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French in a Flash: Creamy Broiled Scallops Mornay
Sweet, tender bay scallops and baby Paris mushrooms get broiled under a simple, homey blanket of Gruyère-infused béchamel. Decadent! More
Dinner for Two: Gingery Roast Pork with Thyme
Pork tenderloin with a crust of earthy fresh thyme and zingy-sweet ginger preserves, all cooked as a one-pot oven meal with whole baby zucchinis. A one-pot roast dinner wonder. More
French in a Flash: Stoplight Piperade with Spicy Broiled Salmon
Simple everyday salmon is broiled on a bed of piperade, a Basque bell pepper stew flavored with spicy, earthy piment d'Espelette. It's light, but it packs a punch. More
Dinner for Two: Easy Crunchy Mustard-Baked Salmon
Crispy-bottomed salmon topped with a mountain of buttery, two-mustard crumbs and fresh herbs. Made with six ingredients and in only ten minutes! The perfect glammed-up, easy dinner for two. More
French in a Flash: Grilled Coq au Vin
Barbecue sauce made from all the flavors of coq au vin—deep Burgundy wine, earthy mushrooms, sweet onions, and woodsy herbs—gets caramelized and grilled onto juicy, bone-in chicken. Stew hits summer! More
Dinner for Two: Crispy Broiled Scallops and Chorizo
Sweet scallops and burnished red smoky, meaty chorizo baked together without fuss for this easy, gorgeous, and satisfying dinner for two. More
French in a Flash: Vegetarian Grilled Zucchini Croque Mademoiselle
Here's a vegetarian version of the bistro classic Croque Monsieur: thick and hearty, with the smoky flavor of charred zucchini, Emmenthaler, and a Dijon-nutmeg béchamel. It's a sandwich of fork-and-knife proportions. More
Dinner for Two: Hot Hot Hot Chipotle Steak Tacos
I gave myself this challenge: to develop a taco night that's practical for two. It all happens in one pan, but the flavors and textures are as fun, tantalizing, and complex as any big family taco night out there. More
French in a Flash: Lightened Up Zucchini Gratin
A light, green version of the classic French gratin, this baked zucchini crumble is inspired by Avignon and full of the flavors of wine, herbs, and lots of cheese. More
Dinner for Two: Grilled Garlic Bread with White Bean Shrimp Scampi
A simple, hearty spin on a classic: chunky grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with stewy shrimp full of white beans, white wine, a touch of butter, and even more garlic. Perfect for date night with someone you've been with for a long time... More
French in a Flash: Creamy Mussels with Sauce Roquefort
Sweet, plump onyx mussels get stewed with olive oil, tender shallots, woodsy thyme, Sauvignon Blanc, rich cream, and pungent, sharp, blue Roquefort. I serve it with ice cold dry, hard apple or pear cider from the north of France. More
Dinner for Two: Coconutty Mussels with Ginger, Lemongrass, Chili, and Cilantro on Rice Noodles
Seashore mussels are stewed in a simple but exotic broth of coconut milk, lime, cilantro, lemongrass, and chilies. Spooned over rice noodles, there is nothing better than this easy, exotic one-pot classic. More
French in a Flash: Seared Rare Niçoise Tuna Lettuce Cups
This fun deconstructed Niçoise salad features herb-seared rare tuna tossed with potatoes, haricots verts, tomatoes, olives, anchovies, capers, and lemon-thyme citronette, all spooned into handy lettuce cups. More
French in a Flash: Roasted Ratatouille Lasagna Napoleons
This light Provençal lasagna is made from roasted planks of ratatouille, fresh pasta sheets, layers of unexpected herbs, and a gratinéed crust of gooey cheese. More
French in a Flash: Moroccan Lamb Meatball Tagine
I love my Mémé's tagines, but I also want to put my own stamp on tradition and make something a bit more tongue-in-cheek, modern, and simple. This is my lamb meatball tagine, made with tender, big balls of ground lamb, flavored with carrots, shallots, tomatoes, golden raisins, cilantro, mint, and ras-el-hanout—a spice mix made from everything from cumin to cinnamon to dried chilies to rose petals. More
The Secret Ingredient (Cinnamon): Apple Cinnamon Sparkling Sangria
French apple cider and apple brandy are swirled together with cinnamon simple syrup and fresh crisp apples. More
French in a Flash: Pâtes aux Cêpes (Tagliatelle with Porcini Mushrooms and Crème Fraîche)
Here's an all-year version of a special French pasta dish: fresh tagliatelle with porcinis, made simply with crème fraîche, dried porcinis, and some fresh mushrooms, garlic, and thyme. More
French in a Flash: Fresh Olive Oil and Sea Salt Palmiers
Frozen puff pastry gets a simple coat of fruity extra virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt before getting rolled and baked into the simplest, most delicious savory palmiers. More
The Secret Ingredient (Parsley): Beurre Maître D'
Beurre Maître d'Hôtel is just fresh sweet butter packed with parsley. It melts down into seared steaks and grilled fish like nobody's business. More
French in a Flash: Pork Chops with Norman Cider Cream Sauce and Thyme
Pork chops, simply seared with fresh thyme, are finished with a two-ingredient sauce of dry Normandy apple cider and fresh cream. Served with gnocchi and a salad, it's parfait! More
The Secret Ingredient (Parsley): Shrimp with Green Sauce
Hot roasted shrimp bathed in a Spanish green parsley sauce flowing over with garlic and olive oil. Buy a loaf of bread... per person. You'll want to lap this up. More
French in a Flash: Old-Style Mustard and Rosemary Asparagus
This simple green side features asparagus roasted with old-fashioned grain mustard, fresh rosemary, lemon zest, olive oil, and sea salt. More
The Secret Ingredient (Parsley): Spaghetti with Parsley Pesto
There are funky pestos out there, pestos where basil isn't the star. Arugula pesto. Spinach pesto. I've even made a tarragon pesto. But I've never seen a pesto that has put parsley at center stage, and really celebrated what parsley's all about: grassy light freshness. More
French in a Flash: Romantic Raspberry-Rose Sorbet with White Chocolate
This cheat's dessert is a five-minute knockoff of the great raspberry-rose sorbet from Berthillon in Paris. More
Dinner for Two: Gingery Roast Pork with Thyme
@squid pro quo: honey is the best alternative. But ginger preserves are easily found in the jam and jelly section of the supermarket, or, go to the ginger people online and order their ginger spread. It's amazing.
http://www.gingerpeople.com/ginger-confections/ginger-spread.html
A Whole New Serious Eats
It looks gorgeous!
French in a Flash: Vegetarian Grilled Zucchini Croque Mademoiselle
Becka K-S, I am honored!
Wintergreen--is that true? I only came to know it in the late '00s. Shame!
phillamb 168--you can call it whatever you want! just so long as it tastes good.
Dinner for Two: Grilled Garlic Bread with White Bean Shrimp Scampi
I promise you, anyone can make it! It's super easy, and a real crowd pleaser.
French in a Flash: Creamy Mussels with Sauce Roquefort
What!? No takers on the Roquefort? Fine, I understand. It is peculiar. As for the garlic cream sauce, when I have it in Honfleur, counterintuitively, it's actually made with the chopped garlic you buy in a jar. So, you'd use the same recipe as above, omit the Roquefort, and add the garlic just as you finish sautéing the shallots. You could do either the jarred garlic, or a bunch of grated garlic, or smashed garlic paste that you make with some sea salt and the side of your knife.
Dinner for Two: Coconutty Mussels with Ginger, Lemongrass, Chili, and Cilantro on Rice Noodles
@lunchblock Thank you so much!
Dinner for Two: Coconutty Mussels with Ginger, Lemongrass, Chili, and Cilantro on Rice Noodles
@mommydee Thanks! And to you and your son. I love the idea of homemade jam. So colorful and sweet and lovely.
As for mussels, I tell you, everyone is a mussel hater until the grand day when they become a mussel lover. I hope this recipe is your turning point...but if not, next week is shrimp. Hopefully you'll like that one!
Dinner for Two: Coconutty Mussels with Ginger, Lemongrass, Chili, and Cilantro on Rice Noodles
@Texas Monkey I'm so glad! I totally understand. Mr. English and my schedules rarely intersect, but when they do, well, that is worth making a meal for! I hope you'll love these recipes.
What Are Your Favorite Purchases in the Duty Free Shop?
Toblerone! Who are we kidding?
Moroccan Lamb Meatball Tagine
Love the idea of the chickpeas! That is so Mémé.
Cassoulet-Style Sausage 'n' Beans
Thank you thank you. This is one of my favorite recipes and I'm so glad you all took the time to let me know that you liked it too.
Raspberry-Rose Sorbet with White Chocolate
That is genius! Best comment award goes to you!
Creamy Asparagus, Basil, and Crème Fraîche Velouté
Ah France--they're probably right. This soup will definitely be better in the spring. I think it would work beautifully with watercress. And, you may also not be able to get zucchini, either, out of season, but that would work too. Or cauliflower. Let me know how your alternative turns out!
French in a Flash: Creamy Asparagus, Basil, and Crème Fraîche Velouté
I'm thrilled!!! It is so easy, isn't it? And (aside from the creme fraiche) it just feels so healthy.
French in a Flash: Sweet-Tart Duck Breasts with Fresh Cherry Sauce
I think it's hard not to make duck leather when you're just working with the breast. Something my mOther does, though, is to roast the duck. To replicate it, pierce the skin a few times and season well with salt. Then roast on a rack at 300 degrees for five hours. Then, the breast takes on almost the texture of duck leg confit. It's one of my favorite ways to eat duck. I also find that sauces like this cherry sauce or orange sauce, for their tang, make it easier to stomach that slightly underdone duck taste.
French in a Flash: Cassoulet-Style Sausage 'n' Beans
Yes, I always feel the secret to a good cassoulet is the green salad you serve next to it. Means you can eat more cassoulet...
Cassoulet-Style Sausage 'n' Beans
I am thrilled on both counts! So glad you liked it. It's a favorite of mine...
Tuna and Avocado Salsa
1/2 to 2/3. Sorry for the confusion!
10 Cauliflower Dishes We Love in NYC
Cauliflower is my absolute favorite vegetable. This was terrific. Thank you!
French in a Flash: Cassoulet-Style Sausage 'n' Beans
Carcassonne: gorgeous! I hope this gets you your cassoulet fix!
French in a Flash: Cassoulet-Style Sausage 'n' Beans
Thank YOU! I'm so glad you liked it.
Awesome Mushroom Pâté
Yes, I'm sorry! Squeeze the garlic from their jackets before processing!
Homemade Honey Sticks
I love this straw engineering! Thanks guys. I would never have thought of it.
Dinner for Two: Coconutty Mussels with Ginger, Lemongrass, Chili, and Cilantro on Rice Noodles
Seashore mussels are stewed in a simple but exotic broth of coconut milk, lime, cilantro, lemongrass, and chilies. Spooned over rice noodles, there is nothing better than this easy, exotic one-pot classic. More
Dinner for Two: Coconutty Mussels with Ginger, Lemongrass, Chili, and Cilantro on Rice Noodles
Seashore mussels are stewed in a simple but exotic broth of coconut milk, lime, cilantro, lemongrass, and chilies. Spooned over rice noodles, there is nothing better than this easy, exotic one-pot classic. More
French in a Flash: Red Pistou Pasta with Shrimp and Crunchy Herbes de Provence Crumbs
Red pistou is made from tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and basil, usually in that order. Delicious, sharp, pungent, intensely summery, let's just say it stays with you—on your mind and on your breath. This homemade version pairs the pistou with pasta, and a tumble of crunchy, salty, herbes de Provence-spiked breadcrumbs and a studding of seared shrimp. More
How to Make Gyoza
This gyoza has been a favorite in my family for ages. It's so tasty that, until recently, I haven't bothered to deviate from the traditional filling. Check out the slideshow to learn how to make the classic Japanese-style pot stickers, then tweak the formula to make something new. More
How to Make Clarified Butter
When butter is clarified—the milk fats boiled out and separated, until only thick, golden butter fat remains—its smoke point is raised to, well, let's just say it's high enough to sear a thick steak or panfry a potato in. It also keeps longer than whole butter and imparts a concentrated, caramelly and delightfully nutty flavor More
Snapshots from the UK: Parma Violets
This year for Halloween in England, I was a peacock. The fun of Halloween in the UK is not the trick-or-treating, but the candy flavors as exotic as my costume. Black currant Starburst and Turkish delight chocolate are a beginning, but they are not my favorite. Everyone talks about the English rose, but beautiful though she may be, I could take her or leave her. For me, it's all about the English violet—the Parma Violet. Parma Violets are something like our chalky fruity discs rolled up and given out as generic candies, but they are purple and reek of delicious, sweet, perfuming flowers. Luckily, they don't seem to have a "please take only one" Halloween candy rule in Oxford.... More
I took this to lunch at the office the day after I made this, and it was the best cold lunch I've had in a while...