Recipe Inside! Archive

November 15, 2009

Simple Tahini Sauce

Ever since I received an electric steamer for my birthday last summer, I have been steaming vegetables with abandon. Before that, I used a set of those bamboo baskets that you nest in a wok if you have one (I don't) or place on a saucepan that's never quite the correct size for optimal steam circulation. That thing sputtered and leaked and drove...

"Simple Tahini Sauce" continues »

November 10, 2009

Chocolate Marble Cake

[Cake marbré au chocolat] I grew up eating a store-bought chocolate marble cake called Savane. Created in the sixties by a French manufacturer that was acquired by an American company shortly thereafter, it came as a whole loaf cake in an ocher and brown box. The bottom of the loaf was wrapped in a paper liner that you peeled off as you sliced y...

"Chocolate Marble Cake" continues »

November 4, 2009

Sourdough Bagels

When Maxence and I were in San Francisco late last summer, we had bagels for breakfast every single day. There were a couple of bagel shops not far from where we were staying, so we alternated between the two, and on those mornings that we went for a run through the Golden Gate Park, bagels awaited at a busy coffee shop by the ocean. I like mine...

"Sourdough Bagels" continues »

October 27, 2009

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Bacon

[Velouté de topinambours au bacon] It has been a while -- five years, to be exact -- since we last discussed Jerusalem artichokes around here, but they do belong to my regular winter vegetable rotation so I thought I'd bring them up again. The tubers have just started to appear and will stick around until March or April, so you can start lookin...

"Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Bacon" continues »

October 20, 2009

Apple Slices with Frozen Sheep's Milk Yogurt

Maxence and I like to spend a weekend in Amsterdam every once in a while: we love the atmosphere of the city in any season, and we usually stay in a neighborhood called Nieuwmarkt that is both lively (plenty of shops and restaurants) and residential (real people live there), the ideal mix if you want to pretend you're an Amsterdammer (only with t...

"Apple Slices with Frozen Sheep's Milk Yogurt" continues »

October 12, 2009

Fregola Sarda with Zucchini and Parmesan

The funny thing about a food blog, especially one that has been around for a long time, is that it doesn't really reflect the frequency with which each featured dish is cooked: if you look at an archived post from years ago, how do you know whether it was just a one-time experiment, or if it has made weekly appearances at the author's table since...

"Fregola Sarda with Zucchini and Parmesan" continues »

October 6, 2009

Matcha Shortbread Cookies

A friend of mine was just admitted to the traditional French cooking program I attended four years ago (read all about it here and here), and the good news got me thinking about a type of cookie we learned to make in class as we approached the holidays, called sablés diamant. These "diamond cookies" are classic butter cookies that you form using...

"Matcha Shortbread Cookies" continues »

September 29, 2009

Sourdough English Muffins

Due to my ever-widening enthusiasm for breadmaking, I have become a close follower of the Bread Baker's Apprentice challenge, wherein a group of bakers bakes its way through Peter Reinhart's revered opus and blogs about the results, with numerous details and step-by-step photos. This makes for fascinating posts if you're into that sort of thing, ...

"Sourdough English Muffins" continues »

September 22, 2009

Slow-Roasted Shoulder of Lamb Rubbed with Rosemary, Anchovy, and Lemon Zest

A favorite from the archives, this post was originally published on November 2, 2007. I say, one can never have too many recipes for lamb shoulder. A versatile cut, the lamb shoulder, one that can be grilled, stewed, braised, or here, slow-roasted. This dish was born out of a typical moment of greenmarket frustration, which I shall get off my ...

"Slow-Roasted Shoulder of Lamb Rubbed with Rosemary, Anchovy, and Lemon Zest" continues »

September 15, 2009

Two-Fig Ice Cream

A favorite from the archives, this post was originally published on October 23, 2007. Fig season is upon us and produce stalls boast plentiful trays of purple figs, soft at the hips and oft leaking a drop of sap from their, um, bottom. Of course, they cost an eye -- figs are a luxury in Paris any time of the year -- but the fig fanatic in me is ...

"Two-Fig Ice Cream" continues »

September 8, 2009

Roasted Eggplant and Goat's Milk Yogurt Dip

A favorite from the archives, this post was originally published on September 22, 2008. When I recovered my kitchen after seven weeks (seven! weeks!) of renovation chaos -- and this was just to redo the bathroom, mind you -- the very first thing I made was a yogurt cake, to fortify us through our next mission: the meticulous cleaning of, well, t...

"Roasted Eggplant and Goat's Milk Yogurt Dip" continues »

August 25, 2009

Cheese Thins

When it comes to appetizers, I generally try to offer relatively light preparations, and often opt for vegetable-based dips* that can be scooped with raw zucchini sticks or dolloped onto cucumber rounds : if I'm serving something before dinner, when my guests are, all things considered, starving, the idea is to sate them temporarily, not until ne...

"Cheese Thins" continues »

August 18, 2009

Blueberry Oat Bran Muffins

I grew up in a household where le goûter is a cardinal ritual, and I can safely state that I've been eating an afternoon snack practically every day for the past thirty years. It is so much a part of my food habits that I actually size my lunches to make sure I'll feel a bit hungry around 5 or 6, and in need of something to tide me over until di...

"Blueberry Oat Bran Muffins" continues »

August 11, 2009

Roasted Patty Pan Squash and Herbed Chickpeas

[Pâtissons rôtis et pois chiches aux herbes] The patty pan squash (in French: le pâtisson) is a member of the blended summer squash family. Shaped very much like a UFO with undulating edges -- each bump a tiny cockpit with an alien inside, presumably --, it can be conical or squat, and comes in shades of yellow, green, or white. The flesh inside...

"Roasted Patty Pan Squash and Herbed Chickpeas" continues »

July 28, 2009

Cherry Hazelnut Loaf Cake

[Cake Cerise Noisette] I had lunch with my friends Pascale and Caroline a couple of weeks ago, and afterward we followed Caroline back to her apartment so she could share samples of a quirky ingredient she'd just laid her hands on: hazelnut flour. I had initially thought she was referring to finely ground hazelnuts (hazelnut meal or poudre de n...

"Cherry Hazelnut Loaf Cake" continues »

July 21, 2009

Herbed Couscous Salad

[Salade de semoule aux herbes] My sister and I went through a pretty intense couscous* phase when we were teenagers: my mother kept a kitchen cabinet stocked with little pre-portioned pouches of semoule that barely needed a minute and a half of boiling before we could snip them open, pour their contents into a bowl, add a bit of salt and butter,...

"Herbed Couscous Salad" continues »

July 15, 2009

Lemon Verbena Sorbet

Fresh lemon verbena is a recent newcomer to my herb repertoire. I was familiar with plain dried verbena, a popular constituent of French tisanes, but only this spring did I come across long stalks of verveine citronnelle, bushy with feather-shaped leaves, faintly sticky and powerfully fragrant. Stroke one with your thumb and it will knock you ove...

"Lemon Verbena Sorbet" continues »

July 7, 2009

Natural Starter Bread

[Pain au levain naturel] If you keep an eye on my Twitter feed or subscribe to the C&Z newsletter, you already know that I've been trying my hand at natural starter bread for the past two months. A natural starter, also called a sourdough starter, is a culture of wild yeasts and friendly bacteria that the baker keeps alive and thriving by feedi...

"Natural Starter Bread" continues »

June 30, 2009

Saskatoon Berry Tart

Two years ago, I received a sweet email from a Canadian woman named Delphine. She explained that she and her French boyfriend run a farm in the Aube, about two and a half hours to the Southeast of Paris, on which they grow -- among other things -- Saskatoon berries*. Did I know this North American fruit? Did I want to try it? A new fruit! One I'...

"Saskatoon Berry Tart" continues »

June 23, 2009

Gratin Dauphinois (Potato Gratin)

As promised when we talked about potato gnocchi earlier this month, here is my recipe for gratin dauphinois, the king of potato side dishes, named after the former French province whence it originates. Before we begin, it is my duty to draw your attention to the fact that a proper gratin dauphinois does not involve cheese. No. It is a gloriously...

"Gratin Dauphinois (Potato Gratin)" continues »

June 16, 2009

Matcha and Azuki (Green Tea and Red Bean) Cake Roll

[Gâteau roulé matcha et azuki] The thing that happens when you buy a big pouch of anko (Japanese sweetened red bean paste) to make strawberry daifuku is that you're likely to run out of rice flour long before you use up all the azuki paste. I assume it keeps for weeks if well wrapped, but I didn't want to let it sit in the fridge for too long (...

"Matcha and Azuki (Green Tea and Red Bean) Cake Roll" continues »

June 9, 2009

Potato Gnocchi

I have recently found myself with a bit of a potato glut, a rather unusual state of affairs for me. It being spring, all the potatoes wanted to do was sprout, however careful I was to keep them in a cool, dark place. Unable to temper their enthusiasm, I did what any responsible cook would do: I embraced the potato theme and cooked them in all sor...

"Potato Gnocchi" continues »

June 2, 2009

Strawberry Daifuku Mochi

A few weeks ago, my friend Estérelle and I attended a mochi cooking class held at La Cocotte, a lovely little cookbook shop in Paris. Before we go any further, I think a semantics note is in order: strictly speaking, mochi is the name of a Japanese preparation of steamed glutinous rice that is pounded to form a sticky paste*. Mochi can be boiled...

"Strawberry Daifuku Mochi" continues »

May 19, 2009

Sticky Chocolate Cake

Last time I was in London, my primary objective may have been to snuggle up with my nephew, but I still brought a list of food places I wanted to check out, for, you know, research purposes. One of them was Ottolenghi, a deli that offers a daily selection of colorful dishes -- with an emphasis on fresh produce -- and dazzling pastries. I had rec...

"Sticky Chocolate Cake" continues »

May 12, 2009

Radish Leaf Pesto

Radish season is in full swing, and I have been buying a bunch a week since they first appeared a month ago. I very much like radis roses, the pink, elongated ones with a white bottom that look like so many pink mice, but I don't turn my nose at the red globes, and certainly not at the multicolored bouquets. In fact, it is not so much the color ...

"Radish Leaf Pesto" continues »

May 5, 2009

Homemade Lärabars

I have never been particularly drawn to energy bars and their spooky ingredients lists, but then I discovered the hugely popular Lärabars while in New York, and they won me over quickly. If you've yet to make their acquaintance, here's what you need to know: Lärabars (I just ignore the umlaut and say "larabar") are compact but tender energy bars...

"Homemade Lärabars" continues »

April 20, 2009

Swiss Chard Gratin with Vegan Bechamel

[Gratin de blettes] I generally steer clear of ready-made preparations and other "helpers" sold at the grocery store: not out of snobism, but I love to cook, I devote time and thought to selecting good ingredients, and I welcome the opportunity to practice and experiment, so I am reluctant to give up the driver's seat and let some industrial pro...

"Swiss Chard Gratin with Vegan Bechamel" continues »

April 14, 2009

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've always enjoyed the food sections of American newspapers, these pull-out pages that appear in the regular edition on a given day of the week (usually Wednesday) to cover local food and drink news, with recipes. Not all of them have the same standards or budget, and I am told the good ones are an endangered species, but between the Seattle Tim...

"Chocolate Chip Cookies" continues »

April 7, 2009

Lamb and Orange Khoresh

I know little about Persian cuisine. I do know it is a multifaceted one, that its flavors are refined and its roots run deep, but I have never been to an Iranian restaurant nor an Iranian home -- though now that I think about it, one of the Middle Eastern groceries we went to in California may have been Iranian -- so this Persian stew (that's wha...

"Lamb and Orange Khoresh" continues »

March 31, 2009

Kouglof

Do you remember Muriel, from Muriel's Chicken? She's a good friend of Maxence's mother's who lives with her family in Le Perche, and whom we've been visiting every year or so with immense pleasure, and frequent sighs of contentment. Last time we went was in the fall, and Muriel's two lovely daughters had just started their school year; because t...

"Kouglof" continues »

March 24, 2009

Miso Glazed Flank Steak

I only ever buy meat from Mathieu, my butcher of choice at the organic greenmarket on Saturday mornings. I used to stop by every week and get enough for two meals or so, but the line is so long these days -- word must have gotten out that his stuff is good -- that I had to change my strategy: I go less frequently, buy a little more, and freeze th...

"Miso Glazed Flank Steak" continues »

March 17, 2009

Apple and Maple Yogurt Cake

A year ago today, my sister gave birth to a healthy baby boy; the next morning, Maxence and I were on a train to visit them at the hospital. He was the freshest newborn I'd ever held, and for weeks afterward, the most mundane display of emotion I witnessed -- in a film, in a book, on the street -- could make me weep. I was an aunt, and not just o...

"Apple and Maple Yogurt Cake" continues »

March 10, 2009

Peacamole

[Green Pea Cilantro Spread] If you've been invited to dinner at my house lately, the odds are high that you've been greeted with a glass of chilled white wine and a platter of multigrain crackers topped with this bright green spread. "Guacamole?" you may have asked. "No, peacamole!" I'll have responded, or rather, if you and I speak French toget...

"Peacamole" continues »

March 3, 2009

Spicy Cabbage and Chicken Stir-Fry

I've recently read a collection of stories by Lara Vapnyar called Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love. The six stories in this pretty volume talk about Russian immigrants to the United States, and use the revealing lens of food to show how they adapt to their new lives. Stories about migrants never fail to move me, and perhaps also because ...

"Spicy Cabbage and Chicken Stir-Fry" continues »

February 25, 2009

Maple Pecan Ice Cream

I don't think of ice cream as a seasonal thing. Let me clarify: I do think of ice cream flavors as seasonal things, but ice cream, as a general and cardinal food group, is very much a year-round treat for me. To give you an example, I have just returned from Deauville in Normandy, wherein I attended the Omnivore Food Festival, a two-day event du...

"Maple Pecan Ice Cream" continues »

February 17, 2009

Brussels Sprouts with Onions and Squash Seeds

I have a special fondness for the winter market. Oh, sure, I have to bundle up, wear a woolen cap and good gloves, and by the time I lock my bike to the street sign I've claimed as mine, few of my fingers are available for immediate use. But when I get to my favorite produce stall and the vendors greet me, their jolly smiles clearly say, "thank...

"Brussels Sprouts with Onions and Squash Seeds" continues »

February 3, 2009

Homemade Vanilla Extract

The idea of a DIY vanilla extract has been floating around the food blog world for a little while. When I first read about the process, the instructions seemed so fastidious that I shrugged and clicked away. (This is, in passing, one of the challenges the recipe writer faces: providing the necessary dose of guidance, but avoiding instruction over...

"Homemade Vanilla Extract" continues »

January 27, 2009

Japanese-Inspired Quinoa

As I mentioned in the January newsletter and on this forum thread, one of my current aspirations is to learn more about Japanese cooking. I have worked on assembling a good pantry of essentials -- always the most daunting step when one tackles a new style of cuisine, I think -- and now the real fun has begun, as I teach myself the basics by foll...

"Japanese-Inspired Quinoa" continues »

January 20, 2009

Luxury Brownies

Among the many blogs I read enthusiastically is one called Coco&Me: its author, Tamami, sells homemade cakes and chocolates at Broadway Market in East London on Saturdays, and she describes her blog as "the diary of a market stall holder." Beautifully illustrated with photos of her displays and confections, it is full of the sort of details I c...

"Luxury Brownies" continues »

January 6, 2009

Raspberry Dacquoise

It all started with a store-bought dessert that we tasted at a friend's house late last summer, which consisted in a light vanilla mousse garnished with raspberries and sandwiched between two layers of a thin, crisp, and lightly chewy almond cake. Everybody loved it, and I thought, hey, I think I could make something like that, too. You see, yea...

"Raspberry Dacquoise" continues »

December 9, 2008

Flourless Poppy Seed Cake

My oven and I are going through a rough patch and frankly, I don't think it can be fixed*. You see, it has been behaving in the most erratic manner this fall, and if there's one thing a cook doesn't need, it's an unreliable oven, one that takes forrrreeeeevvver to preheat, turns itself off mid-baking, refuses to turn itself back on, or burns the...

"Flourless Poppy Seed Cake" continues »

December 3, 2008

Saffron Roasted Cauliflower

Roasting summer vegetables comes quite naturally to most cooks, I believe, but not everyone thinks to submit their winter counterparts to the same treatment. And it's a pity, really, when you know what good it does root vegetables and winter squash, yes, but also broccoli and cauliflower. And this is my favorite, ultra-facile way to cook caulifl...

"Saffron Roasted Cauliflower" continues »

November 25, 2008

Cashew Cheese

Although I am as omnivorous as they come, I have a vivid interest in the diet of those who decide to -- or must -- walk an alternate path, be it vegetarian, vegan, raw, or allergen-free. The reason why I'm so interested is that cooking and eating under constraints such as these encourages those who do to think out of the box, seek out new ingred...

"Cashew Cheese" continues »

November 18, 2008

Wholesome Banana Chocolate Breakfast Bars

When Heidi posted about her friend Nikki's healthful cookies a couple of months ago, my curiosity was piqued, and the recipe firmly affixed to my mind's corkboard*. And as soon as I had a few browning bananas on hand -- some might accuse me of letting them overripen on purpose, but that's just libel and they'll be hearing from my attorney -- I k...

"Wholesome Banana Chocolate Breakfast Bars" continues »

November 10, 2008

Zoe's Lasagna (Sort Of)

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a reader named Pamela, who said she was working her way through the C&Z archives -- I am so heartened when people do that -- and had noticed, in this older-than-salt post, a reference to the lasagna our friend Zoe made for us when we visited her in London. Did I ever end up sharing that recipe? Pamela ask...

"Zoe's Lasagna (Sort Of)" continues »

November 4, 2008

Vanilla Poached Quince

Where is the online scratch 'n sniff when you need it? Since such technology is not yet available to us (sheesh!), we'll just have to rely on our imagination and invoke, in our mind's nose, the irresistibly sweet, floral, candy-like scent that quince, the most gnarled and unprepossessing subject of the fruit kingdom, emits. In fact, if you wer...

"Vanilla Poached Quince" continues »

October 28, 2008

Chocolate Frozen Yogurt

An estimated 62% of my cooking begins with me lying in bed, thinking about some ingredient that needs using, and not being able to sleep because my mind is awhir, trying to devise rewarding ways to do so. These closed-eye sessions usually yield satisfactory results and, every once in a while, a plain fantastic one. I am counting this ice cream a...

"Chocolate Frozen Yogurt" continues »

October 21, 2008

Champagne and Saffron Mussels (or Not)

After posting a few thoughts on sustainable seafood and how each of us can make a difference, it grew apparent that one proactive way food bloggers can help, beyond spreading the word and trying to make responsible choices themselves, is to offer recipes featuring those varieties of fish or shellfish that are more eco-friendly. This happens to b...

"Champagne and Saffron Mussels (or Not)" continues »

October 7, 2008

Orange and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

Why is it that no one ever told me about the pork tenderloin? Has everyone been cooking pork tenderloin all this time, licking their lips and giggling covertly as I fought to make other cuts palatable, trying my best to prevent them from turning out dry, and grey? Oh, it's not that I haven't been happy with my pork experiments, not at all. Loo...

"Orange and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin" continues »

August 13, 2008

Chiffon Cake

When Maxence and I lived in California at the turn of the century, we liked to visit a small shop in Mountain View called Hong Kong Bakery. The Chinese-style pastries all seemed very exotic to me and we ate our way through the full range over the first few months, but soon stopped when we found our gold-medalled champion: the chiffon cake. If yo...

"Chiffon Cake" continues »

July 28, 2008

Lemon Kefir Ice Cream

This has been the strangest July ever. Maxence and I are having our bathroom renovated, and it is far more disruptive than I had -- perhaps naively -- imagined it would be. The dust, debris, and general lack of showering implement have made our apartment rather inhospitable, and my poor little kitchen is all tarped up, to protect her (of course i...

"Lemon Kefir Ice Cream" continues »

July 8, 2008

Fresh Fig and Rose Smoothie

Although smoothies have been around for decades in North America, only in recent years have they grown popular in Europe, and in France in particular*. We call them smoothies too, if you want to know, except we don't pronounce the final "s," even in the plural, and the "th" sound, ever a challenge for the French tongue to produce, varies in accu...

"Fresh Fig and Rose Smoothie" continues »

June 30, 2008

Pistachio Gelato

When it comes to ice cream, I am hopelessly predictable. As far as I'm concerned, if the ice cream parlor, glacier, or gelateria offers dark chocolate, pistachio, and/or yogurt, he might as well not have any other flavor: I am blind to them. I always go through the motions of hesitation, though (I scratch my temple, chew my lower lip, and hum l...

"Pistachio Gelato" continues »

June 18, 2008

Banana Pecan Cake with Maple Glaze

Among the countless blessings this blog has brought to my life is this one: I have met and become friends with a few cookbook authors. They are delicious people to be around, naturally, and if I manage to fox my way into their house they may actually cook for me, but the invaluable bonus is that, once I've come to know and trust them, once I've ...

"Banana Pecan Cake with Maple Glaze" continues »

June 9, 2008

Chilled Pea Pod Soup

As a sequel to my ode to the fresh pea, here is a recipe for chilled pea pod soup, a.k.a. "I have just devoted thirty minutes of my life to the shelling of those peas, and I intend to milk them for all they're worth" soup. Like all recipes that propose to use odds and ends that might, in other, less frugal kitchens, end up in the trash, this one...

"Chilled Pea Pod Soup" continues »

May 16, 2008

Petites Meringues

My freezer is not exactly in its prime, and it suffers from ice buildup syndrome. I put stuff in there, all wrapped up and all, and a few weeks later everything's covered in frost like the beard of a North Pole explorer. And after a while, there's so much ice covering the shelves that I half expect to see penguins skating around. Part of my job...

"Petites Meringues" continues »

April 14, 2008

Squeeze Cookies (A Roasted Flour Experiment)

Among the many things I learned during that memorable conference on molecular gastronomy, one idea has been whirling around my brain with particular insistence since then, and it is that of farine torréfiée*, or roasted flour. It was introduced to us by way of a truism: raw flour is bland, browned flour isn't. This is why we bother to make roux,...

"Squeeze Cookies (A Roasted Flour Experiment)" continues »

March 12, 2008

Carottes et Betteraves Râpées

[Grated Carrots and Beets] I used to think winter produce was drab, and that the cook's only option was to wait the cold months out, squinting into the distance, longing for asparagus and strawberries to appear ("Anne, Sister Anne, do you see nothing coming?"). Now I can't imagine how I could ever be so blind: what of mâche and winter squash, w...

"Carottes et Betteraves Râpées" continues »

February 13, 2008

Super Simple Nutella Ice Cream

My sister's husband has a passion for Nutella. When Ferrero put out a 40th-anniversary Nutella jar* of woolly mammoth** proportions, Christian bought one and actually spooned his way through it. Not in one sitting, admittedly, but still. I love my brother-in-law dearly, so when he and my sister came to dinner a few weeks ago, I thought I'd treat...

"Super Simple Nutella Ice Cream" continues »

February 6, 2008

Salade Tiède de Potimarron et Haricots Blancs

[Warm Hokkaido Squash and White Bean Salad] I write this from a café where I like to go and get some work done when I find it difficult to concentrate at home. Today, however, an unforeseen challenge has materialized on my path. Sitting a few tables from mine are two living clichés: a blond, middle-aged, French casting director and a young, crag...

"Salade Tiède de Potimarron et Haricots Blancs" continues »

January 31, 2008

Guimauve à la Rose et au Chocolat

[Rose and Chocolate Marshmallows] Guimauve is the stuff clouds are made of, it has the soft and cottony flavor of childhood, and resistance is futile when I spot the pretty pastel cubes in pastry shops. Rarely am I disappointed, but I do have to mention that one recent time when I bought an assortment from Pain de Sucre and got mostly weirdo f...

"Guimauve à la Rose et au Chocolat" continues »

January 15, 2008

Crumiri

[Italian Cornmeal Cookies] We all have our siren ingredients, those that call to us in voices of sugar from the printed page of a cookbook -- or the pixelated page of a food blog -- and charm us into dropping whatever we're doing to run to the kitchen and reenact the recipe. Cornmeal is one of my sirens, and I find it particularly beguiling in ...

"Crumiri" continues »

January 8, 2008

Soupe Poireaux Pommes de Terre

[Leek and Potato Soup] It has been far too long since last I wrote about soup. Have I stopped making soup? This is like asking if I've stopped breathing, and the answer -- as I type this, at least -- is no. The reason for this soup drought is that I've mostly been making variations of soups already featured on this blog, or über-simple combina...

"Soupe Poireaux Pommes de Terre" continues »

December 22, 2007

Rochers à la Noix de Coco

[Coconut Macaroons] Today's recipe, which conveniently doubles up as a holiday greeting card, is a beloved classic I wrote about eons ago on this here blog. I am normally reluctant to feature the same recipe twice, if only because it wreaks havoc in my recipe index, but in this instance, more than four years separate the two posts, and I do hav...

"Rochers à la Noix de Coco" continues »

November 23, 2007

Infusion Maison

[Homemade Tisane] Sometimes it worries me how much herbal tea I drink. You see, I love coffee, I adore tea, and nothing warms my heart and my quill like having a hot mug within mitten's reach. But as I get older*, it seems I can't drink caffeine like I used to could**. Maxence and I share a pot of light-brewed American-style coffee -- also kno...

"Infusion Maison" continues »

November 17, 2007

Rognons de Boeuf, Cèpes et Oignons

[Beef Kidneys with Ceps and Onions] Squeamish eaters, avert your eyes, and let me direct you here, here, or perhaps here. For the others, those who don't blanch at the mere mention of the words "tripe" or "beef tongue," those who own a dog-eared copy of the nose-to-tail bible* or have it on their wishlist, here is the dish I made last weekend w...

"Rognons de Boeuf, Cèpes et Oignons" continues »

November 9, 2007

Sablés Croquants Poivre et Noisette

[Crisp Hazelnut and Pepper Cookies] If you're the observant type, you may have noticed the walk-on actor in the fig sorbet picture two weeks ago. And you know what happens to walk-ons when they're talented and good-lookin' and lucky: they graduate to leading roles. Today is the cookie's big break; today, the cookie gets to be the hero of the pos...

"Sablés Croquants Poivre et Noisette" continues »

October 17, 2007

Mini-Scones à la Carotte et au Romarin

[Carrot and Rosemary Miniature Scones] Ah, the Curse of the Potluck and its familiar dilemmas that grip and nag -- what to bring, what to bring? Something sweet, something savory? Something indulgent that will please everyone who doesn't know how much butter went into it, or something healthful so your friends will live longer with a healthy he...

"Mini-Scones à la Carotte et au Romarin" continues »

October 10, 2007

Deluxe Potatoes

[Jo Jo Potatoes] Perhaps you remember Braden and Laura from the post I wrote about their underground restaurant venture: Hidden Kitchen has been doing well since then, waiting list and all, and Maxence and I have had the finger-licking pleasure of going back to their apartment a few times, as friends, on their off nights. Last time we did was b...

"Deluxe Potatoes" continues »

September 24, 2007

Glace Coco du Placard

[Coconut Ice Cream from the Pantry] The really nice thing when you come back from a vacation, however lovely, is the fresh set of eyes you can lay on your living quarters, and all the things that make them homey and yours. Your bed, not too firm but not flabby either, and wide enough that two normal-size individuals can stretch their legs witho...

"Glace Coco du Placard" continues »

September 10, 2007

Tarte aux Quetsches et Crème de Noix

[Quetsche Plum Tart with Walnut Cream] I love plums. I love that they are small and that you can rinse a few of them at a time, whirling them in your hand like Baoding balls. I love that they come in sundry shapes and colors to match your outfit, I love that they have a pit that you can spit out into the sink, and I love that they grow on trees ...

"Tarte aux Quetsches et Crème de Noix" continues »

September 4, 2007

Coquillettes au Comté et Pousses d'Epinard

[Elbow Macaroni with Comté Cheese and Baby Spinach] A lot can be learned about your cooking self by considering what you eat when you're on your own. I have friends who are simply not hungry when they're alone, who forget to eat (who what?), who don't consider it a real meal if there's no dining companion, or -- and I am not making this up -- wh...

"Coquillettes au Comté et Pousses d'Epinard" continues »

August 29, 2007

Langues de Chat au Thé Vert

[Green Tea Cat's Tongues] Langues de chat are classic French cookies that fall into the category of petits fours secs ("dry" petits fours, as opposed to miniature versions of pastries with buttercream, pastry cream, etc). They used to be a frequent accompaniment to ice-cream in restaurants, in rotation with cigarettes russes, but I haven't seen ...

"Langues de Chat au Thé Vert" continues »

August 21, 2007

Sorbet Chocolat Noir

[Dark Chocolate Sorbet] So. Batch #1 in my brand new ice cream machine was dedicated to Maxence, in gratitude for such an exciting, perfectly tailored, and all-around thoughtful gift. But when the time came to make batch #2 -- that is, the next day, as soon as the bowl had had time to refreeze -- I decided I had paid my dues, and I could now ma...

"Sorbet Chocolat Noir" continues »

August 8, 2007

Sorbet Mangue

[Mango Sorbet] La sorbetière (ice cream maker) is up there with la yaourtière (yogurt maker) in the list of appliances that were hot Mother's Day gifts in the seventies but ended up in said mother's attic pronto. And yet, when Maxence came home with my birthday present and it was a bulky box hiding a spaceship of a sorbetière, I could not have ...

"Sorbet Mangue" continues »

August 1, 2007

Birthday Chicken

I normally host a big birthday bash every year, or at least that's what I've done the past four summers, inviting friends, old and new, to celebrate the fact that it is late July and the weather is nice and Paris is empty and I'm a year wiser. But this time, no. I was a little bummed to break from this young tradition, for I really do enjoy the...

"Birthday Chicken" continues »

July 9, 2007

Biscuits Epeautre et Miel

[Spelt and Honey Crisps] There is nothing like a good cookie to celebrate the completion of a big project, and even though this project of mine* is not 100% completed -- I've written the bulk of the manuscript, but I have a few remaining elements to deliver --, cookies were 100% in order. If you are a long standing reader of this blog, and I do...

"Biscuits Epeautre et Miel" continues »

July 3, 2007

Salade de Quinoa Rouge, Poivrons et Pignons

[Red Quinoa Salad with Bell Peppers and Pine Nuts] I am just a few days -- three, to be terrifyingly exact -- away from delivering the manuscript for my second book*, and although it is nowhere near as stressful a time as it was for my first (why do I sound like a young mother all of a sudden?), it is still a time of waking up bright and early a...

"Salade de Quinoa Rouge, Poivrons et Pignons" continues »

June 6, 2007

Chermoula

The June/July issue of Régal* has just been released, with its fresh batch of inspiring ideas**, and it was my reading material of choice when Maxence and I went out for a drink on a terrace on Saturday afternoon, to bask in the fine weather. And in the midst of the section on farmed vs. wild fish, a ray of sunlight fell on a recipe for barbecue...

"Chermoula" continues »

May 9, 2007

Muffins Carotte et Cacahuète

[Carrot and Peanut Muffins] In the interminable list of blessings that come with having a food blog is this one: readers will come forward and share their favorite recipes with you. I am always honored to receive these gifts and the stories that are delivered with them, and even though I seldom get around to making the dishes (my epitaph will r...

"Muffins Carotte et Cacahuète" continues »

April 23, 2007

Gelée au Chocolat, Ananas et Violette

[Chocolate Jelly with Pineapple and Violet] This is the dessert I served to close my recent spring lamb dinner: it was a few days before Easter so chocolate was definitely in order, but since lamb shoulder is a rather rich cut (though I must note that French lambs seem to be much leaner than their American cousins; French Lambs Don't Get Fat), I...

"Gelée au Chocolat, Ananas et Violette" continues »

April 16, 2007

Canapés Radis Avocat au Sel Fumé

[Avocado and Radish Canapés with Smoked Salt] I've been on an avocado kick lately, and I blame my favorite produce stall for that: they keep running specials on them and really, who can resist a special on a trio of avocados when the stall keeper will hand-pick them for you so each will be ripe a couple of days after the previous one? (And since...

"Canapés Radis Avocat au Sel Fumé" continues »

April 11, 2007

Epaule d'Agneau Confite et Flageolets

[Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Flageolet Beans] Spring lamb is the traditional centerpiece of Easter Sunday menus in France: the agneau pascal symbolizes the sacrifice of the innocent, and the breeding cycles mean it is at its best this time of year, conveniently enough. My family isn't religious at all and the only thing we've ever commemora...

"Epaule d'Agneau Confite et Flageolets" continues »

April 5, 2007

Carottes Rapées à l'Avocat

[Grated Carrot Salad with Avocado] As subscribers to the Chocolate & Zucchini newsletter already know, a French publisher has purchased the rights to my very-soon-to-be-published cookbook. And because the tone of writing is very personal, I've asked to translate my own words: the recipes themselves are taken care of by a pro, while I translate -...

"Carottes Rapées à l'Avocat" continues »

March 27, 2007

Petit Salé aux Lentilles

[Cured Pork Shoulder with Green Lentils] If you had told twelve-year-old me that a Sunday morning, fifteen years later, would find me cooking this dish, I would have laughed so hard I might have choked on my petit suisse. Petit salé aux lentilles is a splendid specialty from Auvergne in which cured pork is slowly cooked and served with lentils....

"Petit Salé aux Lentilles" continues »

March 20, 2007

Cha Soba, Concombre et Tofu

[Green Tea Buckwheat Noodles with Cucumber and Tofu] So verdant is this dish that it could have been my contribution to Saint Patrick's Day. But because the French don't really celebrate it (unless they happen to find themselves at one of the Irish pubs on boulevard de Clichy) and because my father's name is Patrick, March 17th is simply that: m...

"Cha Soba, Concombre et Tofu" continues »

March 12, 2007

Salade de Mâche, Endives et Betteraves

[Mâche Salad with Endives and Beets] As the weather in Paris becomes increasingly springlike -- hello daffodils! come sit by me on the kitchen counter! -- I thought it was high time I illustrate the point I recently made about salads and the ones that carry us through to the end of winter (however mild ours has been). The original motive for th...

"Salade de Mâche, Endives et Betteraves" continues »

March 2, 2007

Gratin de Pâtes, Noisettes et Lardons

[Pasta Gratin with Hazelnuts and Lardons] Inspiration came from a recent meal at Le Caméléon, during which one of my dining companions ordered a jumbo foie de veau (veal liver). It appeared, a stately Pasha in a mantle of reduced vinegar, with a side of gratin de macaroni au Parmesan served in one of those miniature cast-iron cocottes that are a...

"Gratin de Pâtes, Noisettes et Lardons" continues »

February 27, 2007

Compotée d'Echine de Porc au Cidre

[Cider-Stewed Pork Loin Blade Roast] I find cuts of meat confusing. I find them confusing because the terminology straggles from the technical to the vernacular and back again, because readable diagrams are few and far between, and because the matter only gets murkier when you try to juggle French and English terms used in different countries. ...

"Compotée d'Echine de Porc au Cidre" continues »

February 23, 2007

Chips de Pita au Zaatar

[Zaatar Pita Chips] Zaatar is a popular spice blend in Middle-Eastern cuisines -- those of Syria and Lebanon in particular --, made of thyme, toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and salt. (Note: The Arabic word also means simply "thyme", and is sometimes transcribed as za'atar, zahtar, or zatar.) As with all generic spice blends, the flavor profile of...

"Chips de Pita au Zaatar" continues »

February 9, 2007

Le Fondant au Chocolat de Tante Amélie

[Aunt Amélie's Smooth Chocolate Cake] None of my aunts are named Amélie, I thought I should make that clear from the start. And if I am to explain the origin of this recipe, I will need to rewind the tape back to early January, when French food writer Thierry Roussillon asked if I would answer a few questions for one of the interviews gourmandes...

"Le Fondant au Chocolat de Tante Amélie" continues »

February 5, 2007

Crème de Feta à la Tomate

[Tomato Feta Dip] Every once in a while I get the sudden impulse to hop on a stool and spring-clean my pantry. The urge strikes with no warning, often at the most inconvenient moment, and I get pulled into the task like those cartoon characters who slip a finger into a spinning cogwheel. I will be looking for an item that time has pushed to the...

"Crème de Feta à la Tomate" continues »

January 28, 2007

Jarret de Veau Braisé à la Cuiller

[Spoon-Tender Braised Veal Shank] May I introduce to you my new favorite dinner party recipe, a recipe of the sort hosts and hostesses ardently wish for, a recipe that requires minimal effort and produces spectacular results? Yes, I thought that might interest you. The recipe in question is a recipe for veal shank that one braises for three to...

"Jarret de Veau Braisé à la Cuiller" continues »

January 26, 2007

Oeufs au Lait

I don't really do milk. I don't drink it, I don't cook with it, I don't add it to my cereals, and I like my coffee black, thanks. As a result, I rarely have any in the fridge, and when I do buy a bottle for a recipe, the leftovers usually sit in the fridge and spoil with boredom. But I hate to toss food as much as the next girl (or perhaps even ...

"Oeufs au Lait" continues »

January 23, 2007

Gratin de Chou-Fleur

[Cauliflower Gratin] Ever since my casual mention of my mother's cauliflower gratin a few weeks ago, requests for the recipe have been steadily pouring into my inbox. A silent protest was even organized at the foot of my apartment building the other day, with eager, apron-clad cooks walking in circles and brandishing signs that read, "Cauliflowe...

"Gratin de Chou-Fleur" continues »

January 19, 2007

Le Gâteau Piège

[Piège Cake] Oh no, don't worry, despite the name (piège means trap in French), this is not the sort of cake that's designed to snap closed onto the unsuspecting, eager-for-a-slice hand. I've named this cake le gâteau Piège -- with a capital "P" -- after Jean-François Piège, chef at Les Ambassadeurs [warning: muzak ahead], who shared the recipe ...

"Le Gâteau Piège" continues »

January 8, 2007

Salade de Pomme de Terre au Paprika Fumé

[Smoked Paprika Potato Salad] Although bread is without a doubt the carb I'd have the most trouble giving up, the potato is a close second. You can fry it mash it boil it roast it broil it stuff it, and be quite certain you'll get my vote. The preparations I most enjoy are sautéed potatoes, especially my mother's (which, before you ask, don't h...

"Salade de Pomme de Terre au Paprika Fumé" continues »

December 27, 2006

Croquants Châtaigne et Noix de Pécan

[Chestnut Pecan Biscotti] Because I know you've been hanging on to the edge of your seats and I'm not such a bad person after all, here is my report on this year's batch of edible gifts. The recipe I ended up making on Saturday afternoon -- in between a few last-minute errands, but I'm fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood that offers plent...

"Croquants Châtaigne et Noix de Pécan" continues »

December 19, 2006

Macarons Maïs Violette

[Violet Cornmeal Macarons] If you are still trying to get your act together about what homemade edible presents to give out this holiday season, I'm here to tell you that you are not alone. I myself have done precisely zilch about it, but that's okay: today is Tuesday, Christmas eve is this Sunday, and that still gives me plenty of time to pick ...

"Macarons Maïs Violette" continues »

December 13, 2006

Soupe de Chou-Fleur, Curcuma et Noisette

[Cauliflower Soup with Turmeric and Hazelnuts] I know a lot of people who dislike cauliflower. Perhaps I am biased since I grew up eating my mother's killer gratin de chou-fleur, but I really don't see what's not to like in a vegetable that's mild-flavored without being bland, that's so good-looking it is described as a flower in numerous langua...

"Soupe de Chou-Fleur, Curcuma et Noisette" continues »

November 30, 2006

Le Pain qu'on ne pétrit pas

[No-Knead Bread] Complete fiascoes are few and far between in my kitchen. I'm not sure whom to thank for this -- my lucky star, my karma, my mom? -- but the fact is that the things I cook or bake very rarely end up in the trash. I have disappointments of course, dishes that turn out a bit meh despite my high hopes, but nothing quite as débâcle-l...

"Le Pain qu'on ne pétrit pas" continues »

November 28, 2006

Biscuits Très Gingembre

[Very Ginger Cookies] One should always be careful what one writes about on one's blog, for one never knows what hungry demons one might unleash as one mulls over edible memories from one's past. After I wrote about shortbread last week and listed some of the things we liked to buy at Marks & Spencer's, I could not get their stem ginger biscuit...

"Biscuits Très Gingembre" continues »

November 22, 2006

Cours de Boulangerie

[Bread Baking Class] Hi, my name is Clotilde, and I have conquered my fear of yeast. For years and years, everytime a recipe called for yeast -- dry, instant, fresh, whatever -- I would write it off with a resigned sigh, like the plain teenaged girl writes off the popular unkempt boy, thinking, "He's not for me." I didn't know the moves, I did...

"Cours de Boulangerie" continues »

November 17, 2006

Shortbread

I grew up in the most anglophile French household I know, where the paperbacks strewn about the coffee table often bore little penguins, where the parents used English as a secret language when they didn't want their daughters to understand, and where sending them to England every summer sounded like a good idea (that question is still up for deb...

"Shortbread" continues »

November 14, 2006

Soupe de Haricots Verts aux Amandes

[Green Bean and Almond Soup] None of my friends need to be reminded how I feel about Rose Bakery, their salad plates, their assortment of British goods (including Neal's Yard cheeses), and their superb sweets that one simply must try and reproduce at home. "Where should we go for lunch in your neighborhood?" they ask. "I like Rose Bakery," I rep...

"Soupe de Haricots Verts aux Amandes" continues »

November 10, 2006

Scones au Gouda Vieux et Poires Séchées

[Aged Gouda and Dried Pear Scones] Before we begin, I would like to address the scone/biscuit question. To Americans, a biscuit is the hand-held version of a quick bread, leavened with baking powder. Usually round and savory, the American biscuit may be served in place of bread to accompany a main course, especially if said main course involves ...

"Scones au Gouda Vieux et Poires Séchées" continues »

November 8, 2006

Poires Séchées

[Dried Pears] I oven-dry tomatoes all through late summer, when I can lay my hands on cheap and tasty specimens, and I like to apply that method to pears in the fall, too: the drying sublimates the pear flavor into a hauntingly sweet concentrate of itself. This does mean it is a good way to cut your losses on below-average pears, but for superb ...

"Poires Séchées" continues »

November 2, 2006

Cake à la Banane Flambée et Noix de Pécan Caramélisées

[Flambé Banana Bread with Caramelized Pecans] One of the things I love the most about kitchen activities is that they come in all shapes and sizes to fit your mood, and how much time you have on your hands. Whether you're looking for instant gratification or a way to spend some quality moments with your pans and spatulas, there is a project out ...

"Cake à la Banane Flambée et Noix de Pécan Caramélisées" continues »

October 30, 2006

Rôti de Porc au Chou Rouge Epicé, Pommes et Pruneaux

[Pork Roast with Spiced Red Cabbage, Apples, and Prunes] I don't normally buy meat at the farmers' market: I have a good neighborhood butcher that I like -- his name is Mario, what's not to like? -- and my usual crop of fruits, vegetables, cheese, and flowers is usually so bulky in my rainbow-colored basket (a birthday gift from my neighbors) th...

"Rôti de Porc au Chou Rouge Epicé, Pommes et Pruneaux" continues »

October 23, 2006

Compote de Pomme et Potimarron à la Vanille de Mayotte

[Apple and Hokkaido Squash Compote with Mayotte Vanilla] I recently read that online shopping -- or just online window-shopping -- was a widespread form of procrastination. I cannot remember where I read this, but that's probably because reading random stuff on the Internet is another way in which I squander vast amounts of my time. In any case...

"Compote de Pomme et Potimarron à la Vanille de Mayotte" continues »

October 16, 2006

Fondant Chocolat Noix de Coco

[Coconut Chocolate Cake] I have known Marie-Laure for nineteen years. This represents more than two thirds of our lives, and our friendship has accompanied us through primary school, junior high, high school, university, a year in Brazil for her, two years in California for me, and a variety of jobs, relationships, and haircuts, without us ever ...

"Fondant Chocolat Noix de Coco" continues »

October 9, 2006

Spiced Chocolate Peanut Butter

Considering my love of good-for-you nut butters and my passion for the unabashedly trashy peanut butter cup, it was only a matter of time before I attempted to coalesce the two and make a peanut butter cup spread of some sort. I thought I would simply use unsweetened cocoa powder to flavor an otherwise classic homemade peanut butter, but when I ...

"Spiced Chocolate Peanut Butter" continues »

October 3, 2006

Le Poulet de Muriel

Cookbook writing guidelines tell you that naming a recipe after someone is not a good idea: it doesn't tell the reader much about the ingredients or the process, the reader doesn't know this person, and frankly, the reader doesn't really care. This is all true of course, but I have a certain fondness for those recipes that sound like they were fo...

"Le Poulet de Muriel" continues »

September 26, 2006

Gâteau Sirop Muffins

Amongst all the towns Maxence and I cruised through on our roadtrip across the US, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana is the one that stands out the most in my memory (and no, I don't receive any money from the mayor's office). We stayed there a bit longer than originally planned -- car troubles will do that to you, have you seen U Turn? -- but unlike Sean...

"Gâteau Sirop Muffins" continues »

September 20, 2006

Faisselle de Chèvre à la Ciboulette

[Goat's Milk Faisselle with Chives] Originally, a faisselle (feh-sell) is a container pierced with tiny holes, in which fresh cheese is placed so the whey will drain out. But then metonymy came into play (or perhaps came in to play) and the word now also designates an unsalted soft curd cheese sold in such a container, itself nested in a larger,...

"Faisselle de Chèvre à la Ciboulette" continues »

September 5, 2006

Cinq-Cinquièmes à la Pistache

[Pistachio Five-Fifths] Le quatre-quarts ("four fourths") can be described as the French pound cake. It has earned its name because the batter is made with the same weight of eggs, butter, sugar, and flour, thus amounting to a fourth of the cake each: you weigh the eggs first, and measure the rest of the ingredients accordingly. There's baking p...

"Cinq-Cinquièmes à la Pistache" continues »

August 29, 2006

Osso Buco

Complaining about the weather is a national sport in France, but as is true of most sports -- except perhaps for swimming -- I am not very good at it. I have generally adopted the maxim, "Don't worry about the things you can't control," and while I will do the chit-chat thing with taxi drivers and random people seeking shelter under the same awni...

"Osso Buco" continues »

August 10, 2006

Fiadone

Fiadone can be described as the Corsican cheesecake. Crustless and no more than an inch in thickness, it is prepared with one of the most famous specialties from l'Ile de Beauté, a fresh cheese called brocciu (I am told that this is pronounced "brooch", not "bro-choo"), made with sheep's milk and/or goat's milk. Like all fresh cheeses, good artis...

"Fiadone" continues »

August 2, 2006

Chicken Family Green Beans

As much as one likes to cook, one has to admit that on some nights, a bit of convenience and instant gratification doesn't hurt. And when our mood clamors for an effortless yet satisfying dinner at home, it is a true comfort to know that we can turn to the Chicken Family, and that the Chicken Family will be there for us. Chicken Family is the na...

"Chicken Family Green Beans" continues »

July 23, 2006

Beurre de Cajou

[Cashew Butter] My jar of old-fashioned chunky peanut butter having mysteriously evaporated somewhere between the store where I bought it and the apartment where I thought I'd brought it back, I had to devise a strategy to assuage the feeling of disappointment and vexation, the kind that makes you bang your fist on the kitchen counter as you mut...

"Beurre de Cajou" continues »

June 14, 2006

Courgette au Coquelicot en Carpaccio

[Zucchini Poppy Carpaccio] As promised, here is the recipe for the first course in the flower menu I created for the French edition of ELLE (issue #3154, June 12, 2006). My thanks to Catherine Roig for allowing me to reproduce the recipes here. The picture above is a shot of the magazine page: the food styling is by Valérie Lhomme, the photograp...

"Courgette au Coquelicot en Carpaccio" continues »

Magret en Croûte de Lavande

[Lavender-crusted Duck Magret] As promised, here is the recipe for the main course in the flower menu I created for the French edition of ELLE (issue #3154, June 12, 2006). My thanks to Catherine Roig for allowing me to reproduce the recipes here. The picture above is a shot of the magazine page: the food styling is by Valérie Lhomme, the photog...

"Magret en Croûte de Lavande" continues »

Framboises et Violettes en Tartelette

[Raspberry and Violet Tartlets] As promised, here is the recipe for the dessert in the flower menu I created for the French edition of ELLE (issue #3154, June 12, 2006). My thanks to Catherine Roig for allowing me to reproduce the recipes here. The picture above is a shot of the magazine page: the food styling is by Valérie Lhomme, the photograp...

"Framboises et Violettes en Tartelette" continues »

June 8, 2006

Pesto Fraise Basilic

[Strawberry Basil Pesto] What do you do when your deepest desire is a little homemade pesto in your sandwich, but you discover with a sinking heart that you have but a handful of basil? Sure, you could go out and buy more, certainly, yes, that would be the sensible thing to do. But what if you can't go out for some reason, say, because you've ju...

"Pesto Fraise Basilic" continues »

June 5, 2006

Petits Beurres

I have told you before about the cookbooks my grandmother has given me, old, tattered, and much-loved volumes that used to belong to my great-grandmother before her. One of them is called Mes Recettes pour votre dessert, and it contains 710 recipes for sweet things, arranged in alphabetical order from Amandés de Liège to Visitandines. And on page...

"Petits Beurres" continues »

May 28, 2006

Cacao & Zucchini Absorption Pasta

Chose promise, chose due*, here is my take on absorption pasta, or risotto-style pasta. The idea of this technique is to coat the pasta with a little olive oil, add just enough liquids to cover, and cook until desired tenderness. According to Virka -- who read it in the Italian paper La Reppublica so it simply must be true -- this cooking techniq...

"Cacao & Zucchini Absorption Pasta" continues »

May 15, 2006

Macadamia Maple Granola

When I was little, I had long and exclusive relationships with my breakfast menus. For years on end a particular food item was all I would have in the morning, until suddenly and without warning, a new monomania came to replace it. The earliest phase I remember involved pain de mie (white sandwich bread) and Nutella. Two slices of bread would be...

"Macadamia Maple Granola" continues »

May 1, 2006

When your sister gives you lemons

...make almond lemon curd. I like it when I can count the degrees of separation between an ingredient and myself, especially when I only need the fingers of one hand to do so. In this case, there were just four degrees of separation between me and three large lemons: my sister Céline has a boyfriend I adore, named Christian. Christian has a fath...

"When your sister gives you lemons" continues »

April 24, 2006

Soupe aux Orties

[Nettle Soup] How often do you get to cook with a hostile ingredient? Sure, you could hurt yourself with pretty much anything -- drop a head of celeriac on your toes, rub your eyes after chopping chili peppers, stab yourself with a carrot -- but nettle leaves are actively belligerent. Stinging you is their life calling, it is what they were mean...

"Soupe aux Orties" continues »

April 17, 2006

Hot Cross Buns, Take II

If you have a book to write, I recommend hiding out for a few days in the comfort of a mountain house, preferably in a region where spring is a bit tardy, so the weather will make it easy for you to stay in and type. For fresh air, throw in a few healthy walks to spot the first daffodils (the mist will also make your hair nice and wavy) and a few...

"Hot Cross Buns, Take II" continues »

April 12, 2006

Ganache Sandwich Cookies

I am not very good at falling asleep. Once I manage to drift off I sleep soundly till morning -- which is a blessing, no doubt -- but it can take a while before I achieve that state of blissful nothingness. However much I try to relax before bedtime, my mind is reluctant to let go of the day's activities, and seems to take the head-hits-pillow ev...

"Ganache Sandwich Cookies" continues »

April 4, 2006

Soupe de Betterave, Pâte d'Anchois aux Noix

[Beet Soup with Anchovy-Walnut Paste] I went to the market on Saturday morning, walking at a brisk pace up the boulevard in the shy sunlight, stopping by the bank to deposit a check (aren't you glad to know), and reaching the stands about a minute after the greasy smells of potato pancakes had reached me -- how anyone can be tempted by these is ...

"Soupe de Betterave, Pâte d'Anchois aux Noix" continues »

March 27, 2006

Petites Brioches

Amongst the many good things a food blog will do to you, is this one: even when you feel you are completely ruining a recipe, your mind is already working on how to turn this potential disaster into what you hope will be an entertaining, tale-of-a-near-fiasco post for your readers -- a much more constructive way to look at the situation than curl...

"Petites Brioches" continues »

March 22, 2006

Clafoutis à la Fraise

I have a new piece appearing today on NPR's Kitchen Window: it is a recipe for strawberry clafoutis, to which I've added, as a free! no-strings-attached! bonus, an easy recipe for strawberry coulis. (If you've missed them, my previous contributions to Kitchen Window include: ~ Mango Scallop Tartlets ~ Pear Pastilla ~ Cheese Course 101 ~ Fresh He...

"Clafoutis à la Fraise" continues »

March 15, 2006

Boudin de Langue

[Tongue Blood Sausage] Paris is filled to the brim with little stores that sell produits du terroir, artisanal products from different regions of France: condiments and spices, jam and honey, cookies and candy, traditional canned dishes such as cassoulet or duck confit... You push the door and feel like you've stepped right into Hansel and Grete...

"Boudin de Langue" continues »

March 6, 2006

Croissants aux Amandes

[Almond Croissants] A couple of weeks ago, as I was writing about brunches and the possibility of leftover croissants, I gave a passing mention to croissants aux amandes. Such a teaser could not go unnoticed: I received a few requests for instructions, and promised I'd share them as soon as I had a picture to illustrate the recipe. You will fin...

"Croissants aux Amandes" continues »

February 13, 2006

Biscuits Chocolat et Fèves de Cacao

[Chocolate and Cacao Nib Cookies] Soft and cakey and thrice chocolate-flavored -- from the velvet of melted chocolate, the strength of cocoa powder, and the aromatic crunch of cacao nibs -- these bite-size cookies should fit into either one of these Valentine's Day scenarios: 1. You tend to throw yourself rhapsodically into the whole gift-and-c...

"Biscuits Chocolat et Fèves de Cacao" continues »

January 18, 2006

Gâteau Choco-Coco

[Coconut Chocolate Cake] It was Maxence's birthday last week, and one of the things we did to mark the occasion -- in addition to one glorious meal at Les Ambassadeurs -- was to invite friends to join us and celebrate at a small cocktail bar that recently opened in our neighborhood, on an improbable little street we'd hardly ever noticed before....

"Gâteau Choco-Coco" continues »

January 2, 2006

Crumble Pomme Mangue

[Mango Apple Crumble] I cultivate a relationship of deep trust and mutual appreciation with the Fruit Crumble Family. We send each other holiday cards and such, we remember our respective birthdays, and I often turn to them when I'm looking for a simple dessert that won't keep me busy for half the day, one that will be comforting and reliably ta...

"Crumble Pomme Mangue" continues »

December 28, 2005

Tartelettes de Saint-Jacques à la Mangue

[Scallop Mango Tartlet] What do you mean, you're still trying to recover from the Christmas celebrations? Come on, New Year's Eve is just around the corner, time to hit the ground running and plan for it! If you intend to host a little dinner party but are still scratching your head about the menu, stop it: it's bad for your scalp, and my late...

"Tartelettes de Saint-Jacques à la Mangue" continues »

December 21, 2005

Soupe de Courge à la Vanille

[Butternut Squash and Vanilla Soup] If it sort of seems from my recent postings that all I eat these days is soup, well, it's not very far from the truth. But see, all those winter vegetables are really begging for it, and I don't have the heart to turn them down. Besides, since I am now equipped with a cast-iron cocotte and an immersion blender...

"Soupe de Courge à la Vanille" continues »

December 19, 2005

Mijoté de Boeuf aux Légumes Racine

[Beef Stew with Root Vegetables] I've noticed that my cooking is most often vegetable-driven: I will buy fresh veggies at the market or at the produce stall, and then decide what fish or meat will complement them -- not the other way around. On Saturday morning I returned from the farmers' market with a basket of mostly root vegetables, not s...

"Mijoté de Boeuf aux Légumes Racine" continues »

December 16, 2005

Gâteau au Chocolat et Pralines Roses

[Pink Praline Chocolate Cake] Pralines can be a confusing thing, considering that the same pretty word (It would make a cool name for a little girl, no? Or would this ruin her life you think?) is used for different confections. The original praline is made by cooking almonds in melted sugar: the mixture is left to cool then reheated several tim...

"Gâteau au Chocolat et Pralines Roses" continues »

December 7, 2005

Pommes et Poires aux Caramels

[Apples and Pears with Caramels] I love having friends over for an impromptu weeknight dinner. I love going out to restaurants too, I've probably made that clear by now, but having them at home is something else entirely -- warmer and more intimate. It allows you to choose your own musical ambiance (a nice random mix from the Squeezebox), move t...

"Pommes et Poires aux Caramels" continues »

November 25, 2005

Soupe de Céleri et Patates Douces au Gingembre

[Celeriac and Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger] It has been very cold in Paris lately* -- which I guess should be expected in late November but still comes as something of a shock after the lovely été indien we've had -- and naturally my thoughts turn to, I'll let you guess: fondue savoyarde? Well, that's one, but it's not what I meant. Soup, then?...

"Soupe de Céleri et Patates Douces au Gingembre" continues »

November 18, 2005

Gâteau au Yaourt à la Myrtille

[Blueberry Yogurt Cake] I seem to have become the official birthday cake baker on the 3rd floor of my apartment building -- should this be added to my résumé you think? -- a mission I am proud and happy to take on. It was recently Peter's birthday -- Peter who's half Italian half Scottish, and who lives with Ligiana, herself from Brazil, in the...

"Gâteau au Yaourt à la Myrtille" continues »

October 12, 2005

Gâteau au Yaourt

[Yogurt Cake] As I've mentioned before, Maxence is a big advocate of the adage "if it ain't broke don't fix it". In other words, when a classic recipe is fabulous, don't meddle with it, and just do what you're told. Obviously I have trouble following that piece of advice, and more often than not I'll surrender to the urge and tweak a little some...

"Gâteau au Yaourt" continues »

October 7, 2005

Salade Tiède de Poireaux aux Noix Fraîches

[Warm Leek Salad with Fresh Walnuts] There is a special kind of grace in the simple combination of a few ingredients that you have on hand. The resulting dish has an air of spontaneity, a certain modesty, that makes it easy to love: you didn't put much time or thought into it, there is little pressure on its shoulders to be successful, and this ...

"Salade Tiède de Poireaux aux Noix Fraîches" continues »

October 3, 2005

Canelés

I tasted my first canelé some seven years ago, at Eric Kayser's boulangerie on rue Monge. Maxence had a friend who lived nearby, they often worked on school projects together, and whenever they felt like a break and a snack, this is where they would go. Maxence adored their canelés, ordered them often, and made me try them. Delicious. Simply del...

"Canelés" continues »

September 26, 2005

Soupe de Carotte à la Brise de Châtaigne

[Carrot Chestnut Soup] Fall officially came into office barely a week ago, and while the weather hasn't been particularly drab (we've even had a few unseasonally beautiful days), it seems as though a giant switch had been flicked in some great control room somewhere: all of a sudden, with no warning at all, I felt like eating soup. So. Veggies ...

"Soupe de Carotte à la Brise de Châtaigne" continues »

September 22, 2005

Galettes de Riz

[Rice Cakes] "Waste not, want not", saith popular wisdom. I do hate having to throw out good ingredients or tasty leftovers. I generally strive to make the most of my supplies, and in fact it's an excellent exercise for your creative muscles to try and find ways to do so. But I have to admit it's a constant battle between this thrifty side of me...

"Galettes de Riz" continues »

August 29, 2005

Brochettes d'Agneau au Thym

[Lamb Skewers with Thyme] It's strange how much more comfortable I am around vegetables than meat. Vegetables are familiar, safe and easy to work with. I never run out of things to do with or to them, I know how to choose them, how they're supposed to feel in your hand, how long they keep and how they react to various treatments and seasonings. ...

"Brochettes d'Agneau au Thym" continues »

August 24, 2005

Fresh Herb Muffins

I have a new piece up on NPR's website: this one includes some tips about picnics and a recipe for fresh herb muffins! For my metric-minded readers, here are the measurements to make the muffins: - A small bunch of fresh flat parsley, about 25 sprigs - A small bunch of fresh cilantro, about 25 sprigs - A small bunch of fresh chives, about 20 spr...

"Fresh Herb Muffins" continues »

August 5, 2005

Compote Pêche Abricot à la Crème de Coquelicot

[Peach Apricot Compote with Red Poppy Cream] I seem to have a particular fondness for the red poppy, its fragile fluttering silhouette and its thread-thin stem, too thin it seems to support its flamboyant scarlet petals and contrasting black heart. I like that it is easily spotted from afar -- in the middle of a field, on the banks of a country ...

"Compote Pêche Abricot à la Crème de Coquelicot" continues »

August 3, 2005

Ricotta Maison

[Homemade Ricotta] The minute I read Heidi's post about making your own ricotta and her comment that "this ricotta tastes and smells like the milk it is made from so use the best and freshest dairy you can find", I instantly thought what a perfect use it would be for the bottle of raw milk that Christoph and Susanne gave me for my birthday as pa...

"Ricotta Maison" continues »

July 28, 2005

Salade de Courgette et Poulet au Vinaigre de Framboise

[Zucchini and Chicken Salad with Raspberry Vinegar] Ever since I served raw zucchini sticks with my anchoïade a few weeks ago and experienced a private tastebud epiphany, I have felt it my personal mission to let the world know how incredibly delicious and subtly sweet zucchini tastes in its most natural simple naked state. It is best to keep t...

"Salade de Courgette et Poulet au Vinaigre de Framboise" continues »

July 19, 2005

Gratin de Nectarines à la Noisette

[Hazelnut and Nectarine Gratin] In French, a portrait chinois (literally "Chinese portrait") is a kind of riddle in which one person tries to guess a famous person's name by asking a set of questions and working by analogy: if he were an animal, what would he be? And if he were a flower, a city, a song, a color, a movie? Since this is incredibly...

"Gratin de Nectarines à la Noisette" continues »

July 18, 2005

Dip Fromage Frais et Coriandre

[Fresh Cheese and Cilantro Dip] Last Saturday we organized a little impromptu dinner party at our place with our dear neighbor-friends Stéphan and Patricia, and our new neighbor-friends Ligiana and Peter. Ah yes! Didn't I tell you? We have new neighbors! They moved in a few weeks ago and now occupy the apartment just to the left of ours. A littl...

"Dip Fromage Frais et Coriandre" continues »

July 15, 2005

Salade de Blé Tendre, Courgette et Abricot

[Soft Wheatberry Salad with Zucchini and Apricots] I am a great lover of all things grain. Quinoa, bulgur, kamut, buckwheat, barley, amaranth, millet -- each of them nutritious, filling and tasty in its own personal way (although they all seem to be indifferently described as "nutty" on the package, or un goût de noisette in French). I also love...

"Salade de Blé Tendre, Courgette et Abricot" continues »

July 13, 2005

Soupe de Cerise, Tuiles Noisette et Romarin

[Swimming Cherries, Hazelnut Rosemary Tuiles] I have a new piece appearing today in NPR's weekly Kitchen Window column. The recipe I am sharing this time is for a chilled cherry soup that you can serve with hazelnut rosemary wafers, a variation on the typically French tuile. The metric measurements are below. (Previous contributions to Kitchen...

"Soupe de Cerise, Tuiles Noisette et Romarin" continues »

June 3, 2005

Un Sandwich pour le Dessert

[A Sandwich for Dessert] "Un Sandwich pour le Dessert" is a project I worked on for Fraîch'Attitude, a Parisian gallery that specializes in Eat Art. Eat Art is an offshoot of ephemeral art that uses food as its primary material: some of the exhibitions are actually edible and are meant to disappear into the visitors' stomachs, to be recrea...

"Un Sandwich pour le Dessert" continues »

June 1, 2005

Mille-feuille Artichaut et Chèvre

And today, I'd like to invite you to hop on over to NPR.org for my new Kitchen Window column! What you will find this time is a recipe for an Artichoke and Goat-Cheese Mille-Feuille -- a tasty, fun-to-make and elegant starter for your next dinner party... (Previous Kitchen Window pieces: - Asparagus Confit with Almonds and Rosemary, - Chocolate ...

"Mille-feuille Artichaut et Chèvre" continues »

May 30, 2005

Salade de Concombre au Crabe

[Crab and Cucumber Salad] Paris went through a miniature heatwave last week -- it certainly felt nice to take the skirts, tank tops and strappy sandals out of their winter residence -- and lunchtime on Saturday found me craving for something easy and fresh. The refrigerator was in dire need of replenishing, not exactly empty but certainly devo...

"Salade de Concombre au Crabe" continues »

May 23, 2005

Strawberry Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is a traditional Piemontese recipe -- the name means "cooked cream" in Italian. There are many variations of the recipe, but it is generally made by simply simmering together some cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, before letting it cool until set. The cream mixture can also be flavored, often with a vanilla pod, sometim...

"Strawberry Panna Cotta" continues »

May 19, 2005

Souris d'Agneau Confites, Sandwiches de Polenta Grillée

[Braised Lamb Shanks, Grilled Polenta Sandwiches] ...and this is part III of the dinner I served on Saturday, when I was (at long last) given the opportunity to meet Derrick and Melissa, dear friends from the Blogosphere now happily upgraded to dear friends from the Real World. After a lively chat going in ten different directions -- we were so...

"Souris d'Agneau Confites, Sandwiches de Polenta Grillée" continues »

May 17, 2005

Anchoïade

Anchoïade, a garlic and anchovy dip, is a specialty from Provence and the city of Collioure in particular, famous for its anchois. It is typically served with an assortment of raw vegetables, or spread on little toasts. When I was in Lourmarin for Easter, my aunt served a delicious anchoïade for lunch the first day, and it had the consistency of ...

"Anchoïade" continues »

May 16, 2005

Pancetta and Capers Crostini

On Saturday night, we had the pleasure of meeting Derrick and his wife Melissa. They were in Paris for a few days on their way back from a wine-intensive trip to Germany, and I had invited them over for dinner. Derrick's An Obsession with Food was the very first food blog I ever laid my eyes on back in 2002 -- and wow, does anyone know where thes...

"Pancetta and Capers Crostini" continues »

May 10, 2005

Confiture de Poire aux Eclats de Fève de Cacao

[Pear Jam with Cacao Nibs] Just recently, I had a sudden urge to make jam -- it may have to do with my own dwindling supply of the homemade stuff, or the sudden realization that spring strawberries would not last forever (as opposed to strawberry fields). In any case, when I went to the market a couple of weeks ago, it was with the firm intentio...

"Confiture de Poire aux Eclats de Fève de Cacao" continues »

April 27, 2005

Parmentier de Hareng Fumé aux Brocolis

[Smoked Herring and Broccoli Parmentier] In France, we get pretty much the same télé-réalité shows as everywhere else in the Western world -- yet another perk of globalization -- but I don't often watch them, as I find most either really boring or really painful to watch. However, I have somehow let myself get sucked into the current show call...

"Parmentier de Hareng Fumé aux Brocolis" continues »

April 21, 2005

Ratatouille Confite au Four

[Oven-Roasted Ratatouille] The quality and selection of produce is often a good criterion by which to judge a grocery store and its general attractiveness/cleanliness, because it's the first thing to look terrible if it's not carefully taken care of. A bit like peeking at the state of somebody's fingernails -- not that I actually do this and dra...

"Ratatouille Confite au Four" continues »

April 18, 2005

Tarte Asperge et Fraise

[Asparagus and Strawberry Tart] About a year ago, a little group of us Parisian (by birth or by heart) food enthusiasts started a tradition of organizing potluck dinners at one another's place. On Saturday night, my dear friend Alisa hosted her second such event, setting Aphrodisiac Foods as the theme for the night. The event had been scheduled ...

"Tarte Asperge et Fraise" continues »

April 12, 2005

Chicken & Zucchini

We all need easy and healthy meals that can be whipped up in very little time (and even less planning) for a week-end lunch or a weeknight dinner, without sacrificing taste or feeling like you're slapping ready-made stuff together. So I thought I'd share the very very simple lunch we had last Saturday. I'm sure you've noticed how the way you cut...

"Chicken & Zucchini" continues »

April 6, 2005

Confit d'Asperge aux Amandes et au Romarin

Head over to NPR's website today for my Spring piece, a recipe for Asparagus Confit with Almonds and Rosemary! This is the first occurence of their Kitchen Window column that will be published online every other Wednesday, featuring different guest writers....

"Confit d'Asperge aux Amandes et au Romarin" continues »

March 24, 2005

Muffins à la Framboise, Eclats de Fève de Cacao (IMBB13)

[Raspberry Muffins with Cacao Nibs] Today is the new edition of the world-famous collaborative food-blogging event Is My Blog Burning?. It is hosted this time by Maki of I was just really very hungry, and her theme of choice is cupcakes and muffins. You may notice that while IMBB's are traditionally held on Sundays, Maki thoughtfully planned for...

"Muffins à la Framboise, Eclats de Fève de Cacao (IMBB13)" continues »

March 21, 2005

Salade de Roquette, Vinaigrette d'Echalote et Amandes Toastées

[Rucola Salad, Shallot Vinaigrette and Toasted Almonds] Last week I had lunch (at the Café Fusion, where else?) with someone who, incidentally, told me about a cooking class she had attended. It was one of those conversations between two persons who don't know each other too well, who suspect they are in the company of a fellow food enthusiast, ...

"Salade de Roquette, Vinaigrette d'Echalote et Amandes Toastées" continues »

March 16, 2005

Mid-Atlantic Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts. Hard to resist I find it, with its fresh, creamy yet cakey body, and its tasty cookie crumb crust. But when you try to make American-style cheesecake in France, you quickly run into a procurement hurdle: neither cream cheese or graham crackers are readily available. You can find them -- at least if you'r...

"Mid-Atlantic Cheesecake" continues »

March 10, 2005

Salade de Pleurotes, Pomme et Bergamote

[Oyster Mushroom Salad with Apple and Bergamot] Pleurotes, also known as oyster mushrooms or tree oysters, are these large greyish beige mushrooms with a round funnel-shaped hat, that grow in clusters on the trunk of trees -- they don't care much if said tree is dead or alive, if you must know. The flesh underneath the hat (and that part is call...

"Salade de Pleurotes, Pomme et Bergamote" continues »

March 4, 2005

Gâteau de Panais au Chorizo

[Parsnip and Chorizo Cake] Yes, another gâteau! But it's a savory one this time, that combines grated parsnips, little chunks of chorizo and chopped parsley, baked into a warm golden cake, frittata-like and satifying. The parsnips meld into the egg batter to produce a smooth, almost moussy texture, and the chorizo adds a really nice kick to thei...

"Gâteau de Panais au Chorizo" continues »

March 2, 2005

Gâteau aux Daims

Daim Cake Sometimes I come upon a recipe and I just can't seem to get it out of my head. Case in point: the Buttercrunch Almond Tea Cake, as baked by Zarah Maria in Copenhagen. The original recipe comes from Lisa Yockelson's book Baking by Flavor and is a tea cake studded with chunks of Heath bar. Heath bars I don't do (never had one, not sold o...

"Gâteau aux Daims" continues »

February 28, 2005

Chez Panisse Gingersnaps

Gin·ger·snap (noun) : 1. a thin brittle cookie, round or rectangular, sweetened with molasses and flavored with ginger (and optionally other spices). Close cousin: the speculoos from Flanders. 2. one of these viral recipes that occasionally spread like magic through our little world of food blogs! And we have Renee to thank for this one. Renee ...

"Chez Panisse Gingersnaps" continues »

February 21, 2005

Muffins Banane Pécan

[Banana Pecan Muffins] Brunch. What a fabulously promising word, evocative of lazy Sunday mornings, meeting with your friends at a sunny terrace, all of you a little sleepy and deliciously carefree, to share the kind of simple and comforting food that makes you feel like a kid again. Runny eggs on toast. Bacon and potatoes. Blueberry pancakes. P...

"Muffins Banane Pécan" continues »

February 14, 2005

Chocolate and Candied Ginger Tartlets

Joyeuse St-Valentin! Head over to NPR's website for a special Valentine's Day commentary and the Chocolate and Candied Ginger Tartlet recipe I created for the occasion! NPR (National Public Radio) is a nonprofit producer and distributor of radio shows that serves over 750 independant radio stations in the US. In particular, their shows are broa...

"Chocolate and Candied Ginger Tartlets" continues »

February 7, 2005

Des Crêpes!

Last Wednesday was La Chandeleur, a holiday that welcomes the first signs of spring. It is traditionally celebrated by making crêpes, with a variety of superstitious little tricks to bring happiness and prosperity upon your household. One of those tricks involves holding a coin in your left hand while you flip the crêpe pan with your right hand...

"Des Crêpes!" continues »

February 2, 2005

Mini Summer Rolls with Thai Dipping Sauce (A Menu For Hope)

When Pim suggested we food bloggers try and raise some funds for the tsunami relief effort, her idea was that we would jointly create a twelve course menu of Southeast Asian inspiration, complete with recipes, drink pairings and translations. It is not my habit to let the big bad thnigs of the world take up too much space on C&Z (I think of it as...

"Mini Summer Rolls with Thai Dipping Sauce (A Menu For Hope)" continues »

January 25, 2005

Abricots au Chocolat

[Chocolate Dipped Apricots] What would you do with melted chocolate leftover from making orangettes and florentins? Throw it out? You have got to be kidding. No. The wise thing to do was rummage through my kitchen cabinets for something that would be nice and dippable. And I thus unearthed, oh joy, the large bag of dried apricots I had bought...

"Abricots au Chocolat" continues »

January 23, 2005

Salade Tiède de Haricots Tarbais à l'Huile de Noix (IMBB11)

[Warm Tarbais Bean Salad with Walnut Oil] The 11th edition of Is My Blog Burning?, the world-famous collaborative food blogging event, is hosted by Cathy and her theme of choice is Beans! For my contribution, it seemed only fitting that I use the prince of beans, a.k.a Le Haricot Tarbais. Originally brought back from the New World in the 16th c...

"Salade Tiède de Haricots Tarbais à l'Huile de Noix (IMBB11)" continues »

January 17, 2005

Tarte Pomme Pistache

[Apple Pistachio Tart] Ever since I laid my hands on a can of pistachio paste for the Bar à Veloutés, I have been looking for ways to use the precious stuff and make the most of it. So far I have made crème brûlée à la pistache (adding a little to my regular crème brûlée recipe), pistachio cookies and chocolate pistachio cake, all of which I was...

"Tarte Pomme Pistache" continues »

January 11, 2005

Une Simple Soupe

[A Simple Soup] Is the weather cold and chilly and rainy and overcast (check all that apply)? Does it make you a little gloomy? Have you somewhat over-indulged during the holidays? Do you feel a little guilty? These are all perfectly benign symptoms, don't you worry. All you need is a nice, warm, chunky bowl of soup. The recipe that follows is ...

"Une Simple Soupe" continues »

January 5, 2005

Tarte Tatin Caramel au Beurre Salé

[Tarte Tatin with Salted Butter Caramel] This is the dessert I made for our New Year's Eve dinner. We had decided to have a luxurious picnic rather than an elaborate meal, so we had toasts of foie gras (brought back from our vacation in the Périgord), a fruity duck magret salad whipped up by our neighbor Stéphan, and some Coquilles St-Jacques,...

"Tarte Tatin Caramel au Beurre Salé" continues »

December 31, 2004

Shortcut Orangettes

In addition to the florentins, my little food gift packages for the holidays included orangettes, those little strips of candied orange peel dipped in dark chocolate. I called these shortcut orangettes because I made them with candied orange rind I had bought at Ali Baba's Cave for Bakers. I could have called them Cheater's Orangettes too, but ...

"Shortcut Orangettes" continues »

December 29, 2004

Sablés Vanille Pécan

[Vanilla Pecan Cookies] These are the cookies I made to bring for tea at my parents' last Sunday. Originally, I meant to make cookies using the cookie press that my sister gave me for Christmas last year and which I hadn't yet played with. Did you ever notice how time seems to move at a different pace for kitchen utensils? I buy them or receive ...

"Sablés Vanille Pécan" continues »

December 27, 2004

Florentins

Last year was my first time making food gifts for the holidays. My chocolate truffles and my mendiants were such fun to make and were so well received, that I was determined to repeat the experience this year. For a few weeks before Christmas I toyed with various ideas (all carefully written down for future reference, I hope I have long years of ...

"Florentins" continues »

December 15, 2004

Gâteau Surprise Chocolat Pistache

[Chocolate and Pistachio Surprise Cake] Last week was my sister's birthday. I didn't come as much of a surprise, really, because I have quite the analytical mind, and a careful observation has led me to the conclusion that this phenomenon happens every 8th of December, year in, year out. At least it always has. Of course, just because the sun ha...

"Gâteau Surprise Chocolat Pistache" continues »

December 11, 2004

Leek and Apricot Strudel with Pinenuts

Amongst the many riches Chocolate & Zucchini has brought me, I think it is safe to say that new friends are the most precious. In particular, a small group of us here in Paris has started gathering around potluck dinners every month or so. Some of us are bloggers, some of us are readers, all of us are enthusiastic cooks and eaters. The potlucks a...

"Leek and Apricot Strudel with Pinenuts" continues »

December 9, 2004

Gelée de Pomerol

[Pomerol Wine Jelly] I am a religious reader of a handful of carefully selected cooking and women's magazines. Some I subscribe to, some I buy at the marchand de journaux (self-respecting magazines are not sold at the grocery store in France). New issues are welcomed with a tiny whoop of joy, carrying the promise of relaxing entertainment and a ...

"Gelée de Pomerol" continues »

December 7, 2004

Crumble Banane Poire Pécan

[Banana Pear Pecan Crumble] Fruit crumbles are perfect for when you have company: you can prepare the crumble dough well in advance, cut up the fruit when you have time, bake the crumble at your convenience (although same day is best for the crisp factor), and reheat it in the oven just before serving. I usually prepare enough dough for two crum...

"Crumble Banane Poire Pécan" continues »

December 6, 2004

Mijoté d'Agneau aux Kumquats et aux Pignons, Petit Gâteau de Polenta

[Kumquat and Pinenut Lamb Stew, Little Polenta Cake] Last week, I had my parents and my sister over for dinner. It had occurred to me that the four of us met most often at my parents', and that it was high time I return the invitation, lest they start to wonder why they couldn't benefit from at least some of the good manners it had taken them ye...

"Mijoté d'Agneau aux Kumquats et aux Pignons, Petit Gâteau de Polenta" continues »

November 30, 2004

Tarte à l'Artichaut et au Thon Fumé

[Artichoke and Smoked Tuna Tart] ...and here is the tart I made with Pascale's pâte brisée! Slices of artichoke hearts and strips of smoked tuna, on a bed of roquette leaves and a smooth layer of mascarpone cheese. The artichoke's tender sweetness, hand in hand with the salty strength of the tuna -- I cannot recommend the pairing enough. I f...

"Tarte à l'Artichaut et au Thon Fumé" continues »

November 29, 2004

La Pâte Brisée de Pascale

[Pascale's Short Crust Pastry] As surprising as it may seem -- to me at least -- this is the very first savory crust I make from scratch in my entire life. Before that, I would hop gaily to the nearest grocery store for a ready-made, and conveniently pre-rolled dough. In truth, savory tarts and quiches had sort of fallen out of fashion in my ki...

"La Pâte Brisée de Pascale" continues »

November 24, 2004

Zucchini Tart on a Hazelnut-Thyme Crust

At the Bar à Veloutés I hosted a few weeks back, one of the little accessories you could choose to dip in your velouté was an Allumette Noisette-Thym, a hazelnut and thyme cracker shaped like a matchstick. These allumettes were a personal favorite of mine, because they happened to be a recipe I had created from scratch, simply based on the idea t...

"Zucchini Tart on a Hazelnut-Thyme Crust" continues »

November 21, 2004

Pistachio Cookies (IMBB10)

Today is the 10th edition of Is My Blog Burning?, the collaborative blogging event! It is hosted this time around by Fabulous Baker Jennifer, from The Domestic Goddess, and the theme is Cookie Swap. A cookie swap, if you'not familiar with the concept, is a little party thrown between friends and/or neighbors before the holidays, where each gues...

"Pistachio Cookies (IMBB10)" continues »

November 12, 2004

Galettes à la Brise de Châtaigne

[Chestnut Meal Galettes] When I went to the Salon Saveur last spring, I returned with quite a number of purchases. Some of them were fresh and perishable, and the days that followed were a happy procession of delicacies, as we methodically and dutifully consumed what needed to be. Such food shows are always Temptation Hall for me and I would g...

"Galettes à la Brise de Châtaigne" continues »

October 26, 2004

Cubes à la Noisette

[Hazelnut Cubes] Very rarely do I repeat a recipe. This stems from the fact that I am forever, and in all areas of life, much more interested in the new and the unusual, than in the same-old, however easy. But this NRFBS (Non-Repeating Food Blogger Syndrome) is also brought on by this very blog you hold in your hands, so to speak : if I am going...

"Cubes à la Noisette" continues »

October 24, 2004

Pounti Auvergnat (IMBB9)

I was particularly enthused, a few weeks ago, to read that Derrick was hosting the 9th edition of Is My Blog Burning? and that the theme he had set was terrines. Reason number one : Derrick The Talented is one of my absolute favorite food bloggers, I am always in awe of his uncompromising approach and his ambitious endeavours. His was among th...

"Pounti Auvergnat (IMBB9)" continues »

October 18, 2004

Soupe de Cresson à la Sauge Fraîche

[Watercress and Fresh Sage Soup] On Saturday morning, at an hour which felt far, far too early to be up on a week-end morning although by any reasonable standard it was really just mid-morning, I met with my chef-friend Nicolas Vagnon in front of his favorite produce stall at the Batignolles organic market. As we have already done on several o...

"Soupe de Cresson à la Sauge Fraîche" continues »

October 14, 2004

Salade de Sarrasin au Pain d'Epice

[Buckwheat and Gingerbread Salad] Buckwheat (sarrasin in French) has always occupied a very special place in the "cereal" section of my heart -- no doubt because of the fabulous galettes de sarrasin (savory crepes) we used to eat in Brittany. It is a cereal that's seldom used in France (except in its flour form for said galettes), possibly bec...

"Salade de Sarrasin au Pain d'Epice" continues »

October 11, 2004

Chocolate Chili Bites

On Saturday night, we had the pleasure of attending the fourth edition of the Paris Potluck, hosted by Alisa and her husband Jean-Yves. This time around, Alisa had suggested that we follow a theme : no more random assortment of everyone's current food obessions! And as she (and I and pretty much everyone else) had been suffering from terrible Mex...

"Chocolate Chili Bites" continues »

October 5, 2004

Fregola Sarda with Zucchini and Pinenuts

On a night of ravenous hunger, decide that what you want is something warm soft and tasty with a little crunch, to be eaten in a bowl with a spoon, curled up on the couch and reading a magazine. No need to forage through your kitchen cabinets, you know precisely what will hit the spot. Wash and slice three zucchini thinly with your magnificent...

"Fregola Sarda with Zucchini and Pinenuts" continues »

September 24, 2004

Petites Tomates au Pecorino

[Plum Tomatoes with Pecorino] The last tasty plum tomatoes of the season, a piece of pecorino cheese your parents brought back from their Florence getaway (oh how well they know you), five minutes of preparation, and here's a pretty and tasty little appetizer to bring to your neighbor-friends' place when invited for the apéro (pre-dinner drink)....

"Petites Tomates au Pecorino" continues »

September 10, 2004

Coffee Cake à la Myrtille

[Blueberry Coffee Cake] At La Pommeraie, the fruit farm where we picked a large amount of blueberries earlier this week, they gave out little leaflets about the different kinds of fruit they grow, giving out instructions on how to keep them, and a few, wonderfully straightforward recipes -- tarts and compotes, clafoutis and jams. This is how I l...

"Coffee Cake à la Myrtille" continues »

September 4, 2004

Zucchini Polenta Tart

I have a particular soft spot for polenta and anything cornmeal. Unfortunately, they are not at all common in France : I have occasionally seen polenta served at restaurants (and I will reliably dart onto any dish that mentions it as a component, especially if it claims to be croustillante), but it is rather hard to find in French food stores. ...

"Zucchini Polenta Tart" continues »

August 31, 2004

Crumble Abricot et Melon aux Pignons de Pin

[Apricot and Melon Crumble with Pinenuts] Maxence and I were recently invited over to our friends Peggy and Julien's appartment for dinner. They used to live just three blocks down the street from us, but they have just moved and now live, oh, a good six blocks further, so visiting them still has that special neighborly feel to it. Although Pegg...

"Crumble Abricot et Melon aux Pignons de Pin" continues »

August 22, 2004

Gnocchi de Speculoos (IMBB7)

[Sweet Speculoos Gnocchi] Today is the 7th edition of Is My Blog Burning?, the collective food blogging event, brainchild of my favorite Italian baker, Alberto. This time around, the theme is You're just the cutest little dumpling!, and is hosted by Jarrett, to whom the food enthusiast community owes a lifetime of gratitude for coming up with th...

"Gnocchi de Speculoos (IMBB7)" continues »

August 16, 2004

Tarte au Fromage Frais, Miel et Ecorces d'Orange Confites

[Honey Cheese Tart with Candied Orange Peel] This golden tart rounds out the selection of desserts I served at my birthday party. The birthday cake itself had to be chocolate of course, and I wanted to bake a second dessert that would complement it in terms of taste, shape, color and texture. I felt that a cheesecake of sorts would be just the...

"Tarte au Fromage Frais, Miel et Ecorces d'Orange Confites" continues »

August 13, 2004

Compote de Rhubarbe aux Biscuits Roses de Reims

[Rhubarb Compote with Pink Champagne Cookies] This was a last-minute addition to the dessert buffet for my birthday party. I was at the grocery store minding my own business, when a beautiful bunch of rhubarb, all slender stalks and pink cheeks, called out mischievously : "Rhubarb season doesn't last forever, you know!" I turned around in surpri...

"Compote de Rhubarbe aux Biscuits Roses de Reims" continues »

August 11, 2004

Citronnade à la Menthe

[Mint Lemonade] It has been quite hot around here lately. I am certainly not complaining, as I tend to like the peculiar atmosphere heatwaves create -- blazing sun, closed shutters, quiet afternoons and glistening faces -- and it happens seldom enough in Paris for me to welcome the meteorological oddity. Not to mention the opportunity to wear ta...

"Citronnade à la Menthe" continues »

August 10, 2004

Clafoutis au Bacon et au Cantal

[Bacon and Cantal Cheese Clafoutis] Clafoutis is originally a fruit dessert from the Limousin, a region roughly in the center of France (and yes, I checked, as I am direly geographically challenged). Let me go ahead and open a parenthesis here. Limousin is renowned in part for its cattle breed, a milk-chocolate cow called la vache limousine, a...

"Clafoutis au Bacon et au Cantal" continues »

August 7, 2004

Terrine de Viande à la Ricotta

[Ricotta Meat Terrine] I have a file of recipes I've clipped out from the numerous cooking magazines I read. When I'm trying to come up with a menu, this is my number one source of inspiration : I like leafing idly through the colorful pieces of paper in all shapes and sizes, I like the patchwork pattern they form, and how as a whole they reflec...

"Terrine de Viande à la Ricotta" continues »

August 5, 2004

Velouté Froid de Courgette au Parmesan

[Parmesan & Zucchini Chilled Soup] Well, my birthday buffet just had to have something zucchini, no? This soup was an attempt to reproduce a soup I recently had at R'Aliment, which has become my first choice of restaurant for a weeknight girls' dinner out with my best friends : excellent food, always different (the menu changes weekly), fresh, ...

"Velouté Froid de Courgette au Parmesan" continues »

August 3, 2004

Mini-Tartelettes : Oignon Rouge et Rhubarbe / Brousse et Membrillo

[Red Onion and Rhubarb Mini-Tartlets / Fresh Cheese and Quince Mini-Tartlets] When I throw a party, even if I'm going to serve food buffet-style, I always try to have a few small nibbles to offer first, at the bar that separates our kitchen from the living-room, which is where everyone tends to linger at first. This allows all of the guests to a...

"Mini-Tartelettes : Oignon Rouge et Rhubarbe / Brousse et Membrillo" continues »

July 22, 2004

Confiture d'Abricot aux Amandes

[Apricot and Almond Jam] When I spend time at my parents' house in the Vosges, my mother and I start out by making a mental list (we haven't reached the point of actually writing down that list - yet) of what we're going to cook, bake and eat. One of the items I mentioned this time was jam : over the years, I've often seen my mother make jam, I'...

"Confiture d'Abricot aux Amandes" continues »

July 16, 2004

Tarte aux Myrtilles

[Blueberry Tart] Blueberries are by far my favorite berry, and this has been true for as long as I can remember. Something about their color (blue), their size (tiny), and their taste (tart and sweet) really appeals to me. As luck would have it, much like blackcurrant in Burgundy, blueberries are the emblematic berry in the Vosges, where they gr...

"Tarte aux Myrtilles" continues »

July 15, 2004

Coffee Cake à l'Abricot

[Apricot Coffee Cake] I am currently spending a few days with my family in the Vosges, a mountain range in the East of France where my parents have a vacation house. One of the great pleasures of being there, besides enjoying the garden, taking walks up the mountain, and sleeping soundly in the perfect quiet, is baking with my mother. This is so...

"Coffee Cake à l'Abricot" continues »

July 6, 2004

Bébé Financiers

What is it with mini things that makes them so damn irresistible? I have always wanted to make mignardises, those sweet little bites that they serve with coffee in upscale restaurants. The name alone is enough to make you want them : "mignardise" comes from "mignard", an old-fashioned word which, as a noun, means a small child, and as an adject...

"Bébé Financiers" continues »

June 23, 2004

Gâteau au Chocolat Aérien, Glacé Ganache

[Aerial Chocolate Cake, Ganache Glaze] This cake recipe comes from Trish Deseine's book Je Veux du Chocolat! -- much-liked and oft-mentioned around here, as I'm sure you've noticed. I am not spontaneously drawn to that kind of light-textured chocolate cake, having chosen instead to walk the path of dense, fudgy, melt-in-your-mouth cakes, but som...

"Gâteau au Chocolat Aérien, Glacé Ganache" continues »

June 20, 2004

Brochettes de Poissons Tropicaux à la Nectarine, Chutney Assorti (IMBB5)

[Tropical Fish and Nectarine Skewers, Matching Chutney] Yay, it's IMBB time again! Today is the 5th edition of Is My Blog Burning?, the collaborative food blogging event in which food bloggers all over the world unite, and cook something in line with a theme. IMBB is our dear Alberto's brain child, and this fantastic, fun and friendly event has ...

"Brochettes de Poissons Tropicaux à la Nectarine, Chutney Assorti (IMBB5)" continues »

June 17, 2004

Roasted Green Peppers

I had been wanting to roast my own peppers for years, but never had. I'd always loved roasted peppers, be they red, green, yellow or none of the above. I had read about the different possible methods, about the tips and tricks, about the things that could go wrong and how to avoid them, about how freshly roasted peppers were astonishingly better ...

"Roasted Green Peppers" continues »

June 14, 2004

Gâteau Renversé Brocoli et Polenta

[Broccoli and Cornmeal Upside Down Cake] I love surprises, and I'm sure you'll agree that cooking surprises are among the best. You start out to make something, unsure where you're going, assembling things, changing course as you go ; you don't really know what you're doing, half-thinking "oh dear that doesn't look right", but still, you're goi...

"Gâteau Renversé Brocoli et Polenta" continues »

June 10, 2004

Fig and Mozzarella Warm Sandwich

I have always been a huge sandwich fan, I could eat sandwiches at every meal. This is probably because I adore bread, but also because nothing beats holding your food in your hands and biting greedily into it. Elegant? No. Messy? Yes. But oh-so-satisfying! Sandwich making, however, is an art that very few food outlets master, obviously. Cardboar...

"Fig and Mozzarella Warm Sandwich" continues »

June 9, 2004

Speculoos

When our friends came over for dinner on Saturday night, I felt like serving a simple and light dessert. By "light" I do not necessarily mean light in calories, but rather light as in "not too rich". I wanted to make something fruit-based, with a little cookie-type thing to dip in and accompany it. I like that kind of dessert, because it allows e...

"Speculoos" continues »

June 8, 2004

Cabillaud aux Fèves, Airelles et Pistaches

[Codfish with Fava Beans, Cranberries and Pistachios] This is the main dish I served on Saturday night, when our friends came to dinner. The idea for this sort of came to me out of thin air : I was leafing through cookbooks but nothing was really calling my name, when all of a sudden I had visions of fish, baked, with colorful little veggies. Th...

"Cabillaud aux Fèves, Airelles et Pistaches" continues »

June 7, 2004

Duo de Pesto : Pesto de Roquette et Pesto Rouge

[A Duet of Pesto : Rucola Pesto and Red Pesto] On Saturday night, my dear friends Marie-Laure and Laurence and their respective (and dear, too) boyfriends Ludo and Jean-Christophe came over for dinner. This had been decided just the day before, so Saturday morning saw me sitting on the couch, surrounded by cookbooks, perusing them for inspiratio...

"Duo de Pesto : Pesto de Roquette et Pesto Rouge" continues »

June 6, 2004

The Paris Potluck : Yet More Recipes!

And here is the final batch of recipes from the Paris Potluck. ~ Featured in this post, you will find : Zucchini Carpaccio (Isabelle) Endive and Lardon Salad (Alisa and Jean-Yves) Codfish and Roasted Tomato Terrine (Christoph) ~ Featured in the previous post were : Spring Vegetable Risotto (Isabelle) Pea and Roasted-Garlic Crostini with Olives ...

"The Paris Potluck : Yet More Recipes!" continues »

June 4, 2004

Terrine de Légumes au Fromage de Chèvre et aux Herbes

[Goat Cheese and Herb Vegetable Terrine] When trying to decide what to bring to the Paris Potluck the other day, my thoughts immediately turned to a terrine. I love terrines : I like the name, I like the dish you make them in (and specifically my own), I like the nice, country feel they have to them. They are also a wonderful thing to bring to a...

"Terrine de Légumes au Fromage de Chèvre et aux Herbes" continues »

June 3, 2004

Paillassons de Pomme de Terre

[Potato Hashbrowns] If you're perfectly honest with yourself, you'll probably realize that a lot of the things you do are in fact an alibi for something else. Example? Example : I loved going out for breakfast in the US. I would order eggs, but really, that was just an alibi to get the hashbrowns. Of course, I could have just ordered hashbrowns...

"Paillassons de Pomme de Terre" continues »

June 2, 2004

White Bean and Nut Butter Dip

Our neighbor-friends Stéphan and Patricia have been busy repainting their living-room these past few weeks. On Sunday they were finally done, so they rearranged the furniture, knocked on our kitchen window with the Ceremonial Wooden Spoon, and invited us over for a little newly-repainted-house-warming drink. You just don't go to a house-warming ...

"White Bean and Nut Butter Dip" continues »

June 1, 2004

The Paris Potluck

When I went to the Salon Saveurs recently, I had the pleasure of meeting with a few Chocolate & Zucchini readers. A few hours of wandering up and down the aisles brought us closer, and as we all sat down, exhausted but exhilarated, the idea of creating a little supper club was brought up. The idea was to throw a dinner party where everyone would ...

"The Paris Potluck" continues »

May 31, 2004

Cuisses de Grenouille aux Herbes

[Herbed Frogs' Legs] A lot of the things the French are notorious for eating, like frogs' legs or snails, kidneys or horse meat, aren't really that common in everyday food. In the case of frogs' legs, I personally tasted them for the first time just a year ago, in a three-star restaurant no less, during a week-end getaway in the Perigord. And t...

"Cuisses de Grenouille aux Herbes" continues »

May 29, 2004

Compote Rose

[Pink Compote] I've always been a great fan of tart and acidic things. I also love the French word for this special combination of tastes, "acidulé", which perfectly conveys the idea of something colorful and tingly and refreshing. As a child, my favorite candy were the ones that gave your tastebuds shock therapy -- I remember with particular fo...

"Compote Rose" continues »

May 27, 2004

The Pasta Salad That Rhymed With O

[a.k.a. Tomato Chorizo Pistachio Pasta Salad] Pasta salads are one of these things I start to crave all of a sudden, when the weather gets warmer. As I've mentioned before, I usually bring my own food to work, and pasta salads are great portable lunches : they're quick to make, they get better as they sit, and they are an easy way to fill up on ...

"The Pasta Salad That Rhymed With O" continues »

May 26, 2004

Tomates Confites

[Slow-Roasted Tomatoes] I've been wanting to make my own Tomates Confites for a little while, especially after eating and tremendously enjoying the Semi-Dried Tomatoes I posted about recently. And then in the tranquillity of Sunday afternoon, I spotted a few roma tomatoes lying lazily on our kitchen counter, getting contentedly riper and riper...

"Tomates Confites" continues »

May 24, 2004

Soupe de Châtaigne au Chorizo

[Chestnut and Chorizo Soup] This recipe comes from the book "Mes Petits Plats Préférés", by Trish Deseine. She is definitely one of my favorite cookbook authors : her recipes are simple but inventive, and I love her personal and friendly voice. She is also the author of my all-time fave cookbook "Je veux du chocolat!", which I've mentioned in th...

"Soupe de Châtaigne au Chorizo" continues »

May 23, 2004

Riz au Lait à la Framboise (IMBB4)

[Raspberry Rice Pudding] Most of you know by now about Is My Blog Burning?, the collaborative food blogging event, in which food bloggers post a recipe on a particular theme on the same day. Well, today is the 4th edition, hosted by Pim, and the theme this time is "Around the World in a Bowl of Rice". As I have come to expect on such occasions,...

"Riz au Lait à la Framboise (IMBB4)" continues »

May 20, 2004

Semoule de Chou-Fleur aux Fruits Secs

[Cauliflower Semolina with Dried Fruits] Forenote : in the US, the term couscous is used to mean the North-African wheat pasta, shaped like very small beads. The actual name for this is, in fact, semolina -- "semoule" in French. Couscous is the typical North-African dish which includes steamed semolina, as well as vegetables and grilled meat. I...

"Semoule de Chou-Fleur aux Fruits Secs" continues »

May 17, 2004

Gâteau au Yaourt à la Framboise

[Raspberry Yogurt Cake] Gâteau au Yaourt is a staple in French home baking : it is very easy to make and I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like it. Its particularity is to call for a pot de yaourt (a tub of yogurt), and to use the empty pot to measure out the rest of the ingredients. This no-scale recipe is a notable exception to the French...

"Gâteau au Yaourt à la Framboise" continues »

May 11, 2004

Rhubarb Jam : What it Says about You

And here you thought, ingenuously, that a bunch of rhubarb was just a bunch of rhubarb. But no. A bunch of rhubarb, or any other delightful but fleetingly seasonal fruit, is in fact a test that life puts before you. Think Cosmopolitan meets Jean de la Fontaine : are you a grasshopper or an ant? The grasshopper will enjoy the rhubarb now, and ...

"Rhubarb Jam : What it Says about You" continues »

May 5, 2004

Confiture de Fraises au Poivre Noir et à la Menthe Fraîche

[Strawberry Jam with Black Pepper and Fresh Mint] This is another one of the jams I made last summer, during my jam-making spree. The recipe comes from a great little book by Christine Ferber, the Jam Fairy, simply titled "Mes Confitures". After a section with tips and techniques, which is kept nice and short, Christine goes on to share over se...

"Confiture de Fraises au Poivre Noir et à la Menthe Fraîche" continues »

May 4, 2004

Cranberry Banana Bread

I had read about this recipe a little while ago on Mariko's blog. She credited Melissa for it, who had herself gotten it from Wilson's Farm in Lexington, MA. I'd always wanted to make a banana bread but never had, and the addition of cranberries sounded great. A few months ago, my grocery store was selling cranberries, very uncharacteristically I...

"Cranberry Banana Bread" continues »

April 29, 2004

Soupe de Carotte à la Menthe

[Mint Carrot Soup] Have you ever noticed how un-photogenic soup is? Well, now you have! The very things that make soup tasty and comforting, all pureed chunks and blended veggies, make it somewhat messy close up. In this case, I almost didn't post about the soup because I was unhappy about the picture. But then I decided that the dictatorship of ...

"Soupe de Carotte à la Menthe" continues »

April 27, 2004

Raspberry Rhubarb Grunt

On Sunday, we were invited to my sister Céline's place for lunch with my parents, and I offered to take care of the dessert. With the beautiful spring weather we've had lately, I felt like making something light and fruit-based. Rhubarb season has just begun and we are all big fans in my family, so that was the fruit of choice. I looked around ...

"Raspberry Rhubarb Grunt" continues »

April 23, 2004

Brouillade de Truffe

[Truffled Scrambled Eggs] The other day at lunchtime, I was on my own and starving. A glance in the fridge, and lunch rolled out before my eyes : I had one truffle left in its little jar, some eggs, fresh watercress, and fabulous walnut bread from the BoulangEpicier, which Patricia, the best neighbor in the whole wide world, had bought for me on...

"Brouillade de Truffe" continues »

April 22, 2004

Strudel de Blettes

[Swiss Chard Strudel] Last Saturday, I recruited a few dear friends to help me eat the Chocolate & Zucchini Cake I had baked : with Maxence away on a business trip, it was just me and that good-lookin' cake, and although I can always be trusted to do my fair share of the eating, that's exactly the problem. Plus, I needed opinions! So Ludo and Ma...

"Strudel de Blettes" continues »

April 18, 2004

Chocolate & Zucchini Cake (IMBB3)

Today is the third edition of the one and only collaborative food blogging event, otherwise known as "Is My Blog Burning?". The first edition, hosted by Alberto, was all about soup. The second edition, hosted by yours truly, had a tartine theme. Today's event is hosted by the lovely Singaporean foodie, Renée, and the theme is Cake Walk. As René...

"Chocolate & Zucchini Cake (IMBB3)" continues »

April 14, 2004

Pissaladière

Pissaladière is a specialty from Nice, in the South of France. It's an onion tart with black olives and anchovies, on a thin pizza-like dough. The name comes from "pissalat", a condiment made with pureed anchovies, cloves, thyme and bay leaves, which was spread on the tart before baking. The name has taken on a somewhat looser meaning in my fami...

"Pissaladière" continues »

April 13, 2004

Hot Cross Buns

My family has always been very fond of British baked goods. Marks & Spencer's has sadly closed off all their French stores, but when it was still around [deep sigh of nostalgia], we were their most faithful customers for English muffins, crumpets, mince-meat pies and hot cross buns, to be enjoyed with tea in the afternoon. Only recently did I fi...

"Hot Cross Buns" continues »

April 6, 2004

Sticky Toffee Pudding à l'Abricot

[Apricot Sticky Toffee Pudding] This past Sunday afternoon, we had decided to throw a little surprise birthday party for my dear friend Laurence. This sounded like the perfect occasion to try and recreate my own sticky toffee pudding miracle. Among the different recipes that I had dug out or that you kindly recommended, my favorite was the one ...

"Sticky Toffee Pudding à l'Abricot" continues »

March 30, 2004

Salade de Lentilles Pomme et Cumin

[Apple and Cumin Lentil Salad] This past Saturday, our dear friends Laurence and Jean-Christophe threw a housewarming party (pendaison de crémaillère if you remember) in their cool new apartment, just off Bastille. Laurence had asked if we could bring a little something and I had gathered from reliable sources that Marie-Laure and Ludo were goin...

"Salade de Lentilles Pomme et Cumin" continues »

March 26, 2004

Leek and Ricotta Frittata

Food never tastes as good as when you are really hungry. And although the temptation is strong to just grab and scarf down the first thing that crosses your path (tasty or nasty, edible or otherwise), it's a much better move to resist the urge, and pay attention : what does your stomach yearn for, what appeals to you the most, what would really f...

"Leek and Ricotta Frittata" continues »

March 24, 2004

Confiture de Melon au Gingembre et Citron Vert

[Lime and Ginger Melon Jam] The truly magical thing about making your own jam is that they tell you to store the jars in a cool and dark place for a few months, to let the flavors develop fully. Oh sure, it is something of a heartbreak at first - you would so like to keep it close to you and dip the occasional finger in - but you know to be reas...

"Confiture de Melon au Gingembre et Citron Vert" continues »

March 22, 2004

Salade de Chou Rouge aux Figues Séchées

[Red Cabbage and Dried Figs Salad] If you look for recipes to use up a head of red cabbage before it applies for permanent residence in your vegetable drawer, you will find that the general agreement is "red cabbage shall be sublimated by fruit" : popular uses include braising it with apples or chestnuts, cooking it with pears, or pairing it wit...

"Salade de Chou Rouge aux Figues Séchées" continues »

March 18, 2004

Dorades à l'Orange et au Fenouil

[Orange Fennel Sea Bream] We have officially elected the Poissonnerie Bleue on the rue des Martyrs as the best fishmonger in our area. Their wide selection of fish and shellfish is very fresh and reasonably priced, the staff is kind, and they are very generous with their advice and tips, which is a surefire way to win me over. As I walked by th...

"Dorades à l'Orange et au Fenouil" continues »

March 15, 2004

Soupe de Mâche au Poulet

[Lamb's Lettuce Chicken Soup] Foreword : you might notice that the picture above has the focus on the bread and not the soup. The soup will have to forgive me, I love it dearly and all, it is really the star of this post, but I'm sorry, soup, you are just not photogenic. At all. La mâche, which I'm told translates to lamb's lettuce, is a kind o...

"Soupe de Mâche au Poulet" continues »

March 13, 2004

Oatmeal Breakfast Clafoutis

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I am not the greatest fan of oatmeal - at least when it is cooked in milk the usual way : the lumpy look and the weird smell and the mushy texture really put me off. However, I am a good friend of oatmeal in müesli, and in cookies, and in this baked oatmeal recipe. The original recipe is brought to us by ...

"Oatmeal Breakfast Clafoutis" continues »

March 10, 2004

Tarte aux Blettes et Graines de Courge

[Swiss Chard and Squash Seeds Tart] Had you been in my kitchen last week, you would have heard a small squeal of joy. That would have been me, unloading the contents of my weekly Campanier basket of fruits and vegetables, and discovering a lush bunch of swiss chard. The next day found me picking up a couple of ingredients from the grocery store...

"Tarte aux Blettes et Graines de Courge" continues »

March 9, 2004

Frites de Carottes aux Epices

[Spiced Carrot Fries] Winter is the blessed season of root vegetables. Since it is noticeably drawing to a close here - longer days, sunny and mild weather, daffodils all around -, now's the time to make the most of the kind of carb comfort our winter friends have to offer, before we turn the page and say hello to nature's spring collection. Ha...

"Frites de Carottes aux Epices" continues »

March 7, 2004

Tartine Chèvre et Pousses (IMBB2)

[Goat Cheese and Sprouted Seeds Tartine] And today is the day of the Tartine Edition of the world famous Is My Blog Burning? distributed blogging event! Please meet the tartine I made as my contribution : a tartine with goat cheese, ham and cherry tomato jam, decorated with sprouted seeds and served on a bed of watercress. As with most tartine...

"Tartine Chèvre et Pousses (IMBB2)" continues »

March 5, 2004

Nuggets de Poulet et Frites de Légumes Racine

A Take Chicken Nuggets and Fries. My sister Céline came to have dinner with us the other night. She has recently started working for a major French car company, and part of the integration process for new hires is to go through four weeks at one of the factories, working the line just like the other workers. This is a trying experience to say th...

"Nuggets de Poulet et Frites de Légumes Racine" continues »

March 1, 2004

Salade Tiède de Charlottes

[Warm Potato Salad] The other day, when my Campanier basket included a bag of Charlottes, Jackie mentioned that her favorite use for these small potatoes, tender-fleshed and sweet, was a warm potato salad. This stuck in my mind so much that I couldn't think, for the life of me, what else any one could possibly choose to make with these beauties....

"Salade Tiède de Charlottes" continues »

February 29, 2004

Chips de Radis Noir

[Black Radish Chips] This week's Campanier selection included three black radishes, oblong and rather large. Black radish is another one of those forgotten vegetables, so I was quite happy for the chance to experiment with it. Last time I had bought a black radish, I had used it raw in a yogurt-dressed salad, and had been rather unimpressed. I ...

"Chips de Radis Noir" continues »

February 24, 2004

Soupe Broccoli Mimolette

[Broccoli Mimolette Soup] This soup has to be the best broccoli soup I've ever had - and without a doubt the best one I've ever made. The really cool thing about it, besides being really really good, is that it is infused with flavor from two ingredients that usually get thrown out without batting an eyelash : the rind from a firm and sharp chee...

"Soupe Broccoli Mimolette" continues »

February 23, 2004

Galettes de Sarrasin

Tomorrow is Mardi-Gras, the last day before Lent begins. The Mardi-Gras tradition in France, amongst other things, is to gorge on crepes, supposedly to use up the eggs and butter that you won't be allowed to eat until Easter. I am not religious and so I don't observe Lent, but I will gladly take any opportunity to eat crepes. And last Friday, whe...

"Galettes de Sarrasin" continues »

February 20, 2004

Crumble Pommes Dattes

[Apple and Date Crumble] And this is the third (and final) item I baked for last Sunday's Goûter de Cousins, thinking it would be nice to make an apple crumble in addition to the two cakes. The idea was to serve something a little lighter and fruit-based for those of us who may have a small appetite, or may want to go the healthier route, or ma...

"Crumble Pommes Dattes" continues »

February 19, 2004

Gâteau à l'Orange et au Gingembre

[Flourless Orange and Ginger Cake] This is another cake I baked for our Goûter de Cousins last Sunday. I tasted my first flourless orange cake about a year ago at Rose Bakery, and absolutely loved it. I had tried to reproduce it then, and had made an Orange and Poppyseed version, adapting a recipe found on the web. It was really good - the orang...

"Gâteau à l'Orange et au Gingembre" continues »

February 18, 2004

Gâteau Fondant au Chocolat et Noisettes Caramélisées

[Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Hazelnuts] Last Sunday afternoon, my sister Céline and I organized a "Goûter de Cousins" at my place. We invited those of our cousins who live in Paris, which amounts to about a dozen. Most of them we only see once a year at family holiday parties - some a little more, some way less - and we thought it would be n...

"Gâteau Fondant au Chocolat et Noisettes Caramélisées" continues »

February 17, 2004

Crumble Poire et Marron Confit

This is the very quick and yummy dessert I served our friends the other night, just before we got back to our scheduled program of activities - video games for Maxence and Marwane, and some serious chatting for Marion and myself. This is in fact a cheater's crumble, in which the fruit is cooked beforehand (in my case a large amount of delicious ...

"Crumble Poire et Marron Confit" continues »

February 16, 2004

Chicken Udon with Cabbage and Parsnip

The other night, we had two friends over for a casual dinner : Marion, a friend of mine from university, and Marwane, whom Maxence has known since junior high. Being on a Japanese food kick induced by Maxence's recent successful forays, I decided to make some kind of udon dish topped with stuff. That seemed reasonably doable (I mean, how ambitiou...

"Chicken Udon with Cabbage and Parsnip" continues »

February 15, 2004

Shallot Parsley Dip

Our first Campanier order included a small head of cauliflower. I felt like eating it raw, and came up with this easy-breazy dip to accompany it. I wanted to eat a quick snack before joining Maxence at the movies, and this took me all of five minutes to whip up. This fresh and tasty dip can be eaten with veggies, or spread on toasted bread. Be ...

"Shallot Parsley Dip" continues »

February 12, 2004

The Essential California Sandwich

Back when we lived in the Silicon Valley, whenever I ordered a sandwich, I would invariably and happily go for the California sandwich. Not only did it sound most appropriate given the location, but avocado is among my best friends, and sprouts are a fantastic addition, adding the perfect peppery crunch to its comforting and sweet tenderness. I...

"The Essential California Sandwich" continues »

February 10, 2004

Yogurt Scones

We had friends over for brunch on Sunday. Maxence went out in the morning to the charcuterie shop, cheese shop, and bakery, and came back with an basketload of ready-to-eat goodies -- bone-in ham and duck terrine and eggs in aspic and cheese and freshly baked bread -- that we served with a simple salad topped with toasted pumpkin seeds. And for ...

"Yogurt Scones" continues »

February 6, 2004

Which Came First Donburi

And this is the delicious main course that Maxence concocted for our dinner party this past Saturday! The recipe is from the same "Cooking Class Japanese" cookbook as his last cooking stint. I have taken the liberty to rename the dish though. Well, yeah, if I don't cook, I have to at least do something! In the book, the recipe is called "Chicken...

"Which Came First Donburi" continues »

February 5, 2004

Salade Figue et Poire à la Bresaola

[Fig and Pear Salad with Bresaola] While planning the menu for our Saturday night dinner party, I realized I hardly ever serve salad as a first course. I'll often use salad to accompany the star item, like a tartlet or a bruschetta or a mousse or a slice of terrine or what-have-you, but it is rarely a salad in its own right. I'm sorry. I guess ...

"Salade Figue et Poire à la Bresaola" continues »

February 4, 2004

Truffes de Chèvre Frais

[Fresh Goat Cheese Truffles] On Saturday night, we threw a little dinner party at home. A "little" dinner party for eight dear friends : Joseph (originally from Nashville but living in France, whom I met two years ago at an IT recruiting show -- we were struck by a sense of recognition, being equally bored to tears) and his wife Séverine, our al...

"Truffes de Chèvre Frais" continues »

January 30, 2004

Courgettes Rondes Farcies

[Stuffed Round Zucchini] We buy most of our fruits and vegetables at our favorite little fruit stand in the rue des Abbesses, where the staff is friendly, greets us with big smiles, gets stuff for us from the back - often including a little freebie - and is always happy to discuss what's the best seasonal choice and how to prepare it. But somet...

"Courgettes Rondes Farcies" continues »

January 29, 2004

Soupe de Fenouil aux Ecorces d'Orange

[Fennel and Orange Peel Soup] Introducing... the latest brainchild of my soup kick! I was on the bus home from work a few days ago (you know, line 67, my food thought lab?), thinking about the soup I would make for dinner. I had half a mind to make some kind of winter squash soup, and was toying with the idea of adding candied orange peel to mak...

"Soupe de Fenouil aux Ecorces d'Orange" continues »

January 27, 2004

Sauteed Ginger Beef and Cabbage

As much as I love to cook, it is sometimes very nice to have your boyfriend say, on a lazy Sunday afternoon : "you know, I think I'd like to make dinner tonight". Though usually more of a whip-it-up-by-instinct kind of cook, on this occasion he takes out the Japanese cookbook he bought in London, picks a recipe, makes a list, goes shopping, comes...

"Sauteed Ginger Beef and Cabbage" continues »

January 22, 2004

Soupe de Courgette au Sésame

[Sesame Zucchini Soup] Oh, did I mention I am in full soup-making mode these days? It could be the grey and chilly days we have to plow through, or the vague feeling that my body could use a little detoxifying after the holiday scrumpadillies, but all I can think about is soup soup soup. When the idea of lacing zucchini soup with tahini (the ses...

"Soupe de Courgette au Sésame" continues »

January 21, 2004

Petits Palmiers Chocorange

[Chocolate and Orange Palm Leaf Cookies] If you browse through the row of cookbooks lined up on top of our fridge, you might notice one, called "Moi, je cuisine solo ou duo" by Brigitte Namour. The title roughly means "I cook for one or two", and this book is filled to the brim with quick and ingenious recipes, scaled for a couple of servings. O...

"Petits Palmiers Chocorange" continues »

January 16, 2004

Sablés au Citron à la Fleur de Sel

[Lemon and Fleur de Sel Butter Cookies] Jackie recently talked about Fleur de Sel on her great Daily Bread blog. As I was adding a comment about my favorite uses of the wonderful substance, I remembered these butter cookies. I was taken up on my offer to share the recipe, so here it is! This is a recipe I made a few months ago for a Sunday afte...

"Sablés au Citron à la Fleur de Sel" continues »

January 14, 2004

Velouté de Lentilles aux Marrons

[Velvety Lentil Chestnut Soup] I think I am getting the hang and love and joy of soup. I told you before the odd intimidation it provoked in me, but after preparing a few successful pots of simmering velvety goodness, I think I can declare myself officially and fully over it. The other day, browsing on Maki's excellent blog i was just really hu...

"Velouté de Lentilles aux Marrons" continues »

January 12, 2004

Boudin Blanc Truffé aux Noisettes, Deux Purées de Pomme

[Truffle Hazelnut Boudin Blanc, Two Mashes] Boudin blanc is a soft sausage, made with white meat (usually chicken or veal) enriched with pork or veal fat, cream, eggs, flour and mie de pain (the inside of a bread loaf), finely mixed and well seasoned. It is traditionally a Christmas dish, but in Paris you can pretty much find it in charcuteries ...

"Boudin Blanc Truffé aux Noisettes, Deux Purées de Pomme" continues »

January 11, 2004

Gâteau Noix de Coco et Chocolat Blanc

[Coconut and White Chocolate Cake] As you know, yesterday was Maxence's birthday : I treated him to a nice dinner out on Friday (review on the way), and we celebrated again yesterday night with a group of friends, in a bar just a block from our apartment - which we more or less took over. This bar is a small place and we were on friendly terms w...

"Gâteau Noix de Coco et Chocolat Blanc" continues »

January 5, 2004

Coffee Cake Chocolat Marron Glacé

[Chocolate and Candied Chestnuts Coffee Cake] I wanted to bake a cake for our new year's eve party - what's a party without a cake? -- and this is what I made. The recipe for this cake is originally a Sour Cream Coffee Cake from Bon Appétit (circa 1993), which my mother and I tinkered with a little while ago, lowering the sugar content, subbing ...

"Coffee Cake Chocolat Marron Glacé" continues »

January 4, 2004

Salade de Pois Gourmands aux Lardons et aux Noix

Veggie lover that I am, our new year's eve party buffet had to include something green. Maxence and I love snow peas, because of the taste and the crunch and the look, but they're seldom served in France, so I'm always happy to give them the space in the sun that they rightfully deserve. I think they're perfect in salads, and this is what struck ...

"Salade de Pois Gourmands aux Lardons et aux Noix" continues »

January 3, 2004

Terrine de Rougets

[Goatfish Terrine] Every once in a while I get cooking cravings - the sudden desire to tackle a new sort of dish or technique. About six months ago, I decided I really needed to try and make terrines. I promptly bought myself a little recipe book, simply called "Terrines", by Catherine Quévremont. It contains thirty easy and tempting recipes of ...

"Terrine de Rougets" continues »

January 2, 2004

Coquillages Farcis Ricotta et Tapenade

[Pasta Shells Stuffed with Ricotta and Tapenade] Last Tuesday, my sister Céline and I met for lunch. The plan was to eat at Rose Bakery, but it was closed for the holidays, so we went down the rue des Martyrs to Fuxia instead, a really nice Italian restaurant, hip yet friendly, where we had truly excellent salads. After that, we spent the aftern...

"Coquillages Farcis Ricotta et Tapenade" continues »

December 30, 2003

Crumble de Courgettes aux Champignons

[Zucchini and Mushroom Crumble] On Christmas day, Maxence and his mother joined us for lunch at my parents'. My mother and I cooked for this meal too, preparing most of it the day before. As a first course, we served a Zucchini and Mushroom Crumble, a recipe we had come up with a week before, during our Christmas-menu-brainstorming session. Ela...

"Crumble de Courgettes aux Champignons" continues »

December 29, 2003

Pomme Rôtie aux Fruits Secs, Quenelle de Glace au Calisson

[Roasted Apple with Dried Fruits, Calisson Ice Cream] My mother and I wanted to end our Christmas eve dinner with a dessert simple to prepare yet festive, and satisfying yet light - more or less. This is what we came up with! The store Picard Surgelés sells excellent ice-cream created by François Théron. They come in a variety of flavors, all o...

"Pomme Rôtie aux Fruits Secs, Quenelle de Glace au Calisson" continues »

December 28, 2003

Escalope de Foie Gras Mi-Cuit, Poire Pochée, Toast de Campagne

[Scalloped Foie Gras Mi-Cuit, Poached Pear, Toasted Rustic Bread] Christmas eve this year was spent just the four of us : my parents, my sister and myself. A week before, having come to my parents' on a weeknight, my mother and I had brainstormed over an after-dinner cup of tea, and we had come up with the Christmas menus. My mom having taken ca...

"Escalope de Foie Gras Mi-Cuit, Poire Pochée, Toast de Campagne" continues »

December 27, 2003

Truffes au Chocolat

This year for Christmas, I made chocolate bites of two kinds to give to my family, and bought small confectioner's crystal bags at a professional store to put them in. I also wanted to make little tags to tie around the bags. I bought delicate ivory paper, beautiful green leaves made of very fine thread, and some silver yarn. I cut out rectangles...

"Truffes au Chocolat" continues »

December 26, 2003

Mendiants

I have always loved the idea of giving out food gifts. As with any handmade present, it seems a very personal way to show you care, and that you love the person enough to spend a few hours making something nice for them. Last year, I didn't plan for it early enough to make it happen : Christmas is always a busy period, and we had just moved into ...

"Mendiants" continues »

December 23, 2003

Petit Pot Chocolat Vanille, Ruban de Caramel au Petit Beurre

[Chocolate Vanilla Petit Pot, Caramel Petit Beurre Ribbon] This is the dessert I served to end Saturday night's dinner. The idea came to me during the same bus ride through Paris that brought us the goat cheese mousse. I don't know what was in the air that day, but ideas just kept bubbling up, a swarm of dishes taking shape and morphing in my mi...

"Petit Pot Chocolat Vanille, Ruban de Caramel au Petit Beurre" continues »

December 22, 2003

Filet de Boeuf, Compotée d'Echalottes, Rattes au Romarin

[Roast Beef, Shallot Compote, Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes] While planning for our Saturday night dinner, I conducted a little research to find out what was best to eat with Baptiste's bottle of St Julien. My sources were comfortingly unanimous. Red meat, roasted, was the card to play. I chose to roast a filet de boeuf, a very tender beef cut, a...

"Filet de Boeuf, Compotée d'Echalottes, Rattes au Romarin" continues »

December 21, 2003

Mousse de Chèvre Frais à la Confiture de Tomate Cerise, Chips de Lard

[Fresh Goat Cheese Mousse with Cherry Tomato Jam and Bacon Chips] Yesterday, we had two of Maxence's oldest friends, Baptiste and Jérémie, over for dinner. The occasion was to finally open the bottle of St Julien that Baptiste had given us a while ago, a 1996 Sarget du Château Gruaud-Larose. As I have done in the past, I will tell you about the ...

"Mousse de Chèvre Frais à la Confiture de Tomate Cerise, Chips de Lard" continues »

December 19, 2003

Confiture de Tomates Cerises à la Cannelle

[Cherry Tomato Cinnamon Jam] My mother has been making jars and jars of delicious jam every summer as far back as I can remember, using fruit bought at the Sunday morning market (strawberry, apricot), hand-picked by my family (raspberry, blackberry, blueberry), or given out by friends with overflowing orchards (rhubarb, plums, cherry plums). She...

"Confiture de Tomates Cerises à la Cannelle" continues »

December 17, 2003

Bruschetta

I remember very well the first bruschetta I ever had, served at the San Francisco vegetarian restaurant "Herbivore". We had arrived in the US about two months before, it was the night of my 21st birthday, we were with our friend Jérémie, and after dinner we went to see Arling & Cameron play. The barman wouldn't give me a free drink even consideri...

"Bruschetta" continues »

December 11, 2003

Oeuf Cocotte

When I was 9 years old, I was in the last year of primary school while my sister was in junior high. On Wednesdays, I didn't have class, but she did, and my parents considered us old enough to be home without a nanny, so I would make my own lunch. Maybe my memory fails me, but I seem to remember that this involved a lot of canned beef ravioli, wa...

"Oeuf Cocotte" continues »

December 10, 2003

Tarte Chocolat Poire Chocolat

[Chocolate Pear Chocolate Tart] As you know, I have a passion for chocolate. In restaurants, I am never intimidated by the decadent sounding all-chocolate desserts, and I can usually be relied upon to pick that. I have also tried my hand at that kind of desserts, and loved every minute of it, from the imagining to the making to the savoring to t...

"Tarte Chocolat Poire Chocolat" continues »

December 9, 2003

Galettes de Polenta Grillées

[Grilled Polenta Slices] I have a strange relationship with polenta. I either love it or loathe it, depending on how it's prepared. If it's just been cooked and it's mushy, the smell and texture really put me off. But if you let it settle and you slice it, or even better yet, if the slices are grilled, then polenta is my very good friend. And on ...

"Galettes de Polenta Grillées" continues »

December 8, 2003

Brochettes de Poulet, Ananas et Gingembre

[Ginger Pineapple Chicken Skewers] This was the main dish for our dinner party on Saturday. I got the inspiration from a recipe in the excellent cookbook "Mes petits plats 100% naturels" by Catherine Mandigon and Patricia Riveccio, which I recommend wholeheartedly : the recipes are amazingly unusual and tempting, and everything I've cooked from ...

"Brochettes de Poulet, Ananas et Gingembre" continues »

December 7, 2003

Petits Rouleaux d'Aubergine Farcis

[Stuffed Eggplant Mini-Rolls] Last night, Maxence and I threw a little dinner-party for my two dear friends, Marie-Laure and Laurence, and their respective boyfriends, Ludovic and Jean-Christophe. Over the next few days, I will post the menu for this dinner... You can see us pictured here in our living-room : from left to right, Marie-Laure, L...

"Petits Rouleaux d'Aubergine Farcis" continues »

December 6, 2003

Frites de Patates Douces d'Egypte

[Egyptian Sweet Potato Fries] When Maxence and I went grocery shopping in the ethnic stores of the rue de Clignancourt last week, we bought sweet potatoes. There were five (five!) varieties to choose from, so we asked the store attendant which variety was the sweetest, and he pointed us to the ones from Egypt, white-fleshed with a dark pink skin...

"Frites de Patates Douces d'Egypte" continues »

December 1, 2003

Carrés de Noix de Pécan à la Vanille

[Vanilla Pecan Squares] Yesterday was my dear grandmother's 92nd birthday. On this occasion, my parents, myself and a few friends and relatives gathered at her place for a celebratory drink, before we all headed out to eat dinner. My mom had asked me if I felt like making a few sweet nibbles to go with the champagne. Me? Sweet nibbles? Have I ev...

"Carrés de Noix de Pécan à la Vanille" continues »

November 28, 2003

Soupe de Courge Musquée aux Epices

[Spiced Pumpkin Soup] I am ordinarily not a huge winter squash fan. I used to dislike sweet and savory together when I was little, and that seems to vaguely remain when it comes to pumpkin and its brothers and sisters. But I do love the look of them and how they come in all shapes, sizes and colors and look like a little munchkin tribe. And the ot...

"Soupe de Courge Musquée aux Epices" continues »

November 27, 2003

The Wonderful World Of Tartines

Tartines have been a fairly trendy lunch fare in Parisian restaurants for a while. Originally, "tartine" means a slice of bread, toasted or not, with something spread on it, usually eaten for breakfast : butter (tartine beurrée), jam (tartine de confiture), cheese (tartine de fromage)... For a few years now, the concept of tartine has been recyc...

"The Wonderful World Of Tartines" continues »

November 26, 2003

Pear Rosemary Crème Brûlée

Two weeks ago, my parents came over to my apartment. The plan was for the three of us to have lunch together, and then go out on a mini-tour of the 9th and 18th arrondissements, using a guidebook called "Paris Buissonier", which my sister and I gave our mother for Mother's day : it describes itineraries to walk through parts of Paris that are sel...

"Pear Rosemary Crème Brûlée" continues »

November 10, 2003

Cake au Chocolat, Abricots et Gingembre

On Sunday afternoon, we had a few friends over for the goûter. In attendance were : Marie-Laure and Ludo, with whom we had had brunch earlier in the day ; my friend Sophie, who used to work at my company ; Stéphane and Caro, who are friends from college ; and our neighbors Stéphan and Patricia. To feed this crowd, I wanted to make something choco...

"Cake au Chocolat, Abricots et Gingembre" continues »

November 4, 2003

Lemon Thyme Crème Brûlée

Ever since we bought the Oxylaser Blowtorch I’ve been pining for an opportunity to use it. My sister Céline has (at least) as much of a sweet tooth as I do, so I decided to make us Lemon Thyme Crèmes Brûlées for dessert on Saturday. I found a disturbing number of very different crème brûlée recipes out there, calling for widely discordant...

"Lemon Thyme Crème Brûlée" continues »

November 3, 2003

Porcini Walnut Risotto

My sister Céline lives in Frankfurt, Germany. Thankfully she is to come back to work in France at the beginning of next year, which makes me deliriously happy, but until then we have to make do with the week-ends she comes to spend with us. This Saturday, after the traditional afternoon of shopping together, Céline came over for dinner. She is ve...

"Porcini Walnut Risotto" continues »

October 31, 2003

Boudin Antillais, Purée Maison

Last week-end, as Maxence was walking up the rue Lepic, he was lured into one of the many inviting charcuteries (a charcuterie is a store halfway between a butcher's shop and a deli). The boudin antillais was tempting, so he bought four small ones. Boudin antillais (a twist on boudin noir) is a specialty from the Antilles, the French Carribeans. ...

"Boudin Antillais, Purée Maison" continues »

October 29, 2003

Salmon & Leek Quiche

Picard Surgelés is a French chain store, the concept of which finds no equivalent in the US (to my knowledge) : it only sells frozen goods. This may not sound very appealing to the foodiest foodies among you, but their products are surprisingly good and high-quality, much like I remember the frozen section at Trader Joe's, in which I loved to wan...

"Salmon & Leek Quiche" continues »

October 26, 2003

Layers in a Glass

This is one of my favorite recipes when I want to make a light individual dessert that's quick to make, yet looks nice and sophisticated. I served it the other night to end our duck confit meal, after which “light and refreshing” was definitely the way to go. This recipe lends itself to an endless number of variations, but I’ll ...

"Layers in a Glass" continues »

October 25, 2003

The Paradoxical Duck Confit

Thursday night, on a whim, we asked our neighbors Stéphan et Patricia over for dinner, and I prepared the kind of dish that epitomizes the French paradox * : duck confit. Back in July, Maxence and I spent a lovely extended week-end in the South-West of France, visiting his grandparents in Gourdon and driving around the incredibly beautiful coun...

"The Paradoxical Duck Confit" continues »

October 21, 2003

Salade de Pois Gourmands aux Trois Sésames

[Triple Sesame Snow Pea Salad] In French, snow peas (or sugar snap peas, apparently the difference is that snow peas are a lighter green) are called Pois Gourmands (Gourmand Peas) or Haricots Mangetout (Eat-Everything Beans). The reason for that, I just found out, is that unlike regular peas, you eat the pod as well, so you "eat everything". And...

"Salade de Pois Gourmands aux Trois Sésames" continues »

October 18, 2003

Soupe de Brocoli

[Broccoli Soup] I am not a soup maker. For a very long time, I was most intimidated by it. Something about the large pot and the veggies cooked to death turned me off. I also didn't grow up in a soup family -- we hardly ever had it, though it was delicious when we did -- so I don't think of it as a particularly comforting dish. And finally, I'd ...

"Soupe de Brocoli" continues »

October 17, 2003

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Cake

Yesterday we had a small party at my office to celebrate my company's fifth anniversary, and our pendaison de crémaillère, which is French for a housewarming party. Une crémaillère is a trammel, i.e. the metal adjustable hook that was used to hang pots in the fireplace in the days of yore, and the hanging (pendaison) of this essential piece of eq...

"Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Cake" continues »

October 15, 2003

Fondue Savoyarde chez nos Voisins

[Cheese Fondue at our Neighbors' place] We are lucky enough to be very good friends with our next-door neighbors. Stéphan and Patricia live on our floor, in the apartment to the right of ours. We met on the night of our housewarming party : we had posted a note to apologize in advance for the noise and music, and to invite everybody over for a d...

"Fondue Savoyarde chez nos Voisins" continues »

October 14, 2003

Gâteau de Mamy à la Poire

On Sunday, Marie-Laure came over "pour le goûter". Le goûter is the afternoon snack kids are given when they come out of school around 4. In my family (by that I mean "at my parents'"), it is also called simply le thé, and is practically an institution. Around 5 on weekends, somebody will invariably ask "on fait le thé?" (alternatively "on prend ...

"Gâteau de Mamy à la Poire" continues »

October 13, 2003

Cheeseburgers with a Twist

Reading the article on DIY Diner Food over at Digs Magazine put me in the mood for burgers, so that went on the menu for lunch on Sunday. For the patties, I used 150g (5 1/3 ounces) lean ground beef, in which I mixed a chopped shallot, a large handful of chopped fresh herbs (I had basil and tarragon, both home-grown, as well as flat-leaf parsle...

"Cheeseburgers with a Twist" continues »

October 11, 2003

Sardine Harissa Polar Bread Sandwich

Or : The Return of the Polar Bread Sandwich I made myself another yummy sandwich on polar bread for lunch today. This time, the filling was this : a can of quality sardines packed in olive oil (drained and patted with paper towels), a shallot - chopped with my friend the chef knife, a handful of flat parsley - chopped with my other friend the mez...

"Sardine Harissa Polar Bread Sandwich" continues »

October 7, 2003

Sun-dried Tomato Polenta Squares

This recipe is from the apéro section of my cookbook "Mes petits plats 100% naturels". In France, apéritif (also called l'apéro) is the general term for the drinks and savory nibbles you offer your guests before dinner. It is also a widespread custom to invite people over just for l'apéro, which is a more casual way to entertain than a full-blown...

"Sun-dried Tomato Polenta Squares" continues »

Fennel & Tuna Polar Bread Sandwich

Over the last few years, I've noticed an increasing number of bakeries and sandwich places in France selling sandwiches made with Pain Polaire. Polar bread, sometimes also called swedish bread, is a round, soft flatbread with dimples. Polar bread sandwiches are made between two of these pancake-like slices, and the whole sandwich is then cut into...

"Fennel & Tuna Polar Bread Sandwich" continues »

October 6, 2003

Honey Hazelnut Cake

Yesterday, my parents came over for tea. This is always a perfect occasion for me to bake (yeah, like I need one), and today being my father's birthday, I decided to bake a cake. After perusing my cookbooks and recipe files, I set my heart on this Honey Hazelnut Cake from the book "Les Gâteaux de Mamie". The original recipe is titled "Gâteau a...

"Honey Hazelnut Cake" continues »

October 4, 2003

Tartelettes Absolument Chocolat

[Absolute Chocolate Tartlets] I could have met my friends Marie-Laure and Laurence at a Chocoholics Anonymous meeting, so when they came over for dinner last night, I decided I would treat them to Absolute Chocolate Tartlets. The recipe comes from one of my cookbooks, called Je Veux du Chocolat! ("I want chocolate!") by Trish Deseine - another...

"Tartelettes Absolument Chocolat" continues »

October 3, 2003

Courgettes Rondes Farcies au Quinoa et à la Ricotta

"Man, I'm stuffed!" said the zucchini. Tonight, Laurence and Marie-Laure are coming for dinner, and as a main dish, I will serve them Quinoa Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini. Those small round zucchinis had caught my eye in the sidewalk stall of our produce store and I immediately saw, in blinking letters : "stuffed zucchini!". I got nine of them as th...

"Courgettes Rondes Farcies au Quinoa et à la Ricotta" continues »

Swiss Chard Pie

Spinach is one of the rare vegetables I will not eat. Possibly, this has to do with the green puke they were trying to pass off as spinach at summer camp. I did try real supposedly yummy fresh spinach, but could not take it. Bleh. The only form I can eat it in, is when it doesn't taste like spinach at all, in spinach ravioli for instance. Now,...

"Swiss Chard Pie" continues »

October 1, 2003

Chouquettes

2008 update. Below is a revised recipe, as it appears in Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris, my book on Paris restaurants and food shops. 2009 update. I have slightly improved upon the recipe with a couple of tricks: I now sprinkle the baking sheet with pearl sugar so the chouquettes are more evenly studded, and I brush the raw chouquettes wi...

"Chouquettes" continues »