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On her first lunch in France as a bride, Julia Child feasted on SoleMeunière--the traditional dish of Normandy—and it altered her entire life. Find your own epiphany in the Sole Meunière recipe below.Tipped like a beret on the northwest corner of France, the fertile Normandy province between the English Channel and Brittany is bounded with a dramatic 360-mile coast and bisected with tributaries of the River Seine. Apple orchards line its lush green rolling hills. Sheep and cattle graze on hedge-trimmed meadows near bluebell woods. Arising from thisbounteous region are Calvados, gourmet seafood, dairy products and cheeses--including native Camembert. In Normandy, I’ve traced millions of pilgrim footsteps up the medieval cobblestone island lane to the Abby of Mount Saint Michel. Stood were Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen. Felt the salty sea-air sting my cheeks on the Pourville cliffs where Monet painted sailboats. But at hishome in picturesque Giverny I comprehended the organic sensibilityabsorbed from soil, sea and sky and poured back into his art--and regional cuisine.

Monet’s father was a grocer who wanted his son in the family’s pragmaticbusiness. Claude Monet became the founder of French Impressionism tocapture and convey quixotic movement and light.Though a Monet canvas sold posthumously for $80-million—among the12-priciest paintings in history--his loves in life were simple. Home, gardens, good meals and conversation, nature and representing everyday subjects with extraordinary care to reveal their inherent magic. Monet said ‘Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it werenecessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.’ As Monet’s love for flowers made him a painter, Julia Child’s awakening over artisan cuisine remade the American into ‘The French Chef.’

Normandy Sole Meunière

1/2 c. all-purpose flour Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 fresh sole fillets, 3 to 4 ounces each6-T. unsalted butter 1-tsp. grated lemon zest 6-T. freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)1-T. minced fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Have 2 heatproof dinner plates readyCombine the flour, 2-tsp. salt, and 1-tsp. pepper in a large shallow plate. Pat the sole fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle one side with salt. Heat 3-T. of butter in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium heat until it starts to brown. Dredge 2 sole fillets in the seasoned flour on both sidesand place them in the hot butter. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes. Turn carefully with a metal spatula and cook for 2 minuteson the other side. While the second side cooks, add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and 3-T. of lemon juice to the pan. Carefully put the fish filets on theovenproof plates and pour the sauce over them. Keep the cooked filletswarm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining 2 fillets.When they're done, add the cooked fillets to the plates in the oven. Sprinkle