Learn how to cook like the French—in Kansas City : Wini Moranville : The Bonne Femme Cookbook November 5, 2011

Food writer shares the everyday joys (and surprising accessibility) of French home cooking

WHAT: When it comes to exquisite food, many have looked to France for inspiration: the care with which ingredients are prepared, the time taken to enjoy each delicious bite, and most importantly, the appetizing dishes themselves.

Many American home cooks may feel they have neither the time nor expertise to cook like the French. Yet according to food writer Wini Moranville, who has lived in France’s cozy villages and vibrant cities nearly every summer for 20 years, American cooks needn’t fear French cooking. They just need to learn the bonne femme style.

In The Bonne Femme Cookbook: Simple, Splendid Food That French Women Cook Every Day (Harvard Common Press, October 18, 2011), Wini brings authentic French food to American home cooks, with 250 recipes that reflect the way real French families eat today. With a focus on fresh, tasty ingredients and a generosity of spirit, it’s French cooking without fuss or fear.

Now that the typical bonne femme works outside of the home just like her American counterpart (and now that French men, like their American frères, are often in charge of getting dinner on the table), Wini’s emphasis is on easy techniques and speedy preparation. Her book shows readers that it is possible to cook and dine like the French, no matter where you live, without breaking the bank or spending all day in the kitchen.

WHO: Wini Moranville is a local food and wine writer. She writes a monthly wine column for Relish, is a restaurant reviewer for The Des Moines Register and has contributed to many food magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens, Creative Home, and MasterChef magazine. Find her online at www.chezbonnefemme.com.

WHEN & WHERE: Meet Wini Moranville and purchase a signed copy of The Bonne Femme Cookbook at two Kansas City area events.
• Fri., Nov. 4, 1pm, A Thyme for Everything, "Holiday Open House" – 229B SE Main Street, Lee's Summit, Mo., 816-554-3755, www.athymeforeverything.com. Cooking demo 1-1:30pm, followed by a book signing.
• Sat., Nov. 5, 1-3pm, Pryde's of Old Westport – 115 Westport Rd, Kansas City, Mo., 816-531-5588, www.prydeskitchen.com. Talk, Q&A, and book signing.

PRAISE for The Bonne Femme Cookbook

“This culinary treasure is a must-have book for your kitchen shelf—an irresistible day-to-day, go-to book on how to get simple, delicious, heart-warming meals on the table. Wini makes the best French home cooking approachable.”
—Gale Gand, host of Food Network’s “Sweet Dreams”

“It’s les bonnes femmes who keep the culinary traditions of France alive. Cooking the simple classics and the daily meals that form the canon of the cuisine—onion soup and crisp-skinned roasted chicken, beef Bourguignon, gratin Dauphinois, and crème caramel—they draw family and friends to the table. Wini has given us everything we need to do the same, whether our table is in Paris or Peoria.”
—Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table