While I cannot promise that these feather-light beignets are low-calorie, they are delicious. A traditional French recipe for rum and orange-scented beignets that most likely got their nickname pets de nonne (literally “nun’s farts”) from a slight bastardization of the earlier term paix-de-nonne (“nun’s peace”). They are delicious dipped in …

Something about a succulent roasted farmhouse chicken pleases my whole family. Cooking chicken in a cocotte is a traditional French method. The French word cocotte denotes a covered casserole usually made from clay, but a Dutch oven works well for this recipe. Here is the original Simple French Cooking recipe …

While winter in Provence is nothing like what we experience in Vermont, there are plenty of cold mornings. The small ski hill on Mont Ventoux briefly opens during the cold months. The Southern Alps are a destination for family-friendly skiing and other snow activities during long weekends and vacances scolaire. …

Winter in Provence unveils a serene, understated beauty. The villages quiet down—tourists have departed, fields lie fallow, and root vegetables are tucked away in cool, shadowy cellars. The land rests after autumn’s final harvest while the frost-kissed garrigue glimmers in the winter light. Tendrils of smoke curl from chimneys as …

Growing up, the beginning of winter was marked by the first pot au feu appearing on our table. My mother’s version is more traditional and typical of what you would find in most homes. It is made with different cuts of beef that are slowly simmered together. The vegetables are …

Tomato confit is a foundational element in my cooking. It features in many of my recipes. I love how tomato flavours intensify and sweeten after long, slow cooking. Slow-roasted tomatoes add wonderful tastes to almost everything, from lamb, chicken, and fish to pasta. As a consequence, they find their way …

January 6th, or Epiphany, is the day we eat the delicious Galette des Rois or King’s Cake in France. As a sweetener, parents (or the pastry shop) hide a small figurine sandwiched among the warm rum-scented layers of frangipane (almond cream) and puff pastry. The figurine, also known as a …

A daube is a slow-cooked stew you will find simmering at a grandmotherly pace in kitchens across France, though the best known are from southern France. Traditionally daubes can be made from lamb or beef, though one does not need to travel too far to find pork daubes, bull daubes, …

For me, cooking and gardening are two passions that go hand in hand. This year I planted a lot more fennel than I usually do, and I have been coming up with ways to use up all the extra harvest. My latest creation is a Chickpea and Fennel Salad simple …

The problem with growing zucchini in your kitchen garden (potager) is that it often ripens all at the same time. When my garden produces more zucchini than I can possibly consume, the problem is what to do with the bounty. Thankfully I remembered trouchia, a favourite dish from Nice, France, …