I recently spent a delightful afternoon with one of the most impressive people on the international food scene: Patricia Wells. Not only is she the writer of several excellent cookbooks; the well respected Paris-based restaurant critic for the International Herald Tribune; grand dame of her Provence estate named Chanteduc; but she is also an extremely charming and completely down to earth woman.

With wide, bright eyes she spoke warmly and enthusiastically about Chanteduc, Provence, France, food, and the love of the good life.

Her new cookbook, Patricia Wells at Home in Provence gives us a peek into her exquisite country home, and into her kitchen. This is where Ms. Wells combines all she has learned and observed from the chefs of top French restaurants; from living in Paris, Provence, and at Chanteduc; from friends; and from her own magic inventiveness. The book is beautifully produced by Scribner, with awe inspiring photographs by Robert Freson, and dazzling food styling by Ms. Wells herself.

Q: What attracted you to Chanteduc?

A: In many ways it was totally serendipitous. Good friends of ours had rented Chanteduc, and they invited us there. The next year we wanted to rent it -- but it wasn't for rent, it was for sale...then we ended up buying it! The village of Vaison-la-Romaine has a population of 5,000. We were introduced to the village just as I started The Food Lover's Guide to France, so as I travelled to other villages I'd look at the population and think how come this isn't like Vaison? Vaison had so much: 6 butchers, 8 bakeries, 14 pharmacies... on Tuesday is the big outdoor market. All the merchants come from all around. In years past they came to buy their shoes, corsets, their tractors, their fabrics... Even now, there's a lot more there than food. And then I finally realized, guess what? Vaison is special.

Q: And Provence?

A: Provence is special because of the weather and the culture. There you've got all the herbs, all the vegetables, and the wine. What else do you need in life? A little bread? A little goat cheese?

Q: Was Chanteduc in good shape when you bought it?

A: Oh, yes. It was livable, it wasn't a wreck. But we've renovated it over the years. We added the bread ovens. We added the fireplace in the kitchen. We've redone every room, while trying to maintain the integrity of the house. A man in Italy once told me the most beautiful thing I ever heard about a house. He was describing a 16th century property that he had and he said, "This property's been here since the 16th century. I can influence it the maximum of 30 years. What does that mean in the life of this property? It's nothing! It will go for centuries beyond me. All I can hope to do is not desecrate it, put my little mark on it, and maintain its integrity." I feel that way about Chanteduc. I mean the Romans were up there! The house has been there, we don't know for sure, probably since the 17th-18th century, but we know the Romans lived up there at some point. So who am I? I've got 30 years, 40, 50 years, max? Since the Romans? That's not even a tear drop!

Q: You mentioned "poachers" in your book, that there are people who take olives, or truffles, etc. from your property. Is this a common Provence practice?

A: I think people might become very proprietary about their village. I mean, haven't you ever gone by an apricot tree, and thought these people are probably not going to pick them...so I'll pick them and probably appreciate them more than they do? I think it's more that sort of thing. In fact, this year I'm going to put up a little sign saying "You don't realize it, but we really wait for these olives all year long...could you leave them alone?" My plumber is going to write it for me in the right kind of French, so it doesn't sound unpleasant...just to say: please, we know you've taken the olives in the past, this year please leave them for us!

Q: How do the ingredients you find in Provence influence your cooking?

A: Until I moved to Paris I don't think I understood what fresh food tastes like. And until I moved to Provence, again, second time over, I realized I didn't know what fresh food tastes like.

Q: Is there a big difference between the food of urban Paris and that of your village in Provence?

A: Dramatic. Then there's the difference between the things I can find in my market, and the things that I can grow. We've just grown our first crop of almonds. I've eaten fresh almonds from the market and those are great. But now I've picked the dried, ready-to-pick almonds from our trees. You never think about how almonds come off the tree!