An American woman teaching French locals how to master their own cuisine

For many, the dream of moving to France is filled with visions of romance, fine dining, and the allure of its cafe culture, not to mention its famous Michelin-starred restaurants.

Jane Satow, an American who relocated to France, found all of this and more. Despite the French reputation for skepticism toward foreign cuisines, she has carved out a role teaching locals how to cook.

At 56, Satow left her home in Virginia two decades ago to embrace a new life in the scenic region of Provence, in southern France.

Born into a farming family with a deep love for cooking, she brought her catering experience with her when she moved, drawn to Provence not just for its iconic Mediterranean dishes, but also its endless fields of vibrant lavender.

'My early career was spent in restaurants, eventually working at several upscale dining establishments in the US, which fueled my passion for gourmet food, wine, and cooking,' she shares with Dinogo.

Satow went on to study at a culinary school in Colorado, where she honed her French cooking skills and became part of a 'seriously geeky' weekly wine club.

After living in Chile, Satow and her British husband moved to Provence in 2005, settling near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a charming town south of Avignon, where they raised their three children.

'Moving to Provence was a dream come true for me, and I’ve never looked back,' she reflects.

Though her marriage ended, Satow chose to stay in Provence after the divorce.

'I truly adore my new home in France, and even though I’ve built many wonderful friendships here, I was determined to stay, even if that meant remaining alone,' she says.

A fairytale romance

In 2019, Satow met her charming French partner, Christophe Daumas, at a salsa dance class. She describes how he 'swept her off her feet,' just like something out of a fairytale.

She credits Christophe for helping her pursue a long-standing dream of sharing her culinary knowledge with others.

'Since moving to France, I’ve always wanted to open a teaching kitchen. With Christophe’s encouragement, I finally began searching for a space where I could create a dedicated cooking school,' she says.

In 2019, Satow discovered a dilapidated 17th-century townhouse in the heart of Saint-Rémy, but the pandemic forced her to delay renovations and the opening of her school.

Although disappointed, Satow made the most of the downtime by perfecting new recipes and revisiting old favorites in her newly set-up kitchen.

Her culinary school, La Cuisine Provençal, officially opened in 2021. She now hosts clients from around the world, particularly travelers visiting Provence for the first time, as well as locals.

'In the off-season, when tourists are fewer, we offer classes focused on French traditions, like preparing a full holiday meal or foie gras prepared four different ways,' she explains.

Satow holds a titre de séjour, which grants her residency and work rights in France. After almost two decades in Provence, she plans to apply for French citizenship.

Though she initially struggled with the language, Satow is now fluent in French and speaks it with ease.

'A dream realized'

She still resides in the countryside home she once shared with her ex-husband in Egalières, a village just 12 kilometers (about 7 miles) from Saint-Rémy, which she now rents out to vacationers during the summer months.

When her country house is fully booked with guests, Satow heads to her townhouse in Saint-Rémy, where the 'kitchen' is located.

'I was fortunate to buy the townhouse before the pandemic hit. Since then, property prices have surged by about 30%, driven by Parisians snapping up second homes in Provence,' she reflects.

'It truly felt like a dream come true, and I could never have imagined the level of success my cooking school would achieve,' she says, looking back on her journey.

'Christophe made me realize that moving to France was my destiny. He helped me turn my dream of opening a cooking school into reality, doing all the renovations himself since he's a contractor. It was a true labor of love, and we poured our hearts and souls into it. I honestly couldn’t have done it without his unwavering support,' she shares.

She prefers to focus on teaching authentic Provencal dishes, with a few creative twists added for flair.

'Paying tribute to traditional Provencal cuisine is very important to me, as it has been passed down through generations and is still lovingly prepared by local families in their homes,' she says.

Satow admits she was initially worried that, as an outsider, her efforts to master traditional French cooking might be met with resistance or rejection.

'When I first arrived in France as an American – even a food-loving one – I was completely intimidated by French chefs and couldn’t imagine ever competing with them,' she recalls.

'Since then, I’ve learned so much, mainly through self-study – experimenting with cooking, reading countless recipes, discovering regional dishes, and taking numerous cooking and wine-tasting classes throughout France,' she shares.

According to Satow, the French are incredibly passionate about food. It's their favorite topic of conversation, and whether at the butcher or cheesemonger, they’ll always share their preferred methods of preparing whatever you’re buying that day.

Satow sees herself as a traditionalist at heart, yet she enjoys adding a touch of nouvelle cuisine to her dishes, in line with France’s evolving culinary culture.

'For me, it’s essential to mètre en valeur (highlight or bring attention to) the traditional local recipes, which I’ve lightened up a little,' she says.

Keeping it local

La Cuisine Provençal offers group cooking classes in both English and French, with a cap of 50 participants, and also hosts private dinners for those looking for a more intimate experience.

The school prides itself on using only fresh ingredients sourced from within a 50-kilometer radius, relying on local farmers’ produce, and incorporating plenty of local olive oil with minimal cream or butter.

Satow feels fortunate to have access to exceptional lamb, fresh Mediterranean fish, and pasture-raised poultry and meats. She explains that French farmers take great pride in their livestock, which often graze on wild herbs de Provence, infusing the meats and cheeses with a distinctive, aromatic flavor.

Some of her signature dishes include lamb Provençal with roasted tomatoes, guinea fowl with a creamy chanterelle sauce and sautéed green beans, aioli with sea bass façon beurre monté (in butter), fried zucchini blossoms, and coque au vin blanc (chicken in white wine with coco beans).

A must-have dish is her crudités served with a traditional Provençal anchoïade – a fantastic raw vegetable dip made from homemade garlic mayonnaise and cured anchovies.

Other dishes she teaches include fresh grilled sardines on garlic-rubbed toast with roasted red peppers and parsley, and cod poached façon beurre monté with fresh thyme.

Her caviar d’aubergine is a guest favorite, made from roasted eggplant, roasted garlic, the finest extra virgin local olive oil, lemon, fleur de sel from the Camargue, fresh ground pepper, and fresh basil.

'I’ve taken these traditional recipes and refined them with the techniques of nouvelle cuisine and what I learned in the US, adding my own personal twist to each dish,' she says.

For example, Satow blanches the green beans for four minutes before sautéing them in garlic and olive oil to give them color and deepen their flavor, so they end up a little more cooked than al dente.

To prepare her signature ratatouille, Satow sautées each vegetable individually, as they each require different cooking times. The zucchini and yellow squash are lightly browned on high heat with a small amount of olive oil, the tomatoes are slow-roasted in the oven to bring out their flavor, the eggplant is seared on high heat to a golden brown, and the red pepper and onions are gently charred.

'I then combine all the vegetables and add a splash of red wine vinegar, finishing salt, freshly cracked coarse pepper, and a generous amount of fresh basil,' she says.

Cultural differences

Beyond food and romance, living in the south of France comes with many other advantages.

Satow says the cost of living in France is significantly lower than in the US. For example, fresh fruits and vegetables, along with specialty items like French cheeses, charcuterie, and wine, are much more affordable.

Saint-Rémy was an easy choice for Satow, she explains.

'It’s incredibly charming, with a unique light. I instantly fell in love with the countryside, the olive trees, and the lavender fields,' she recalls.

However, her journey wasn’t without its challenges at the start.

In addition to the language barrier, she had to navigate a lot of bureaucratic hurdles and deal with some cultural differences.

'One of the bureaucratic challenges we faced was having to prove our residency just to open a bank account, which was tricky when we had only just moved to France and didn’t have a permanent address yet,' Satow explains.

'It was a bit of a struggle... but it just took time,' she says, reflecting on the experience.

According to Satow, the biggest hurdle for foreigners, especially Americans, is the French tendency to say 'no' right away without considering if a solution can be found.

'Staying persistent, keeping a positive attitude, and always seeking a solution is crucial,' she adds.