Kristen Beddard’s recently released memoir, “Bonjour Kale,” is about an American expat’s journey to bring kale, a forgotten vegetable or légume oublié, back to France.

A Parisian expat myself, I am both familiar with Beddard’s Kale Project and an avid reader of this sort of expat memoir. I was keen to discover this book and see if it stood out amongst the myriad other titles in the genre.

There are several differences between this book and other books in the expat-in-France category: firstly, Beddard is not a dreamer, caught up in a France that doesn’t or no longer exists, but rather rowing — somewhat against her will — through the stream of bureaucracy that is life in modern-day Paris. This element of the book makes it far more relatable to many readers and explores the downsides (and yes, there are downsides) to ending up in the City of Light. This element of the memoir goes against the grain of the more traditional “the French can do no wrong” mentality in the genre; it’s utterly refreshing, and Beddard expertly walks the line between moments of exasperation, confusion, and sadness, and the surprisingly lovely discoveries she makes about her accidental home.

The second difference  between this book and other expat memoirs was the driving force of Beddard’s passion for a project that seemed a little odd to some and utterly surreal to others. The Kale Project is at the heart and soul of this book, which expands and expounds upon the blog that Beddard started at the very beginning of her adventure introducing kale to France. This passion sets Beddard apart from other writers in the genre, not only for its novelty but also for the sense of purpose that it lends to the book.

Beddard’s journey to bring kale to France, a country with 350 cheeses but, until recently, a rather lackluster regard for vegetables, proves itself to be one that must overcome many obstacles. Beddard details her discovery of kale as a child and her surprise, as an adult, at learning that not everyone was as familiar with the vegetable as she, the daughter of a macrobiotic pioneer. Her surprise is clear when she realizes that France has not developed the same love of the vegetable as New York, and her navigation, not only of the language of her new country, but of its culture, is perfectly illustrated in her dealings with the various individuals who stand in her way, including but not limited to people who refuse to believe that the Americans have anything to teach the French about food.

What surfaces from this true struggle is a standout book in a genre that has been done to death: kale is both Beddard’s clear passion and a unique tool for telling what has become a somewhat rehashed story of love and culture-shock. Beddard’s story explores not only what Americans can learn from the French, but what the French can — and do — learn from Americans (and that includes a killer recipe for kale chips). Beddard tells her own moving-to-France story with such passion, wit, and attention to detail that it feels brand-new.

The delicious, veggie-heavy recipes — each of which is linked to a chapter and frequently pulled straight from a Parisian kitchen or from Beddard’s own trove of dishes — are a great reason to keep this book within easy reach of your kitchen.

The author of this article was offered a free advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Image by Jessie Kanelos-Weiner, The Francofly

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In this kale pesto recipe, the basil typically used  in pesto is replaced  with the earthy kale, which gives the sauce a bolder, slightly spicy flavor. This condiment is delicious mixed with scrambled eggs, spread on a sandwich or pizza, whisked into salad dressing, or spooned over grilled fish.

Kale Pesto Recipe

Makes one cup

Ingredients

Garlic, 2 cloves
Parmesan or pecorino cheese,1⁄2  cup (2oz/60g), grated
Kale leaves,  2 cups  (2 oz/60 g), packed
Pine nuts, 1⁄4  cup ( 1 1⁄4  oz/35 g), toasted
Extra-virgin olive oil, 1⁄2  cup (4 floz/125ml)
Salt, 1⁄4  teaspoon
 Freshly ground  pepper, 1⁄8  teaspoon

Directions

With a food processor running, drop the garlic cloves through the feed tube. Turn off the processor,  add the cheese and pine nuts, and pulse briefly. Add the kale, turn  on the processor again, and pour  the oil through the feed tube in a thin, steady stream, processing until  a moderately thick paste forms. As you work, stop the processor occasionally  and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the pesto to a bowl, stir in the salt and pepper, and then taste the pesto. Add more cheese, salt, and/or pepper if needed to balance  the flavors. Use the pesto right away, or top with a thin layer of oil (to prevent  discoloration), cover, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bring the pesto to room temperature and stir well before using.

Reprinted with permission from “Better From Scratch“. Photography by Alice Gao. Copyright 2014 by Weldon Owen Inc. and Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

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I know. Carbs are bad. Pasta? Shame on me, right? But when you take the classic macaroni and cheese recipe and omit the milk, butter and cheese for a much healthier vegan cheese sauce, a few noodles won’t kill you.

The Blue Box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese was my absolute favorite as a kid. Strange, because I didn’t really like cheese, butter or milk by themselves. I’m guessing there was some sort of addictive chemical in the artificial coloring.

As a vegan, I never really liked the faux cheese much, either. It smells weird and has a strange texture. But I am a huge fan of nutritional yeast, which just so happens to make the easiest and most delicious vegan macaroni and cheese recipe around. Add in gluten-free noodles and some sautéed kale, and well, like I said, suddenly the noodles don’t seem so indulgent.

Vegan Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Makes six servings

Ingredients

1 lb gluten-free noodles like Tinkyada brown rice macaroni
1 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup warm water (take it from your cooking pasta water)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped* optional
1 teaspoon gluten-free Tamari sauce
salt and pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and follow the package instructions for cooking the noodles.

While the noodles are cooking, sauté the kale in one tablespoon of the olive oil. Cook over medium heat until the kale is soft and bright green. Add tamari, mix well and remove from heat.

In a large bowl, mix the nutritional yeast with the warm water—adding slowly so that you get the desired consistency you like for your cheese sauce. You can add more than one cup if needed, or less, if you like it thicker. Add the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well. (I recommend a lot of fresh pepper.)

Once the noodles are cooked, toss well, adding the chopped kale. Enjoy!

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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