The typical French home cook’s secret ingredient, according to Susan Herrmann Loomis, is a philosophy that combines a love of food with the pleasure in sharing that love with family and friends. After having lived in France for a quarter century and running a cooking school in Normandy and Paris, she understands how a multi-course French home-cooked meal, which can be as simple as it is elegant, is prepared with fresh, local ingredients, and plated with pride and tradition. Loomis swears on her whisk that the French invented fine cuisine, along with the simple art of the grill.
Join her as she leads a culinary journey through the farmers markets, shops, supermarkets, and wine stores of France. Discover the role the local butcher, baker, wine-seller, and cheese merchant play in daily life. Learn some of the fine points of the Gallic culinary tradition, which includes methods for grilling foods to perfection. Find out what goes into the seemingly effortless preparation of a simple meal, and discover tips, techniques, tricks, pantry lists, and recipes that may start you on your way to becoming a home cook à la française.
Afterward, enjoy French-inspired hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and of course, wine at a reception.
Loomis’s new book French Grill (Countryman Press), which explores techniques and recipes drawn from the country’s centuries-old rustic tradition, is available for signing during the reception.
Reception Menu
French Cheese and Charcuterie Board
An assortment of artisanal cheeses, country pâté, and saucisson sec with cornichons, fig jam, and crusty baguette
A Taste of Provence
Marinated olives and honey-thyme roasted almonds
Summer Vegetable Crudités
With sauce verte and sun-dried tomato tapenade
Savory Leek and Goat Cheese Tart
Sandwich au Jambon et Gruyère
Baguette with French ham and Gruyère cheese
Tartine au Caviar d'Aubergine et Poivron Rouge
Country bread toast topped with eggplant caviar and roasted pepper
Miniature Desserts à la Française
White Wine and Perrier with Lemon
Other Connections
Susan Herrmann Loomis adds a French twist to one of spring’s favorite fruits in her recipe for Strawberries, Bordeaux-Style.
