Those who knew Chef Brach will remember that his newsletters were never just about menus and events. They were witty, sharp, and often carried a lesson tucked between the lines.

This week, as part of our 41st anniversary, we’re revisiting one he wrote in August 2008 (Chez News 108). The subject was “The Secret to Longer Life,” a tongue-in-cheek title he admitted was only to get your attention. But the reflection that followed came straight from his time living part of each year in Fouras, a small oyster-farming village on the western coast of France.

There, Chef Brach noted, residents seemed to live well into their eighties and nineties. He contrasted those numbers with Texas, pointing out that while life on the Gulf Coast can be just as hot, Fouras had its own way of shaping a longer, slower life. He described the people as unhurried and unconcerned with calorie counts—happily enjoying bread, butter, wine, and conversation.

His “recipe” for us was simple:

“Slow down as in live slower, as slow as you can, forget the shrill messages of free enterprise running amok telling you to speed up, earn, acquire, spend… Living a slower life can be as rewarding as it is easy. It is about pleasures, having knowledge, making our own choices. It is about taking the time to slow down, visit with family and friends, squeezing your own juice, lingering over a piece of cheese and a glass of wine. Taking time to visit over dinner (especially when dining at Chez Nous).”

More than fifteen years later, his words feel even more relevant. In the rush of modern life, slowing down to share a meal and a bottle of wine with people you love remains the surest way to measure life in moments, not minutes.

As we celebrate 41 years this September, we continue to honor that same philosophy—creating a table where time slows, flavors linger, and memories take root.