Center of the Plate | D'Artagnan Blog

The Whole Foie Gras Duck

Ariane was honored to be a guest lecturer at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC. Ariane is committed to educating and supporting the next generation of chefs, and she enjoys going to culinary schools to share her experience and wisdom. This time she demonstrated breaking down a whole duck – with the foie gras…

Let’s Eat … Brunch at Home

Love it or hate it, brunch is a Sunday ritual that is not going away. Late breakfast, early lunch … what better way to celebrate the leisure of a Sunday? Check out this illustrated history of brunch … which traces brunch from a gentlemanly breakfast after the early morning hunt, to Prohibition (you knew there…

Seeing Stars: What is the Michelin Guide?

Have you ever wondered about the Michelin Guide and its stars? The Guide (pronounced geed in French) gives out stars from 1 to 3 when it reviews restaurants; this is the most prestigious rating that a restaurant can get. The acquisition or loss of a star can have dramatic effects on the success of a restaurant. See the…

Top 7 Chicken Recipes You Need to Try

Tired of the same old, same old when it comes to chicken? You are not alone! Americans consume 90 pounds of chicken per capita each year, and we suspect that much of that is chicken breasts. How to jazz up your chicken dinner? Start with quality chicken, choose whole chicken or different cuts (sorry, boneless…

Do You Know the Alternate Names for these Steaks?

Love a good steak? We know the feeling. And in order to meet your steak expectations, we just added new cuts to our website. Until recently, these were only offered to our chef clients, so it’s a good day for the home cook. Did we mention that these are fresh steaks – not frozen? That…

8 Ways to Mix Up Your Grilling Routine

Bored with the same old stuff on the grill? Mix up your grilling routine and try some of our protein alternatives to shake things up! Summer is the perfect time to upgrade your grill game and try new things. 1. Burgers If you normally grill burgers, try… bison burgers. An easy switch! Try our recipe…

How To Build a Better Cheeseburger

Burgers. We all love ’em, right? Especially with cheese. Whatever the season, hamburgers are the right choice. While there’s something to be said for sticking with the classics, sometimes you feel like shaking up the burger routine. Go ahead – get adventurous! The burger makes an excellent blank canvas (try a buffalo burger for the patty)….

Is Your Olive Oil the Real Thing?

You may have read about the olive oil scandals in recent years. If not, you better sit down. Even if labeled so, EVOO is not always extra virgin, and sometimes it’s not even olive oil. Adulterated with cheap canola or sunflower oil, many of the widely-available brands are simply not the real thing. And worse, the…

Top 5 Reasons to Grill with D’Artagnan

With Memorial Day kicking off the start of grill season, it’s time to start thinking about the meat you choose … because quality matters. Everything we do at D’Artagnan is based on the idea that when you raise animals well – responsibly, with room to roam, natural feed, and no antibiotics or hormones – you…

The France Issue

Saveur, one of our favorite food magazines, has an entire French issue out now. Plan your trip to France, or simply armchair travel … either way, there are recipes to try! The issue has many articles and recipes that we love. Check out the profile of the revolutionary Chef Michel Bras, written by Chef Wylie Dufresne, to…

Eat With Your Hands

We love eating with our hands – don’t you? There are some foods you just have to eat that way, and there is no shame in it. Think of chicken wings – that’s definitely hands-only. And Mediterranean mezze with pita bread, which helps you scoop up all those little bites. There is nothing wrong with…

What Does Mise en Place Mean?

Mise en place (pronounced meez ahn plas) is a French cooking term that literally translates to “put in place.” Often referred to as simply “meez” by the pros. Mise en place allows you to cook in the most efficient way, without having to stop. All necessary ingredients are chopped and ready to go, spices are measured,…