I held a terrific Goût et Voyage cooking class/dinner party this past Saturday night. My clients have a beautiful home and were gracious hosts. Our meal started with tapenade noire on baguette slices and Champagne. The salad featured wine poached pears, endive, gorgonzola and walnuts with a pear vinaigrette. The main course starred …

Biscotti are not too sweet- especially for those trying to limit their consumption of sugary cookies and candies- and are really good with a cup of hot coffee or tea.

As the weather gets cooler, my go-to dinner is often a hearty soup and a winter salad. Sturdy vegetables available in the late fall and winter such as squash, root vegetables, broccoli and cauliflower often combined with dried legumes and mushrooms lend themselves to a slow simmer on the stove top. Making soup is a satisfying Sunday afternoon activity.

Financiers aux Courgettes – little zucchini cakes – fit the pot luck bill perfectly. Typically in French cuisine, a financier is a small, airy cake, often with an almond flour base, that is eaten for dessert. I prefer savoury financiers which lend themselves to a myriad of combinations – sausage and cheese, spinach and cheese, olive, walnuts and cheese