Whether it be a weeknight supper or a long Sunday lunch, they take joy in eating and spending time together, and they understand that preparation is the path to getting there.

In On Rue Tatin, Susan Herrmann Loomis - an expat who long ago traded her American grocery store for a bustling French farmers’ market - introduced us to her French life. Now she shares the French kitchen with us, providing everyday tips, secrets, and eighty-six recipes that come straight from French cooks, showing how they turn every meal into a sumptuous occasion and proving that dishes don’t have to be complicated to be delicious.

French cooks don’t rely on expensive gadgets, vast counter space, or fancy cookware. Instead, they make do with their old cracked bowls, dull knives, and small kitchens because, for them, the real treasure is time at the table. Whether it be a weeknight supper or a long Sunday lunch, they take joy in eating and spending time together, and they understand that preparation is the path to getting there.