The Cook’s Atelier
The Kitchen
The Dining Room
The Cook’s Atelier is a small, chic cooking school located in the center of Beaune, France. It’s run by a mother and daughter duo, Marjorie and Kendall, who welcomed us with open arms and made us feel like a part of their family. The five days that my dad and I spent there were filled with lots of butter, French cooking knowledge, and quality time with people who genuinely love food (the best kind of people). Let’s unpack my time at this beautiful French cooking school!
Days At The Atelier
Plum Tart
Chicken Consommé
Sole Meuniére
An amazing part of this whole week was that my dad and I were able to stay in the apartment that the school was started in. This charming one flight walk up was filled with natural light, vintage dish ware, clean white decor, and was less than a ten minute walk from the school. We spent our mornings strolling through Beaune, enjoying an espresso here and a croissant there, and slowly made our way to The Cook’s Atelier. Each morning we were greeted by Laurent, Kendall’s husband, down in the storefront, where he offered us coffee, freshly baked pastries, and lots of love from their sweet dog Russo. At around 10:15, we made our way upstairs to start the morning cooking. Our days at the Atelier were filled with laughs, lessons, and luscious recipes; yes, luscious. There was so much butter. We learned where the Bresse chickens come from, the trick to a firm yet fluffy pastry, and how to properly pluck feathers from a duck breast. There wasn’t a single dish that I didn't enjoy making, but there were definitely a few standouts. The chicken consommé that was purified with a layer of egg whites blew my mind, the classic French gougéres were cheesy yet light, and preserving used vanilla beans in a mason jar of sugar felt genius to me. After about four hours in the kitchen, we worked up an appetite large enough to sit down for our five course lunch with several wine pairings. Some of the highlight dishes for me were the plum tart, the sole meuniére, the duck confit crostini, and the foie gras. Somehow, it was usually around 5:30 or 6 o’clock when we got up from lunch, and on occasion my dad and I would force ourselves to a small dinner to experience all that Beaune had to offer. Other days we would just head into town for a glass of wine and some escargot. My favorite day of all was hands down our Friday at the woodland house, where Kendall and Laurent live with their three children, two cats, and dog.
The Woodland House
Rotisserie Lamb
Dining: Woodland House Style
The woodland house was about a fifteen minute drive outside of the city and was something truly magical. Once I saw the gardens filled with fresh abundant produce, the beehives, and the outside dining area with a farm-house aesthetic, I felt right at home. We cooked a leg of lamb rotisserie style over the open fire, baked blackberry cake, and popped champagne to celebrate the close to perfect week we had just spent all together. It started raining, as if on command, right as we sat down to eat in the covered patio. This was our best lunch by far. Charcuterie with fresh honey from the house, greens with sesame vinaigrette, assorted cheeses, roast lamb, and decadent cake. It was classically French and the cherry on top to our special week with a really special group.
Thank you to Marjorie and Kendall for welcoming us into your school, your home, and your French cooking lifestyle. There is so much beauty in food, but the best part is how it brings people together. I could really feel this message at The Cook’s Atelier. I’d highly recommend taking a class from Marjorie and Kendall if you’re in Beaune and want to learn more about French cooking, and if you can’t squeeze that into your trip at least stop in the store to take a look at the gorgeous copper cookware. Cheers to five days of food heaven, and lots of more Beaune content to come.
