"Simplicity, spontaneity, and good times with friends. . . ."
Until my travels to France in the early 1970s, I assumed French cuisine must be economically and intellectually out my reach, that it involved complex recipes as well as utensils and ingredients found only in France.
When I lived in France, I noticed professional couples gave elaborate weeknight dinner parties. Both men and women relied on fresh markets for vegetables, fruits and herbs and specialty shops. The butcher or fishmonger advised on quantity and cut, cooking time and pairing with side dishes and wines. Others, such as the fromagerie, boulangerie and patisserie, were nearby.
The market in Antibes
But preparing the meal was only part of the equation. The arrangement of food on plates, selection of table settings (plates, silverware, napkins) and flowers are of equal importance.
Les Pêcheurs
My quest to evolve into the welcoming hostess who could pull together a simple but flavorful meal has remained elusive until recently.
Conversations with my Culpeper neighbors often turned to food and French cooking and a dinner they served of grilled salmon with a side of grits and sautéed mushrooms, a garden salad with fresh herbs and a Poire belle Hélène or pears poached in red wine.
I mentioned my desire to become competent in the kitchen and pull together a meal—whether an omelet and salad or something more elaborate--on short notice. Hope came with neighbor MW’s offer of a hands-on lesson to prepare Chef Joël Robuchon’s roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and garden salad with fresh herbs and end the meal with chocolates and fresh cherries. Ah, délice!
“You will eat well, and you can entertain,” she said, reassuring me.
In the cookbook Simply French, author Patricia Wells has interviewed Joël Robuchon about his views on French cuisine:
- He describes his cooking as “cuisine actuelle in which we release savors, flavors, and tastes of ingredient.” (Well 18)
- He stresses the importance of selecting the best ingredients. “When you cook with quality ingredients, with care and with love, you can’t turn out bad food.” (Wells 19)
Taste, in Culpeper, where I purchased an extra virgin olive oil from Portugal
What I learned from my three-hour lesson with my neighbor can be summarized as follows:
Be familiar with the recipes from Simply French before starting.
For the chicken, an organic chicken from a grocery store or market and cooked according to Robuchon’s technique with attention to the olive oil herbs.
While the chicken roasts, start other tasks.
(1) Prepare the salad with its multitude of fresh basil, mint, tarragon and Italian parsley. Use fingers to tear salad leaves and herbs for a "rhapsody" of flavors. Cover and chill the salad.
(2) Mix the vinaigrette but do not dress the salad until it’s on the table to serve.
(3) By this time, the chicken has been turned and baked on different sides, and is nearly done, it's time to boil, peel and mash potatoes. Then add milk and lots of butter at the end.
There was a miraculous coming together of the three elements of the meal. Timing was everything.
Thanks to that evening cooking class—truly a gift—I’ve learned many things.
- The crucial role of fresh ingredients
- A preparation that enhances rather than disguises flavors
- Basic cooking does not require special utensils.
- Learn to laugh and enjoy a meal with friends. While the chicken bakes, open that bottle of wine.
FrSimply French provides an
excellent introduction to the French cuisine. Julia Child’s Mastering the
Art of French Cooking introduced Americans to French booking in the early
1960s. It’s still the standard for the committed cook.
As Robuchon has observed, if a perfect meal could exist, it might be a “slice of toasted bread with some melted cheese. . . we share with friends. . . . It’s a question of simplicity, spontaneity, and good times with friends” (Wells 20).
I've found French cuisine is accessible and affordable (at least, for now), and this meal only required one utensil I didn't own--a potato masher. I still need a few more lessons before I become that welcoming hostess who can pull together a meal. Stay tuned.
Bon appéti!
Recommended Readings
Child, Julia and Alex Prud’homme. My Life in France. Vintage, 2007.
Child, Julia et al. Mastering the Art of French Cooking. 1961. Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.
Lynn, Lori. “La Purée de Pommes de Terre de Joël Robuchon.” Taste With The Eyes. 13 June 2016. https://www.tastewiththeeyes.com/2015/03/la-puree-de-pommes-de-terre-de-joel-robuchon/. Accessed 1 Aug 2025.
Works Cited
Wells, Patricia. Simply French: Patricia Wells Presents the Cuisine of Joël Robuchon. Hearst Books, 1995
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