Cheese

This savory Tomato Mustard Tart is a classic Summer recipe that French home cooks love to make every year when tomatoes are in season. It features a buttery puff pastry, with in-season ripe tomatoes, a sprinkle of grated cheese and a heavy smear of Dijon Mustard at the bottom. There are a number of variations to this classic Summer dish, including some with ham, anchovies, olives, etc… But if you ask me, this basic one is simply wonderful as is.

Who doesn’t love a creamy, melty and comforting mac n’ cheese? But have you ever had a French-Style Mac n’ Cheese before? If not, you’re in for a treat!  The foundation of this creamy casserole is a velvety white Béchamel sauce spiked with nutmeg to which we add a hefty amount of crème fraiche for richness and tang, and then Gruyère cheese for sweet, nutty flavors and great cheesy strings. This is a luscious and comforting recipe that’s a staple of French Mountain cooking. 

The kick-off to patio season has to be celebrated with a great appetizer, right? Which is why today’s recipe is perfectly suited. This Ham, Olive and Cheese Bread is very popular in France, and a French aperitif favorite. Known in French as a “cake salé” (savory cake), you’ll often find this type of rustic bread/loaf served at friendly get-togethers or for pre-meal snacks and drinks in France. They come in all variations and are traditionally cut in thin slices or cubes for guests to pick at, while mingling before dinner. …

Leftover Croissants…? Yes, this could happen! In fact, it has been happening to me a lot lately, as I’ve working on developing three different versions (1-day, 2-day and 3-day) of my Classic French Croissant recipes. So I have been left with dozens of croissants on the counter, and even though I am very much fond of them, going through 36 in a day became a bit too much. And you’ll probably agree that days-old croissants simply do not have the same oomph as freshly baked ones. So I have been …

Behold this winter-perfect dish: A scrumptious Beer and Cheddar Welsh, just like they make in Northern French brasseries. Now, you might have already heard of the Welsh Rarebit – a typical specialty from Wales – that is a combination of toasted bread and melted cheese. But did you know that this is insanely popular in the north of France too? This popular French dish hails from the Hauts-de-France, where they simply call it “Le Welsh”, and it is just a bit different than the actual Welsh version (and a bit more …