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champagne apéritif with rose syrup and lychee purée

February 11th, 2012

 

Champagne Aperitif

Valentine’s Day champagne apéritif with rose syrup and lychee purée

makes 5 apéritifs

what you need:

1 bottle very cold champagne (or prosecco)
1 ¼ cup lychee purée  (from fresh or canned lychees)
1 tablespoon rose syrup
granulated sugar (as needed if using fresh lychees)
rose petals (as needed for garnish)

how to:

  • Purée. Peel lychees. Dice flesh and remove pits. Place in a blender or food processor with the rose syrup. Purée until smooth. Taste. Add a little sugar to sweeten if necessary.
  • Add Champagne.  Pour 2 ounces of the purée into each champagne flute or wine glass. Add 3 ounces of prosecco in each glass.  Mix gently.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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roasted golden beets and watermelon radishes with blood orange segments

January 5th, 2012

roasted golden beets and watermelon radishes with blood orange segments

 roasted golden beets and watermelon radishes with blood orange segments

stats:

serves 4-6
(approx 69- 106 calories per serving)

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look what the wind blew in: souffléd herb and chèvre omelette

December 1st, 2011

look what the wind blew in: souffléd herb and chèvre omelette 
(a great way to lighten up post-Thanksgiving)

This week I bought my youngest daughter Les œufs verts au jambon (Dr. Seuss’s classic Green Eggs and Ham, in French). As we read it, I could hear the wind howling outside and I thought of a friend’s comment about feeling like an anchor after the consumption of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and gravy.  So what does a chef think of while reading green eggs and ham, listening to the wind, and obsessing on “lighter”, leaner foods? Whisked egg whites with a little green and the inspiration for this week’s simple pleasure:  souffléd herb and chèvre omelette.

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pumpkin spice madeleines

November 23rd, 2011

Pumpkin Spice Madeleine

“I don’t just like it . . I love it !”
pumpkin spice madeleines

It is Thanksgiving. You are in the kitchen trying to get the meal ready and the kids, big ones and the little ones, are hungry. When is dinner? Sometimes it is nice to have a little snack on hand to keep hungry tummies at bay (and busy hands out of the kitchen) while you finish preparing the meal. Here it is and it could not be more simple or satisfying: pumpkin spice madeleines. Read the rest of this entry »

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duck, duck, tart: duck and kale savory tartlet with black chanterelles, fresh sage and thyme

November 11th, 2011

Duck Tart

duck, duck, tart: 
duck and kale savory tartlet with black chanterelles, fresh sage and thyme 

“Duck, duck, goose…” On a recent return from France I sat next to a man from Toulouse and our conversation began by discussing ducks and geese, although in the culinary-sense, not related to the childhood game. It was an natural topic of conversation because Toulouse is well-known for its ducks and geese and boasts regional specialities such as foie gras, cassoulet, and garbure. The temperature has finally caught up with the calendar and everyone is craving comfort food. My transatlantic conversation (and the fact that it is duck season) inspired this week’s simple pleasure: duck and kale savory tartlets with black chanterelles, fresh sage, and thyme. Comfort food, redefined. Read the rest of this entry »

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pommes sur canapé : Mont d’Or fondu avec pommes de terre (Mont d’Or fondue with fingerling potatoes)

November 3rd, 2011

Cheese and Potatoes

pommes sur canapé :
Mont d’Or fondu avec pommes de terre
(Mont d’Or fondue with fingerling potatoes)

I like to play with words almost as much as I like to play with food. “Pommes sur canape” is my own jeu de mots (play on words). In French, pommes (or pommes de terre) means potato while canapé is French for both a couch and an appetizer. Accordingly, “pommes sur canapé” means both “couch potato” and “potato appetizer.” I thought of this silliness as I placed my annual order for the seasonal treasure Mont d’Or and it is the combination of the two that brings us this week’s simple pleasure: Mont d’Or fondu avec pommes de terre (Mont d’Or fondue with fingerling potatoes). Read the rest of this entry »

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Catacombs in Paris (Halloween special 2013)

October 31st, 2011

catacomb chef morgan

Halloween 2013
<< Catacombs>>

For those of you who have ever been curious about the Catacombs in Paris, this Halloween post may satisfy that curiosity until you get there in person. I want to warn you that the following photographs are graphic and for mature audiences only. Do not look for a recipe at the end of this post because that in my opinion would be in poor taste in more ways than one (and you have already made your Halloween preparations). When Halloween is over, this post will be removed from the home page and “buried” in the France section of this blog. Recipes and French travel sites, above ground, to resume comme d’habitude (as usual) thereafter.

For this Halloween day, let’s venture out of the kitchen. Venez avec moi (come with me) to the Catacombs in Paris (which, by the way, is now considered a museum).

Happy Halloween (and “bone” appétit) !

LM

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hee hee hee…straight from the witch’s cauldron: roasted date mummy fingers & harvest tajine with a haricots verts broomstick

October 27th, 2011

Mummy Fingers Kids Desserts

hee hee hee…straight from the witch’s cauldron: 
roasted date mummy fingers  & harvest tajine with a haricots verts broomstick

The belated chill in the air makes us crave fall flavors and cold-weather cooking. This week we combine the comfort of oven-prepared food with Halloween fun. Tajine, a cooking vessel shaped like a witch’s hat (as well as a popular Moroccan stew) was the inspiration for this week and it is the blending of a witch theme with Tajine-inspired flavors that give us this week’s simple pleasure(s): roasted date mummy fingers and a harvest tajine with a haricots verts broomstick. Read the rest of this entry »

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œufs fantômes à la macédoine de légumes (deviled ghost eggs with vegetables)

October 21st, 2011

Deviled eggs with Devil Eyes RIP sign

œufs fantômes à la macédoine de légumes
(deviled ghost eggs with vegetables) Read the rest of this entry »

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“seasonal” depends upon your dirt: two light recipes for fall using the seasonal ingredients in your market

October 14th, 2011

Roasted Stuffed Figs

 “seasonal” depends upon your dirt:
two light recipes for fall using the
seasonal ingredients in your market

Fall is a time to enjoy the warm flavors it offers. However, what do you do when you want to eat seasonally, but the season is uncharacteristically hot? What do you do if the season is short and you cannot find the ingredients? Inspired by ways to create light dishes with a variety of fall flavors, this week’s simple pleasure is twofold: (1) roasted  figs stuffed with a St Agur and basalmic vinegar reduction, garnished with French honey and served on a roasted pear slice; and (2) persimmon, endive, apple, and beet salad with creamy (creamless) dressing. Read the rest of this entry »

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