French at Heart by Marjorie Taylor & Kendall Smith Franchini

This gorgeous cookbook about living well the French way comes from mother-daughter duo Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini, expats and founders of the cooking school The Cook's Atelier in Burgundy, France. The authors in conversation with Christine Muhlke, followed by a signing.

PLEASE NOTE: RSVPs are encouraged but not required. Seating is limited and will be first come, first served. Doors open at 5:30 pm.

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Cooking is about more than just the food, and while French at Heart has more than 100 go-to recipes, it's a cookbook for anyone who wants to explore the little details and make our time around the table even more special.

When mother and daughter duo and expats Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini moved to Beaune in Burgundy, France, to open their now incredibly popular cooking school The Cook's Atelier, they learned that choosing to appreciate tiny moments more mindfully, like they saw the French do, really opened their hearts.

To them, being French at heart doesn't mean you have to speak French or live in France; it means slowing down enough to enjoy the little details of every day. Whether that's preparing a meal for your family and taking the time to enjoy it together around the table or taking an extra moment to set the table with fresh flowers, curating your own joy is worth your time. This cookbook offers plenty of ideas for adopting this particularly French habit in your own life.

French at Heart shows how to create simple, joyous family meals around your own table, in whatever place you call home. Recipes range from classics that will make you fall in love with France—things like Salade Niçoise, French Onion Soup, and Tarte Tatin—to more modern French favorites with surprising flavors, like Tataki-Style Beef Tenderloin and Duck Confit Tostadas.

They are simple recipes, what Taylor and Smith Franchini often cook for their family after a long day, and reflect their take on familiar French dishes. There is plenty of advice from the heart on how to serve a memorable cheese or charcuterie board, curate a French-inspired pantry, start your own kitchen garden, or get the most out of your local farmers' market.

Creating meaningful moments around meals and sharing them turns out to be quite contagious—and exactly why people love coming to see Taylor and Smith Franchini at their cooking school.

Nearly 20 years ago, mother-daughter duo Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini left Arizona to pursue a shared vision: opening a cooking school and culinary boutique in the heart of Burgundy, France. Their fantasy was to create a convivial, immersive place that celebrated their love of France and la cuisine du marché. With unwavering zeal to seize a dream, the pair co-founded The Cook's Atelier in 2008. Fast forward to today and it has become a culinary destination for guests from across the globe, praised by Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, Condé Nast Traveler, and more. Following the success of their first cookbook, The Cook's Atelier, the pair will release French at Heart this April.

Christine Muhlke is the culinary consultant and author of the xtine newsletter. She has written books with Eric Ripert, Aldo Sohm, David Kinch and Eric Werner, and is the author of “Signature Dishes That Matter.”

Host or Publisher Rizzoli Bookstore