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 centrepiece 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, based 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.

Barbecue was invented in France? So says renowned cookbook author Susan Herrmann Loomis. When the Gauls were racing through lush forests in what is now Brittany, Normandy and the Loire Valley, hunting wild boar, deer and rabbit, they'd return to the village, build a fire and split their prize from barbe a queue (head to tail) for roasting. Today, the French are still great barbecuers, though over the centuries they've refined their skills and borrowed methods from other cuisines: the grill from the US, the plancha from Spain, the mechoui from North Africa. Recipes include: Pork Burgers with Foie Gras, Steak Tenderloin with Smoky Olives, Choucroute from the Grill and Poires Belle Helene. French Grill features dishes for every occasion using ingredients that any American cook can easily find, tips on how to buy the best ingredients and French grilling anecdotes throughout.