Recipes

White wine in a biscuit? Oh, oui! These rustic-looking White Wine Almond Canistrelli biscuits are a local specialty hailing from L’Île de Beauté: the sun-kissed Island of Corsica. Naturally vegan, delicately crunchy and best eaten after being dunked in coffee (or wine!).

In France, Easter classically calls for the “Gigot d’Agneau” (leg of lamb), accompanied by roasted potatoes and an assortment of seasonal vegetables (such as a Jardinière de légumes, Vichy Carrots or Haricots Verts). But lesser known (even to most French people) is the traditional Easter Beef, a regional speciality served in the southern Massif Central of France.

With the arrival of an early Spring, I’m getting excited about asparagus! And for me, freshly crisp asparagus calls for a Sauce Gribiche. A great classic of French Cuisine, the Gribiche is a flavorsome mayonnaise-style sauce packed with capers, cornichons and fresh herbs. And while still today an utter classic, it is one of those concoctions that’s still hard to put a label on … Is it a sauce? A mayonnaise? A dip? A condiment? A relish? I like to think it can be any of them! (I mean, is …

We’re one week away from Easter weekend and I know a lot of us are getting excited about brunch! In France, Easter brunch habitually involves a freshly-baked brioche on the table, like a buttery Fallue in Normandie or the anise-flavoured Caccavellu in Corsica. But this year, I wanted to bring back a yesteryear recipe known in French as a “Pascade”. This wonderful French-style Dutch Baby Pancake (which in France falls under the “crepes” category) is generously puffy and versatile, and ideal as a last-minute brunch idea.

Although French baking is kind of my playground, I enjoy taking on a challenge once in a while. And this week, I decided it was time for me to tackle the infamous Chez Panisse Almond Caramel Tart.

Slightly tart, with a crisp crust and an intensely-flavoured filling, a lemon pie is one of the French’s most favourite desserts. Any bakery in France will have a “Tarte au Citron” to offer (with or without a meringue topping – although it seems French cooks tend to stay away from the fluffy-sugary topping lately).

Known in French as “Crêpes Vonnassiennes” or “Crêpes Parmentières”, these fluffy little Potato Pancakes are actually properly known as “Crêpes” and are a delicious specialty hailing from Vonnas, in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region of France. 

With Valentine’s Day coming up (actually, tomorrow), I am jumping on the occasion to share with you my new baking love – this Buttermilk Chocolate Fondant Cake! True to a Classic French Chocolate Fondant, this one is indulgent and intensely chocolatey. But the addition of tangy buttermilk cuts through the richness and makes it just a little bit more tender and moist. I have baked a lot of French Chocolate Fondant cakes in my life (some melty, some gooey, some firm), and this one has to be one of my …

Who knew that dark chocolate and honey mustard were a match made in heaven? The addition of honey mustard to this dark chocolate tart (in both the crust and the filling) brings out the sweetness of it all, in a very surprising, but elegant way. Best of all, it’s truly addictive!

If you ask anyone who went to elementary school in France during the 90s (like myself) what a “crème caramel” makes them think of,  99% of the time they will respond, a “Flanby”. Flanby is a very popular brand of Crème caramel sold in French supermarkets. They come in multipacks of little fluted plastic pots, and are a dessert staple in French “cantines” (school canteens).  As a kid, I remember being served « flanby » pots for dessert at school, at least twice a week. And all the kids loved it! We …