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NPR's Book of the Day

In 'Big Heart Little Stove,' chef Erin French focuses on recipes and hospitality

NPR's Book of the Day

NPR

Arts, Books

4.2672 Ratings

🗓️ 28 December 2023

⏱️ 12 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For chef Erin French, a meal is about a lot more than the food on the table. Her new cookbook, Big Heart Little Stove, provides not only recipes from her family and famed Maine restaurant The Lost Kitchen, but also her philosophy for sprucing up a table setting or presenting a particular dish in a way that elevates the meaning of the entire experience. In today's episode, French speaks with Here & Now's Robin Young about the rocky road that led her to open her hit dining destination, and how the pandemic's reduced hours changed the way she runs her business.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Hey, it's Empire's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. The thing about hosting in your home,

0:07.5

having people over for a dinner, let's say, is that it's only sort of about the food. Sure,

0:13.1

yeah, that might be a main part of the evening. But as Aaron French points out in today's interview,

0:18.9

there's a ton of these little steps you can take to show people you care and to make them feel special.

0:24.1

She's the chef behind the heart to get into restaurant The Lost Kitchen and author of the book, Big Heart, Little Stove.

0:30.8

And in this interview with Here Now's Robin Young, she says that, yeah, she cooks the food.

0:35.2

But she thinks of herself less as a chef and more of a hostess,

0:39.7

a title that's often overlooked and downplayed, but it is a role with a lot of power.

0:45.4

That's after the break.

0:47.6

In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.

0:52.3

Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.

0:56.9

On our new show, Sources and Methods.

0:58.9

NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people

1:02.2

helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.

1:06.5

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

1:11.7

If you've tried to get a reservation at Aaron French's Lost Kitchen Restaurant in Freedom, Maine, you know it's the toughest in the world right now.

1:20.0

You have to send a postcard in for a lottery, a glowing CBS Sunday morning profile added to the frenzy.

1:26.1

And then there's Aaron's own show, The Lost Kitchen.

1:29.8

Next, we're serving a family-style salad with bib lettuce, French breakfast radishes,

1:35.6

pecorino shavings, and fried capers.

1:39.3

Amazing.

1:40.9

Just amazing.

...

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