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...
It’s an INVASION I tell you ! Just when I thought I’d eaten all, dealt with and finished with the apples that my friend brought me from the countryside 10 days ago (about 1,5 kg), then more appeared. As I was typing this recipe, I was kindly delivered another 4,5 kg of country apples from Northern France. Well, it’s my...
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...
Do you know which country consumes the most cheese in the world ? Answer : Greece ! This includes cheeses in baked goods as well as non-baked goods. Each citizen of Greece consumes an average of 30 kg of cheese per year, and 2/3 of that amount is in the form of feta cheese ! I wish Greece all the best for what they’re going through and hope...
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...
Nope, no BASIL in this sauce … what’s the big deal with basil anyways, it’s great in pesto, in salads and other dishes that have bright, summery, fresh flavours and that require little or no cooking and we use it so much anyways (see green tomato sauce recipe here, where I use basil), but I think that for this very thick...
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...
“SMASHED” ? Yes friends, that’s what I said … BUT WHY ? Because they’re tender on the inside, crispy on the outside … HARD TO MAKE ? Noooooooooo ! DO I HAVE TO BE TOUGH & STRONG TO SMASH THEM ? Stop it. Are they easy to make ? Yesssss ... I made mine with lemon and garlic and olive oil, like a good...
Now HOW did this last-minute dessert idea happen ? This is how the story goes : I had leftover kataifi dough (from making another dessert again, the raspberry and rose shortcakes, see recipe here). I had already defrosted and separated the strands and mixed the kataifi dough with icing sugar and melted butter and thus could not put the extra...
What better way to celebrate Labour Day in Canada today ? How about enjoying some icy chocolate whisky coffee popsicles … made with some good old Canadian whisky, fresh brewed espresso coffee and melted dark chocolate. A dessert for adults, not too sweet, with an extra touch of bitterness from the very dark chocolate, extra cocoa...
An ODE to all the hard-working men & women of this autumn season who are grape-growers and grape-harvesters and wine-makers … with the WINE-MARINATED GRAPES again (see recipe here) … but this time in a grape & wine harvest cake, with honey and olive oil and butter and creamy dairy too. A basic cake with fruits, with 2...
In the beginning, there were grapes … squished, squashed, mashed, pressed, juiced, fermented, transformed, becoming something else : WINE (of course it’s more complicated than that but you get the picture). The colours are 3 : red, white, rosé, (the easiest descriptive terms to remember). Then came all those characteristics...
DRINKS ARE ON ME !!! It is officially autumn … time for apples, figs, grapes, pears, squash, etc. ! It is also mid-week, so why wait for Friday night or the weekend to enjoy a cocktail ? A nicely effervescent refreshing liquid treat combining the flavors of apples, whisky and maple and a sweet way to cut your work week in half ! Enjoy, but...
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...
Did you know that if you SMASH your cucumbers instead of slicing them perfectly, you will experience not only a different texture but also a different taste experience ? Well, I just found this out in an Asian restaurant the other night and it was perfect … and I’m someone who has grown up with cucumber in salads. You would think...