When Seattle Chef, Bertrand de Boutray, returned after studying at the reknowned Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 1995, he thought he'd put his culinary skills to use with a series of French cooking classes . . .

. . . His flexibility is what makes his . . .company - Bertrand Chez Vous - so successful. If you can't come to de Boutray, he will come to you. He frequently teaches classes in the homes of others, and can coordinate a dinner party combined with a cooking lesson at a drop of a hat.

Tomorrow, de Boutray will cook dinner at a special fundraiser event at Renton Technical College called "An Evening in Normandy." The dinner will help raise funds for the school's culinary arts program.

de Boutray grew up in Paris in a very food-centered family. He talks with great passion of eating wonderfully drawn-out, five-course meals every Sunday with his grandparents in their apartment in the heart of Paris. Meals would last all afternoon and always included special delicacies. And it was much more than the food; the meals were a reason to spend time with other family members.

de Boutray remembers, as a child, his mother spending two hours a day preparing the evening meal which always included a soup, main dish, a cheese course and dessert.

In 1985, de Boutray met his wife while she was visiting Paris from Seattle. After a few years of long-distance dating, they married and moved to Vancouver, B.C., and then to Seattle . . . he became a full-time father to his two daughters . . .

. . . devoting more time to his passion for cooking, he threw small dinner parties at first, then eventually taught classes.

In de Boutray's world, a dinner party means you're treated to the very best. "Adults should entertain more," he said. "You need a social link. Set aside some time for adult time and time for food."

de Boutray believes adults should slow down and take the time to enjoy the company of their friends at intimate, children-free dinner parties. "Get to know your friends," he urges.

When it comes to de Boutray's cooking, preparations are classic, dinner is an excuse to bring people together and food is meant to be savored.

"Cooking must come from the heart," de Boutray says. "And food always is meant to be enjoyed. So enjoy it."

de Boutray shared a few of his recipes from his personal collection of more than 1,000. He'll be preparing an entire dinner of his specialties at the Renton Technical College dinner tomorrow . . .