C’est La Vie! Life, Love and New Hope: The Ingredients of an Authentic French Bakery

By Jane Vitart

A little French bakery and café opens in the artsy, historic borough of New Hope, Pennsylvania. Situated on the bank of the great Delaware River, the shop is owned by a young French chef and his wife who have high hopes for a successful enterprise.

His culinary talent, developed from the tender age of fifteen, becomes readily apparent. Her knack for business gets the ball rolling. A faithful following slowly emerges as residents and visitors from around the states and beyond taste the scrumptious fare.

They call the bakery “C’est La Vie”, a popular French expression that lends itself to dealing with and accepting whatever life has to offer. They may have jinxed themselves. Mother Nature decides to make life interesting and human action contributes to the mix. Two people, united in marriage
and business, must rise to the occasion, keep their heads above water, and go back to square one repeatedly. And they do.

In C’est La Vie! Life, Love and New Hope, author Jane Vitart shares their story and some of their recipes. She narrates how the bakery hums along for twenty-six years with a few sour notes in between. She and her husband enjoy life with their children, their dog, their customers, their friends, and their family. Music helps. Laughter helps. And, above all, love. Not to mention the delicious smells that emanate from the bakery each morning as croissants, baguettes, brioches, and pastries are prepared.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Apr 11, 2024
• ISBN: 9781663260192

Jane Vitart

Jane Vitart is originally from New Jersey, but now lives in New Hope, Pennsylvania, with her husband of thirty-six years. She is the proud mother of a daughter and a son and considers herself incredibly lucky.

Book preview

C’est La Vie! Life, Love and New Hope

The Ingredients of an Authentic French Bakery

Copyright © 2024 Jane Vitart.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

iUniverse

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-6632-5977-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-5976-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-6019-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024902321

Print information available on the last page.

iUniverse rev. date: 03/08/2024

This book is dedicated to my parents,

Anna and Joseph Stolarz,

with immeasurable love and gratitude.

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Recipe: Baguette

Recipe: Brioche

Recipe: Macarons

Recipe: Pȃte à Choux

Recipe: Madeleine

Recipe: Puff Pastry and Palmiers

Recipe: Tuiles

Recipe: Pȃte Sablée

Recipe: Crème brȗlée

Recipe: Cinnamon Cookies

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe: Beau Bones

Recipe: Potato Leek Soup

Recipe: Potato Cheddar Soup

Appendix

Glossary

Bibliography

Creative Direction by Dearest Creative

Food Photography by Evan Sung

Styling by Kristen Usui

Archival Photos Sourced by Family

Foreword

Dear Readers,

I have known the author of this book and her husband, the owners of C’est La Vie French Bakery & Cafe, for twenty-six years and have the pleasure of introducing them to you.

Joël grew up in Paris, France, and emigrated to Washington, D.C. in 1980 to serve as a pastry chef during the Reagan administration’s inaugural festivities. Jane, born and raised in the United States by Polish immigrant parents, went to university, and then worked in Manhattan for a variety of corporations. While on different journeys, they eventually met in a New York City bakery that Joël managed.

Showered with croissants by Joël, Jane could not resist the French flair Joël exuded. (P.S. That’s how French men used to court women. Do not fall for it. Being French myself, I should know.) As for Joël, he could not resist that smile and dimple. Jane was friendly, open, and curious.

Followed by two beautiful children, their love story continued to New Hope, Pennsylvania, where they opened C’est La Vie French Bakery & Cafe.

This little gem was the talk of the town. Not only did it attract locals, but its reputation spread everywhere, making it a must-visit for tourists as well. Through the years, the business saw much success but also endured floods and fire. It is a miracle that it withstood it all. This is a testament to Jane and Joël’s strength and resilience as they fought their way back each time.

Having been a part of it myself, I can tell you that it was a pleasure. It gave me the opportunity to meet many interesting people and to better appreciate how this wonderful bakery was central to the fabric of the town and community.

My favorite memories from my time working at the bakery would be arriving to find Joël in the kitchen baking while Jane was managing the business in her small office. Enjoying the smell of chocolate croissants, cakes, and coffee permeating the air was magical. It was a real treat to be a part of it and see locals come every morning to get their fix before heading to work. It felt like being a part of something. It felt warm and inviting. Joël, always on a quest for new things to create, made it very enjoyable. To watch them work together was pure bliss.

I can still hear the stories of the town and the laughter of the locals. Joy is the feeling that this little bakery brought to Bucks County. Although the shop has now closed, this memory lingers.

I will leave you to enjoy Jane and Joël’s story and let them lead the way to waking up your taste buds in the most delightful, positive manner.

Isn’t that what life is about? Even with