Q: When will I be able to enroll in the course?

August 24, 2025 (the specific time will be announced via the free newsletter for Online Course & Book News – sign up here)

Q: What is the Benefit of Enrolling When The Course Launches?

The first twenty students who enroll will receive a free gift. In July I will share exactly what it is, but I can say now that it is from a long-standing, highly respected French brand, and the item is an everyday piece you will use for shopping.

The gift is available to everyone (members or non-members), and is open to all students wherever you may live in our grand world. You simply need to be one of the first 20 people to enroll on Saturday August 24, 2025.

Q: What is the Benefit of Being a TOP Tier Member?

During the first month of the course’s launch (August 24-September 24, 2025), if you are an Active TOP Tier Member, you will be given a promo code to use at checkout that will save you 20% off the course.

The 20% discount is the steepest discount that will ever be offered on TSLL’s online courses, and as all courses are yours for a lifetime and self-paced, purchasing it within the first month ensures you have paid the lowest price for the course, and you can begin whenever it best suits your schedule.

Learn more about all of the benefits of being a TOP Tier Member here and read testimonials from members about their experience in TSLL’s International Community of fellow readers living their own unique simply luxurious life here.

Course Curriculum:

8 Key Lessons:

Kitchen Essentials for Success
Cooking with the Seasons
Vegetable Sides as Decadent as a Sauce
Cooking with Seafood
Cooking with other Proteins (how to add flavor)
Cooking with Eggs
Cooking with Sauces (how to Keep it Simple)
Cooking with Herbs
Vinaigrette (how to make your own salad dressing every time)
Cooking Classic French Pastries
Classic Simple Desserts
How to “Dance” in the Kitchen and Enjoy Cooking!

Class Resources You Will Receive:

With lifetime access to The Introduction to French Cooking, meaning once you purchase it, whenever any updates or additions are made to the course, you will be able to access this content for free as you have already paid the price of the course once.

Each student receives:
—Detailed Notes for each lesson to explore further each of the concepts discussed in the video.
—Printable recipes
—Videos for each recipe mentioned so you can watch step-by-step how to make it
—Course notes are in pdf format and free to print out, upload (for writing on a tablet), save or revisit.
—Recommendations for kitchen tools (brands and links to shop), cookbooks, ingredients (preferred brands) along with any specific topics addressed during the course videos – links for further exploration.
—Unlimited and forever access to your course.
—Return to your course videos, notes and content at anytime to refresh, remind or review.
—As content is updated over the years, you will have access to the most updated lessons and videos forever. 
—The confidence to both step into the kitchen and cook with ease along with the seasons and enjoying the experience.

Q: Can I pace myself and take the course to fit my schedule?

Yes.

All of TSLL’s online courses, including this one, the Introduction to French Cooking, are self-paced, meaning once you purchase the course, you can move through each lesson as quickly or as gradually as you prefer or need to based on your best practices and/or life schedule for learning new content.

Q: Where did Shannon’s Love for French Cuisine Begin?

The summer of 2000 in Angers, France.

Enrolled in a study abroad program through Western Oregon University, between my junior and senior year, I made my first international trip and it was to France. Bien sûr ! Studying the French language, at our school, we enjoyed communal lunches and dinners with fellow students. Sitting down at long tables together, red wine was poured freely, three courses were enjoyed with each sitting and conversations while we dined lasted easily two hours or more each time. And the food was delicious. Nothing fancy, but seasonal, considered and presented as courses, so we savored rather than rushed. Appreciated rather than stuffed ourselves.

The memories of dining and savoring everyday French food remains in my tastebuds’ recollection to this day. My French language skills may not have progressed further than what I arrived with that summer, but my affection and appreciation for delicious food and keeping it simple while enjoying good company and conversation is something I continue to carry with me and be inspired by.

Q: Why Do I Consider Myself an Expert in the Basics of French Cooking?

We are only as knowledgeable about a particular area of expertise as those who teach us, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend time in the kitchens of amazing individuals who call France home. My first experience cooking in France was when I enrolled in Patricia Well’s At Home, a one week cooking program that she and her husband Walter hosted in their Provencal mas in Vaison-la-Romaine (and yep! That is Julia Child’s stove that she cooked on in Provence that I am posing next too with such an absurdly happy smile – the Wells’ have it in their Provençal second kitchen where we cooked for the class!). Learn about my entire experience here which took place in 2018 here. 
 
The second individual who has taught me an immense amount about French cooking is American expat living in France since the 1980s Susan Hermann Loomis. Having two experiences to cook with her, first during a visit she made to Portland, and then for a four-day course taught in her home in Normandy – Louviers in 2019. Learn more about each of these experiences here and here. 
 
Finally, I knew I wanted to gain experience from the home of French cuisine, where Julia Child began her French cooking journey, Le Cordon Bleu (Paris). Enrolling in their short course, L’Art des Sauces et des Jus in spring 2025, so much of what I had learned leading up to this point was confirmed, strengthened and furthered (I will shared a detailed post about my experience during TSLL’s 10th Annual French Week in August 2025).
 
Paired with all of these amazing opportunities, I have been producing The Simply Luxurious Kitchen cooking show since 2018 which currently has seven seasons and a total of 56 episodes (explore them here), as well as sharing recipes on The Simply Luxurious Life blog since 2010 (explore them all here). It truly is a joy to step into my kitchen, something I do at least twice a day, often three times a day. I keep it simple, I have set up my kitchen for ease of cooking, so that all of the tools and necessary ingredients are within near arm’s reach, and then I welcome in the seasonal produce that makes it delicious and keeps the cooking simple. I want to share with you how you can enjoy cooking and confidently cook delicious fare every time. It is possible, and when you know how to dance in your kitchen, so to speak, you put yourself in the driver’s seat of seating to nourish yourself well, satiate your appetite without deprivation nor guilt. Let’s elevate our everydays with the help of the French, shall we? Allons-y !

The countdown is on! Mark August 24th (Saturday) on the calendar!