Winter

Sole is one of my favorite fish, and in the Winter I love it even more nestled atop a creamy, buttery Leek fondue. The pairing of a delicate and juicy sole fillet with sweet caramelized leeks spiked with cream is just pure comfort to me… Yet, it’s also light and healthy-ish. If you’re looking for a no-fuss, delicious and slightly fancy recipe for your Valentine’s Day dinner (or any dinner date), this just may be the one!

Marmalades and Jams are the spreads of choice on the French breakfast table, for topping a classic baguette with butter. And in the Winter, I do love a good citrus marmalade that packs a punch of bold and bright flavors. This Honey Lemon Marmalade recipe is a great Winter project, if you’re looking for that kind of spread. It has a great balance of sweetness and bitterness, with the fresh acidity from the lemon and the mellowness from the honey. It’s the perfect way to preserve citrus season and bring …

Outside of France, for some reason, Pots de Crème are the underdog of French custards. They don’t receive nearly as much love as crème brulées do – but if you go to France, it’s a whole different story. The French love their dairy products: yogurts of all kinds and what we call the “crèmes desserts”. If you ever visit a French supermarket, you will assuredly stumble on our entire refrigerated aisle(s) devoted to yogurts, fromages blancs, flans, mousses, faisselles and all kinds of custards and heavenly pots de crèmes. When …

This Clementine Roast Chicken with Fennel and Honey is a lovely Winter dish that is light and zesty, but very comforting as well. This is a simple sheet-pan dinner recipe that comes together effortlessly and makes the best of two seasonal ingredients – citrus and fennel – paired with succulent roasted chicken leg quarters. A winning trio all the way.   The perfect marriage of Citrus and Fennel, inspired by two Classic-French Recipes. The inspiration from this Clementine Roast Chicken dish came at the cross-point between two Classic-French recipes. First, …

Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, candied citrus peels, honey, almonds, kirsch liquor… if you like all kind of Holidays spices and fixings, you’re in for a treat! These popular Leckerli cookies embrace all the flavors of the Holidays in a delicious tiny format. “Leckerli” means “little treat” and that’s exactly what they are: sticky, chewy yet crisp edged, and so fragrant from all the spices.

Known in French as an “Embeurrée de choux”, this Buttered Cabbage recipe is a cold-weather staple hailing from central France. The idea here is to turn shredded cabbage utterly soft and melty by cooking it in a generous amount of butter, along with onions garlic and a sprinkle of fragrant Juniper berries. It’s quick, simple and a tasty side-dish and that can easily be turned into a main with a few adds-ons… like in today’s recipe. 

Fried desserts aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when people think about French food, right? But you should know that some French regions boast with fried doughs and treats of all kinds – several of which make use of seasonal fruits in simple and comforting ways. These Pear Sauce Puff Pastry Fritters, known in French as “Rissoles aux Poires” are my fall Favorites. They’re made with puff pastry filled with pear sauce and then fried to golden perfection. They’re crunchy, sweet, sticky, and very moreish. These little fritters …

In my kitchen, October is meant for relishing in the fleeting season of mushrooms, and today’s recipe sure makes the best of it. The blend of mushrooms, crème fraiche and grainy mustard makes for an utterly creamy and flavorful sauce that’s the perfect topping to plump pork chops.

Wine-braised chicken has to be one of the most beloved comfort foods in France – with probably as many variations as grandmothers in the country. The concept of browning meat in a bit of oil, and then cooking it in liquid (ie. wine) always makes for incredible flavors, and meat that is fork-tender. And if you ask me, I find braised meat slightly more sophisticated than stews, yet just as comforting. In this favorite braised recipe of mine, onions and loads of garlic are caramelized in butter, and plump chicken …

Homemade jams, marmalades and jellies are deeply anchored in French cooking traditions, and I never miss an occasion to jar up some seasonal fruits. This ensures that no seasonal produce goes to waste and that they can be enjoyed all year round. At this time of year, the abundance of ripe Concord grapes here in Ontario makes it a natural fruit of choice for jam. Made with just a few ingredients, this Concord Grape and Thyme Jam is perfectly tart and sweet with lovely floral notes. It will likely remind …