Center of the Plate | D'Artagnan Blog

The Best Bean You’re Not Eating

Not your average legume, Tarbais beans are an edible tour de force. Today, on National Bean Day, we’d like to take a moment and honor these haricots. These ultra-creamy French beans are the quintessential ingredient in cassoulet – but they’re good for much more. From their unique growing conditions to their distinctive texture and luminous white color,…

On the Lighter Side: 7 Recipes for January

After the glorious excesses of the holidays, many of us turn to lighter fare and simpler meals. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up flavor and enjoyment! Here are 7 recipes that are simple to make and satisfying to eat. Because balance is the key to making healthy choices, not starvation and extremes. Real…

Venison is What’s On the Menu

Venison – the other red meat – is getting some attention this season. And venison deserves it. This lean and flavorful meat makes a great alternative to beef any time of the year but seems to get noticed most during game season. This week NPR ran a piece about venison being in both top restaurants and…

The Problematic Politics of Poutine

Poutine has been gaining popularity over the past few years, not just in Canada but in the United States, too. In Quebec, there are some poutine rumblings – and not of the stomach – that caught the attention of The New York Times, resulting in this recent article about the culturally charged dish. For years the Quebecois…

Eat Clean: Whole30-Friendly Recipes

What’s the Whole30 diet? It is a 30-day commitment to eliminate sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, soy, and dairy from the diet. Often described as life-changing, the Whole30 hashtag has made quite a splash on Instagram. Is it right for you? Explore it here and decide for yourself. The good news about Whole30 is that it involves eating…

New Year’s Day Brunch: 5 Recipes to Start the Year Right

Happy New Year! Let’s start the year right with the best brunch recipes for those who’ve had a little too much to drink. These hearty recipes are comforting foods for the first meal of the new year… and they would each pair well with slightly flat Champagne if there’s any around. And if you were…

Good News from 2017: There are Fewer Antibiotics in Meat

We like to celebrate the victories – however small – in the food revolution. In early December a report from the Food and Drug Administration announced something unprecedented. For the very first time in its history of tracking antibiotics in animals used for food, fewer drugs were sold. Sales of medically important antibiotics declined by…

The Top 10 Recipes of 2017

This is the season for looking back and remembering all the wonderful meals, the challenges met in the kitchen, the culinary triumphs and the posts we’ve shared on social media. So we’ve tallied the figures and these are the top 10 D’Artagnan recipes shared online in 2017. Drumroll, please …. 1. Cider-Braised Brussels Sprouts with…

2017: Year of the Instant Pot

Are you using an Instant Pot yet? For several years this electronic kitchen gadget – the pressure cooker of the future – has been attracting a cult-like following by word-of-mouth alone. The internet has been awash with Instant Pot recipes, developed largely by bloggers, who are keen to share their enthusiasm for the device. If…

7 Party-Ready Hors d’Oeuvres Recipes

With New Year’s Eve approaching it’s time to plan your party! What small bites will you serve? Take our suggestion and choose one of these seven canapé recipes for your menu. Perfect for any gathering, but especially festive for New Year’s Eve, these are our picks for best appetizers of the year. Elegant without being fussy, simple…

How to Make a Foie Gras Terrine

The terrine of foie gras. A classic in French cuisine, the ultimate expression of foie gras potential, and for a recipe with so few ingredients, somewhat intimidating. Named after the vessel itself, a foie gras terrine is cooked in a terrine mold, usually a porcelain one with a tightly-fitted lid. But how hard is it to make?…

New Year’s Eve: Time for Caviar!

There’s nothing better than caviar and Champagne on New Year’s Eve. Are you hosting a party or an intimate dinner for two? However you choose to ring in the new year, a tin of caviar will make it a special evening. Our Ossetra Malossol Caviar is raised on an aqua farm in France, exclusively for D’Artagnan. Aquitaine,…