Audrey

The Sugar Pie from Hauts-de-France is an iconic dessert that can be found in any Northern brasserie and bakery. The authentic recipes call for the use of real vergeoise (beet brown sugar), though regular brown sugar will work well too. The Great Lille Braderie is just a few days away! This centuries-old street market is the largest one in Europe, and a time of festivities for locals and visitors. Over 2 days, the city center fills with thousands of vendors and millions of curious gawkers hoping to find antique gems …

This Tomato Trio and Dijon Mustard Tart is effortlessly delicious, and a true ode to fresh, juicy, sun-ripe tomatoes. A favorite late-summer French classic! As I was saying on my last Instagram post, this Tomato Trio and Dijon Mustard Tart was one the first savory dishes I ever learned to make, as a child in France (and I am sure this is the case for a lot of French kids). Since then, it remained as one of my favorite summer tarts to create. When late summer peaks and tomatoes are …

A delicate texture, a buttery-nutty flavour and a signature bumped top make the French Butter Madeleines an essential of French Baking.  Once in a while, going back to basics is essential. Especially in baking. Some people’s basics will be chocolate chip cookies, some others’ will be bran muffins or brownies. For me, it’s crepes and French butter madeleines. The warm nutty smell of butter wrapping up the whole kitchen while baking madeleines always brings me back to my French childhood. And every bite taken into these small cushiony cakes always …

The first-time Ruth came across French fabric was during one of her first trips to Paris. Young Ruth was strolling in the quaint streets of Montmartre, occupied at that time by tiny fabric stores and sewing workshops. She laid her eyes on the beautiful draperies and couldn’t resist buying a few. Back home, she had her mother sew the hems. Her life-long love affair with French jacquards and market cottons was born. merican-born Ruth Aspinall and her Canadian husband moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, in the early 90s in search of …

This Mirabelle Plum Tart from the Lorraine Region is a typical late-summer treat from the area. If you can’t get your hands on mirabelles, try it with ripe golden plums.  With 10,000 hectares of orchards, the Lorraine region fruitages  nearly 40 thousand tons of Mirabelle plums each year  – representing 70% of the worldwide production. No surprise then that this sweet delicious fruit is the official symbol of the region. Two main varieties exist: the mirabelle from Metz (smaller, golden with red spots) and the mirabelle from Nancy (plumper with …

This rustic-looking Cherry cake has an incredibly light and airy texture – much like an angel food cake- with cherry jewels inside. It simply lets the plump stone-fruits shine, and is the perfect ending to a summer dinner. Originating from the Alsace Region of France, I like to think of this light Cherry Cake from the Vosges Montains as the summer (and lighter!) version of the famous Black Forest Cake. And it makes sense, when you know that the uplifts of The Vosges Montains – stretching along the German border …

The Pepper Steak with Brandy Sauce is a classic of Bistro-style French Cuisine. A thick and juicy steak, adorned by a creamy and fragrant peppercorn sauce, with subtle notes of cognac… It must be enjoyed with a side of French fries, of course! Bastille Day is just around the corner (it’s July 14)! And what better time than the French National Day to cook the iconic Pepper Steak with Brandy Sauce, with a side of French fries? Or as the French would say, the “Steak Frites”. “Un Steak Frites, s’il …

With a crunchy outside and a creamy inside, these canned sardine croquettes are my new summer craving. I serve them with a lemony yogurt dip, for a perfect mix of salty, tangy and smooth flavours. Canned sardines are an institution in Brittany, France. The sardine fishing and canning is, and has always been, a flagship industry of towns along the Atlantic coast, where most canneries remain today.  Most sardines are “preparées a l’ancienne” – which means made the old-fashion way. The sardines are first fried, then dried and finally canned, …

The love of the French for “tatins” no longer needs to be proven.  These classic French upside-down cakes or pies are traditionally made with apples, but you can embrace the season by using other fruits: peach, blueberry or pineapple, or vegetables: endives, carrots or tomatoes. This simple Rhubarb Tatin Cake embraces the late-spring/early summer season and offers a great way to showcase this perennial vegetable (yes, rhubarb is a vegetable!). The cake is simple and light, with small hints of vanilla and lemon, subtle enough to let the rhubarb shine …

The entire week, I was craving a slice of delicious strawberry galette. Not a pie, not a tart, just a rustic galette. A simple buttery crust, filled with the first strawberries of the season. Simple, honest and oh so delicious. As a lover of all rustic dishes and of yesteryear, I have always loved galettes. I love that they don’t need to be fancy, they don’t really need to look pretty… and they let the fruits shine in all their glory. They are also very easy, and to me, always …