I really enjoy learning more about the world of cooking and this book did not disappoint. I truly enjoyed learning more about Bill Buford's point of view of French cooking and it's culture. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about cooking.

This book is a welcome companion to Heat, Buford's earlier book about Italian cooking, restaurants, and the butchering of meat. In Dirt, Buford, his wife, and young son move to Lyon, the reputed culinary capital of France, to learn how it's done. Challenge number one: Buford speaks no French. But he is nothing if not intrepid and he learns not only how to speak French but how the history and life of that culture are expressed in its food. One chapter is about "Bob's" way of baking bread that has not only a unique taste but a wonderful scent that sets it apart from all others. The extreme effort that French chefs and bakers go to to identify the precise ingredients that come from specific fields, cows, goats, etc. in order to create their signature recipes comes to make absolute sense to the reader. Lyon's chefs (and now Buford) believe there is no other way to practice their art.
The people in the book are wonderful and just about step off the page. And...there are superb recipes linked to the adventures Buford has in learning French cooking.

This well liked author wrote a witty but hard to follow book about his yearning to learn about French cooking.. Very funny at times, but not sure what the message was or why it was included.

Writer Bill Buford decided to leave New York with his wife and young twin boys in tow and move to Lyon, France in hopes of securing a short apprenticeship in an esteemed French restaurant. Along the way, he procures a coveted spot in a local culinary school and gains the experience he is looking for, meeting many decorated chefs and eating memorable meals along the way. Months turn into years and Lyon, a city known for being tough on outsiders, becomes home. Buford is a man who seemingly plans nothing in advance, yet despite continuous obstacles, has things fall neatly into place. This book for those who love getting into the details and share a love of French and Italian cooking.

https://artsfuse.org/201939/book-review-dirt-trekking-through-the-french-food-industry/

I don't award stars --