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Drinks, Friday Family Bites

The Perfect Apéritif – French 75

France was on the brink of winning the World Cup in 1998. The streets were lined with fans, cheers echoing throughout the country, along with the blares of Ricky Martin’s, “La Copa de la Vida.” I was crammed into a bar with my mom in Angers, a city not too far from Paris. While she…
View recipe: The Perfect Apéritif – French 75
Dessert, Food

Carrot Cake

With spring’s arrival and Easter preparations in full swing, bunches of carrots are welcomed into the kitchen. Growing up it was a sign our home would soon be filled with the nostalgic smell of a highly anticipated carrot cake. To prepare, the earth is washed off this beautiful root vegetable and with a quick peel,…
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Appetizers, Food, Friday Family Bites

Mini Spring Pea and Pancetta Quiche

I gravitate towards dishes that serve as a blank canvas and with seasons or even moods, can be transformed. This is probably why I’m so drawn to risotto, for its ability to invite fall, winter, spring, and summer to its flavor profile. Much like this universal rice dish, quiche does likewise.
View recipe: Mini Spring Pea and Pancetta Quiche
Dessert, Food

Easter Babka

It’s one of those cakes that prompts nostalgia when its aroma fills the kitchen as it rises in the oven. Growing up, the Easter meal leaned into the beauty of traditions passed down from generations and the dishes lining the table were therefore eagerly anticipated.
View recipe: Easter Babka
Appetizers, Food, Friday Family Bites

Smoked Salmon Flatbread

This dish is both light and delicate. The pairing of fresh herbs with velvety crème fraîche on a crust with a crisp outside and fluffy middle, then topped with beautiful smoked salmon and a pop of color from the slightly sweet red onion and savory capers, makes for a beautiful appetizer. This is great for…
View recipe: Smoked Salmon Flatbread
Food, Main Dishes

Tomato Risotto

Arborio rice is the canvas to which the flavor profiles are endless of what can be added to create a creamy, satisfying, and colorful meal. Risotto is an easy dish with which to experiment in the kitchen, leaving room for forgiveness to tweak the flavor to the exact desire. In this case, I was dreaming…
View recipe: Tomato Risotto
Travel

Bleu, Blonde, Rouge – Guided Tour of Paris

We wanted the stories, not just a recount of monuments, landmarks, statues, and churches, especially with two teenagers in tow. Her passion for history and the arts was evident in the manner in which she spoke about Delacroix’s pieces in Saint Sulpice, the progress of the church’s restoration, and the statues of female figures immortalized…
View recipe: Bleu, Blonde, Rouge – Guided Tour of Paris
Travel

Paris Photoshoot

It was about five o’clock in the morning and the alarm on my phone had just sounded. I turned it off and checked my email. Still blurry eyed, I opened my inbox, which quickly cleared my vision as on one particular email, the subject title read “YOU WON – Paris is calling!”
View recipe: Paris Photoshoot
Food, Main Dishes

Lemon and Pea Risotto

Saturday nights at home, cozied in the kitchen with my husband and two teenagers, our record player scratching out melodies that prompt reminiscence of past travels, and I’m surrounded by ingredients to prepare one of my preferred dinners. Lining my butcher block are fresh lemons, delicate shallots, sweet and anise notes of tarragon, complimenting the…
View recipe: Lemon and Pea Risotto
Food, Plaisirs Quotidens

The Beauty of Food

Food is beautiful, especially in color. On a market tour in Paris, my teenagers also came to this realization as their eyes fixated on the bright displays of the season’s harvest. As we cruised through the stalls, we shared a basket of cherries and satiated in the summer’s sweetness popping in our mouths.
View recipe: The Beauty of Food