WE NOW RETURN YOU TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

Let's see. Where were we? Ah yes! We were discussing joie de vivre, and having a give-away! Shall we continue?

Robert Arbor was born and raised in France, but decided he needed to see the world. While in Hong Kong, he met and married a young American who was in the fashion business. He followed her back to New York, and since he needed something to do, he enrolled in the French Culinary Institute. Upon graduation, he worked in various French restaurants, then took a peach of a job at Chase Manhattan Bank's private corporate dining room, so that he could actually spend some time with his wife. Since he got off work at 2:00 PM, he had plenty of time to wander the streets of NY. Sadly, he could never find anywhere to sit and enjoy a coffee or soda, so he decided to create a place where one could read, reflect, or just casually meet with friends. It had to have the pace of a cafe' like those in little French villages or on a corner of a Paris street, be open all day, be inexpensive, and totally French. Thus, Le Gamin was born.

He wrote his book, Joie de Vivre: Simple French Style For Everyday Living, because in his business, he saw a constant flow of Americans looking for that thing that the French call joie de vivre. Americans are fascinated with how the French manage to live so well, and so contentedly, in their ordinary, day-to-day life. According to Robert, "It's not just about cooking, decorating, or entertaining - it's about enjoying all the small details of domestic life. It's about making time for family, growing some vegetables in your garden, chatting with the butcher, and cooking for your family and friends."

And so, we will travel with him, as he explains the rituals and traditions that comprise a typical French day; gives us a glimpse of family meals, market trips, and Le Potager; talks about eating locally and in season, and shares some of his wonderfully simple recipes. I hope you'll enjoy the journey. And of course, if you'd like to throw your name in the hat, for a chance to win this wonderful book, just leave a comment between now and Sunday night. Good luck!

P.S. Many thanks to thisnext.com for the above image.