A native of a French island in the South Pacific, Viviane Bauquet Farre has been an avid cook since the age of six, when she began preparing all her family's meals, perched atop a stool.

After a career as a fashion designer and a move to the picturesque Hudson River village of Piermont, Viviane turned her attention full-time to her greatest passion, food. Today, Viviane creates beautiful and innovative recipes inspired by seasonal ingredients, usually bought from local farmers.

Viviane's focus is always flavor, flavor and more flavor! She uses organic ingredients whenever available, because not only are they more nutritious, they simply taste better. She doesn't rely on butter or cream to carry a dish, and she uses fats, in general, sparingly. Hers is a style of cooking that is just right for today: simple, creative, healthful — and utterly delicious.

Since 2005, Viviane has been offering popular, small, hands-on cooking classes in her beautiful home. She also hosts the no bones! dinner club — festive private evenings overflowing with scrumptious courses, each one paired with a special, sommelier-chosen wine. Viviane also produces a monthly cooking program which can be seen on her website. And if that were not enough to keep her busy, she writes a monthly column for the Nyack Villager, for the international online magazine, showcook.com and has done many features for Rockland Magazine.

These many threads grow from a single theme, which is Viviane Bauquet Farre's philosophy: Food is love. It enhances our lives in every way. It benefits our bodies, our hearts, our souls. It is a magnificent way to share special moments with family and friends.