The Best Vinaigrette
French vinaigrette. It’s a liquid poem you pour over freshly harvested greens, which in turn becomes the best dish you ever ate. Like any French person, I eat a salad after every meal. Sometimes a salad IS my meal. Whether tender or robust, salad greens make a great base for a freshly poached egg; […]
An Unexpected Adventure
I save mid-winter and early spring for writing, trying my best not to fill my calendar. It’s always a halcyon time where I, like most writers I know and read about, flirt with the unexpected in productivity, moods, and distractions. Being a mother, and the sole proprietor of a very old home with its own […]
Bitter Orange Marmalade
I love phone calls like the one I received the other day from my neighbor, Nathalie. “Suzanne, I have too many bitter oranges, would you like some?” I didn’t hesitate a minute. This is the season for bitter oranges (Seville oranges – they come from Spain) and each year I turn them into marmalade. […]
Belgian Endive, Persimmons, Avocado and More
I didn’t plan this salad but when I unpacked my market basket, all of the ingredients were there, begging to be assembled. It was the perfect antidote to a dark, grey, beginning-of-the darkest month of winter day. And it just goes to show: brightness is where you least expect it. Some tips before you […]
Leek and Potato Soup
As comfy as a pair of worn jeans, leek and potato soup is just as delicious. Particularly today, as the extreme freezing temperatures demand making and eating soup! The typical leek and potato soup most Americans know is Vichyssoise, that cold and creamy version created – as legend has it – at the Ritz Carlton in […]
Happy New Year
I gathered friends and neighbors together for our annual holiday fete, one I make easy on myself by asking each guest to bring a favorite dish. It occurred to me as I looked around our very crowded living room, the fire blazing, the tables laden, the mulled wine sending its cinnamon-scented aroma into the air, […]
Miami and Seattle Coming Up
Here’s a little reminder about French happiness coming your way! I’ll be giving you my French culinary tips and secrets in Miami January 16-18 at the amazing Gastronomicom cooking school, and in Seattle February 8-10 in a beautiful Mercer Island kitchen. There are a few spots available so step right up cookingclasses@onruetatin.com to register. Three days! Authentic French […]
Tuerie
There is something so very special about being an expatriate even though, occasionally, I long for the familiarity of the country where I was born. But just think: here, I am and always will be “the American.” Which gives me the advantage of the renegade. This creates advantages, one of which is that I can […]
A Great Christmas Gift – Cooking French in Miami, the Pacific Northwest, and More
For those of you who want to create fabulous French meals, hang on! I’m coming to the U.S. to teach you! I’ll be in four different and amazing U.S. locations this year, starting with Miami in January, and Seattle in February. Three classes, three days, three gorgeous meals, and you walk away with amazing recipes, new […]
Optimism and Lemon Meringue Pie
Since the election I’ve been searching for optimism. I’ve found some. There is optimism in people gathering round. At the market yesterday, it was a flurry of friendship as people came to me to ask questions, express their feelings and opinions. There is optimism in a woman standing for president, and knowing more people voted […]
