Cookbooks We Love
Fresh Takes on French Classics from The Cook’s Atelier
Published on August 12, 2025
Nestled in the French countryside, just 30 minutes south of Beaune in the Burgundy region, is The Woodland House. Kendall Smith Franchini lives here with her husband, Laurent, three children, three cats, a dog, rooster and many chickens. Students of The Cook’s Atelier, the cooking school she co-owns with her mom, Marjorie Taylor, are sometimes milling about, too. “Life here is much slower paced,” says Kendall. “People go to the market to buy their food and take their time with everything they cook.” In French at Heart, her second cookbook co-authored with Marjorie, she invites readers to step inside their world.
Originally from Phoenix, Kendall left home to work and study in France. Eventually, Marjorie left her own restaurant and cooking school to join Kendall where, together, they founded The Cook’s Atelier in the small town of Beaune as a shop and cooking school. Over 17 years, the school has become famous for hosting tens of thousands of students from all over the world, including many Canadians.
French at Heart. Abrams Books, 2025, $50.
Building on the success of the duo’s first book, The Cook’s Atelier, their second is a more intimate look at Kendall and Marjorie’s life at home, cooking simple family meals using fresh ingredients and French cooking techniques.
Kendall Smith Franchini (left) and Marjorie Taylor with Rousseau outside their shop and cooking school.
“We teach classic French cooking with a modern lens,” says Marjorie. “We like light, clean dishes.”
Quick Gravlax is inspired by a local fishmonger’s take on the classic Scandinavian dish. Smaller pieces of salmon are cured overnight in sugar, sea salt, olive oil and dill, then topped with capers, minced shallot and more olive oil and dill.
Summer Légumes Frites is a French twist on Japanese tempura, with fried French beans and squash blossoms served with lemon wedges and herbs. “This is the perfect recipe if you have your own vegetable garden that’s overflowing with produce,” says Marjorie.
Some recipes are classic Burgundy dishes, such as Marinated Goat Cheese, which uses fresh artisanal goat cheese (but you can substitute grocery store varieties) and soaks it in French olive oil and fresh herbs to elevate a snack board.
The Lemon Tartlets recipe is one they’ve been perfecting for years. Prebaked pâte sucrée is filled with lemon curd and left to set without a second bake for a bright yellow, glassy finish.
Kendall’s home kitchen just outside of Beaune, France.
Even with the slower pace of life in Burgundy, Kendall and Marjorie are always looking for their next project. Recently, they converted the circa-1800 barn at The Woodland House into a teaching kitchen for students to come and enjoy during their masterclass program.
Related: Eden Grinshpan shares Tahini-packed recipes from her latest cookbook
Marjorie and Kendall preparing a meal together at The Woodland House.
They’re also venturing into video and plan on creating new content for their YouTube channel. “We’ve been able to turn our experience and love of France into a business,” says Kendall. “It’s a joy to be able to share this with people from around the world.”
Anson Smart/Abbie Mellé (Kendall and Marjorie’s portrait)
Recipes reprinted with permission from French at Heart by Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini. Abrams Books. ©2025. Photography by Anson Smart