Capital!

What you see above is a bar of gold.  Or so was the impression a French pâtissier (pastry chef) named Lasne wished to convey when, in the late 1800s, he had baking trays specially made to resemble the shape and size of a bullion ingot.  After all, Lasne’s shop wasn’t far from the Paris Stock…

Wait, Isn’t It a White with Chicken?

A red wine with red meat and a white vintage is reserved for lighter-colored dishes, right?  Maybe, though if anyone is qualified to exceed that guideline it’s the French, and if one dish can make it work, Coq au Vin will do it.  Besides, after marinating in wine for a whole day, as this chicken…

Archie’s Snack

Those are the house rules.  In Nero Wolfe’s brownstone, in his universe, any food enjoyed outside the dining room is a mere snack.  No matter how exquisite or thoughtfully prepared the dish is, serving it in the dining room is the only action that elevates it to a meal. More soon on this injustice, but…

Why Do We Remember Such Things?

Often, perhaps even usually, memories rise when bidden, a pleasant if reliable process.  Occasionally, though, the journey is a little more convoluted, and experiences remain submerged until something else summons them.  Such happened recently, when reading Rex Stout’s The Doorbell Rang, in which the narrator’s phone being tapped causes him to rely on a neighbor,…

Elsewhere in the French Empire…

One would have found this week’s creation, Tahitian Coconut Vanilla Shrimp.  Being paradise, Tahiti offers so much more than warm waves gently caressing sugar-white beaches.  The lush jungle beyond holds an astounding array of fruit and flowers.  Among the latter are vanilla orchids, producing what is justifiably considered to be the world’s best vanilla. Tahiti’s cuisine is…

Sunny New Year!

The sun is in abundance today, a promising start to 2017, and the resplendence carries beyond the skies.  Today’s dish, for example, brightens the palate and warms the spirit with a vibrant clementine salsa.  It’s  as flavorful and as effervescent as its colors are bold. Imagine feeling a fresh clementine, and how the wonderful citrus fragrance fills the room. …

Salmon, While Swimming

…which probably is the closest English equivalent to this dish’s original French title, Salmon à la Nage.  Actually, it makes sense.  The fish nestles among mussels and the asparagus suggests seaweed, doesn’t it? The name applies more prosaically as well.  Being a French creation, it’s not surprising a wine and butter sauce submerses everything.  The salmon swims…

An August Souvenir

Summer brings us to this perfect moment, when exuberant gardens yield showpiece tomatoes in abundance.  What to do with the bounty?  Well, I selected two of the very best (not an easy decision, as they’re all pretty spectacular) and used them to make…  Tomatoes with Artichoke Hearts and Capers, Poached in a White Wine Sauce. Anne…