During spring months in Provence, it is common to find fresh white and green asparagus in local markets, and the perfect excuse to make a white asparagus gratin. In Germany, this particular season has a name: Spargelzeit. This phrase really just means “asparagus time”, but it sounds so poetic in German. …

Bunny opened my eyes to books, art, travel and slightly exotic (for me, at the time) flavours. Sadly, I had to say goodbye to this beautiful friend in December as a tribute I created this sweet dessert an elegant White Chocolate Mousse in her honour.

The base for these Chèvre and Mushroom Tartlets is versatile. Recently, I decided to experiment with the filling as the crust could not be easier to make. Using the same ingredients for the dough, I created a savoury filling using fresh goat cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano and mushrooms. Serve these tasty bites with a chilled rosé or white wine, and this might just become your go-to appetizer recipe!

This recipe for Smoky Cinnamon Salmon with Mushroom Lentils is a mid-week “go-to” favourite for many reasons, but the first is it can be made in under 30-minutes. The second reason is one of my favourite spices is Spanish smoked paprika, known in Spain as pimentón. Although you can use regular paprika or Espelette pepper (Piment d’Espelette) from the Pays Basque in France,

Sometimes a sampling of little bites makes for a  more interesting evening than a single main course. The Spanish have this perfected with their culinary tradition of tapas and pintxos. We decided quite a while a go to celebrate the New Year (on Paris time) and to do so by tasting our way around the world, in small bites. This year was no different. The seafood themed plates started with skewered shrimp and ended with Salt and Pepper Calamari.

This recipe is a play on words based the jeu (game) that appears to be at the heart and soul of many Provençaux – pétanque. Also know as boules, it is similar to bocce (bocchi) in Italy, but the old souls in Provence might never agree that the game has …

This recipe combines sharp, creamy blue goat cheese and ripe Anjou pears in a lovely savoury flan or timbales. The Anjou pear is also called the Genovian pear (in Italy), and perhaps that is a good example of the transferability of the language of cooking. A timbale in French cuisine is a sweet or savoury, custard-like recipe that is cooked in a cylindrical pan or bottomless dish (flan ring). In Italian, the same dish is called a Timballo.

We all agree that food waste is terrible, and in North America where shopping for many tends to involve large format stores with bulk packaging…often we buy too much. Even if you are a conscious shopper and dedicated cook like David sometimes there end up being some leftover bits in the fridge. Now, in Cocoa & Lavender’s kitchen nothing gets wasted so he created this recipe for spicy carrot goat cheese pâté.

Every cook needs to have a few “go-to” recipes tucked in their apron. These recipes are the ones that you can make without checking to see if you have the ingredients, you know are delicious, and never fail to impress your guests.

For me, my mother’s Dijon Chicken, a simple baked poultry dish that is ready in under 30-minutes, is a go-to combination.

Seared duck breast is quick and easy to cook. The meat is seared on high-temperature for about 5 minutes a side, then allowed to rest. However, the trick with duck is to create just the right sauce – fruity, savoury, wine or port. The inspiration for this recipe comes from Christmas flavours (citrus and pomegranate) and colours, and I served it for good friends during the holidays.