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Author Archives: Kelsey Vala

Food Blog of the Week: Tartine and Apron Strings

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Name: Jen Laceda
Blog: Tartine and Apron Strings

Location: Toronto, Canada

If you had to blog about one ingredient every day for a year, what food it be?
Butter! I’m sure I’ll be 20 pounds heavier by the end of the year, but there are so many things you can do with butter, whether sweet or savory. I’m keen on experimenting with different kinds of butter from around the world, too, especially the European ones!

What’s your go-to quick and easy dinner?
Pasta aglio e olio. What’s more simple than pasta tossed in garlic, olive oil, red chili flakes, and wine or broth? It’s so delicious that my kids actually prefer this to “fast food.”

What is the first meal you ever cooked?
The first meal I ever cooked was steamed Jasmine rice and boiled eggs. I was 12. Although I have been watching my grandmother cook since I was 5 or 6 years old, I was not allowed to be in our (outdoor) kitchen by myself because we cooked with grills and clay pots on charcoal and woks on propane gas fire. When my grandmother finally allowed me to venture out on my own, she made sure I first mastered making perfect rice and eggs!

I will never eat:
The head or brains of animals (cow, pig, goat, lamb, fish, etc.). And pigeon (I have a pigeon phobia and it’s quite debilitating).

Is there a food you used to hate, but now love?
I can’t think of any particular food, but I can say that I used to hate sweet in my savory dishes. For example, Hawaiian pizza with pineapples was a big no-no; raisins in my empanadas were always discarded; sweet and sour pork was regarded as a crime. But now, I have accepted, even come to love, a bit of sweetness in my savory dishes as long as the flavor combination works.

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you order there?
Per Se in New York City is my favorite restaurant, and I’d order the Oysters and Pearls and Cornet of Salmon Tartare over and over again! But on a more practical level, I frequent this tiny sushi place called Sushi 67 in Toronto’s Roncesvalles Village. For $11.95, you get a 10-sushi, 6-makimono combo. The chef there really knows how to pick unbelievably fresh fish that he slices to perfection. Let’s just say I ate sushi made by him (and only him) throughout my pregnancy, yet not one sushi-related illness occurred.

Who would you love to have over for dinner?
The answer to this question is ever changing for me. But right now, my pick is Michael Pollan, so I can get more inside scoop on state of our food nation. If he’s not available, my next choice is Aran Goyoaga of the Cannelle et Vanille blog, so I can learn food styling and photography from her.

Food Blog of the Week: Lemon Fire Brigade

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Name: Sarah Bolla
Blog: Lemon Fire Brigade

If you had to blog about one ingredient every day for a year, what food it be?
I love to add acidity to just about everything I cook and prepare, so my use of lemon could go a long way on the site.

What’s your go-to quick and easy dinner?
My go-to dinner starts with perfectly cooked pasta dropped into a large sauté pan of freshly sliced garlic that has fried in a pool of good olive oil. It’s been given a pinch of red pepper flakes, and then tossed with a quickly sauteed green vegetable that holds both color and crunch. I ladle installments of pasta water into the pan to help the sauce emulsify and adhere to the pasta, check and adjust consistency and seasoning, add a squeeze of fresh lemon, and a grate of parmesan. I fall back on variations of this pasta from one week to the next. Continue reading →

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged food blog, pizza | 2 Comments

Food Blog of the Week: Pinch of Yum

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Name: Lindsay Ostrom
Blog: Pinch of Yum

Location: Minneapolis

If you had to blog about one ingredient every day for a year, what food it be?
Cream cheese. I had some better answers in mind, like sweet potatoes, avocados, or spinach, all of which I also adore, but for whatever reason, cream cheese (or just cream, or just cheese). It finds its way into a lot of the things that I make.

What’s your go-to quick and easy dinner?
Whole wheat pasta with sauce that has a dollop of cream cheese in it, or Indian takeout. I’m pretty predictable.

What is the first meal you ever cooked?
Fettucine Alfredo, if you can call noodles tossed with a jar of Alfredo sauce and canned corn “Fettucine Alfredo.” What a non-gourmet mess! It’s the first real meal that I distinctly remember cooking on my own, and obviously my taste buds and cooking skills were still developing. My college roommate and I would eat big bowls of the stuff and watch American Idol in our crowded little dorm room. It was classic.

I will never eat:
Balut. My husband and I are headed to the Philippines for the next year, and balut is a Filipino delicacy that I have already sworn not to eat. I am generally up for trying anything, but I just don’t think I can stomach the look, sound, or taste of a boiled fertilized duck embryo that is eaten in the shell.

Is there a food you used to hate, but now love?
Mushrooms. I’m actually thinking of making them for dinner by sauteeing them in butter and garlic, topping them with sharp white cheese, and serving it all on grilled bread. Butter-and-cheese-soaked mushrooms? That I can do.

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you order there?
The India Palace. Over the last 5 years, my husband and I have spent 95 percent of our life savings at this hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Besides the fact that it’s close to where we live, they serve the most amazing creamy, spicy, comforting Indian food. We try to branch out and order new things, but we always order the same dishes: Mango Lassis, Paneer Naan, Chicken Shahi Korma, and Palak Aloo. I’m drooling just thinking about it.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged From the Food Blogs, pinch of yum |

Food Blog of the Week: Things {We} Make

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Name: Claire Sutton
Blog: Things {We} Make

Location: Derbyshire, UK

If you had to blog about one ingredient every day for a year, what food it be?
I think it would be bread, or more specifically yeast. There is so much to learn when it comes to baking. Yeasted dough recipes can be used for any meal, any occasion. I have yet to make sourdough, so that would be a good road to head down if I was to expand my bread baking skills, particularly by creating my own sourdough leaven. When it comes to sweet treats. I would often rather have a sticky cinnamon bun than a slice of cake and a good toothsome pizza dough is hard to beat.

Who would you love to have over for dinner?
I would love to meet the people who built our house. That’s not going to happen, because it’s Edwardian so they would be pretty old by now, but I am fascinated by the history of our home. I would really like to find out how they lived compared to how we live now. They would have had a maid to heat the water and sweep out the fires and help cook the meals (how fabulous!), but now we have central heating, fan ovens, and dishwashers. I have heard stories about the vegetable gardens they had and the white peach tree that was housed in a specially heated greenhouse which was lost long ago. It would be great to chat to them about how their life was lived and to show them how different things are now and to show them the whole world of food that we have at our disposal.

What’s your go-to quick and easy dinner?
It would be my go-to pasta dish, as it uses the things that we always have to hand, including cavalo nero from the garden and pancetta and parmesan that we always have in the fridge.

What is the first meal you ever cooked?
One thing I remember cooking with a friend when my Mum was out once was a huge pavlova that never really quite set. We were trying to use up the eggs from our dozen chickens. We thought it would be pretty if we scattered rose petals all over it to cover up the squashy bits, but in reality it was just like a big soggy omelette. Not my finest hour.

I will never eat:
Never say never, but I would struggle to eat a raw oyster. It may ‘taste like the sea’ but it’s a look, flavour and texture I can live without.

Is there a food you used to hate, but now love?
I adore cooked onions now, but as a kid I used to pick the onions out of EVERYTHING and it drove my Mum mad. Now my son picks them out of everything I cook to drive ME mad!

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged From the Food Blogs, Things We Make | 1 Comment

Food Blog of the Week: Ria’s Collection

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Name: Ria Mathew
Blog: Ria’s Collection

What is the first meal you ever cooked?
The first meal I ever cooked was stir-fried okra with rice, and I was 8 years old at the time.

I will never eat:
Sushi (or any seafood in its raw form) and meat that is not cooked completely.

If you had to blog about one ingredient every day for a year, what would it be?
Without any doubt it would be garlic. I love it!

What’s your favorite restaurant and what do you order there?
My favorite restaurant is Zelo’s in Minneapolis. I love their Calamari Fritti and Pollo Balsamico.

Is there a food you used to hate, but now love?
I used to hate eating an Indian curry-slash-soup called rasam. It’s made with tomatoes and tamarind. But later on, I started liking it, and now I make my own version with tomatoes, tamarind pulp, and lots of crushed fresh garlic, peppercorns, and coriander seeds in it. It’s my comfort food!

What’s your go-to quick and easy dinner?
It would be a potato stir-fry with garlic and crushed red peppers, Tomato Rasam with lots of garlic, lime pickles, and plain white rice.

Who would you love to have over for dinner?
George Clooney!

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged food blogs, From the Food Blogs, Ria's Collection | 2 Comments

Food Blog of the Week: The Queen’s Notebook

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Name: Elizabeth Besa Quirino
Blog: The Queen’s Notebook

What is the first meal you ever cooked?
I learned how to boil rice in a clay pot when I was 9 years old.

If you had to blog about one ingredient every day for a year, what would it be?
Mangoes.

I will never eat:
Insects, snakes, or any exotic creatures.

What’s your favorite restaurant and what do you order there?
Purple Yam Restaurant on Cortelyou Street in Brooklyn, New York. I love to order the Fresh Vegetable Lumpia.

Is there a food you used to hate, but now love?
Yes, the ampalaya, a vegetable also known as “bitter melon.” As a child, I didn’t like it, but now that I’m grown up, I cook it often sauteed in tomatoes and topped with scrambled eggs.

What’s your go-to quick and easy dinner?
An Asian beef and vegetable stir fry paired with steamed jasmine rice.

Who would you love to have over for dinner?
My family!

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged Asian in America, food blogs, From the Food Blogs, The Queen's Notebook | 5 Comments

What We’re Cooking: Summer Fruit Pies

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Rhubarb Pie

I recently learned how to make incredibly flaky, tender pie crust, prompting me to confirm if practice really does make perfect. Armed with a rolling pin, I’ve been turning out crusts made of butter, lard, or shortening to bake a wide variety of pies just in time for summer’s fresh bounty of fruits.

I’m starting with Rhubarb and Bilberry Pie, where a traditional crust encases tart and refreshing rhubarb and small bilberries, a relative of the blueberry. The acidity of rhubarb is softened when stewed with the deep flavor of the tiny bilberries. Next, I’m tackling Lattice-Top Blackberry Pie that’s overflowing with plump berries and their tangy juices. And finally, I’m turning to the fruit I wait for all year: strawberries. Small, local strawberries will shine best in Fresh Strawberry Pie with Whipped Cream. These plump, fragrant berries shine like bright jewels in a crumbling, buttery shortbread cookie crust.

What’s your favorite fruit pie?

Posted in News & Events | Tagged fruit, pie, summer, what we're cooking | 4 Comments

Weekly Roundup: Unconventional Burgers

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Burger with onion rings

This week we’re rounding up our favorite creative takes on classic burgers, from Buffalo chicken to black bean and every taste in between. Fire up the grill (or grill pan) and prepare for a season’s worth of anything but simple sandwiches.

Simply Scratch’s Spicy Chipotle Sliders are addictive, mini-ground chuck burgers slathered in smoky chipotle pepper aioli and spicy pepper jack (pictured above).
Gooey, salty pockets of cheddar and bacon are tucked inside Stuffed Cheddar Bacon Cheeseburgers from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures.
Pizza Burgers from Prevention RD are hit with a triple whammy of flavor: Italian herb seasoning in the patty, a chunky pizza sauce topping, and a thick slice of fresh mozzarella.
Food Figure replaces some of the beef with the nutty flavor of quinoa, and nixes the bacon for a thin slice of salty, porky prosciutto in Mushroom and Prosciutto Quinoa Burgers.
Buffalo Chicken Burgers from Sea Salt With Food are topped with peppery hot sauce and cool, crunchy cabbage slaw.
Simply Fresh Cooking offers juicy Thai Turkey Burgers with Cucumber Pepper Relish and Spicy Mayo that will challenge your misgivings about the healthy alternatives.
Earthy and substantial Black Bean Burgers from Cook Like a Champion make the perfect meatless main.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged burgers, summer, weekly roundup | 1 Comment

Image of the Week: Doughnuts and Fresh Passion Fruit Juice

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Passionfruit juice and doughnuts

Pure Vegetarian takes fried dough to all new heights with Doughnuts and Fresh Passion Fruit Juice. The bite-sized fritters are made with sweetened condensed milk and flavored with cardamom, vanilla sugar, and fragrant orange zest. Dunk them in vibrant orange passion fruit juice for a tropical twist, and coffee will be jealous of this perfect pair.

Posted in Image of the Week | Tagged doughnuts, image of the week, juice, passion fruit | 2 Comments

What We’re Cooking: Grilled Vegetables

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Grilling isn’t just for meat-lovers. Although burgers and steaks are best when kissed by the flames, who says veggies don’t deserve the same smoky treatment? I often surprise my guests by turning to the coals for every veggie from sweet potatoes to artichokes, tomatoes to scallions.

This holiday weekend I’m turning to Grilled Baby Artichokes with Caper-Mint Sauce, in which hot-off-the-grill artichokes are tossed in a fresh mint and briny caper vinaigrette. Next I’m opting for a sweeter side with Grilled Watermelon and Tomato Salad, in which charred watermelon is served in a yogurt dressing with heirloom tomatoes, crisp watercress, and fresh basil. And for a substantial side dish with a Mexican flare, I opting for Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette—a simple recipe with distinguished, fire-grilled flavor.

What vegetables do you like to grill?

Posted in News & Events | Tagged artichokes, grilling, summer, vegetables | 1 Comment

Weekly Roundup: Perfect Pizzas

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Spring Pizza

Pizza is the perfect medium for showcasing spring’s freshest flavors in the form of sauces, spreads, and toppings. There truly is no limit to the number of ways you can top your pie, but here are a few fun places to start.

Zen Can Cook’s Spring Pizza is topped with asparagus tips, fava beans, fresh peas, vibrant pesto puree, quail eggs, and thin slices of salty Coppa (pictured above).
Kale, Red Onion, and Pistachio Pizza from A Couple Cooks gets a crunchy bite from pistachios that pair well with the hearty green.
Combine two classics into one dish with Carnitas Pizza from Running to the Kitchen that stacks Mexican pulled-pork on a crust topped with tomatillo salsa and mozzarella.
Pizza crust is filled with savory meat ragu before being shaped into dumplings for Meat Ragu Pizza Bites from Sea Salt with Food.
Indian Pizza from Steph’s Bite by Bite uses lavash as the base for a thin, crisp crust topped with grilled chicken, balsamic-glazed caramelized onions, and sweet mango.
For the coming summer months, replace the clam chowder with this lighter Clam Pizza from What You Give Away You Keep.
The thin cracker base in Roasted Radish and Ricotta Pizza from Naturally Ella highlights flavorful ingredients better than a big, doughy crust.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged pizza, Spring, weekly roundup |

Image of the Week: Chocolate Macarons with Nutella Mousse

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Nutella Macarons

It’s hard to beat the wafting aromas of chocolatey cookies straight from the oven, and 52 Kitchen Adventures kicks the cocoa up a notch with Chocolate Macarons with Nutella Mousse. Delicate chocolate wafers are the perfect pairing of sweet taste and chewy, crisp texture. The only way to make them even better is by sandwiching them together with fluffy Nutella mousse.

Posted in Image of the Week | Tagged chocolate, image of the week, macarons, nutella |

Food Blog of the Week: Cooking with Books

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Name: Marnely Rodriguez
Blog: Cooking with Books

Location: Edgartown, Massachusetts

What is the first meal you ever cooked?
I don’t recall a first meal exactly, but I do recall my first cake. And who can say that cake isn’t a meal all on its own? It was a simple chocolate cake and I remember my mom making the Italian meringue for me to use to cover the cake, so you can imagine the sticky mess!

If you had to blog about one ingredient every day for a year, what would it be?
It would definitely be rice in all its varieties and with a world of possibilities for add-ins, as well as liquids to cook it in. But I’d never make rice pudding, which brings me to the next question…

I will never eat:
Neither rice pudding nor Okra. Ever.

What’s your favorite restaurant and what do you order there?
Since I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, I’d have to say Adrian’s Tropical. Set on the waterfront, this place has the best mofongo (garlic mashed green plantains with pork rinds) and it’s a tradition to eat sancocho, a rich and hearty seven-meat stew, on New Year’s Day morning after the celebrations have ended.

Is there a food you used to hate, but now love?
Berenjena, which is Spanish for “eggplant.” It was always presented to me steamed, which made it a brown, mucky color and odd, soft texture. Now, I’m in love with it! One of my favorite casseroles is composed of layers of roasted eggplant, fried sweet plantains, cheese, and marinara sauce.

What’s your go-to quick and easy dinner?
Orzo. Its shape is comforting already, and quickly tossed with any leftover meats (grilled chicken, ground beef from burgers, etc.) and vegetables available. Topped with butter, it’s such a quick dinner.

Who would you love to have over for dinner?
Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs. I fell in love with Amanda’s writing before entering culinary school through her book, Cooking for Mr. Latte. Not having Merrill at that dinner would be like having food52, without the 52!

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged Cooking with Books, food blogs, From the Food Blogs |

What We’re Cooking: Mother’s Day Breakfast in Bed

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Yogurt Sundae

When I was a child, every Mother’s Day I would wake up before dawn and whip up a “surprise” breakfast in bed for my mom. This proved challenging since I had to make breakfast in such a hurry before she was lured awake by tantalizing smells from the kitchen. I remember several years where I had to order Mom back to bed just so I could bring up her a perfectly set tray. At first the tray only featured a bowl of cereal, but then I quickly moved onward and upward to eggs, toast, and pancakes.

This year when my mom visits, I’m making a special brunch in her honor. I’m starting with her favorite: waffles. I’m choosing to make Cardamom Sour-Cream Waffles topped with generous spoonfuls of lingonberry preserves and dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Then I’m turning to something savory and substantial with Kemp’s Eggs on Toast with Dandelion Greens, which is the perfect rendition of the classic eggs on toast I used to make for Mom. I’m finishing Mother’s Day brunch with a “dessert” of Cherry-Apricot Yogurt Sundaes, in which cool, creamy Greek yogurt is topped with a fragrant cherry and apricot syrup.

What’s your favorite Mother’s Day breakfast?

Posted in News & Events | Tagged eggs, Mothers' day brunch, waffles, what we're cooking |

Weekly Roundup: Strawberry Sensations

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

With summer just around the corner, baskets full of fresh strawberries have begun popping up at farmers’ markets and fruit stands on the East Coast. Get started on a season’s worth of sweet and savory recipes starring this bright red berry.

It doesn’t get more decadent than Strawberry Shortcake from The Candid Appetite, in which layers of sponge cake doused in boozy syrup are held together with whipped cream and fresh strawberries (pictured above).
Strawberries meet a new companion in this adventurous Avocado, Strawberry, and Goat Cheese Sandwich from Edible Perspective.
In Sips and Spoonfuls Strawberry and Pistachio Cake, fragrant strawberries are nestled in a bed of nutty, tender cake.
The classic Strawberry Spinach Salad makes a comeback in Stick A Fork In It’s version tossed with a poppy seed vinaigrette.
Chasing Delicious gives the scrumptious strawberry-rhubarb duo a crown of Italian meringue in Strawberry Rhubarb Meringue Pie.
Strawberries lend a hint of sweetness to smoky Strawberry Barbecue Sauce from Feral Kitchen.
Oh My Veggies creates Strawberry Mimosa Cupcakes with ingredients from our favorite extravagant pair: fresh strawberries and a bit of bubbly.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged strawberries, Strawberry Shortcake, summer fruits, weekly roundup |

Food Blog of the Week: A Thought For Food

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Name: Brian Samuels
Blog: A Thought For Food

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

What is the first meal you ever cooked?
This is a hard question to answer because I used to help my mom out all the time when I was a kid. She’d let me put everything together once it had been chopped and cooked. One memory I hold close to my heart is when my parents decided that it would be fun to make homemade shrimp shumai. I got to peel and clean the shrimp, mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, and then we all gathered around the table and folded the filling up into the wrappers. I think that’s the moment I fell in love with cooking.

If you had to blog about one ingredient every day for a year, what would it be?
Fresh herbs. If it had to be one, though, I think it’d be cilantro. People seem to have a love/hate relationship with cilantro and I don’t have strong feelings towards it, but I think it’s an incredibly versatile herb and I’d like to explore that.

What’s your favorite restaurant and what do you order there?
The restaurant I’ve been to the most (and is consistently excellent) is Bistro Jeanty in Yountville, California. I always get their tomato soup and I adore their buttery, garlicky escargot.

Is there a food you used to hate, but now love?
Mushrooms. I think it’s because my sister used to love them and I decided that I didn’t like them because of that. Now, I’m obsessed.

What’s your go-to quick and easy dinner?
Pasta with pesto is so simple and really delicious. I’ve started making shakshuka (baked eggs in tomato sauce) recently and that’s pretty easy and very satisfying.

Posted in From the Food Blogs | Tagged A Thought For Food, food blogs, From the Food Blogs |

Image of the Week: Double Blueberry Cake

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Double Blueberry Cake

Some foods are just simply comforting. Take, for example, Buttered Up’s Double Blueberry Cake bursting with lush, textured blueberries and topped with a deep violet blueberry sauce that turns to a soft magenta at the edges. This cake, baked in a loaf pan, is more like a sweet, dense quick-bread, while the drizzle of sauce has the concentrated blueberry flavor of pie filling. It’s enough to evoke nostalgia for Grandmother’s old cookbooks or rainy days in spring that will give way to luscious fruits.

Posted in Image of the Week | Tagged blueberry, Cake, image of the week, summer fruit |

What We’re Cooking: Doughnuts

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Bomboloni

Every morning I have to fight the urge to stop at the nearest bakery for a glazed, jelly-filled, or chocolate-frosted doughnut. But when I do give in and indulge, I prefer making them myself, because what’s not to love about fried dough served piping hot? I don’t discriminate when it comes to the type of doughnut I turn to, and that includes doughnut’s Italian relative, bomboloni, which are soft pillows of fried yeast-based dough resembling doughnut holes.

For a crowd-friendly version, I’m turning to Bomboloni with Chocolate Espresso, Whisky Caramel, and Clementine Sauces, which gives guests ample dipping options. Next up are Boozy Eggplant Jelly Bomboloni, which I know will be an excellent companion to my morning coffee. The fig-like subtle sweetness of eggplant jelly cooked with a touch of Armagnac makes these sugar-dusted treats explode with flavor.

I’m finishing dabbling in DIY doughnuts with Savory Duck Fat Doughnuts, in which duck fat subs for butter. The filling is comprised of shredded duck confit and a dollop of sour cherry compote. Need I say more?

What’s your favorite doughnut recipe?

Posted in News & Events | Tagged bomboloni, doughnuts, Italian, what we're cooking |

Image of the Week: Sticky Toffee Pudding

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

Sticky Toffee Pudding is one dessert that must be served steaming hot, otherwise you’re missing the full potential of what this British classic has to offer. The delicate, cake-like pudding is traditionally steamed and then glazed with a deep, caramel-colored toffee sauce. My Cooking Hut uses large Medjool dates with lots of soft, tender “meat” providing moisture and subtle prune-like sweetness. Top it off with warm custard or a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

Posted in Image of the Week | Tagged British, dessert, image of the week, sticky toffee pudding | 2 Comments

What We’re Cooking: French Cuisine

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Kelsey Vala

My quick jaunt to Paris a couple weeks ago left me longing for crusty, tender baguettes and buttery cheeses. In an attempt to recapture the romantic flavors of France, I decided to dedicate a meal to my voluptuous appetite.

I’m starting with French Onion Bites, an hors d’oeuvre of rich, caramelized onions on baguette slices that are topped with Gruyere and broiled until melted and bubbly. It’s then time to awaken my inner Julia Child by preparing a main course of Beef Cheeks Braised in Red Wine with Orange Zest. Red wine adds deep complexity while orange zest brings out bright, citrusy notes in this tender braise.

I finish my culinary Tour de France with Pistachio-Cardamom Macarons sandwiched together with apricot jam. The Persian-inspired flavors are a modern twist on these traditional delicate sweets.

What’s your favorite French dish?

Posted in News & Events | Tagged france, French, macarons, what we're cooking | 1 Comment