Forty years in the business. Forty stories. Forty recipes. One crazy life. Join Thierry Tellier in a journey that transcends time. It begins at his birth in the Loire Valley of France and culminates in the rolling hills of the present day New River Valley in Virginia. Through forty stories, this timeline reveals Thierry's life, his growth, and his dedication to the craft of bread and pastry making, as well as his evolution of knowledge, and experience regarding food and its creation. It also showcases his sense of humor. From teenage antics to workplace pranks, you will gain a sense of his joie de vivre-or joy of living. The most simple as well as the most sophisticated of palates will be rewarded as Thierry shares forty of the recipes that he has amassed in his la folie, or crazy, forty years in the food industry. Your mouth will water simply reading about decadent chocolate truffles, delicate salmon swimming in a savory leek cream sauce, luscious leg of lamb, creamy cheese wrapped in salty ham and sweet caramelized pear, and warm, flaky, fresh-from-the-oven bread. These are just a sampling of the sensational dishes that Thierry has compiled. Throughout these pages, experience for yourself Thierry's passion for life, food and family, his American dream come true, and most of all, La Folie Forty.