A Perfect Early Summer Grill Menu
As I prepared for an early summer grill class last week I pinched myself. Anyone who has written a cookbook knows just what I mean. After months of testing, tweaking, writing, re-writing, testing some more, editing, copy editing, agonizing, dreaming, there’s a book. And then there’s someone saying, “Please, please teach us how to grill!” […]
Gorgeous Ginger and Lime Chicken with Cilantro Oil
I remember interviewing Pascal Barbot of the pocket-sized restaurant l’Astrance, asking him questions as we sat over a coffee. We talked about his past, his influences, and how he would characterize his food. “It’s all based on dairy, really,” he said. Stop to think of it, and I realized so much of it was, from […]
Poulet Vallée d’Auge – Chicken with Calvados, Cider, and Apples
My son, Joe, is visiting from the U.S., spending more time here than usual as he writes his senior thesis. I’m enjoying watching him work, our conversations roiling around the vagaries of writing and inspiration, the beauty of fine sentences that all too often end up on the cutting room floor, born as they can […]
Chicken Pot Pie a la Francaise
I heard whispers of desire emanating from the kitchen, as my children were discussing what they wanted for dinner. Tart came out on top. Since neither yearns to cook, they turned to me, plaintive looks in their eyes. I live to please, and what could satisfy this particular desire better than Chicken Pot Pie? […]
Grilled Chicken with Spicy Rhubarb
Naturally, the French cook has a way with this fleeting gift of spring. Typically, it is wrapped in buttery pastry, pureed and put under a meringue, atop ice cream, blended with cream, cooked in syrup. Here, I’m inspired by the French fascination with sugar syrup to turn rhubarb into a sweet, zesty sauce for […]
Roast Chicken Antidote
Back from California to a gorgeous, cold, sunny Parisian day then Boom! Awash with rain. So, I’m doing what any sane person would, and filling the house with the glorious scent of roasting chicken. It’s one of the best tonics I know to scare away the post-California sun doldrums! Here is how I do it. […]
Roasting a Chicken Video
What is more quintessentially French than roast chicken? Here are the tips that will give you perfect roast chicken every time!
How to Sharpen a Knife and Cut a Chicken Video
It’s very simple to keep a great edge on your knives. Do this before you use them each time, then get them sharpened professionally at least once a year! A sharp knife is a great knife.
Food and Focus
I was reading a piece in the International New York Times by Anand Giridharadas, and a phrase caught my eye. He likened the current moment in the U.S. to the Biedermeier era in Germany (1815-1848) when political participation was suppressed and people turned inward. “What will our grandchildren think of the extraordinary inwardness of […]
A Taste of Asheville October 1 – 3
Step Right Up!!! You don’t want to miss the Asheville Class where for three days we cook, we learn, we laugh and we get out into the countryside to see the producers! October 1-3, 2014 It isn’t too late to Sign Up Now!
