I know coffee table books come and go out of fashion. Here is an exception. The concept to acquaint you with not only French technique but French style. It is easily addictive. You want to try everything. You want to eat everything. You want to go to France, if only to breathe the lavender in the air. I actually gave this book as a wedding present. The bride and I thank you fir what will be splattered, folded, marked and used for years to come. Beautiful

This is a Stunning Cookbook! It just is. I must say that upfront because the heart of French Cooking is in these Photos. It inspires me. So, much credit has to go to Joanne Pai for her work.

Next, this is a book for people who know the basics of cooking. Does it mean you must be a 3* Chef, certainly not. You can come in on any level, but do know that many of the foods and terms are catered to a higher culinary level.

I can cook fairly well and am able to get most of the ingredients mentioned here. I adore this cookbook for that reason. It is sensuous, inviting, and those recipes jump off the page.

Read the luxurious recipes. Try many and experiment. Enjoy the experience.

The newest I have learned is: types of butter (Demi-sol, doux, and gros cristaux), cheese, bacons, vinegars, chocolat, citrus, flours, olive oils, anchovies , a variety of milks, and spices. This is the basics to start a fabulous French Kitchen. This can get a new chef going or an experienced one with many new ideas. Try them.

Thank you NetGalley, Rebekah Peppler, and Chronicle Books Puplishing for an ARC of this wonderful book.

Beautiful cookbook! I loved the tone, the pictures and the recipes. Now, will I make anything from the book? Maybe a few things, but overwhelmingly no. I have a picky eater and a busy schedule. Despite that I sat down and actually read this cookbook. Definitely a cookbook I’d buy.

This is a colorful guide to casual French Cooking. It would function as a great reference for home chefs and foodies that are hoping to master French cooking. It would make a great gift for the foodie in your life for a birthday or Christmas and would be looked on fondly and used for years to come.

À Table is a style guide with recipes developed and presented by Rebekah Peppler. Due out 6th April 2021 from Chronicle Books, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a lushly illustrated book on a practical subject (food and the social aspects of eating and sharing food) which has a truly renaissance artistic sensibility. Every single illustration is a feast with lighting and scene, arrangement, color, and presentation carefully controlled (but looking beautiful and spontaneous).

The text is rich in small details and the author is a meticulous and knowledgeable expert both with writing and with advice for cooking and entertaining. Despite being a book with an artistic sensibility and soul, it's well laid out and presented and accessible. Information is easy to find and logically arranged. The book is divided into sections with respect to an extended meal and the information is grouped by pre-dinner aperitifs and drinks, the actual mealtime, and postprandial snacks and drinks. The recipes themselves contain a description, ingredients listed bullet-style in a sidebar (measures in both American standard and metric, yay!), and step by step instructions. Serving sizes are given in general terms as well as tips and alternative presentations. The book doesn't include nutritional information (it's just not that kind of book). Recipe ingredients include some specialties which might be challenging outside of very well stocked boutique grocers and alcohol suppliers. On the whole, however, the recipes really *do* seem achievable by the average cook who is determined.

The photography is abundant and full of the sort of classic French architecture and urban rooms with high ceilings and classic decor (filled with beautiful people) which always leave me breathless. This would make a nice coffee table book. I recommend it highly to readers interested in putting some polish and finesse into entertaining graciously and well.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A Table by Rebekah Peppler

9781797202235

304 Pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Release Date: April 6, 2021

Nonfiction, Cooking, Food & Wine

The book is divided into the following categories.

Before: Pre-Dinner Drinks & Snacks
During: Supper & Sides
After: (Sweet) Snacks & Post-Dinner Drinks


I have a friend living in France and would love to go there myself. Reading several different French book series, I can imagine what life is like. The photography in the book is stunning. They are pictures of ordinary life and made me feel as if I was there.

My husband and I love to experiment with cocktails. This book was a treasure trove of recipes. I think his favorite was the Amaro Old-Fashioned. Mine was the non-alcohol drink of lime, ginger beer and sparkling water. The eggs mayo with persillade sound amazing and is on my list of things to try as soon as my herbs are ready to harvest. The crème fraiche dip is also on my list. I love the idea of upgraded potato chips.

This book is a must have for anyone interested in French cooking. The recipes are well written, and most ingredients are readily available at most grocery stores. Many of the recipes have color photos to accompany them.

Thank you to the publisher, authors, photographers, and NetGalley for a copy of this cookbook in exchange for honest feedback. I am approaching this cookbook as someone who doesn't know too much about French food, so I cannot vouch for its authenticity or its coverage of the offerings. What I can attest to is the cookbook's accessibility, visual appeal, and content offerings.

Accessibility to me means the skill set needed to complete (on average) the range of recipes in the book. Personally, I think the only challenges lie in the 1) accessibility of some of the ingredients, as in are they stocked near you and what are the costs, and 2) some techniques may be above beginner level. However, this is not a critique, but more of an assessment.

Visual appeal: very modern, European. It looks like an instagram feed or influencer's life/blog. Nice crisp photographs.

Content: Themed in before, during, after style. Has a decent range of offerings. Written in a quick, concise manner. Talks about the cultural context as well as the food.

Bottom line: I think the best audience for this book (in my mind) is the 1) culturally curious, 2) passionate about cooking, and 3) maybe someone like a former expat or someone who studied abroad in France and wants to engage with that culture again. As for someone like me who didn't have any previous exposure to most of this content, I think that only a few recipes stood out to me as something I would try. What I did appreciate the most was the context to the dishes. The cultural / social aspects are just as important when learning about different cultures, as food is one of the most basic ways that humans can connect and share their customs. In this, I think the cookbook does a decent balancing job.

A beautiful book with great pictures. However, this book doesn't fit my lifestyle or my frame of reference and I cannot see myself actually using it. In an age of many known food intolerances and those being mindful of nutrition, this book glaringly neglects to acknowledge either concept. Again, beautiful book that has no place in my kitchen.

A table is a French cuisine book with a setting and hosting tidbits as if you were dining in France .

What did I like? This book is gorgeous! The food and drink pictures were amazing and mouth watering. The author gives hosting tips that make sense but the recipes are way beyond what I would make for a party.

Would I recommend or buy? It’s gorgeous but I have no need for French cuisine and my tastes are more Italian. So if your tastes run French then this book is for you.

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review! Four stars!

Rebekah Pepper knows her French food, as evidenced in her cookbook, A Table: Recipes for Cooking and Eating the French Way. This cookbook is amazing! Almost everyone loves French food, and in this cookbook, Peppler has included not only recipes, but information on the way to eat it and generating the unique atmosphere by doing it right.

This cookbook has so many mouthwatering dishes, that anyone who wants to cook a lot of French food will be kept busy for months. There are also gorgeous photographs of most of the dishes, which makes it tempting to cook more dishes than needed for a single dinner. For those who are serious about creating a real French ambience, there are dozens of recipes for aperitifs and other spirited drinks. This excellent cookbook includes starters and mouthwatering appetizers. It also has plenty of main dishes as well as side dishes and beautiful, tempting desserts.

The recipes are written in an easy-to-follow style, and most (there are a few involved recipes) are easy enough for novice and experienced cooks to prepare picture-perfect dishes at home. The book includes several French stand-by recipes such as Potatoes Anna, Gratin Dauphinois (a.k.a. French Scalloped Potatoes), French Onion Soup with Cognac, and Daube de Boeuf. There are also photos and suggestions for platters for entertaining.

All told, This is a beautiful and exciting cookbook. It makes a perfect addition to a good cookbook collection, and would make a good gift for a wedding or birthday. This one will be well-used.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Gorgeous photos! Wonderful recipes that seem easy to follow...and a variety of them! As an American living in France, I took one star off....

This is gorgeous. I need a physical copy and I cannot WAIT to have parties using these recipes. Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC ecookbook!

3.5 stars

À Table has a great selection of recipes that reflect a modern French table with ingredients that are easy to find.

Drawing from her experience in hosting in her apartment in France, the author shows you how to host gatherings and provides a fresh perspective through the lens of the French table.

The book begins with the modern French pantry and lists must-have items including bacon 🥓, Brined items such as Cornichons, capers, olives 🫒, butter 🧈, cheese 🧀, Crème Fraîche, milk, and other dairy 🥛

It is divided into three sections: BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER.

The first section is further divided into two chapters namely Apéritifs and Snacks like Chaud Comme, Pre-Dinner Armagnac, 50/50 (made with gin, dry Vermouth, and Angostura), Snack Mix, Roasted Lemons + Olives, and Crème Fraîche Dip.

A chapter is dedicated to types of wine: Sparkling Wine, White, Rosé, Red and offers a selection of drinks for teetotalers. The book also provides tips on creating a good charcuterie as well as types of meats.

Desserts and Digestifs include Crème Brûlée, Macaroons, À Còté, Tonic Tonic, and Bonal After Hours. Would recommend

Thank you to Rebekah Peppler, NetGalley, and Chronicle Books for the ARC of this book.

A table is a cookbook that will up your hosting skills. There useful tips on do's and don’ts that make entertaining easier, but also more elegant by adopting a more French way of hosting. Where good food, drinks and friend are a must. So a good portion of the book is about drinks. With a lot of fun cocktail and wine suggestions

The recipes are easy to make at home and are classic French. I like the small anecdotal introductions at the beginning of the recipes. They give a more personal touch to the book.

The photos are a good balance between recipes and lifestyle impressions, and are beautiful to look at.

Ever since our French exchange student, Lola, left, we have been missing her wonderful cooking. Now, thanks to the author, we have a way of revisiting many of the things she made for us! There are a multitude of great recipes here. Easily understood instructions, beautifully photographed, this book has it all. We have already tried several of them. Who knows, when this horrible pandemic is over and we are able to go to France again, maybe we can surprise Lola and her family by cooking for them in the French way! Bravo!

As a french person who immigrated to Canada, there's few things love more than finding a cookbook filled with recipes from home - especially one as well-made as this one. The instructions are clear and precise, the illustrations are beautiful and the recipes are diverse and adaptable for all kinds of events and celebrations. This is a cookbook that I'd happily have in my home, and share with both my French and Canadian friends.

Le sigh, I wish we could have dinner parties. This book is beautifully photographed and makes me want to take a train to France in better times. There are some scrumptious looking recipes included and most of them have photos. I wish they all did as some that are missing are the dishes I didn't know and therefore has no idea what they should look like. I liked that the book felt like I was talking to a friend, but I don't want to PM you for the local butter, just tell me!

I've got my eye on the radish recipe.

A Table by Rebekah Peppler fell short for me.

Initially, I was interested in this book after living in France and missing the food there. I thought this would be a lovely way to still enjoy it. What I have found is getting some of these ingredients especially the European butter and cheeses very hard to find in my area. It makes several of these recipes difficult (especially the ones I am interested in.)

While I enjoyed the photos, there were quite a few that I wish were more focused on the food. I like being able to see what the meal is supposed to look like when it is done. The drinks I feel differently on as they were used while socializing at the beginning of a dinner party.

While I liked the concept of the two languages at the beginning and even knowing some basic French, I found it a bit overwhelming and confusing.

I really wanted to like this book, but I did not find it that accessible. I loved the overall concept and there are still a few recipes for me to try. I think I would be more inclined to check it out at the library then buy it as I would not use it all that much and the recipes I do use would be a handful.

I received an eARC from Chronicle Books through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

I think I knew I'd rate this book give stars from the first chapters! I was delighted by the author's way of writing and hosting - the honesty, the rule breaking, the genius ideas. And then there are the recipes!

First, they are easy to understand, easy to do, and I bet they are delicious! The focus is on using ingredients in season - actually, of taking advantage of that and obtaining the best dishes to entertain your guests.

The author is American, but lives in France - so the recipes are French, but with a twist. She is definitely passionate about food and having people over, feeding them and serving them beverages (alcoholic or not).

I just loved it. I loved the ease with which she presented things. I love that she was thinking of everything and everyone (even guests with social anxiety!)

Oh, and the photos are exquisite!

I thought this book had some very lovely photographs, but they were far a few between. The recipes seemed very simple to follow, and I definitely jotted a few down for future use. I also found some of the dinner party etiquette in the beginning of the book interesting though perhaps not exactly something I would agree with. Overall, I think it's a very pretty book, but it's one I would purchase more as a coffee table book than an actual cookbook.