all the recipes

Poor CELERY ROOT, always sitting in a cold corner of the fridge after only a fraction of you has been used as part of one dish or another (just like it often happens with more ordinary celery branches too). Please don’t take it badly, you’re just so BIG and usually weigh almost 1 kg and even if I use half of you, it’s still a lot...

I adore having close friends come over IN-BETWEEN-THE-HOLIDAYS. To be more precise, after the family Christmas festivities but before New Year’s Eve and sometimes between New Year’s Day and my birthday on January 7th, so ideally December 28th or January 4th. Those days tend to be the safest days for everyone, no more indigestion, nor...

Holiday OPTIONS & Holiday POTIONS (same letters in a different order = different words = magical coincidences). N°1 is “WARM & WOODY & SPICY” & N°2  is “FRESH & ZESTY & RESINOUS”. Both are super-SWEET obviously ... What could be better than having 1 or 2 homemade...

It’s nevery easy trying to describe a new kind of autumnal THANKSGIVING celebratory recipe or any newer kind of thing, for that matter. The title could have actually been longer like “butter, sugar and apple juice poached apples, stuffed with dried fruits and nuts and then crusted (or coated) in crushed spiced cookies and then...

MONSTER EGGS ?! No ! POISONOUS LAVA ROCKS ?! Nooooo ! BACK TO BLACK with STRANGER THINGS (I wish but I’ll explain) for a scary, slightly frightening & weird HALLOWEEN treat ! I’m disappointed that this series I love, called “STRANGER THINGS” which I thought was launching its 3rd season...

The holidays were GREAT, the eating was FANTASTIC and the drinking was AWESOME. The PARTY’s over. Time to pull yourself together and detoxify (yeah, again) ! I can’t decide if it’s fashionable, (or not), to detoxify your system (and admit to it). Even though it isn’t not cool nor sexy (in my world), your body (and mine) are...

This 50-ingredient holiday recipe is like singing that well-known and quite long “THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS” carolling song, once you begin, you simply have to go on until it’s all sung and you’ve reached the end … It’s never easy convincing anybody (and this includes friends & family) about preparing a...

It takes TIME (not active time but waiting time) but it’s worth it. It’s what holiday preparations are all about : Something SPECIAL for a SPECIAL occasion. Imagine a beautiful choice-cut piece of BEEF (preferably filet mignon or a very mini-roast), pre-marinated with red wine vinegar for 1 hour and then cured...

This weekend on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11th 2018 is the 100th Anniversary (the Centenary or Centennial) of the ARMISTICE or End of the First World War. Sixty heads of State and 120 dignitaries will be in Paris for an international ceremony to commemorate the event, to celebrate the peace and the end of that war, even though other wars,...

Need a new idea for HALLOWEEN ? Who doesn’t ? Here’s a home-made chilled treat for everyone, young and/or old or just not so young. This year it’s gonna be a  combination mini “reese’s peanut butter cup” and “ice-cream sandwich” all-in-one number because I’m all...

This "L-A-S-A-G-N-A" may be ultimately DECADENT & SHAMELESS in its creation, and perhaps INDECENT & SHAMEFUL in its consumption … but for me, the 2-week holiday period begins on December 24th until January 1st and ends on January 7th (my birthday and the Orthodox Christmas). I end the...

That CHRISTMAS SPIRIT ? How can we re-kindle that ? Sometimes that ‘holiday thought’ is just hanging around (or hiding) in the back of your mind and maybe in your heart, (because you still have one, you know, even when you’re too busy to remember). If you’re like most people, the holiday spirit is most often directly...

It’s as easy as 1-2-3, or to be more precise 3-2-1. It’s all MATH, 3 PARTS prepared (boiled & peeled) CHESTNUTS (from a jar or a can) + 2 PARTS SUGAR + 1 PART WATER or 1 PART CHESTNUTS + 1 PART CHESTNUT SYRUP (instead of the sugar & water) … I’ve decided to take it easier this year by using canned or jarred...

It’s super CHUNKY as you can see, from the filling to this incredible & thick 2-ingredient breadcrumb crust. It’s also adaptable & modifiable, but less painful than dealing with DST or Daylight Savings Time. It’s all about adding & subtracting. The 2 crust ingredients are dried breadcrumbs and mayonnaise....

A.K.A. the "SPY-PIE". . . but please let me explain ! I'm sure you're all familiar with the 1977 British fictional Bond movie called "THE SPY WHO LOVED ME", right ? But are you familiar with the 2009 French movie and non-fictional spy story called “FAREWELL” or "THE FAREWELL AFFAIR"...