Plat du Jour: French Classics for Today’s Home Chef

Plat du Jour, French for dish of the day, is announced on chalkboards displayed in front of France’s restaurants, cafes, brasseries, and bistros. Based on regional specialties, the dish is prepared with the best and freshest ingredients available daily at local markets.

Cooking teacher, author and journalist Susan Herrmann Loomis highlights this iconic part of la formule (set menu), focusing on making classics approachable without sacrificing authenticity. She deconstructs old favorites, describes contemporary versions of plats du jour, and includes some of her own creations. Loomis, who owned and operated the cooking school On Rue Tatin in Normandy and Paris for 20 years, shares what the cook needs to know to make a delicious plat du jour, world-class bechamel, and why a French chef would substitute monkfish for lamb in a classic preparation.

Virtually enter her Parisian kitchen as Loomis prepares a simple dish or two using recipes from her newest book, Plat du Jour: French Dinners Made Easy. You’ll be inspired to prepare your own plat du jour, surprising and delighting yourself and everyone who shares your table.

Plat du Jour (Countryman Press) is available for purchase.

Book Sale Information

• Purchase your copy of Plat du Jour: French Dinners Made Easy by Susan Herrmann Loomis here.
• Special Note: Politics and Prose is offering a 10% discount to Smithsonian Associates ticket-holders. To claim your discount, enter the code SPECIAL10 (no space between letters and numbers) in the “Coupon discount” section on Politics and Prose's check-out page.

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