The Miracle of Mirepoix

Posted by    |  June 1, 2010  |  Filed under: Home, Ingredients, Technique

I’m gonna teach you about something so elementary that it will seem almost silly.  Being in possession of this grand culinary secret will make you feel like a gourmet insider.  It may be what some of you need to leap from recipe slaves to recipe architects. Read more



Classic French Chicken Stock

Posted by    |  January 27, 2010  |  Filed under: Recipes, Technique

DSC_0185The odds are high that people will make fun of you for making your own chicken stock.  “Don’t you know you can buy that at the store?” “ You really don’t have anything better to do?”  And so on.  Be confident. You’ll have the last laugh. Read more



Pan-Roasted Grouper with Provençal Vegetables

Posted by    |  January 27, 2010  |  Filed under: Home, Recipes

Adapted from The Best of Cooking Light

This is my favorite kind of recipe.  Elegant enough for a dinner party but simple enough for a weekday without skimping on nicely developed flavor.  It works equally with grouper, cod or halibut.  Snapper or salmon could be nice too. Read more



Boeuf Bourguignon

Posted by    |  January 27, 2010  |  Filed under: Recipes

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, March 2001

This is the classic French stew.  So amazing and complex.   I actually just served this for a dinner party of 17.  It was perfect because I was able to do it a day ahead. Read more



Rustic French Meatloaf

Posted by    |  January 27, 2010  |  Filed under: Recipes

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Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, April 2009

When I first made this meatloaf and caught my family’s reaction, I knew this would likely be the kind of dish the kids would ask me to make when they come home from college for the weekend.  I’m not a big meatloaf lover but we all went crazy for it.   Read more



Spaetzle

Posted by    |  January 27, 2010  |  Filed under: Recipes

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Adapted from The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 40th Anniversary Edition

Spaetzle [shpet-sluh, -suhl] are wonderful, light, tiny dumplings that just love anything made with a gravy or sauce.  They couldn’t be easier to make (buying a boxed version of these is unthinkable).  Think about substituting spaetzle for noodles in a chicken or beef soup. Read more



Steak au Poivre

Posted by    |  January 27, 2010  |  Filed under: Recipes

I spent a few years looking for a great recipe for Steak au Poivre.  It is my husband’s very favorite dish, and is sort of the quintessential man-food.  This dish is great as special weeknight fare because it is so easy, but is also sophisticated enough for a dinner party for up to eight (You can only cook 2 steaks at a time in a pan, so it would be very hard to scale beyond eight and still enjoy your guests). Read more