Comme Un Dimanche

My Sundays in California follow a regular pattern.  Early in the morning I drop off flowers to a friend, stop by Chino Farm on my way down the hill, then spend the rest of the day styling food, visiting with my favorite farmers & shoppers and discovering the new foods at the Rancho Santa Fe farmers market.  Arriving home around 4pm, my parents are often at the window and the dogs are always sitting on the kitchen steps, watching and waiting for my arrival….and as I unload my trio of baskets full of greens, citrus and other goodies, we begin to debrief on the day. You’d think I had been gone all week, but I love coming home to hear my parents ask how my day was and to hear them say “We missed you so much!”  We have a good four hours to arrange the coming week’s worth of food, cook our usual roast chicken and prepare a salad of Chino greens.  No one rushes through the meal, which always finishes with a special slice of cake from the market or a little dessert I’ve made or bought.

Capturing the essence of a French Sunday is the subject of my latest feature in Romantic Homes Magazine, in the April 2013 issue, which is annually known as the “French Issue.”   I chose the title Comme un Dimanche because it’s a phrase that pops up in French from time to time, perhaps with a description of a recipe or a meal for example….the implication is that this is something special, not something for everyday.  A shopper at the market recently told me that the ritual of the Sunday meal is “almost a religious experience” for the French.  Interesting comment, and yes, I think that’s true. 

You will find this issue on news stands nationwide in the coming weeks~

The Editor had a fun time selecting the photos….I knew she would love my lady in Beaune with her bike~

There are lots of pretty photos of my silver and the strutting rooster at the Parc in Beaune, not to mention my very favorite Saint Honore cakes~

I also included a section on how to prepare a French cheese plate.  Hopefully you will find some interesting tips here~

There are also some tips for hosting your own French-style dinner, and I included a little photo of my big copper daubiere from Guy; this photo was from December’s holiday shoot, and with the big silver ladle is to visually say “the dinner is served.” I will tell you more about this piece of vintage copper later this week.  At the moment, I think it’s the biggest and best piece that I own.

This issue has some beautiful interiors in it, and in the Site Seeing feature you will find two well known bloggers, Vicki Archer of vickiarcher.com aka French Essence, and Trish from Trouvais, two beautiful sites to visit.

I hope it will inspire Romantic Homes readers (and you!) to enjoy a leisurely Sunday meal with family or friends this spring or summer…slow down, enjoy your meal, go for a stroll, and of course, try to work in a little antique shopping along the way….