Little Culinary Triumphs

Sexy encounters, irreverent humor, and subtle twists keep up the pace of this quirky tale about a variety of French appetites (Publishers Weekly). Sandrine works as a functionary in an employment office, but there is a lot more to her than one might suspect from her job description. With a volcanic personality and an imagination to match, she is also a world-class cook waiting for the right occasion to realize her dream of opening a restaurant of her own. With a master plan that one could only describe as Machiavellian, Sandrine ropes Antoine, an unemployed professor, into her venture. A carousel of extravagant characters follows: the giant Senegalese man, Toussaint N'Diaye; the magical chef, Vairam; the extravagantly flatulent Alsatian Schmutz and his twelve-year-old daughter Juliette (IQ 172!); the alluring psychologist and Kama Sutra specialist Annabelle Villemin-Dubreuil. Plans for the restaurant proceed smoothly until Sandrine discovers a shady newspaper operation next-door that leads her to a sinister magnate's plot . . . Set in the storied and culturally diverse Parisian quarter of Montmartre, made famous by artists, writers, and bon vivants of every ilk, this heartwarming, comic tale is a must for foodies, Francophiles, and lovers of a good story well told. This farcical novel envelops readers in the sights, sounds, and smells of Montmartre and is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Mary Simses, Laura Madeleine, and Nina George. With lively characters and a dreamy setting, Little Culinary Triumphs will awaken the Francophile in all. -Booklist Pujol keeps the tone light as she takes on serious themes of economics and immigration. . . . The plot adds characters like ingredients in a recipe until everything finally sets like a creamy quiche. Will everybody get what they want-or deserve? Maybe, maybe not, but it's fun watching the schemes unfold. -The Star Tribune