IN A LEAFY suburb on the outskirts of Paris, chef and cookbook author Stéphane Reynaud serves French classics at his restaurant Villa9Trois. The menu is inspired by recipes from his native Ardèche region, in south-central France. Mr. Reynaud, who grew up in a family of butchers and pig farmers, is known for his way with pork—roasts, terrines, pâtés and all manner of charcuterie. Rabbit, duck and lamb dishes sprinkled with chestnuts and herbs harvested from his garden are other signatures. He said, "Even though I essentially cook the same food at my restaurant as in my home, it's completely different to be home, cooking for those who mean the most to me."
David Orme for The Wall Street Journal
Mr. Reynaud
Home is seven hours south, in the countryside of his childhood. Mr. Reynaud travels there as often as he can to be with his wife and three children, who live there full-time. He'll spend "sometimes 10 hours a day" in the kitchen, surrounded by family and friends. Among his favorite things to prepare are savory pastries, because "they reflect the spirit of sharing that is so important to me," and he's compiled his go-to recipes in a new book, "Pies and Tarts" (Murdoch Books). We spoke to him about the enduring appeal of food baked in a crust, the view from his kitchen window and why he doesn't listen to music when he cooks.
David Orme for The Wall Street Journal
The view from the kitchen window
My home kitchen is: a big room with a black stone island in the center. On this stone I do everything, and I love to have people gather around while I cook. I set the dining room table for dinner, but everyone lingers around the island, and that's usually where they stay.
David Orme for the Wall Street Journal
A bookshelf in Mr. Reynaud's home containing some of his many cookbooks
I live in: a very old house in the Ardèche that was renovated a couple of years ago. It was built around the kitchen, since this is the most important place in our home. Once my stone island arrived, I organized a gathering with my family to celebrate. The rest of the rooms hadn't been finished yet, but we had lamb cooking in the fireplace, and the aroma filled the house. It was unforgettable.
David Orme for The Wall Street Journal
Homemade pâté and pickled girolle mushrooms, chestnut cream and pickled cèpes
If I could invite anyone to cook with me: it would be my daughter. She loves to cook. Whenever I arrive home after working at my restaurant near Paris, she always asks me to cook for her, and it's one of the best things I do in life. She's 14 and loves to make pastry. Usually I'm cooking our meal and she's cooking our dessert. She's always making something new. She looks through my old cookbooks for inspiration, and I just love that she's learning from them in the same way that I did. I must be honest—because she is just learning, sometimes it's wonderful and sometimes it's not. But that's all right. It's a requirement of learning to make mistakes.
One of my favorite things to cook is:fish. In the countryside where I live, we don't have a lot of it, so it feels like a privilege. We only have trout here—we're so far away from everything—but fortunately I just love trout. We have a beautiful river running past my house where they are caught.
My favorite kitchen gadget is: my daughter; whenever I need something, she comes running to help. But I do love the Microplane too. It's a simple tool that is easy to work with. Another gadget I love is the wine bottle opener. In case of emergency, I always have mine on hand.
I don't listen to music in my kitchen because: it's the music of the countryside that I love, of food sizzling in the pan, of forks and spoons scraping against plates, of people laughing and enjoying each others' company.
David Orme for the Wall Street Journal
A view of chef Mr. Reynaud's home on the right in front of a church
The view from my kitchen window is:filled with trees. When I open my door a cool breeze blows through, and I can see the river flowing by. It's unbelievable how you become very quiet deep inside when you hear the sound of the river's rushing water, feel the breeze on your face, smell the freshness of the trees.
The best thing I can do for people I love is: invite them over and cook something delicious in a big pot, have something mouthwatering roasting in the fireplace. Food is to share. If you have four people around the table and someone calls to tell you they have just arrived in town, you invite them over because there is always room for whoever wants to join you at your table.
iStockphoto (sriracha)
From left: Staub cocotte; Sriracha
I love cooking in: big pots because it also leaves you with leftovers to savor for a few days, and this reminds you once again of your luck in life—to have such wonderful people surrounding you. I love to offer an abundance of food. There is no other way for me. I especially like big, black, heavy-bottomed pots from the company Staub. They're perfect for the kind of slow cooking I love to do.
My favorite condiments are: mustards, horseradishes and hot sauces. I love the hot sauce Sriracha. It's spicy but also so flavorful. The good news is that no one else in my family likes it, so it's all for me. I also love using anchovies as a condiment—pairing them with meat, such as beef or chicken, works really well.
David Orme for the Wall Street Journal
Mr. Reynaud and his wife sit down to eat.
David Orme for the Wall Street Journal
A few of Mr. Reynaud's favorite tools, including a microplane, a mortar and pestle and a cast iron Dutch Oven by Chasseur
I wrote my new book because: you can divide a tart into two pieces or you can divide it into as many pieces as there are people. You can have a little piece of pie and be happy with it, but you can also have a big one. If you bring a pie to a party, even if you have no idea how many people will be there, there will always be enough to go around.
The most memorable meals from my past are: those that were cooked in big pots in the fireplace. When I was a kid, I often visited my grandparents' home, and my grandmother used to prepare something early in the morning before she left for the butchery they owned. It was usually something like pot-au-feu that would cook slowly all day, developing flavor and richness. When I woke a few hours later, I would smell it cooking and feel so grateful to be there. It's the aroma of these dishes today that returns me to my memories.
If I could cook something for my grandparents: I would want to surprise them with something elegant and refined, because they never went to nice restaurants, they never had the time or the money. I would say, Here is something new for you, something special, because I love you. Enjoy.
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