LOVE A LA MODE
Author: Stephanie Kate Strohm
Pub. Date: November 27, 2018
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 304
Description:
Take two American teen chefs, add one heaping cup of Paris, toss in a pinch of romance, and stir. ...
Rosie Radeke firmly believes that happiness can be found at the bottom of a mixing bowl. But she never expected that she, a random nobody from East Liberty, Ohio, would be accepted to celebrity chef Denis Laurent's school in Paris, the most prestigious cooking program for teens in the entire world. Life in Paris, however, isn't all cream puffs and crepes. Faced with a challenging curriculum and a nightmare professor, Rosie begins to doubt her dishes.
Henry Yi grew up in his dad's restaurant in Chicago, and his lifelong love affair with food landed him a coveted spot in Chef Laurent's school. He quickly connects with Rosie, but academic pressure from home and his jealousy over Rosie's growing friendship with gorgeous bad-boy baker Bodie Tal makes Henry lash out and push his dream girl away.
Desperate to prove themselves, Rosie and Henry cook like never before while sparks fly between them. But as they reach their breaking points, they wonder whether they have what it takes to become real chefs.
Perfect for lovers of Chopped Teen Tournament and Kids Baking Championship, as well as anyone who dreams of a romantic trip to France, Love la Mode follows Rosie and Henry as they fall in love with food, with Paris, and ultimately, with each other.
“Wow.” Henry whistled. “That’s quite a cake. I would have gasped too.”
Henry had never seen a person literally light up before, but that’s what this girl did. And now he was staring. Which he definitely needed to stop immediately. So Henry looked down at his magazine again. It was quite a cake. Three layers of cake interspersed with layers of jam and lemon cheesecake, according to the caption—and topped with pickled strawberry icing and a ring of what looked like crumbled cookies. The sides were exposed so they could see every delicious layer.
“It—it’s Christina Tosi, isn’t it?” she said shyly. “The exposed sides of the cake. That’s her thing. And the milk crumbs on top. I recognize them, from the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook.”
Henry looked closer—she was right. They weren’t cookies.
“Milk crumbs?” he asked.
“They’re made with milk powder and white chocolate. Really good… What flavor’s the cake?”
“Strawberry lemon.” Henry was staring at her again. He’d never seen someone’s face look like that when talking about pastry before.
“Mmm. That one’s not in the cookbook. I’ve made the apple pie cake and the birthday cake, of course. I make that one every year for Owen’s birthday. My brother,” she clarified. “Although . . .” She chewed her lip distractedly. “I’m not sure what he’s gonna do this year... Maybe Mom will make him the Funfetti cake, from the mix. Like I did. Before I knew about Christina Tosi.”
She went back to chewing on her lip. Henry hadn’t known that someone chewing on her lip could be quite so distracting.
“You can have it,” he blurted out.
“What?” she asked.
“The magazine. You can have my magazine.” Henry held it out across the aisle eagerly. Too eagerly.
“Oh, no, I couldn’t—”
“Please—”
“No, I can’t—”
“Take it.” He shook it at her insistently. It was suddenly incredibly, vitally important that the girl take his magazine. “Take it. Please take it.”
“I—I— When you’re done reading it,” she said firmly. “It’s Lucky Peach, right? I’ve never seen a paper copy before. I’ve only read it online.”
Henry nodded and put the magazine back on his tray table, wondering how he could possibly read it knowing she would have it after him. What if there were chocolate stains on the earlier pages? Who knew what horrors he’d left behind, lurking within those innocent pages? Was there an embarrassing way to read a magazine? Probably. And he’d probably been doing it the whole time.
“I just have one question—sorry.”
Henry looked up, and the girl smiled at him apologetically.
Henry smiled back, probably in a lame way. Why was everything he did so lame?
“Just one question before I let you finish reading. Sorry. I mean, I’m not sorry.” She cleared her throat and shook her head. “I’m just curious. Does it say if she used an offset spatula to ice the top layer? Ateco, I’m assuming? Did it say what size the blade is?”
And that was the moment Henry started to worry that he might have fallen in love.
Henry had never seen a person literally light up before, but that’s what this girl did. And now he was staring. Which he definitely needed to stop immediately. So Henry looked down at his magazine again. It was quite a cake. Three layers of cake interspersed with layers of jam and lemon cheesecake, according to the caption—and topped with pickled strawberry icing and a ring of what looked like crumbled cookies. The sides were exposed so they could see every delicious layer.
“It—it’s Christina Tosi, isn’t it?” she said shyly. “The exposed sides of the cake. That’s her thing. And the milk crumbs on top. I recognize them, from the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook.”
Henry looked closer—she was right. They weren’t cookies.
“Milk crumbs?” he asked.
“They’re made with milk powder and white chocolate. Really good… What flavor’s the cake?”
“Strawberry lemon.” Henry was staring at her again. He’d never seen someone’s face look like that when talking about pastry before.
“Mmm. That one’s not in the cookbook. I’ve made the apple pie cake and the birthday cake, of course. I make that one every year for Owen’s birthday. My brother,” she clarified. “Although . . .” She chewed her lip distractedly. “I’m not sure what he’s gonna do this year... Maybe Mom will make him the Funfetti cake, from the mix. Like I did. Before I knew about Christina Tosi.”
She went back to chewing on her lip. Henry hadn’t known that someone chewing on her lip could be quite so distracting.
“You can have it,” he blurted out.
“What?” she asked.
“The magazine. You can have my magazine.” Henry held it out across the aisle eagerly. Too eagerly.
“Oh, no, I couldn’t—”
“Please—”
“No, I can’t—”
“Take it.” He shook it at her insistently. It was suddenly incredibly, vitally important that the girl take his magazine. “Take it. Please take it.”
“I—I— When you’re done reading it,” she said firmly. “It’s Lucky Peach, right? I’ve never seen a paper copy before. I’ve only read it online.”
Henry nodded and put the magazine back on his tray table, wondering how he could possibly read it knowing she would have it after him. What if there were chocolate stains on the earlier pages? Who knew what horrors he’d left behind, lurking within those innocent pages? Was there an embarrassing way to read a magazine? Probably. And he’d probably been doing it the whole time.
“I just have one question—sorry.”
Henry looked up, and the girl smiled at him apologetically.
Henry smiled back, probably in a lame way. Why was everything he did so lame?
“Just one question before I let you finish reading. Sorry. I mean, I’m not sorry.” She cleared her throat and shook her head. “I’m just curious. Does it say if she used an offset spatula to ice the top layer? Ateco, I’m assuming? Did it say what size the blade is?”
And that was the moment Henry started to worry that he might have fallen in love.
Stephanie Kate Strohm
is the author of It's Not Me, It's You; The Taming of the Drew;
Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink; Confederates Don't Wear Couture and the
upcoming The Date to Save and Prince in Disguise (Fall 2017). She grew
up on the Connecticut coast, where a steady diet of Little House on the
Prairie turned her into a history nerd at an early age. After graduating
with a joint major in theater and history from Middlebury College, she
acted her way around the country, performing in more than 25 states.
Although
she was born in New York, she currently lives in Chicago, and doesn't
discriminate against any type of pizza. When she's not writing, she
loves baking, walking her dog Lorelei, taking dance cardio classes too
seriously, and playing board games with her husband. Photo credit: Melissa Lynn
(3) winners will win a signed finished copy of LOVE A LA MODE - US Only.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
11/26/2018- Mary Had a Little Book Blog- Review
11/27/2018- Oh Hey! Books.- Excerpt
11/28/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review
11/29/2018- A Gingerly Review- Review
11/30/2018- Adventures Thru Wonderland- Review
Week Two:
12/3/2018- Novel Novice- Review
12/4/2018- Do You Dog-ear?- Review
12/5/2018- The Hermit Librarian- Review
12/6/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Excerpt
12/7/2018- YA Book Nerd- Review
Week Three:
12/10/2018- Eli to the nth- Review
12/11/2018- BookHounds YA- Review
12/12/2018- Savings in Seconds- Review
12/13/2018- Clarissa Reads It All- Review
12/14/2018- Kait Plus Books- Review
Week Four:
12/17/2018- Book Dragon Lair- Review
12/18/2018- EatingbetweenthelinesINC- Review
12/19/2018- Smada's Book Smack- Review
12/20/2018- Lifestyle of Me- Review
12/21/2018- The Heart of a Book Blogger- Review
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