The Cook's Atelier : Recipes, Techniques, and Stories from Our French Cooking School

The debut cookbook from The Cook's Atelier - the international culinary destination and cooking school in Burgundy - is a beautifully photographed resource on classic French cuisine and an atmospheric chronicle of a family's life in a charming French village. Mother and daughter American expats Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini always dreamed of living in France. With a lot of hard work and a dash of fate, they realized this dream and cofounded The Cook's Atelier, a celebrated French cooking school in the storybook town of Beaune, located in the heart of the Burgundy wine region. Combining their professional backgrounds in food and wine, they attract visitors from near and far with their approachable, convivial style of cooking. Featuring more than 100 market-inspired recipes and 300 exceptional photographs, this comprehensive reference is an extension of their cooking school, providing a refreshingly simple take on French techniques and recipes that every cook should know - basic butchery, essential stocks and sauces, pastry, dessert creams and sauces, and preserving, to name a few. Seasonal menus build on this foundation, collecting recipes that showcase their fresh, vegetable-focused versions of timeless French dishes, such as: ·Green Garlic Souffle ·Watermelon and Vineyard Peach Salad ·Little Croques Madames ·Sole Meuniere with Beurre Blanc and Parsleyed Potatoes ·Seared Duck Breast with Celery Root Puree and Chanterelles ·Madeleines ·Plum Tarte Tatin ·Almond-Cherry Galette Stories of food and life in the village and the unique atmosphere of the atelier accent this personal cookbook. We can almost hear the clanking of the copper pots, the hiss of the vintage espresso machine, and the merriment around the table, as we meet some of the region's best small farmers and artisanal producers and experience how Marjorie and Kendall's family works together to create this special place. More than a practical introduction to classic French cooking, this richly illustrated volume is also a distinctively designed celebration of the French art of joie de vivre and an inspirational primer on adopting elements of the French lifestyle, no matter where you live. "It is a little early, but I think this may be one of the Cook's Library's books of the year. I have already sat down and read it aloud to my children as it is written so evocatively, photographed superbly, and thick with the substance of French food" The Times "WE STILL PINCH ourselves,' admits Marjorie Taylor as she describes the cookery school and cookware and wine shop she runs with her daughter, Kendall Smith Franchini." The Telegraph Magazine "If you want to master a new skill, a cooking school's book is a good place to start. Especially when it's from this French one of the same name, which is where I imagine Julia Child would have gone if she were going to school now. It has promising recipes, inviting photos, heartwarming stories and tips that will make you a better home cook." Tasting Table "The authors are remarkably adept at conveying what makes their adopted home so special, and their seductive book is likely to have readers fantasizing about their own escapes to France." Publishers Weekly "The Cook's Atelier by Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini, is no ordinary cookery book, but a 360º love letter to French cooking, from the kitchen environment and its tools right through to the selection of ingredients, cooking techniques, and wine pairings. Serious about perfecting your culinary skills? This book is for you." Image Magazine, Ireland "Featuring more than 100 market-inspired recipes alongside beautiful images, a read of this book is the next best thing to actually visiting the Beaune atelier, and is one that provides a gorgeous take on classic French cuisine." Living France "These seasonal menus and thorough instructions for traditional techniques are seasoned with personal stories, accounts of their relationships with local suppliers and portrayals of life in the region. From basic butchering to beurre blanc, and from madeleines to mousseline, their take on French cuisine is fresh and inviting." The Lady "Since 2008, mother and daughter duo Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini have taught legions of would-be chefs to cook at their school in Beaune, Burgundy. In this, their first cookbook, they've brought their collective teaching experience to the page, guiding the reader through classic French recipes like plum tarte tatin, watermelon and vineyard peach salad, and baby leek galettes with goat cheese and wild garlic." Departures.com "They [the authors] cover seasonal menus and traditional techniques, with personal stories of life in France.", The Lady