It's time for American cooks to embrace their French side; no passport or accent necessary.
As a proper guide for this French adventure, Georgeanne Brennan's latest cookbook, "La Vie Rustic: Cooking and Living in the French Style" (Weldon Owen, 292 pages, $35), offers indispensable advice.
Brennan's French lesson is based on simple, seasonal, sustainable eating; a perfect fit for California-style farm-to-fork cuisine. What's even better: Almost all of the ingredients are readily available.
"Cooking wonderful food is not difficult," she said. "These dishes are simply wonderful and enjoyable."
It's no wonder Brennan can straddle two continents with one cooking philosophy as she splits time between her Winters farmhouse and a summer home in Provence, a two-country lifestyle she's maintained for decades.
The European experience informed her and shaped her, both personally and professionally. Her most beloved works _ such as "A Pig in Provence: Good Food and Simple Pleasures in the South of France" _ feature her adventures as an American immersed in French country culture, raising goats and learning to cook with the seasons.
French food isn't stuffy or intimidating, instructs Brennan, the award-winning author of more than 30 cookbooks. Made with farm-fresh ingredients, it can be casual, inviting and healthy.
"Twenty or 30 years ago, 'French food' was code for heavy cream, rich sauces and fancy restaurants," she recalled. "But now, there's a renewed interest in French cooking and techniques."
French cooking also is not all the same.
"Like Italy, France has many different regions with different foods," she said. "The food of Southern France has much more in common with Mediterranean cuisine, while north of France has a colder climate and the food is more austere _ except for butter."
Provence can be a model for California cooks, she added. With similar climates, both regions share a bounty of fresh locally grown ingredients. Examples fill her new book.
Walnut and almond tart could be the product of local orchards. Fresh-picked strawberries from local farm stands get star treatment in a silky mousse. Chicken braised with fennel and Meyer lemon was inspired by what was growing in her Winters kitchen garden.
They're all very French and at the same time Californian.
It's all about making the connections, Brennan said. Cooks can celebrate the seasons while getting in tune with the rhythm of nature _ be it in the orchard, the garden, the barnyard or the wild.
"When you eat out of season, food doesn't taste good," she said. "For example, I wanted a zucchini in March. I found one in a supermarket; it tasted awful. But in June or July, I know zucchini will taste wonderful."
So, eat squash � or any fresh vegetable or fruit � when it was meant to be eaten, in season, she added.
"Over the year, think about the connections," she said. "Things just come together. When you begin to see it as a whole, you realize how it is all connected. From the orchard to the barnyard, all these things come together in various ways. That influences the way we cook and eat. When you see the connections, it's pretty exciting."
That same message connects more than 100 recipes and more anecdotes in her lively new cookbook, the product of nearly three years of work. Ethel Brennan, Georgeanne's daughter, and San Francisco photographer Sara Remington collaborated with her, creating many of the memorable dishes in Georgeanne's Winters kitchen.
"It's a different way of thinking about food," she said. "What's the best way of going about eating? It's eating according to the season and availability. That's the whole farm-to-fork concept. Add to that the French aspect: Food is meant to taste good _ period."
