At the Daudet household, in Nîmes and later under the sun of the Fontvieille mill, the meal follows the slow rhythm of the Midi: first the aïoli or savory appetizers shared with loud talk, then a fish or salt cod dish that sticks to the ribs, and always on the table, pitchers of local wine and little dry biscuits to dip. This is not a Parisian starter-main-dessert succession, but a long convivial table where everything coexists, where one relights one's pipe between bites and the meal stretches on with chatter.

The common thread of all this cuisine: a fruity olive oil from the Midi and raw crushed garlic, seasoned with dried herbs from the garrigue (thyme, rosemary, savory). Daudet kept the taste from his Languedoc childhood; it is the soul of aïoli, tapenade, and brandade.