Rises to the Occasion

When the French entertain it is usually with seemingly effortless flair - huge expense or sophistication are never prerequisites for successful meals. Whether the simplest outdoor lunch, elaborate dinner or a rowdy party, it’s the care taken, the planning, the confidence and anticipated pleasure that infuse the meal with magic. The cooks who have instilled some of these aspects in my cooking over the years are those who opened their homes and hearts and kitchens. Of my mother’s generation, all of them cook and entertain constantly and brilliantly. We can learn a lot from them.