Monthly Archives: November 2012

Tagine de poulet aux pruneaux et aux amandes

The tagine is a Moroccan stew typically made with chicken or lamb cooked with dried fruit and nuts, or with olives, preserved lemon or really any vegetable combination — eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes. I think I can safely say that … Continue reading

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Salade de carottes à la marocaine

Does North African cooking count as French cuisine? I had dinner a couple nights ago with friends who insist that it does. ‘After all,’ said Jack, ‘when the French are asked to name their favorite food, the dish that comes … Continue reading

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Mayonnaise

Let’s demystify mayonnaise — one of France’s most versatile and elegant sauces. It is reputedly so difficult to make that only culinary experts should attempt it. Guess what The Everyday French Chef has to say to that? Poppycock. If you … Continue reading

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Cailles rôties

Perfect for one, two or a crowd, quail makes a fine dish both for holidays and every day. And the good news is that quail is far easier to find these days, both in France — where the birds are … Continue reading

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Potimarron farci

I first tasted this dish in the home of Valérie Lapierre, a superlative cook. She and another friend, an artist, had concocted a fabulous meal but refused to say what the main course would be. And then they arrived bearing … Continue reading

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Tartiflette

This is a cold-weather dish most commonly encountered in the Alpine ski resorts of eastern France: potatoes, onions, bacon and flavorful reblochon cheese baked together to make a mouth-watering one-dish meal. But tartiflette has become so popular that restaurants from … Continue reading

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Soupe de légumes

Leeks, carrots and potatoes puréed with cream and some spices — this is the soup that every French woman and man has loved since childhood. For years, probably centuries, it was the main dish of an evening meal. Once served … Continue reading

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Tarte aux pommes normande

This is an apple tart for taking the chill off a cold autumnal evening. It comes from Normandy, where the salty wind off the sea can whip right through the warmest clothes. Normandy, France’s dairy land, where the fresh cream … Continue reading

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Patates douces aux herbes

Every so often there comes a time for thanksgiving. Yesterday was one such occasion, never mind that it fell a couple of weeks before the American national holiday. In honor of events, I decided to make sweet potatoes. Not the … Continue reading

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Salade d’endives au roquefort

The endive is a humble vegetable here in France, where they most certainly do not call it Belgian. Grown undergrown, its white leaves crisp and slightly bitter, the endive comes into its own in the winter months. It may be … Continue reading

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