Foie Gras au Gros Sel

My boyfriend and I are currently spending our second Christmas together at his family’s seaside home on the western coast of France. (I know, I have a really terrible life). We have only been here one day, but already I find myself one luscious recipe richer. Tonight we leave for his grandmother’s house, where I am hoping even more recipes await. Oh, they joys of Christmas!

While it might be shameful to admit, before last night, I never considered that one could prepare foie gras at home. I thought surely it was one of those things rendered by magical elves with fantastic meat-related powers. Surely it required chicken wire and microscopes and a secret family formula jealously guarded over five centuries. Read more »

Pear and Cranberry Cake

This is a family recipe, no denying it. It was my Aunt Martha’s creation, but quickly became a holiday staple in my house as well. I distinctly remember eating this cake as part of our Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, and then again the next morning for breakfast; a huge treat for my sisters and I. Now I make it too (although the pears are a recent addition), because it is mixed and in the oven in under fifteen minutes, and because it makes my kitchen smell divine. The flecks of mild, sweet pear and bites of sour cranberry are little gems, lending this moist, citrus-spiked cake a distinctive holiday look and taste. Read more »

Sautéed Kale, Roasted Sweet Potato and Poached Egg Holiday Toast

I entered this recipe in a “your best holiday greens recipe” contest on Food52.com, and had the following to say:

When considering holiday recipes, I try to embrace versatility. After all, holiday dining is not confined to one meal period. Equally important is the time in between the ceremonial, family luncheon—breakfast and lunch the next day, the four o’clock snack. Since the holidays almost always involve feeding more mouths than usual, I think it is essential to assess mileage as well as flavor. This toast is colorful and hearty in its own right, but it also serves the handy function of putting leftovers to good use, particularly if you make the sautéed kale and roasted sweet potatoes as side dishes for a big holiday meal. This way, you get three dishes for the price of one!

Since it is currently the end of August though, I will say a few more words to convince you that you need not wait until December to try this recipe. To me, this is kind of the ultimate autumn, brunch/late night comfort food. (Poached eggs and cheese…. need I say more?) It’s a bit more filling than what I typically crave in the summer, and I the colors also recall fall. The use of ginger and nutmeg help to place this dish firmly in the winter-is-coming category too, I think. Read more »

Peach and Rosemary Crumble Tarte Tatin

It’s no secret that there are a plethora of peach recipes out there in the world. So when I started contemplating the fate of a carton of peaches I couldn’t resist buying, I decided to pull from both the sweet and savory ends of the spectrum, in the hope I would land on something delicious I hadn’t quite seen before. Ultimately, my inspiration arose dually from a tangy peach sauce I made for pork chops one night (fresh peaches, rosemary, shallots and a little vinegar to cut the syrupiness) and tarte tatin (apples caramelized in plenty of butter and sugar). For my tart, I used still-firm peaches in place of apples, but also added pear brandy (for an earthy kick) and rosemary and spices (for a hint of aromatics). The crust and crumble are adaptations of a graham cracker crust, but I like to use English digestives instead, as they are much easier to break down, and also buttery and salty in their own right. Read more »

Molloni Carbonara with Pan-Roasted Sun Gold Tomatoes, Peas and Ham

Like everyone else, it seems, I am slightly obsessed with summer tomatoes. And while I sampled a fair few this summer, one variety emerged the clear winner. Sun Gold. Oh, Sun Gold. Even the name evokes summer. They are perfect for the season in every way—sweet, bite-sized and lustrously colored. They require no alterations, to be sure, but I found that pan roasting them with a little olive oil and maple syrup unveils a deeper flavor. It also creates a rich and honeyed tomato jus—fantastic on top of the carbonara sauce. I’m a fan of this carbonara recipe because while it satisfies a craving for creaminess, it is not overly heavy. The Molloni’s large spirals capably capture the sunny, runny sauce. (If you can’t find Molloni, I like orecchietti, too). Finally, peas and barely-warm ham impart added freshness. Read more »

Spice Rack, Yogurt-Marinated Chicken

I am not going to lie to you—my grilling skills are fairly nonexistent. Blame it on a lack of experience. Still, I harbor dreams of summers spent throwing everything on the grill, from peaches to pork chops, sardines to salad greens. Because let’s face it—grilling is cool. It requires knowledge of fire, how to build it and how to control it. A man (or woman) wielding tongs, intuitively determining when that rainbow trout is perfectly done—crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside—is impressive.

Fortunately for me, I have a few friends who know what they’re doing, and during a recent catch-up weekend my grilling fantasies were entertained at nearly every meal. For two days, my responsibilities were limited to languorous stretches in the pool, lengthy al fresco repasts and short trots to the fridge for another cold one. Not bad at all.

I also managed to come away with a new recipe, thanks to my friend Sonia and her excellent yogurt marinade. The dish is awesome, not just because it is delectable, and smells great, and is almost endlessly adaptable; but because it is totally forgiving for the novice grill master among us. The yogurt forms a moist seal around the chicken, and prevents it from drying out. I asked her for the recipe, and she amply provided: Read more »

Individual Blueberry Vanilla-Maple Pies

While strawberries have sadly disappeared from most farmers’ markets, thankfully I can assuage my sadness with the arrival of blueberries. Oh, blueberries. The only trouble comes when my enthusiasm outpaces my ability to consume them. Lucky for me, I had some extra pastry dough lying around the fridge. Throw a little maple syrup infused with vanilla bean into the mix, and I was in business. You can make these little tartes the morning, or even the night, before you plan to serve them. I topped mine with unsweetened Greek yogurt, but whipped cream or chocolate ice would work well too. Read more »

Black Bean, Avocado and Pineapple Salsa

What is one to do when a fragrant pineapple and a tender avocado present themselves? Salsa seemed like a good option to me. I am a fan of this recipe for various reasons—first, I think it tastes pretty great. It is also breezy to pull together, helpful in the summer when there are far more pleasant occupations than loitering in a hot kitchen. It is also full of protein, fiber and antioxidants. So far, I have served it with halibut, swordfish and tuna, but I suspect chicken and pork would also marry happily. It tastes better after the ingredients have spent some time together, so feel free to bring it along to a BBQ, a picnic or camping. Read more »