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At , you鈥檒l see us whipping up souffle虂s in copper bowls and teaching guests the secrets to preparing classic French sauces; we are really part cooking school and part fine-dining establishment. While we do have a lot of experience creating more elaborate and technical French food and plating it carefully, the style of cooking we bring home 鈥� satisfying, beautiful, casual French meals we make intuitively, rarely with a recipe nearby 鈥� is based on the same basic foundations we encourage in our classes.

First and foremost, we use best-quality ingredients. Our school is in the center of Burgundy, in the heart of French wine country. From excellent produce and well-raised local meats and eggs to staples that are easy to gloss over, like good salt and pepper and olive oil, we buy each ingredient intentionally. The better the ingredients you begin with, the easier it is to cook delicious meals very simply. Anything that starts with a bit of dirt on it probably tastes better than something that comes packaged and clean; we鈥檒l take garden lettuces that need three washings in cold water over bagged salad any day.

Next, we encourage cooking things from scratch whenever possible. Taking the time to make something as simple as mayonnaise or a good vinaigrette by hand will make you realise both that it tastes much better than its store-bought relative, and that it really doesn鈥檛 take much time at all. Learn how to make a handful of things really well 鈥� cooks鈥� fundamentals like soft-boiled eggs and a basic pastry dough and even homemade cheese 鈥� and you鈥檒l find yourself well armed to turn what you find at your own market into inspiring dinners for your own table.

Finally, we cook seasonally. The food that tastes best on any given day is probably the food you鈥檒l find at your local farmers鈥� market, or if you鈥檙e like us, growing in your own garden. While we are, of course, as smitten as anyone with tomato season and the joys of summer berries, we also embrace the arrival of cold weather and all the wintry produce it brings.

Putting together good ingredients, some core foundations, and seasonal food will ultimately make you a better cook. And there鈥檚 one other thing we鈥檝e tried to do our entire lives: We keep learning. We keep a giant pile of cookbooks next to our beds, so each night, whether it鈥檚 from classic French tomes or new Japanese home cooking releases, we鈥檙e finding new ideas.

As you try some of our essential recipes on the following pages, you鈥檒l likely find yourself developing more intuition and maybe straying away from firm recipes, the way we do at home. You鈥檒l see fresh produce and know, for example, that it would be great grilled and slathered with Sauce Verte, that berries or apricots would be lovely in a Clafoutis, and that any pretty leaves will taking a liking to our Vinaigrettes. As you cook (and experiment), you鈥檒l see a cycle of improvement: The more you hone and refine your skills in the kitchen, the more solid your culinary foundation will feel, and the more freedom and confidence you鈥檒l have to make the food that makes you happy.

Recipe: Endive Salad

This is one of our favourite salads during the autumn and winter months, when vibrant greens make way for pale chicories in beautiful yellow and wine-red shades. It鈥檚 a good example of France鈥檚 love affair with endive, which is readily available here all winter long and served in simple salads, or often braised or roasted. We love dressing the raw leaves with a classic French vinaigrette, using either white wine or red wine vinegar, and pairing it with crisp sliced pears and lightly toasted walnuts. For a meal on its own, we add crumbles of salty Roquefort.

SERVES 6 AS A FIRST COURSE OR SIDE

Ingredients

8 heads endive (white, red, or a mix of the two)

1 recipe Classic French Vinaigrette (recipe below), made with shallot and white or red wine vinegar

2 to 3 crisp green pears, such as Anjou or Louise Bonne, thinly sliced

1 cup (100g) walnuts, lightly toasted

Small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper

Slice of Roquefort (optional)

Method

1. Trim off the root end of the endive and peel off the outer leaves, removing any that are blemished. Separate the leaves and rinse and dry thoroughly.

2. Make the vinaigrette in a bowl as directed. Add the endive, pears, walnuts, and parsley leaves to the bowl and season with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, gently toss in crumbles of the Roquefort, if using. Serve with more Roquefort on the side.

CLASSIC FRENCH VINAIGRETTE

A classic French vinaigrette goes with just about every salad. Use whatever wine vinegar you have on hand; champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar de Jerez also work well, as does fresh lemon juice. If you prefer a creamy, emulsified vinaigrette, whisk in 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar 

Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons chopped shallot (optional) 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Method

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, and pepper. (If using the shallot, add it here and set the mixture aside for about 10 minutes to soften the taste of the shallot.) Whisk in the olive oil.

by Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini (Abrams) Photographs 漏 2025 Anson Smart