Plat du Jour

Book excerpt: Embrace everyday cooking with Susan Loomis’s Plat du Jour, her appealing take on the French formule. Discover the pleasures of cooking—and eating—with this French approach to everyday meals. Featured on bistro menus and dinner tables throughout France, the plat du jour is the centerpiece of a two-course meal, a formula that Susan Loomis cleverly presents here. By pairing substantial main dishes such as Boeuf Bourguignon, Poule au Pot, and Bouillabaisse, with just the right starter, side, and/or dessert, Plat du Jour makes getting dinner on the table as easy as un, deux, trois! This is a long-awaited collection of classic recipes by Loomis, an American-born cooking teacher and author who resides in Paris. She has perfected these iconic dishes and shares what she’s discovered while living in France, cooking for family, friends, and students. In addition to the recipes, the cookbook includes helpful tips and intriguing details about French culinary history. It’s a must-have for any aspiring home cook with a craving for simple French cooking.