French Literature Reviews - 2026
B. Peeters and A. Aurita, Comme un chef
Novel and Narrative Prose
Benoît Peeters and Aurélia Aurita, Comme un chef
Preface: Pierre Gagnaire
Casterman, coll. "Ecritures", 2018.
216 p.
EAN 9782203146754
18.95 EUR
Publisher's overview:
Between the ages of 18 and 25, cooking played a monumental role in Benoît Peeters' life. Following a meal at the Troisgros brothers' restaurant in Roanne—then the most famous restaurant in France—the young man enthusiastically taught himself the culinary arts. When he dropped his preparation for the École Normale Supérieure entrance exams and his parents cut off his financial support, Benoît attempted to become a personal chef! Between writing articles and working a bookstore job, he experimented with the most subtle recipes... and came face to face with harsh reality.
The intersection of autobiography and culinary exploration has long occupied a distinct place in French narrative prose and graphic storytelling. Authors frequently turn to personal formative years to examine the passions that consumed them outside formal academic and professional tracks. Between the ages of 18 and 25, cooking played a monumental role in Benoît Peeters' life, following a meal at the Troisgros brothers' restaurant in Roanne.
Readers interested in memoirs and graphic narratives focusing on personal journeys through the culinary arts may find this work relevant. When he dropped his preparation for the École Normale Supérieure entrance exams and his parents cut off his financial support, Benoît attempted to become a personal chef, experimenting with subtle recipes while working a bookstore job.
Read a review by William Foix on the non-fiction website.