In a French Kitchen: Tales and Traditions of Everyday Home Cooking in France

In On Reu Tatin, Susan Herrmann Loomis - an expat who long ago traded her American grocery store for a bustling French farmer's' market - introduced us to her French life. Now, with In a French Kitchen, she shares everyday tips, secrets, and eighty-five recipes that come straight from French cooks, showing how they turn every meal into a sumptuous occasion.

One by one, we meet the busy people of Louviers, France, and the surrounding villages and towns of Loomis's adopted home, from runway-chick Edith, who has zero passion for cooking - but a love of food that inspires her to whip up an array of mouthwatering dishes - to Nathalie, who becomes misty-eyed as she talks about her mother's Breton cooking and then goes on to reproduce it. Through friends and neighbors like these, Loomis learns that delicious, even decadent meals don't have to be complicated.

French cooks may be better organized, but they also have the savoir faire to get out of a low-ingredient bind. They are deeply knowledgeable about seasonal produce and what mélange of simple ingredients will bring out the best of their garden or local market. They don't rely on expensive pots and high-end ovens but are rather perfectly at ease with cracked bowls and little counter space. The French treasure time at the table and long Sunday lunches because they take joy in eating and understand that preparation is the path to that joy.