. 8y
6 likes2 stack adds2 comments