The debut cookbook from The Cook’s Atelier—the international culinary destination and cooking school in Burgundy—is a beautifully photographed resource on classic French cuisine and an atmospheric chronicle of a family’s life in a charming French village.

Mother and daughter American expats Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini always hoped to live in France. With a lot of hard work and a dash of fate, they realized this dream and cofounded The Cook’s Atelier, a celebrated French cooking school in the storybook town of Beaune, located in the heart of the Burgundy wine region. Combining their professional backgrounds in food and wine, they attract visitors from near and far with their approachable, convivial style of cooking. 

Featuring more than 100 market-inspired recipes and 300 exceptional photographs, this comprehensive reference is an extension of their cooking school, providing a refreshingly simple take on French techniques and recipes that every cook should know—basic butchery, essential stocks and sauces, pastry, dessert creams and sauces, and preserving, to name a few. Seasonal menus build on this foundation, collecting recipes that showcase their fresh, vegetable-focused versions of timeless French dishes, such as Green Garlic Soufflé, Watermelon and Vineyard Peach Salad, Little Croques Madames, Sole Meunière with Beurre Blanc, Seared Duck Breast with Celery Root Puree and Chanterelles, Madeleines, Plum Tarte Tatin, and Almond Cherry Galette to name a few.

Stories of food and life in the town and the unique atmosphere of the atelier accent this personal cookbook. We can almost hear the clanking of the copper pots, the hiss of the vintage espresso machine, and the merriment around the table, as we meet the some of the region’s best small farmers and artisanal producers, and experience how Marjorie and Kendall’s family works together to create this special place. 

More than a practical introduction to classic French cooking, this richly illustrated volume is also a distinctively designed celebration of the French art of joie de vivre and an inspirational primer on adopting elements of the French lifestyle, no matter where you live.

About the Authors

Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini are the mother-daughter duo and cofounders of The Cook’s Atelier, a French cooking school, culinary boutique, and wine shop in Beaune, France. This international culinary destination in the heart of French wine country has been featured in many publications, including Travel & Leisure, Fodor’s, Food & Wine, Condé Nast Traveler, and more. 

Photography by Anson Smart

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