Monthly Archives: April 2013

Asperges à la sauce hollandaise

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Meg

Let me tell you about the time I had lunch with Roman Polanski. It was many years ago, shortly before the Cannes Film Festival, and I was working for The Hollywood Reporter. He agreed to an interview and we met … Continue reading →

Posted in 1. Starters | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Suprêmes de pintade au miel et au thym

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Meg

The guinea fowl is a pretty bird, known as pintade in French because of its polka-dot plumage, which looks like it could have been painted by a pointillist like Seurat (pintade deriving from the Portuguese pintado, meaning painted). The guinea … Continue reading →

Posted in 6. Poultry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Petits pois à la française

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Meg

Went down to the country this weekend and planted some peas. It’s finally warm enough. If I’m lucky they’ll be ready by July. Thankfully the Paris markets are already bursting with fresh peas — flown up from Morocco or Spain. … Continue reading →

Posted in 8. Vegetables | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fraises et framboises à la crème

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Meg

At last it’s strawberry season! The Paris markets are overflowing with red ripe berries. First came the large and rather flavorless strawberries trucked up from Spain, and now the homegrown gariguettes, a highly prized French variety that’s bursting with sweet … Continue reading →

Posted in Desserts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Turbot au four au beurre blanc

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Meg

Friends were stopping by en route home to England. A birthday lunch was called for. And the guest of honor, having seen the fish on display at my local market, made a special request: Could we please have turbot for … Continue reading →

Posted in 5. Fish and Shellfish | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Navarin d’agneau printanier

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Meg

Navarin, or lamb stew, derives from the French word for turnips — navets — which turn up (pun intended) in colorful bunches in outdoor markets every spring. Their appearance heralds not only the return at last of warm weather, but … Continue reading →

Posted in 7. Meat Dishes | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Quiche au saumon fumé

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Meg

At cooking class the other day, the students wanted to make quiche. Fine. But which kind to propose? Quiche lorraine with cream and bacon felt too heavy for spring, never mind that it’s still raining in Paris. Ditto flamiche, the … Continue reading →

Posted in 4. Omelets, Soufflés, Quiche | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Genoise au citron et pavot

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Meg

April in Paris… Snowflakes and gray skies… Nary a blossom is to be seen… Given the situation, the only solution the other day was to make a beautiful cake. It was Easter Sunday and I’d been invited to dinner. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Desserts | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Soupe aux artichauts safranée

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Meg

I grow artichokes in my garden in Burgundy. This spring I’ll have to start over because a wild boar trampled my two artichoke plants last autumn. Which means I’ll be lucky if I get a single artichoke by September. Happily … Continue reading →

Posted in 2. Soups | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments