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I hate to admit it, but French food intimidates me, both eating it and cooking it. While there are plenty of "rustic" and simple classic dishes, they all seem to require a patience, focus and techniques that are hard to master for a self-taught cook. Plus, the list of ingredients can also be rather daunting.

The French make some of the most amazing food in the world, and you can't get that complexity of flavor without quality products and a passion to make them come alive. But, frankly, I rarely have the time or energy to devote to dinner, so I've often lusted from afar when it comes to actually preparing French cuisine. I will consider that amazing recipe for about 30 seconds, my mouth watering, before moving on to something far less complicated, and most assuredly less memorable.

That is, until I came across Hillary Davis's new book "French Comfort Food" (Gibbs Smith). Sure the "French" part of the title gave me a moment's pause, but the words "comfort food" caught my attention and sent my mind spinning with dreams of bread, cheese and all sorts of decadent delights -- perhaps even ones that I could create in my kitchen.

The book brings together classic, home-style recipes from her experience of living more than a decade in France (two years in Paris, 11 in the south). Some are collected from friends she made along the way, others tasted in out-of-the-way bistros and family dinners she found herself included in, and many regional dishes that you rarely see here but that are still cherished in their native land. Her love of all things French jumps from every page, and the photos make you want to immediately book a flight.

The book is separated into six sections and includes everything from starters such as pates, dips and souffles to soups and sandwiches (Croque madame? Yes, please!), to family-style entrees such as Chicken Marengo and Boeuf Bourguignon and dinner party fare like beef or cheese fondue and Mussels in White Wine. There are also plenty of recipes to satisfy everyone's sweet tooth. How does one choose between Creme Caramel, Profiteroles bathed in Chocolate Sauce, or Macarons from Nancy?

For added color and history, she includes a short origin story with each recipe -- how she found it and how/why she changed it -- as well as all of the equipment and pots you'll need to pull it off, which is quite helpful. This makes the recipes seem like a treasure hunt or travelogue of what you might find as you wander the countryside looking for sustenance. Not all of the recipes are complex or have a ton of ingredients --Crusty Baguette with Melted Chocolate has just two -- which is nice for beginners and a good way to get your feet wet.

This is not a diet/healthy cookbook in any way. The recipes weren't altered for that reason. Great French food uses a lot of cheese, cream and butter, and this book is no exception. If you aren't allowed to eat dairy or fat, you will find it challenging to find a recipe to cook in this book.

Thankfully, that was not a problem for me. What Davis has done with many of the recipes is simplified and distilled the process to get the same flavors, but without as much of the need for masterly techniques. It may be comfort food, but it's classy comfort food, so there is still time and effort involved to make it just right.

I have made several dishes that were quite good, but the standout was the Gratin d'Endives au Jambon. It's a similar dish to one I saw Chef Ludo Lefevbre make with his grandmother on "No Reservations" a few years back, and I have been dying to try it. It actually doesn't have many ingredients -- it's only endives wrapped in ham smothered in cheese sauce -- but there are a number of steps to making it. The result is so worth the effort. Like most simple dishes, this one comes down to the quality of the ingredients, so shop wisely. It is very rich and deeply satisfying: a perfect dinner to warm yourself on a cold fall day.

Although Belgians lay a valid claim to the origin of this dish, it is a firm family favorite thoughout France as a warming winter dish -- especially on a gray cold day when rain is pounding on the windows and children need warming up. To make it, whole endives are wrapped in a slice of ham then baked in a casserole with a Mornay sauce to create a cozy meal.

Endives and Ham Gratin

(Gratin d'Endives au Jambon)

Excerpted with permission from "French Comfort Food" (Gibbs Smith, 2014) by Hillary Davis

Serves 4.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more to butter casserole dish

8 large endives

2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar

8 large, thin slices boiled ham

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk or fat-free half-and-half

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 cracks freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

8 ounces Jarlsburg, Gruyere, Emmental or French Cantal cheese, grated

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Equipment: Large skillet; 9- by 12-inch casserole or gratin dish: saucepan; aluminum foil.

Generously butter the casserole dish and preheat the oven to 450 F.

Clean the endives, pull off any discolored outer leaves, slice the root end off and slice in half lengthwise.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and heat until very hot. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar then arrange as many endives as you can in the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn over and cook the other side until nicely browned. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining endives, adding more oil and another tablespoon of sugar, if needed.

Put 2 endive halves back together to make a whole endive, roll in a piece of ham and repeat with the remaining endives.

In the saucepan, melt the butter, whisk in the flour, then very slowly whish in the milk over medium heat until the sauce thickens and bubbles. Add mustard, nutmeg, salt, pepper, garlic and cheese of choice and whisk until melted and well blended to make your sauce. Add a little more milk if you would like it a bit thinner.

Pour some of the sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish, arrange the endive rolls in the dish, pour the rest of the sauce over them, sprinkle the Parmesan over the top, and then add a generous sprinkling of salt and coarsely ground pepper.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 25 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and cool a little before serving as it will be very hot.

Recipe (c) 2014 by Hillary Davis, author of "French Comfort Food"

(Lisa Dinsmore is a writer, web programmer and wine lover. She shares her passion for all things vino at www.dailywinedispatch.com. One for the Table is Amy Ephron's online magazine that specializes in food, politics and love. http://www.oneforthetable.com/.)