Holiday Menu
I know, you’ve had it planned for weeks. But what if you haven’t? Holidays include many serendipitous moments, when friends call unexpectedly, family plans change to include or lose one or two, a few kilos of scallops arrive on the doorstep and an unexpected celebration ensues. Or maybe you’ve simply been too busy to sit […]
Rabbit in all its Splendor
The biggest hurdle? Peter Rabbit, that wily, lovable blue-jacketed character created by naturalist and author Beatrix Potter. Who couldn’t love him? Who could eat his relatives? Most recipes for rabbit come from the farm – hearty yet delicate, simple and laden with flavor. As it happens, the French can eat his relatives and do, all […]
Dukkah
Toasty. Crunchy. Spicy. Simple. Exotic. That’s dukkah, the Middle Eastern blend of toasted nuts and spices that makes people stop in their track to ask “What IS this gorgeous mixture?” I discovered dukkah when I was working on Nuts in the Kitchen, where it is part of the recipe collection. My cooking students had […]
Persimmon Bread
It’s persimmon season in California, as I found to my delight while there to teach a cooking class. There they were in profusion – at the farmers’ market in Studio City, rolling out of the fruit bowl at my dear friend’s home where I was staying and, one day, in a huge bag at the […]
Flavors of Brittany
On the GR 34As an inveterate hiker, I think any season is a good one for taking to the trails, particularly as a break from intense work, when the mind needs a flush of fresh air, the body a period of intense activity. Which is probably all of the time for most of us… […]
Hangar Steak and Figs on the Grill
Eileen and Betsy are back! Busily grilling their way through French Grill, they’ve just sent this new missive!! “So we had last Saturday night set aside to do something simple for four people…we ended up with nine. Word travels when we get out our French Grill cookbooks. It’s like Catholics flocking to Lourdes for […]
Tarte Tatin
Every time I make Tarte Tatin I think about my time as an apprentice in the kitchens at La Varenne. There, Chef Albert Jorant taught us pastry. I worked with Chef Jorant on a book, too, putting my hands in the photographs of his pastries. It was here that I learned the fine points of […]
Sweet Potatoes and Eggs – French Grill
I got to thinking about eggs the other day. My thoughts were stimulated by my friend Betty who gave me, as a hostess gift, a dozen eggs from her husband’s chickens. I specify the “her husband’s” part. Louis – the husband – takes care of chickens the way he takes care of everything, with enormous […]
French Grill Fandango
Dateline:Hot Springs, Virginia. Eileen and Betsy are back… with their LABOR DAY FRENCH GRILL FANDANGO “No one really cares that OUR objective is to cook our way through French Grill,” Eileen said. “Every day we got the question “Are we having the Camembert burger today?’ More about that later. We grilled ourselves to…well I don’t […]
Last Minute Labor Day Menu
EEEK! I almost forgot Labor Day! It’s my calendar’s fault; it is supposed to keep me informed of all holidays everywhere, but the “settings gremlin” flipped a switch and here I am, blissfully sipping coffee and nibbling a croissant and it’s almost Labor Day and I’ve been in the dark. I love blaming something like […]
