Unless you count perfectly runny scrambled eggs and heaping plates of pasta (my go-to meals when I lived in the States), I think it’s fair to say I really learned to cook in France. What’s more, I learned under somewhat unfavorable conditions. My kitchen was no larger than a broom closet and my guinea pig was a discerning Frenchman accustomed to French classics. The pressure was high.

If anyone is an expert at optimizing small spaces and demystifying French cooking it’s Rachel Khoo, Cordon Bleu-trained chef and author of The Little Paris Kitchen. After landing the book deal, Rachel realized that testing 120 recipes was going to produce more food than she could possibly eat herself so she transformed her tiny apartment (22m2!) into a twice-weekly pop-up restaurant. No food would go to waste and a few lucky diners would get to provide feedback on her French recipes (done simply). The press took note of Rachel’s concept and BBC2 saw the potential to parlay the idea into a cooking series. In March of last year, she assumed her role as host of The Little Paris Kitchen cooking show, which now airs in several other countries, and is hard at work on book number two.

Across all touch points, Rachel has shown that no one, not even amateur cooks, should feel daunted by French recipes. “You’re English, you can’t cook!”, French chefs told her initially. Oh yes she can.

Meet Britain’s most charming chef in Paris!