Author Archives: Meg

Cailles rôties

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Meg

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

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Meg

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

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Meg

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

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Meg

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

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Meg

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

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Meg

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

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Meg

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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Kir

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Meg

Why should the word kir be associated in my mind with the word decadence? The cocktail originally known as a blanc-cassis has nothing particularly decadent about it. It’s the most natural of apéritifs, made of dry white wine — Burgundy … Continue reading →

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Gougères

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Meg

Gougères are cheese-flavored cream puffs from the Burgundy region and are usually served on special occasions, often with an apéritif, for example a kir — dry white wine flavored with crème de cassis, black currant liqueur (coming tomorrow). When I … Continue reading →

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Coming next week

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Meg

For anyone who happens to live in Paris, I will be hosting a soufflé demonstration in my kitchen this coming Tuesday, Nov. 6, from 2-4 p.m. A great way to get your mind off the suspenseful American elections! And it’s … Continue reading →

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