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The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School
Unavailable
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School
Unavailable
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School
Audiobook10 hours

The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School

Written by Kathleen Flinn

Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this audiobook

Read Kathleen Flinn's posts on the Penguin Blog.

This is the funny and inspiring account of Kathleen Flinn's struggle in a stew of hot-tempered chefs, competitive classmates, her own "wretchedly inadequate" French, and the basics of French cuisine. Flinn was a thirty-six-year-old middle manager trapped on the corporate ladder-until her boss eliminated her job. So she cashed in her savings and moved to Paris to pursue her lifelong dream of attending the venerable Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. Fans of Julie & Julia and the late Julia Child will be richly rewarded by this vibrant tale of self-discovery, transformation, and ultimately love.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 4, 2007
ISBN9781429592529
Unavailable
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School

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Reviews for The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry

Rating: 3.653361344537815 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

238 ratings32 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears in Paris at the World's Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn is another one of those books that I knew I had to read when I stumbled across it in a bookstore. But really, Paris and cooking in one book?Kathleen Flinn returned to her job in London after a vacation only to find she'd lost her job. In a bit of a tizzy to figure out what to do next, she turned to her boyfriend, Mark, who encouraged her to follow her dream of moving to Paris to study at Le Cordon Bleu. Despite her only rudimentary French, she and Mark packed up and headed to Paris. To earn her desired degree from Le Cordon Bleu, Kathleen needed to complete three courses: Basic, Intermediate, and Superior Cuisine, all while surviving an unfamiliar city, competitive classmates, cranky chefs, and her own life.This book is a little heavier on the more romantic and day-to-day aspects of Kathleen's life than I would have expected from a book hanging out the shelf below Bill Buford's Heat, but that's not to say that I didn't enjoy it -- I am female, after all, and what's not to like about falling in love in [and with] Paris? As a bit of a bonus, each chapter ends with a recipe -- though, sadly but understandably, not the ones Kathleen learned while at Le Cordon Bleu.Overall, though, one things stands out: this book did a great job of fueling the fire of my desire to move to Paris and learn to cook à la Julia Child. Not like I really needed any more help, though.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very enjoyable book about the author's time in Paris at the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. I especially liked that she also described things that didn't go so well in class and in her personal life!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I finished this in one sitting with breaks for housework. It is very easy to read and there are a lot of recipes. Flinn's book is no amuse bouche but a sumptuous multi-course meal. If you like food writing, as I do, this book is excellent. Sharper is not only the story of one women's experience obtaining a diploma from Le Cordon Bleu, but of her life and love story as well.The book begins with the author returning from vacation to find her corporate position has been eliminated. Having wanted to attend the famed school since she was a child, there is some agonizing about the risk of spending her savings to do so. She is fortunate in her love who not only encourages her to go for it but agrees to accompany her.Kathleen details the months long program at Le Cordon Bleu, arguably the most famous cooking school in the world. There are tussles with butchering and her feeling for the animals, many of them prompting insights into life: "Life seems so linear, a constant march toward the end. But in reality, the general flow is more cyclical. The brutal truth of nature is that it often takes the death of one thing to feed another. A chef never mourns an empty plate". There are struggles with the various chefs and even some of the more competitive students. Kathleen emerges triumphant although definitely bloody. Vegetarians might want to avoid this book.In an earlier incarnation Kathleen was a journalist and food writer and she provides many historical nuggets such as the fact that hamburgers, thought to be quintessentially American, go back to Kublai Khan and apple pie is just another form of the French apple tart, even hot dogs morphed from German sausage. Turns out there is no food that is essentially American, we have merely put our stamp on older dishes.There are, besides recipes, many culinary tips as well. The title refers to cutting onions and one chef explains that a dull knife pushes on the cells of the onion causing them to release their oil which is what makes you cry. A sharp knife will cut rather than push hence you will cry less.During the course of the story Kathleen and her beloved explore Paris, get engaged, get married, have life threatening accidents and reach the point of living happily ever after. Culinary school teaches many lessons that can be helpful in life also. "As in cooking, living requires that you taste, taste, taste as you go along - you can't wait until the dish of life is done. In my career, I always looked ahead to the place I wanted to go, the next rung on the ladder. It reminds me of 'The Station' by Robert Hastings, a parable read at our wedding. The message is that while on a journey, we are sure the answer lies at the destination. But in reality, there is no station, no 'place to arrive at once and for all. The joy of life is the trip, and the station is a dream that constantly outdistances us.' "I learned that lesson some years ago although not at cooking school. The lesson is very zen-like and invaluable. Living in the moment is truly the only possible way to really "live".Looking through Flinn's bibliography I noted a book titled "First Peel An Eel". It reminded me of my first day at culinary. Our chef mentioned a book he once had "First You Take A Leek". I loved the title so much I searched for the book for years. It was my first purchase from ebay.Books about food and cooking are always about life because eating is life. This one is particularly life affirming and joyful. I loved it.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Slightly entertaining, that's all I can say about it. It gives a complete wrong impression of the famous cooking school.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent book that explore cooking school in Paris and immersion into French culture. If intrested in cooking this is a great read, also eye opening for those considering cooking school.
    I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was excellent, except the way she pronounced the word "saucepan" which she called "saucepin" a little thibg but it grew ro be annoying to me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears in Paris at the World's Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn is another one of those books that I knew I had to read when I stumbled across it in a bookstore. But really, Paris and cooking in one book?Kathleen Flinn returned to her job in London after a vacation only to find she'd lost her job. In a bit of a tizzy to figure out what to do next, she turned to her boyfriend, Mark, who encouraged her to follow her dream of moving to Paris to study at Le Cordon Bleu. Despite her only rudimentary French, she and Mark packed up and headed to Paris. To earn her desired degree from Le Cordon Bleu, Kathleen needed to complete three courses: Basic, Intermediate, and Superior Cuisine, all while surviving an unfamiliar city, competitive classmates, cranky chefs, and her own life.This book is a little heavier on the more romantic and day-to-day aspects of Kathleen's life than I would have expected from a book hanging out the shelf below Bill Buford's Heat, but that's not to say that I didn't enjoy it -- I am female, after all, and what's not to like about falling in love in [and with] Paris? As a bit of a bonus, each chapter ends with a recipe -- though, sadly but understandably, not the ones Kathleen learned while at Le Cordon Bleu.Overall, though, one things stands out: this book did a great job of fueling the fire of my desire to move to Paris and learn to cook à la Julia Child. Not like I really needed any more help, though.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was suprised by how much I liked this book since books about Americans in Paris are not my favorite things.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Interesting story about making it through the Cordon Bleu in Paris.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Interesting memoir about taking classes at Le Cordon Bleu.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a memoir of a woman who leaves the corporate world and take the entire Cordon Bleu course in Paris. It puts together her struggles in cooking school and her romantic life. In general it is restrained. Occasionally she feels the need to take unnecessary pot shots at the USA.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I rarely put a book aside before I've finished, but after 150 pages this one just didn't seem to be worth any more of my time. Like most reviewers here, I love cooking, Paris, and memoirs so all the stars were aligned for me to enjoy this book. Instead I felt as though what might have been an engaging story had been dumbed down and overly romanticized to cash in on Elizabeth Gilbert's success with "Eat, Pray, Love." For a more compelling story of dedication to the love of food I'd recommend Jacques Pepin's "The Apprentice," Michael Ruhlmann's "The Soul of a Chef," or of course "My Life in France, " the wonderful (and romantic) account of Julia Child's culinary awakening at the Cordon Bleu.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Kathleen Flinn's memoir of her time at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris made me really happy, really inspired to do things I've always wanted to do, and really hungry. Of course, the book is filled with various recipes that feature prominently in the various chapters, and most of them are adapted or at least something that could reasonably be achieved by the home cook. Flinn's story is really heartfelt; just like a good meal, it is obvious that the author's heart and soul went into its production. Especially touching is her relationship with her husband, who always supports her and encourages her to do her best and follow her dreams, even when she feels they are somewhat silly or unrealistic. Like attending the world's most famous cooking school, in a foreign language. I really appreciated that Flinn included the French language pieces in French; too often, books with the action in a foreign language relate the experience in English, and it fails to express the inevitable confusions that happen when someone is not speaking their native language. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to take a chance on their future, or on love, or on herself. I felt really attached to Kathleen's story and her journey; it is impossible to not root for her and her accomplishments.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Flinn loses her high-pressure job and finds herself unexpectedly able for the first time in her life to pursue her dreams; Flinn decides to spurn her former life and head off to Le Cordon Bleu, the world’s most renowned cooking school. It doesn’t take long for reality to hit her. All her cooking efforts meet with a barrage of criticism and scorn. Did she make the right decision? Has she given up everything and spent all her savings for nothing? Flinn slowly comes to a new view of her life, her loves, and her vocation as she suffers through attempting the soufflés and the sauces of French cooking.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent! Definitely the right balance of writing about her personal life, and writing about the school. I find most of these cooking memoirs seem to focus too heavily on the author, which, I'm sure is interesting to them, but not why I'm reading the book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When Kathleen Flinn is unceremoniously fired from her corporate management job in London, she decides — after much hand-wringing — to cash in her savings and pursue her dream of studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. This memoir chronicles her experiences at the world’s most famous cooking school, and gives us readers the opportunity to live her dream vicariously.I thoroughly enjoyed Flinn’s account of her time at Le Cordon Bleu and as an American living in Paris. I especially relished the descriptions of her triumphs and travails in the cramped Le Cordon Bleu kitchens, cooking dishes I probably never will: deep-frying grapes; mastering puff pastry; stewing coq au vin with rooster’s blood. Each chapter’s subtitle alerts us to the lessons that will be learned — cooking lessons mixed with life lessons. At the end of each chapter, Flinn provides a more accessible recipe based on those lessons — although not necessarily a Cordon Bleu dish — for us to try.My only criticism of this book is that I wanted more, especially more of Le Cordon Bleu, the charming chefs who teach there and Flinn’s attempts to cook — and finally master — the ridiculously complicated dishes of French haute cuisine. Some of the writing felt rushed, and I often wished Flinn would slow down a bit so we can really savor her experiences. After all, this is a fantasy most of us will never realize. Reading about it is as close as we will get.But overall, I felt like I was vicariously living Flinn’s dream through her memoir. And I admire her for persuing her dream, despite all the risks involved, including the real possibility of failure. My dreams may be different, but Flinn’s ultimate success and real satisfaction in going for hers inspired me. As she says in Chapter 1, “Life is not a dress rehearsal.”
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the book Julie & Julia was trying to be.Kathleen Flynn weaves romance, cooking, Paris, and a personal journey in her tale of losing her job and taking advantage of the opportunity to enroll in Le Cordon Bleu. I know some criticize the book for being unrealistic or too pollyannish (enough money to take a year off to attend school? And for her boyfriend to join her and not work too?? And eat out all the time???) I don't think the down-and-dirty details are the point - the personal journey is. The book is an entertaining look at the people and place which make up one of the world's most famous cooking school, and it makes a great read.NB: Vegetarians or the squeamish might have trouble with her frequent and graphic depictions of butchery and lobster preparation.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I chose to read this book because Kathleen Flinn mentioned leaving corporate life to pursue a dream. While I am not an intricate cook, preferring the Ellie Krieger style to rich French cuisine, I enjoyed Flinn's take on the original Parisian cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu. I appreciate how she intertwined commentary on her personal life with that of attending the famed school. All in all, an inspiration to folks everywhere who would rather not be defined by their corporate careers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A wonderful memoir that I could not put down. Kathleen gets downsized and, at the age of 36, decides to follow her dream and her heart. Le Cordon Bleu is not the cakewalk that she imagines, but she continues on. I could not put this book down and loved every minute of it!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    There are two types of books I’m well disposed to like: travel memoirs and cooking memoirs. Laid off from her job while on vacation, Kathleen Flinn decides to take a shot at one of her dreams and enrolls in Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. This memoir recounts her time spent there as she attempts not only to complete the entire course, but to pass the tests to be awarded the institute's diploma.The resulting memoir is mostly of the cooking sort, focusing mainly on her cooking lessons and her love life (she married during this time). It flows along well enough, and you do get some interesting recipes along the way, though the story was seasoned with too little in the way of interesting events in the cooking school and with too much sugary romance. If I overcome my biases in favor of this type of book, I have to say that it passed the time but was only average. Try Buford's Heat or Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential if you want something that's a bit more satisfying.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry. It's a memoir of Kathleen Flinn's time in France studying at Le Cordon Bleu. She takes us through losing her big-time job, making the decision to follow her dream to Paris and the most famous cooking school in the world. She lets us in on her relationship with her fiance, her struggles to find a suitable apartment in Paris and her fascinating education in the kitchens of an icon.It was a bit slow at times but very satisfying in all.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed the glimpse into the world of Le Cordon Bleu, but found the memoir itself to be almost cliche. Despite that, I did find myself thinking in French and even buying baguettes at the market. If only we all had the means to escape life as we know it to attend to our dreams... The recipes were a great addition and I am looking forward to trying a few of them.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    If you've ever wondered what it might be like to attend culinary school at the famed Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, this book will really open your eyes. The author also weaves in elements of her personal life, which also factor into her school experience. Each chapter concludes in a related recipe, many of which are rather complex - even if you don't plan to actually prepare any of them they do give you a greater sense of the type of recipes she was learning at Le Cordon Bleu.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Kathleen Flinn's memoir, The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry describes her year going through the French cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu. At 36, American Flinn loses her corporate job in London and decides to pursue her life-long dream - attending the world-famous Le Cordon Bleu. Her boyfriend, Mike, decides to join her in Paris, and together they navigate the expatriate life in France.I enjoyed this fast-paced memoir. Flinn has an easy writing style, and does a wonderful job of blending anecdotes about her food studies with observations about love and life changes. Each chapter ends with a recipe - there are several I'd like to try. This is not strictly a "food" book, nor is it a "how I left the rat race" book, either. Rather, it's a well-drawn portrait of Flinn's life while she was in Paris, falling in love with her to-be husband, and learning how to enjoy life off the corporate ladder.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    From the time she was a little girl, Kathleen Flinn wanted to abandon a high-paying but unfulfilling corporate career to study at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris (like Julia Child, see!) and write a mediocre book with an overlong subtitle about it. This is that book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. I love to cook and it was just very interesting to hear about how tough the cooking school was. I walked on the treadmill everytime I read it and it had me walking everyday. I really enjoyed it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I would have given this one five stars, except for the gruesome descriptions of meat, fish and veal preparation (I'm vegetarian!) Other than that, the author's crisp, journalistic account of her time at Le Cordon Bleu was appealing. The ending felt a bit rushed, but I liked the nuggets of insight she offered.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    For someone whose passion is cooking and vocation is writing, Kathleen Flinn does a disappointingly mediocre job chronicling her year at Le Cordon Bleu, France's most famous cooking school. I expected long and loving descriptions of sumptuous food and exacting cooking technique, but often got just a brief list of food made during her lessons. In fact, her description of intermediate cuisine, a class she said consisted of "meat-stuffed meat" was downright unappetizing. With no interest in her cooking career, it was hard for me to appreciate the asides about her love life and friendships -- especially not with all the annoying comments about butter "going straight to her thighs." I give it 3 stars because it keeps moving in spite of its flaws, but if you want to read a good book about food, I suggest you try Anthony Bourdain.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When Kathleen Flinn is fired from her corporate management job in London, she greets the news with relief and some trepidation. "What now?" she wonders. When she asks her soon-to-be husband Mike that question, without missing a beat, he reminds her of her dream to study cooking at the famous French cooking school, Le Cordon Bleu. She hardly considers that it would be possible for her to pursue the dream she'd cultivated throughout her life, but pops by Le Cordon Bleu's website just the same - just looking, of course. Soon, with Mike's promise that he will join her in Paris, Kathleen has donned the uniform of a Le Cordon Bleu student and is studying among an ethnic melting pot of would-be chefs. In The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry, Flinn goes on to chronicle the time she spent in Paris pursuing her long-neglected dream. Her descriptions capture the rich atmosphere and cultural quirks of Paris. Each of the famous and demanding chefs that serve as her class's teachers are brought vividly to life, including the terrifying Gray Chef who is infamous for making students, including Kathleen, cry with his angry critiques of poorly prepared cuisine - yet, who also succeeds in making his students into stronger, more capable chefs. Each chapter ends with a recipe, which might be of interest to those more interested in the food aspect of things, but I usually skipped over in my rush to get to the next chapter. Flinn also attempts to draw life lessons out of her experiences in the kitchen which fail and succeed in equal measure with some flowing easily into natural conclusions and others seeming to be forced just for the sake of including a life lesson.With its detailed descriptions of chopping, filleting, and boning, the food talk tended to get a little boring, but that could be chalked up to my own lack of interest in such things. Flinn's amusing and revealing stories of Le Cordon Bleu, its students, and life in Paris more than make up for any lulls while she sautes and kneads her way to a Le Cordon Bleu degree. The bittersweet portion about her graduation beautifully captures the difficult contrast between achieving a goal and knowing that doing so will end one of life's better chapters. All in all, The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry is a delicious read about a woman who dared to follow her dream and lives up to its promise of "love, laughter, and tears."
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Flinn writes the perfect kind of memoir -- a little love, a little worry, a lot of food. If you enjoyed "Julie and Julia," you'll like this -- or if you liked "Eat, pray, love," you might like this less-self-centered story of growing up and moving on!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Kathleen Flinn lost her job and decided to follow her dream and move to Paris to attend the famous cooking school Le Cordon Bleu. In this very accessible memoir, Flinn not only shares her cooking lessons, but the life lessons she learned while living in a foreign country and pushing herself to the limit. Each chapter centers around the food she's learning to cook and the other things happening in her life. She gradually learns French, navigates the tricky business of finding an apartment in Paris, entertains guests (including two horrible guests at one point), and falls further in love with her boyfriend Mike (who dropped everything to move to France with her). Kathleen's a likable, imperfect narrator and her journey through French cooking is entertaining. Each chapter ends with a recipe.