Until recently, I had never poached anything solely in butter. When Provence WineZine friends Susan and Towny gave me some vanilla salt, I wanted to use it as a finishing salt for halibut poached in butter. I googled “butter poached halibut” and was alarmed to find that fully submerging four …

Some people shy away from cooking fish, particularly whole fish, but my recipe below for Grilled or Roasted Daurade Royale is failproof. Dorade Royale is sometimes referred to as Sea Bream. If you can’t find Dorade or Sea Bream, Red Snapper or Branzino are good alternatives. Simply ask your local …

Among Nice’s many attractions are its Mediterranean location and the fresh seafood. Octopus (la pouple) is one ingredient that often features in Niçoise dishes. La pouple à la Niçoise was a favourite of the local fisherman mentioned by Tobias Smollett in 1762. However, the recipe has likely evolved since that …

Certain foods are harbingers of the season. Asparagus, fresh peas, and morel mushrooms are culinary ingredients often associated with springtime. Sure, you can find all three during other periods of the year. But honestly, is there anything better than fresh asparagus in the spring? This recipe for seared and roasted …

We catch up with Ben James, owner of Café Brun in Antibes and hear why he loves this classic seafood rigatoni dish served at the restaurant. Owners Ben and Bea, former Hospitality Managers at rosé brand Maison Mirabeau, met and fell in love while spending a fun…and rosé-filled summer in …

Scallops are inherently sweet, so adding the sweet flavours of butter, tarragon, and carrots to the scallops adds more sweetness to the dish. It is delicate and delicious, but my taste buds crave a little contrast. So to create the perfect Cocoa & Lavender culinary marriage of sweet and tart, …

As is the case with many of you, we take travel seriously. Last fall, we travelled to Southern Spain—Andalucia for the first time, and thus my culinary inspiration for these delicious Coquilles Saint-Jacques with a Spanish flair – Vieiras de Santiago. Once we know where we are going, the prep …

We recently invited friends Lee and Barbara to dinner to celebrate Barbara’s birthday. For a friend new to our circle, it was a delight to make a special dinner as a birthday gift. And, as I have often said, the gift of food is definitely one that comes from the …

It might be surprising to find wok vegetables, handrolls, and sushi on menus in Southern France. But, as we know, the culinary world is global, and chefs love experimenting with Asian-flavoured food and wine pairings. In this case, it was challenging to find a match for a 2019 Côtes de …

The thing is, we weren’t planning on grilled halibut for dinner. But sometimes, that is how things go when you get to the grocery store, and they don’t have what you had planned. In most cases, that isn’t too complicated a switch, but for this meal, we had planned a …