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The Cook’s Atelier is a venture of a mother and daughter, this is their story...
Have you ever felt that you were so lucky that you had to pinch yourself to make sure you weren’t dreaming? That’s how Marjorie and Kendall felt after making the big jump across the pond in pursuit of a new life in France.
Marjorie Taylor is the cook in The Cook’s Atelier. She is a long-time member of Chefs Collaborative and Slow Food and is inspired by farmers’ markets, small artisan food producers and the philosophy pioneered by Alice Waters. She is a big believer in real food, made from scratch and takes pleasure in cooking every day. Prior to moving to France, she was the co-chef proprietor of the award winning neighborhood restaurant and cooking school, Ruby Beet Gourmet, in Phoenix, Arizona and studied at La Varenne under noted teacher and cookbook author, Anne Willan.
Kendall Smith Franchini, Marjorie’s daughter and the wine girl at The Cook’s Atelier, is the real francophile and has lived in France for the past ten years. Her love of France began at and early age. She studied French and Art History at university and then found herself living in Paris and working with Christie’s auction house. Shortly after, she caught the wine bug and decided to move to Beaune to study viticulture at the CFPPA and ultimately worked for Kermit Lynch, an American wine importer. As fairytales go, she found her very own Frenchman and decided to make France her permanent home.
Being a close mother and daughter team, it was important for both of them to live on the same side of the pond and create strong family roots. The time had come to bring together their combined passions and create the life they had always dreamed of. A life where every day was a reflection of their true values and heart’s desires. Both being very entrepreneurial, they decided to create a business that would reflect their love of all things French, food, markets, family traditions and a life rich in simplicity with a focus on what really matters - family. They founded The Cook’s Atelier with the intention of creating a special place that supports the connection between the farmer and the cook and where people from all over the world could come together, learn to cook, and have a good time.
In the height of the season, you’ll find them busy in the kitchen with hands-on cooking classes, workshops, market tours and field trips to artisan food producers. They’ll be busy tending their garden at Clos de la Cozanne (aka, Kendall’s house), using much of the produce for their cooking classes. You might find them making homemade confiture or driving the tiny vineyard roads in Madeleine, their vintage 2CV, headed to flea markets and brocantes in search of something special for their online shop, The Larder. Later in the year, when things slow down, they are hard at work on recipe testing and food photography projects. There is always something simmering on the back of the stove while they are busy planning next year’s season. No matter what time of year you choose to join The Cook’s Atelier you’ll be inspired by sharing a slice of their life in France.
The Cook’s Atelier celebrates the connection between the farmer and the cook through hands-on cooking classes, market tours, workshops and field trips to local artisan food producers. To find out more, please visit the classes + workshops page here. To follow their adventure, visit their blog here. The Cook’s Atelier cookbook is presently in the works.
Say hello:
+33 (0)6 84 83 16 18
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