Even if you’ve never hear of Susan Herrmann Loomis, when she serves lunch, it feels like a homecoming, like she has been waiting all morning for you to arrive, like it’s time to settle in and do some hardy — and hearty — dining.

Local food lovers may remember the days when Susan lived in Belfast, where she wrote “Clambakes and Fish Fries,” one of several notable cookbooks she has authored. Others may know her name from informative food features in The New York Times or in food magazines.

These days, Susan lives in Louviers, in the Normandy region of France about an hour from Paris. More than a year ago, Loomis and her husband, Michael, a sculptor and builder, decided they wanted to start their own food business. Not a restuarant, exactly. It had to allow Michael time for art, Susan time for writing, and both of them time with their 8-year-old son, Joseph. So they designed a plan for “cultural afternoons” during which they serve France’s true countryside cuisine in their home. Integral to the multicourse meal is a discussion of French life, farms and food preparation.

The Loomises live in a converted Sisters of Mercy convent on Rue Tatin. The 15th century home, which is across the street from the massive cathedral Notre Dame de Louviers, is crooked with age, but cozy and welcoming. Despite the distance, when you go to the Loomises’ to eat, it’s like visiting old friends you haven’t seen for years.

The unique part of dining on Rue Tatin begins right at the door. The Loomises are casual and friendly. They know you’ve traveled far. They know you’ve come hungry. Possibly, that you are eager to hear an English-speaking voice. They smile willingly and often. They treat you like family.

Susan’s specialty is creating wholesome meals influenced by the best and most fresh of the season. She combines her own inspiration with current trends among French chefs, many of whom have returned to the traditions of countryside cuisine.

The meal began with Vin d’Orange, Susan’s homemade liqueur which sends a sweet spark of warm comfort through the center of your body — especially after driving from Paris in a tiny European car on wild French roadways. Between sips, we chose from three types of green olives with fennel, pistachios from Iran (considered the world’s best) and winter radishes dipped in fleur de sel (a coarse salt).

The dining table was covered with a floral-print cloth and set elegantly and simply. While a country breeze blew graciously through the opened front door, Susan presented rilletes de sanglier and roti de sanglier aux clous de girofle a la sauce chasseur. In French, that means a rustic mixture of wild boar meat, and tender slices of wild boar with a hunter’s sauce. The boar, Susan told us, had been caught in the nearby woods by a farmer friend.

As the four members of our family found places at the table, the Loomises sat down, too.

“Otherwise, it’s not fun for us,” said Susan. “We tailor it the way we like, and we can pamper guests the way we like. A restaurant wouldn’t allow us either.”

The Loomises are preparing for a second child — a girl — to arrive this winter. Then, Susan plans to open a cooking school with weeklong classes that involve hands-on cooking and visits to local food producers.

Louviers, it turns out, is nicely located for the American traveler. Coming from Paris, it’s a minor detour to stop at Claude Monet’s home at Giverny. After lunch, there’s Rouen, the ancient city with a cathedral that Monet painted. (Those very paintings are at the Musee D’Orsay back in Paris, by the way.) Richard the Lionhearted’s Chateau Gaillard is less than a half-hour away. But we stray, which is easy to do once you hit the French countryside, and certainly once you begin a conversation with the Loomises.

After the appetizers, a vegetable course included crispy fennel, beets, turnips, carrots, and cauliflower sprinkled with olive oil. The centerpiece of the meal was chicken cooked in white wine and mustard, with potatoes topped with chervil, chives, dill and creme fraiche. This was followed by a green salad and chevre — all accompanied by crusty bread Michael had baked that morning.

Here’s just how relaxed we felt: All of us — even the teen-agers — helped clear the table between courses! The Loomises spoke easily about themselves — memories of living in Maine, family life and professions, favorite books. They wanted to hear about us, too. And the conversation always returned to food.

Later, Susan brought out an apple tart and a gingerbread cake with clementines. With dessert, we sipped calvados, a strong apple brandy meant to heat you up in winter.

“We try to educate people in a nice way and give them a wonderful experience,” said Susan. “If they’re educated, they may eat better.”

“Then there’s the fun of sitting down for five or six hours to eat,” added Michael, with a smile.

Although Susan orchestrated the meal, Michael was her first assistant. He poured the wine (a bordeaux with this meal), shared hosting duties, and kept the conversation going. Eventually, he left to pick up Joseph, who returned to tell us about his schoolday and show off his new toys.

The charm, including a walk through the village of Louviers, just doesn’t quit on this tasty excursion. The Loomises are polite and disciplined about their service, which costs $125 per person, with a $60 lunch available for larger groups. Unlike the over-the-top restaurateurs in Paris, the Loomises are not fancy. They are homey. The menu changes with the season, but the hospitality, organization and comprehensiveness are year-round. If you can get there from here, Rue Tatin is the place to eat, learn, be at home.

For information about luncheons and the cooking school, contact Marion Pruitt, 25904 NE 45th St., Camas, WA 98605, or call 360-834-