Assouline | Château Life

In a busy modern life, meals are often relegated to five- or ten-minute time slots. The French have long been lauded as culinary experts, and the emphasis they place on time spent around the dinner table is yet another secret worth borrowing. Living la vie de château at Château Bosgouet in Normandy, Jane Webster and her Australian family have embraced the traditions of the French table with surprise and delight at each turn, from navigating the market to setting the table to making the most of a vegetable garden, and their adventures are captured here by the sophisticated eye of photographer Robyn Lea.

These sixty recipes—organized around ten themes, including holiday traditions, lunch box contents, joie de vivre, and the French Sunday lunch—are a sensational catalog of the Webster clan’s favorite food moments. The double-baked three-cheese soufflé, chicken and tarragon pies, or lemon curd panna cotta with fresh summer berries are just a few of the featured dishes, all of which, when paired with good conversation and company, are ideal catalysts for creating an occasion remembered for years to come. Fresh, seasonal ingredients are always highlighted, as is the value of setting aside as much time as possible for these all-important meals shared with family and friends.