Braising Essentials

Braising is comfort cooking at its finest, and it’s surprisingly easy. And while you may be inclined to keep the dishes all to yourself, braising is a great option for entertaining. With most of the hands-on work completed before the dish even goes into the oven there is ample time to spend with guests, and…

Taste of France

For those who attended Taste of France in Bryant Park last weekend, you already know what a blast the event was. Any of you who missed it should join us next year! This short video interview with Ariane posted at The Daily Meal gives a good overview of the event, as does our highlights album…

Making Chicken Stock

“Indeed, stock is everything in cooking. Without it, nothing can be done.”  –Escoffier Forget about the cans and boxes of watered-down, flavorless stock in stores. The best stock is made at home and the good news is: it’s not difficult to do. You will be amply rewarded with glorious, golden liquid that will boost the…

Second Annual Taste of France in NYC

The world’s largest event dedicated to France will be taking place at Bryant Park in New York City on Saturday, Sept. 28 – Sunday, Sept. 29. Of course D’Artagnan will be there serving food and working with the cadre of chefs involved. There will be food, wine, music, fashion, chef demos, literary figures, a French bulldog…

Summer in Gascony with Ariane

A message from Ariane– It is always a joy to return to my country – Gascony—for any length of time. This summer, I spent 3 weeks there with my family and friends. We rented a rambling old farm house with a swimming pool and we relaxed into the pace of South West France. Which can…

Regional American BBQ

Ah, America the beautiful. Mom, apple pie, baseball, purple mountains majesty. There’s much to be culturally proud of, if you’re an American, even though our dear nation is relatively a baby compared to other countries around the globe. And while many of the things we love to eat in these United States have been borrowed…

Happy National Filet Mignon Day

Yes, that’s a thing. And August 13 is the day to celebrate the tenderest cut of beef. Sliced from the short end of the tenderloin, this succulent little morsel of beef (filet mignon means “dainty filet” in French) is often the most expensive on restaurant menus.  This cut is commonly used in the classic recipe…

A Saucy Series, Part IV: Blanquette de Veau

Welcome to guest blogger Deana Sidney of Lost Past Remembered, a blog dedicated to discovering, replicating and adapting historic recipes. In this saucy series she demystifies one of the cornerstones of classic French cuisine: the mother sauces.  Blanquette de Veau When I think of the Paris of Hemingway and Picasso, I think of Blanquette de…

Christmas in July: Black Winter Truffles

A truffle is an irregular, round-shaped fruiting body of fungi, which grows underground in a symbiotic and mysterious relationship with the roots of trees. On average, truffles vary in size from a walnut to a golf ball, but there are sometimes exceptional truffles that can weigh a pound or more. Tuber melanosporum is often called the…

Coffee Rubbed Pork Chops

Ray Lampe may be better known to the world as Dr. BBQ, and with good reason. He turned his outdoor cooking hobby into career, authored five books on the subject, and has been on TV many times to share his techniques. Check out his other recipes on our website, and heat up the grill. This…

Bastille Day Roundup

Here are a few photos of the Bastille Day festivities that we participated in last weekend. We hope to see you at the party next year!

Celebrate Bastille Day

Feasts, fêtes and fireworks are the traditional ways to celebrate Bastille Day in France. But before the partying, a brief explanation is in order. Variously called la Fête Nationale or 14 juillet, the holiday is commemorated on July 14, the day that the people of Paris stormed the Bastille prison in 1789 and effectively began the violent overthrow…