Now available at a bookstore near you!
While traveling in Europe, have you ever strolled down a cobblestone street, passed an open window and heard laughter flowing out to greet you? Have you ever stopped to listen to the banter while wondering what it would be like to live there? In that house? That village? And, oooooh! What is that wonderful aroma? I did too.
My book series, Savoring the Olde Ways, is a compilation of intimate interviews, conversations, stories and recipes I had the good fortune to gather from European families as I traveled throughout France and Italy. Part culinary memoir and part travelogue, these books are the personal stories told to me by individual families—from inside their homes along those very cobblestone streets.
Now available as an Audio Book
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As a retired family therapist, my initial interests were in the families themselves. But as a lover of traditional foods and of home cooking, I discovered that traditional foods brought both French and Italian families together—not only for holidays, but every day, at their own family table.
So, what sure-fire recipe did I use to open a topic of conversation? I asked my hosts to tell me about their favorite foods as a child. Or, the treasured recipes they prepared when first married. What I quickly learned was that I needed to prepare myself. I needed to have pen and paper in hand, along with a trusty voice recorder. I also needed to quickly snug up to their kitchen table, because, without fail, I was headed for a most passionate journey.
Once I posed my question, the fondest of memories would immediately rise to the surface—moments of delight of holidays past, favorite family foods, cherished traditions and beloved family stories—all would come bubbling forth. And, before I knew it, my host would jump up, eyes bright with excitement, and she or he would rush to the kitchen cabinet to snatch up their favorite recipe.
“’Voici,’ I would hear exclaimed in French, or ‘Ecco qui,’ in Italian, which meant ‘Here it is!’ as they would make a bee-line back to my side. And there, clutched in his or her hand was a recipe card, all smudged with past efforts and spattered with passionate conviction. Immediately, their arms would fly in all directions with mixing motions sweeping the air as they acted out this, their favorite recipe.
Come join me on this culinary travel adventure—and collect a few recipes for yourself along the way or check out a bit of the inside story: Tell Me What You Eat and I’ll Tell You Where You Are From.
Order Online: Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound.org, Barnes & Noble
Awards and Recognition of Book One
• 2020 – IBPA – EUROPE – BEST REGIONAL NON-FICTION – SILVER
• 2021 – IBPA – GOLD – BOOK SERIES OF THE YEAR
• 2020 CHANTICLEER INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD – (CIBA) – I&I Book Awards Finalist
• 2021 – CIBA – Non-fiction Writing Contests – Journey – HEARTEN AWARD – Finalist – Silver
• 2020 – Benjamin Franklin Awards – 38 – Regional
• Review from IBPA Ben Franklin Award Judge:
“As a culinary memoir and travelogue, the author pairs family stories, recipes, and interviews with great success. [I can’t wait for the quarantine to lift!] Her first essay in this series is well-regarded and a prize winner. It is easy to see why.”
• 2021 – AMERICAN BOOK FEST – INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS – Cookbook –Finalist in Cookbooks: International
Praise for Book One
“Both a regional history and a cooking memoir, this is even more than the sum of its parts, and a celebration of living life every moment. Francophiles, history fans and foodies will love this book.” Booklist Review
“…engaging….Bumpus’ writing is perspicuous and economical…. The recipes, too, are enticing and detailed, and the book as a whole should appeal to Francophiles and ambitious cooks. A culinary adventure that’s enhanced by familial and regional histories.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Carole’s enthusiasm for the region’s people, history and culinary traditions leaps from the pages in this down-to-earth exploration of north-eastern France. Pull up a chair, pour yourself a glass of wine and dig in!” —Fiona Valpy, author of The French for Love – U.K.
“This gorgeous book – part travel memoir, part collection of regional French recipes – connects food to families and families to their ancestral lands. An intimate, enlightening, and satisfying read.” —Martha Conway, author of The Underground River
“This is a gem of a book for foodies, Francophiles and lovers of storytelling. Carole Bumpus is an insightful and gracious guest.” —Patricia Sands, author of the bestselling Love in Provence series.
“An evocative, charming and mouth-watering journey into the heart of France. Recipes and traditions – from sea scallops to cream and almond tarts, to lamb-shaped Alsace cakes and a ride in a 1940s Deux Chevaux – are perfectly matched with wines and cheeses from the regions. Retired family therapist Carole Bumpus shares joyous proof that families that eat together stay together, and simple pleasures make for lasting memories.” —Deborah Lawrenson, author of The Lantern and 300 Days of Sun – U.K.
There has been no dearth of American writers enthralled with France’s culinary traditions, but in Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table Carole Bumpus makes absolutely sure she will find what she is looking for. She prepares herself with broad knowledge and a lively curiosity, and she travels with a French friend who has deep roots in the past and lots of friends and relations in the present. These people welcome Bumpus into their homes to share their meals, stories, traditions and intimate feelings. She is looking for cuisine pauvre, the everyday life of the French home kitchen. She comes away with cherished family recipes and table memories that she transforms into a rich portrait of people living in time. These are stories of history and change, of cherishing traditions partly because of the sense that they may not continue forever, making them even more precious and Bumpus’ recording of them even more vital. Adding to the delights, the book is full of secrets and surprises, the quirks and intrigues of regional recipes, and even the story of why there are roosters on French government buildings. You’ll never guess! – Jeannette Ferrary – author of MFK Fisher and Me: A Memoir of Food and Friendship jeannetteferrary.photoshelter.com
Reminiscent of the jaunty journeys of Julie Child, Carole Bumpus and her merry band of fellow diners (and wine lovers) invites readers to lavish and humble tables, to meals shared by friends and families, offering a reminder to dine rather than simply to eat. Just about when we find ourselves jealous of her food journey, Bumpus soothes us by offering the recipes for the meals they enjoy so that we can taste the joy of it too. This book is a dining tour through France, sans the jet lag and the TSA search. Delightful. —Betsy Graziani Fasbinder, author of Filling Her Shoes: A Memoir of an Inherited Family, www.betsygrazianifasbinder.com
In the first book of what will be a series, Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table takes us on a delicious culinary ride through the Champagne, Lorraine and Alsace regions of France. The author, Carol Bumpus, and her French friend, Josiane, are determined to discover authentic French cuisine and to hear the family stories that were passed down through generations with it. The author’s voice is warm and insightful and by the time you finish her cultural memoir, you feel you’ve not only visited the French countryside with her but have also made new friends. Bumpus’ sumptuous tale — a celebration of French life in the garden and the kitchen in all its vivid intensities and tastes — is fueled by her exuberant love of good food and wine. She seduces readers into a French world where all the senses are teased. I must say that I cannot wait to try the mouth-watering recipes the author shares. This book celebrates not only French cuisine but also the people, the geography and the history of the regions covered. After reading the many recipes designed to be prepared in the home kitchen, you’ll be transported to France in no time. – Marianne C. Bohr, Author of Gap Year Girl: A Baby Boomer Adventure Across 21 Countries – http://mariannecbohr.com
“A tour de force of impeccable writing skills woven into the culinary world of French cooking and family relationships. Bumpus brings life to her experience as she meets and cooks with chefs in several regions of France and we get the benefit of her passion and fabulous French recipes.” – Geri Spieler, author of Taking Aim At The President: The Remarkable Story Of the Woman Who Shot At Gerald Ford