Denver writer’s new book has unusual approach

‘A Bakery in Paris’ is fiction plus recipes

BY SONYA ELLINGBOE SELLINGBOE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Blend historic ction and culinary tidbits and enjoy “A Bakery in Paris,” a new book by a Denver writer, Aimie K. Runyan, which strikes me as a spot-on choice for laid-back summer reading ...

Opening up in 1870, this story follows members of a family — two women in particular — and the family bakery in Montmarte until the 20th century, though it is no longer open now ...

Included in the latter part of this book are a number of recipes, including Madelines Au Citron, Brioche and more, with bits of lore on preparation and garnishing ... One can almost smell the oven’s current product on a given day!

e bakery was located on the Place Royale and the family who operated it — and lived above it — await invasion by the Prussians as the story begins in September 1870, with older sister Lisette ... It continues to alternate a storyline between Lisette in 1870 and her descendent Micheline in 1946, through several generations of the family of owners and the history that accompanies them through the years, with small details about clothing and bakery products, ongoing accounts of the looks and aromas of bakery products — plus local history and stories about Paris through the years, including various invasions by Germans ... And then, there are those recipes ... ose later chapters are interspersed with instructions for baking fancy recipes: Mille-Feulle A L’

Interesting structure for this novel ... It relates to other titles I have read over the years that deal with the same history ... familiar names and places ...

It is February 1946 and Papa had died during the war. Maman had more recently just walked away and never returned, leaving her daughters to run the bakery and care for each other.

But the book starts with Sept 7, 1870 ... Lisette rushes into the kitchen with items from the market. A guest was expected for dinner and the father of the house is insistent about prompt dinner service ... Tarts are still needed for dessert and Lisette quickly gets to work on them.

Gadspard d’ Amboise, a prospective suitor for Lisette, is expected and she rushes to get dressed up, with help from the maid, Marie. By the end of the evening, Papa has o ered her hand in marriage to the young man, who accepted ... and the parents discuss wedding plans without including their daughter ...

By December 1870, there was a food shortage and it was di cult to nd our for the bakery’s use. People, such as the neighbor Monsieur DuQuay, were slowly starving.

Micheline was able to attend a baking school, due to another neighbor’s generosity and her love, Laurent, also attended, where they learned skills that really helped with operating the bakery.

As one reaches later chapters, there are recipes and instructions for items such as pu pastry and a reader thinks she might actually be capable of creating such a delight.

Ancienne (pu pastry), for example. (Colorado bakers would have to calculate altitude adjustments ...) But, as a longtime recipe reader, I found pleasure in just learning how it is done, with no inclination to really try!

“A Bakery in Paris” by Aimie K. Runyan is available in paperback from Morrow — $18.99.

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