Written in a breezy, thoroughly engaging style, French Food at Home focuses on the simplicity, familiarity of ingredients, and ease of technique that make French cuisine unique. "I want to show how liberating French cooking can be, how there's room for personal expression, how it's accessible, and how it has evolved to suit modern tastes, " Calder explains. "My way of doing that is by giving you a picture of life in my own kitchen in France through a collection of recipes that I have learned to make here."

Calder shows how cooking a la Francaise is both practical and easy in such delicious recipes as Carrot Chicken, Basil Beef, Rhubarb Chops, Mort Petit Choux (a French twist on stuffed cabbage), and Fennel Bass. From L'Apertifs to Desserts, here are more than 100 eclectic dishes that range from easy to less so, from fast to slow, from traditional to contemporary, all set in the context of dinner so that home cooks can plan a meal as basic or elaborate as they need.