This chocolate-based sauce for the steak adds a slightly decadent finish to the grilled meat. The sauce worked well in a pairing with the Hermitage La Petite Chapelle (2012) from Paul Jaboulet-Aîné, a red wine from the Northern Rhône Valley.

My variation on Salmon Wellington en Crôute includes other seafood (sole, scallops and shrimp), it was “born” out of necessity when we lived in Maine. Over the years, I have lightened-up the recipe ingredients a bit.

Luckily, this recipe for Creamy Mushroom and Chestnut Soup is so delicious it has stopped my brown food colour rant in its tracks.

These Anchovy Puff Pastry bites are a bit of a “throw-back” appetizer from a book of retro holiday recipes. Since not everyone likes the taste of anchovy, you can change the filling – sundried tomato, basil pesto or tapenade all work well.

Veal Cordon Bleu sounds French right? Of course, cordon bleu is French but we only recently discovered the origin of the term. According to Larousse Gastronomique, the cordon bleu was originally a wide blue ribbon worn by members of the highest order of knighthood,

Good news, plums are healthy, full of vitamins and low in calories. However, since I cannot resist buying the fresh plums and apricots at the farmers market, it was time to make something with all the fruit. Enjoy this plum tart.

This grilled steak sandwich is something that we tend to eat in the summer months, or perhaps on a warm fall day. I decide to prepare this sandwich with my homemade focaccia

In France and Italy, June is the month for making a fortified wine with green walnuts – Liqueur de Noix (French) or Nocino (Italian). Intended as a digestive, this drink is strong at roughly 30% alcohol. The sweeter, and less alcoholic, version is called vin de noix. The vin de noix is served either as an aperitif (like a sherry) or as an after-dinner drink.

Rhubarb (rhubarbe) may not be something that jumps to mind as typically Provencal. However, it is actually fairly common to find this vegetable during the springtime at local markets and some grocery stores. Make this tart and tingly, double-crust rhubarb pie over perfumed soap.

Admittedly, not everyone can manage a weekday dinner party with an hour (maximum) to prepare the meal before your guests arrive, but I like that sort of challenge. However, to be able to pull it off, you need to be organized. After many years of entertaining, there are several tips …