main courses recipes

I PREFER OYSTERS FRESH & RAW (with no added vinegar, nor lemon, nor shallots, nor anything) but always accompanied with BREAD & VERY SALTY BUTTER and a COLD POTATO SALAD and a second green and leafy SPINACH & ARUGULA SALAD too … But I obviously couldn’t present this to you as a recipe ! So this oyster chowder...

As you all may have heard, the COP21 United Nations Conference for Climate Change is taking place in Paris until December 11, 2015. The countries and their governments will try to come to some common and binding agreements to control climate change and save the planet (& us). The world is waiting ! … Many NGO’s and...

I thought ONION SOUP "AU GRATIN" (with gooey melted cheese on top) was a typical Quebec dish. I was wrong, but only partly…. It’s French but then again so is Québec (historically speaking) being called Nouvelle France until 1763 (including Ontario to the west, some of the Maritime provinces to the east and all...

Oh my lovely, darling, sweet fresh figs … or rather salty-sweet roasted figs, because you were so juicy, so very juicy, so extra juicy (even when baked, that I had to make this recipe 2 times before getting it right). The 1st time, it was more like a rustic fig “soup” tart, with juices running everywhere and me just making a...

This may be (but I hope not) our last chance to make a large roasted vegetables dish (with some extra chorizo sausage) before the summer fruits & vegetables season comes to an end … or perhaps the opportunity to prepare larger quantities of ratatouille and store it for the autumn and winter months. (a good idea if you have some empty...

“THE SO TENDER & FRAGRANT MEAT JUST SLIPS OFF THE BONE, THE VEGETABLES ARE WELL COOKED YET FIRM … WHAT ELSE ?!” This is what I made for our Christmas day lunch. The winter holiday seasoning was composed of a dry mix of herbs and spices with allspice, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, orange zest and dark brown sugar,...

Here’s a soup to warm up even the iciest of hearts … This idea was thought up by my friend and neighbor Fred (who often supplies me with loads of fruits and vegetables from his father’s countryside garden, outside of Paris, so double-thanks to Fred-the-friend). We often use squash and pumpkins for sweet dishes, and when we make...

When we were kids, every Saturday, after school (YES, my sister and I went to regular French and English school on weekdays and Greek school on Saturdays), my father would treat us to Kentucky Fried Chicken or McDonald’s (it was all new to us and YES, my dad is the sweetest). This may explain why many of us automatically eat these foods...

Like I said, don’t be a “CHICKEN”… buy some WHOLE FISH today ! You know what, I’m a bit of a “chicken” too when it comes to buying whole fresh fish, or at least I was. Now I try to buy some every 2 weeks. I know (and you know) how much easier it is to buy fish steaks and filets or to eat fish sticks...

A SUITCASE full of fresh fruits and vegetables from a friend coming back from a vacation is both wonderful and magical and a bit crazy ! And what’s crazier is when they’re a gift for you because you enjoy cooking. An obviously wonderful gesture (because someone is thinking of you) but also the type of gift that is stamped with an...

"Before bringing me into the world in Montreal, my mother had crazy cravings for CAULIFLOWER ! " I was born on January 7 (the day of the Greek Orthodox Christmas) which means that her cravings occurred in the cold and blizzardy winter and it was my poor aunt who would go out hunting to find her some, sometimes coming back with...

Dear ladies and gentlemen … if a 30-minute ONE-POT or ONE-PAN PASTA dish is your «thing», then please move along, this particular recipe isn’t for you ! I realize how frightening it seems, for the time it involves as well as the enormous quantities and varieties of meats used. This much meat and sacrifice desserve...

A STEAK is one of those meals that we don’t often have at home, it’s either too dry or too chewy or too over-cooked or too runny because we forget to let it sit before slicing into it. Also a symbol of respect and friendship when you invite a friend for a steak dinner in a restaurant … I love the expression “Let me buy you...

I PROMISE NOT TO MAKE ANYTHING ELSE WITH ZUCCHINI IN 2015 ! But it’s been a very good year for these vegetables. People haven’t stopped dropping off their little summer harvests so obviously I couldn’t waste them, because it’s wonderful to share food, especially when you grow it yourself ! So far this year, I’ve...

A little bit of this, a little bit of that, put it all together, top it all off with a little bit of this and maybe a little more of that and what you have is an easy green tomato pita PIZZA ! Until I figure out and complete my pizza dough experiments,I think this could be a nice and easy and quick option ! Of course I'm referring to my...