French

Pan Bagnat - French Tuna Sandwich

Pan Bagnat, pronounced "pahn bah-nyah," is a classic French sandwich originating from Nice. It's like a Salade Niçoise served inside a crusty bread roll, traditionally a pain de campagne. The name "pan bagnat" translates to "bathed bread," referencing the bread soaking up the flavors of the vinaigrette and other ingredients.

Chantilly Potatoes

Mashed potatoes have always been a staple accompaniment in our kitchen, due to their versatility and ease of production. This recipe is effectively "fancy" mashed potatoes, but I gotta warn you they are more than a bit addictive. This recipe is based on one from Food & Wine with a few modifications.

Gougères

A gougère, in French cuisine, is a baked savory pastry made of choux dough mixed with cheese. There are many variants. The cheese is commonly grated Gruyère, Comté, or Emmentaler, but there are many recipes using other cheeses or other ingredients - you will see below that we prefer a blend of Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano. Of the dozens of recipes available online, we consulted and pulled from several, to arrive at this one that works for us.

Beef Bourguignon

Like coq au vin, its sister dish from the Burgundy region of France, beef Bourguignon is a stew of meat slowly simmered in hearty red wine along with pearl onions, mushrooms and crisp, cubed bacon. Use a good wine here, something simple but drinkable. It makes all the difference in the finished dish. As with all beef stews, this one is best made a day or two ahead; don’t sauté the mushrooms and onions until just before serving. This recipe is part of The New Essentials of French Cooking, a guide to definitive dishes every modern cook should master. Recipe credit: NYTimes Cooking.

Chocolate French Macarons

Almond Cake

Simple, yet delicious is the best way to describe this amazingly moist and flavorful cake. If friends are coming over for dinner, you can rest assured that Almond Cake is on the menu. On a recent visit, our friend Gary said to me "I don't know how you do it, if this was in my house, I'd eat it for breakfast". To which I replied "yeah, what's wrong with that?" One 9-inch or 10-inch (23-25 cm) cake. This cake is best made in the food processor. If using a stand mixture, use the paddle attachment and let the mixer run until the almond paste is finely broken up.