Sautéed Escarole with Capers and Crispy Garlic
September is strange in Cancale this year. Instead of the glorious post-season weather I've grown to love more than summer, it has been chilly, blustery, wet—more like Novemb [...]
Spiced Puff Pastry Twists
Since Cancale is the hometown of chef and master spice blender Olivier Roellinger, I end up with quite a few of his spice mixes blends in my cupboard at any given time. Some [...]
Real Brownies
Back in the dark ages before internet shopping gave expats access to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Nestlé Chocolate Chips and (name your favorite brand) Brownie Mixes, a rich, [...]
Homemade Fruit Jam
I have a little problem with large quantities of fruit for sale. I see them, and I must have them—for jam, natch. Nevermind that a 5-pound flat of strawberries will make thre [...]
Zucchini Ribbon Salad
For the past four summers, I’ve been doing cooking demonstrations at a local farmers’ market. The conditions are lovely—extraordinarily good produce, cheese, meats, and cider [...]
Wild Plum Compote
I have been wracking my brain for a way to make ‘compote’ sound sexy. Exciting. Like something you want to jump out of your chair and make immediately. And I keep coming up w [...]
Herbes de Provence
In France, I swear by Ducros, the supermarket brand of herbes de Provence. The balance of herbs is nigh on perfect—not too pungent, not too bitter, not too floral (the occasi [...]
Slow Cooker Ratatouille
I know, I know, I just posted a ratatouille recipe earlier this week, but why wait to share another one when we’ve ALL got gobs of summer vegetables around right now? (A neig [...]
Really Rustic Ratatouille
—So, how do you make your ratatouille? This is the question I ask anytime anyone in France tells me they’re making ratatouille (a vegetable dish from the South of France made [...]