You should see the reviews on Amazon.com about “French Fried: The Culinary Capers of an American in Paris,” by Harriet Welty Rochefort. Seems like some of the people really resent this woman. This book is a second look an ex-patriot’s experience in France, her first being “French Toast.”

Rochefort writes about her observations as to why Americans are fat, about the significance of cheese, wine and bread in France, her cooking class and how French eat nearly the entire animal, entails included. She includes a few easy recipes at the end of some chapters, which I will probably never try. She also includes some interviews with her husband who frequently comes across as a snooty Frenchman.

I enjoyed almost the entire book although at times I had to remind myself not to take what she was writing personally, as she seemed to generalize quite a bit. It was good though. Read it and see what you think.