The scents of freshly cut lemons, wild thyme, simmering tomatoes, dried mushrooms, garlic beginning to sizzle in olive oil -- evocations of a way of life and of cooking -- are the smells of any kitchen in southern France. Much of the terroir itself is a wild rock garden of thyme, rosemary, and bay. Peach orchards stripe the countryside with shocking pink flowers, ducks and geese plume themselves under walnut trees, sunflowers stretch away to the horizon, and olive trees silver the landscape. It is said that you should never live far from an olive tree, but since most of us must, you can at least bring back for a moment the lovely warmth of this favored climate by cooking authentic southern French dishes in your kitchen. Over 120 recipes present the nuances across southern France from Bordeaux to Nice, via the Dordogne to the east and south, the Landes on the Atlantic coast, the Pays Basque, Catalonia and the Mediterranean, the wine country of the Languedoc, and ending up in Provence and the Cote d'Azur. The richness of the region's fresh ingredients reminds the cook in all of us why we love France and just how much its food influences our mood. Caroline Conran moves us away from the regime of self-denial, into an appreciation for preparing and feasting on comfort foods.

Caroline Conran has always been inspired by the food of southern France, where she has had a home for many years and where she has cooked for more than twenty-five years. Previously a cooking editor of The Sunday Times Magazine Gilles de Chabaneix began his career as a photographer in 1972 working for Marie Claire Maison. He has since worked for magazines throughout the world and his work has been published in many books