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Decadent Double Chocolate Cookies
It can take several days, weeks, even years, to find the ultimate chocolate cookie recipe. The kind of cookies I wanted to find are of the shamelessly rich, not-too-sweet, dark chocolate variety. In my search, I came across a recipe from cookbook-author Dorie Greenspan for “Sablés Korova,” which were named after the Paris restaurant where famed pastry chef Pierre Hermé created them. Dorie dubbed her sablés “Word Peace Cookies,” because a friend of hers, upon tasting them, believed that if everyone in the world ate one of these cookies everyday there would be no more violence and only peace in the world. With an introduction like that I had to give these indulgent chocolate cookies a try immediately.
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Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts
I have been on a bit of a doughnut kick lately (see my Frosted Chocolate Cake Doughnuts), so I decided to continue the fun and bake up a batch of baked pumpkin cake doughnuts. Since they are not deep fried, these doughnuts are (a little) healthier and have more of a cupcake-like texture rather than a traditional doughnut texture. The result is very moist and chewy due to the pumpkin in the batter, along with lots of spiciness from pumpkin pie spice and cloves. For this recipe, you’ll need
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Relais de l’Entrecôte Saint-Germain, Paris
At this classic Parisian brasserie, there is no menu and vegetarians are somewhat discouraged to attend. Relais de l’Entrecôte Saint-Germain is part of a group of 3 restaurants in Paris, all specializing in (exclusively) steak frites with their famous secret sauce. I was a bit weary of this place because it seemed gimmicky and appeared way too often in tourist books and cheesy “best of” guides. Since they do not take reservations, it is not uncommon to wait several hours for a table.
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La Gazzetta, Paris
A Parisian friend of ours recommended we check out La Gazzetta, a bistro in the 12th near the March d’Aligre run by Swedish-born chef Petter Nilsson. La Gazzetta isn’t a traditional Parisian bistro per-se, but rather a hip eatery with an inventive Nordic-inspired menu featuring plenty of French influences. Nordic food is all the rage
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Beef Stew with Rosemary
Here is a recipe I made recently for a hearty and filling homemade beef stew. The stew is made with good quality stewing steak and plenty of red wine and rosemary for depth and flavor. Instead of starchy potatoes, I used onions, carrots, parsnips and green peas to add texture and volume. Parsnips are root vegetables, closely resembling carrots, and are a great substitute for potatoes if you are watching your carbs. Choosing a good quality red wine is key – I used a nice Vredenhof Cabernet Sauvignon, which made the stew a lovely dark burgundy color. After simmering for 2 1/2 hours+, the meat was tender and soft, and all of the flavors melded together perfectly. It’s my favorite beef stew recipe and can’t be beat for a simple yet satisfying dinner served with crusty bread (or on its own!) on a cool autumn night.
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Blé Sucré, Paris
Every time I visit Paris I try a new bakery or pastry shop and this time it was Blé Sucré, an acclaimed pâtisserie and boulangerie in the edgy 12th arrondissement. I heard Blé Sucré (which translates to “sweet wheat”) had some of the best madeleines in Paris (which essentially amounts to the best madeleines in the world) as well as many other sweet and savory brioche-based and pasty-dough-based creations. It’s a huge title to live up to, but the minute I walked into the charming little shop I could tell it was something special.
Rows and rows of golden butter croissants and crispy baguettes were lined up beside baked Kouign-amann, meticulously layered millefeuille, colorful macarons and mini Paris-Brest, not to mention
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Strawberry Vanilla Protein Shake
This recipe is so simple that I hesitated to even post it, but the result is SO delicious and healthy I couldn’t resist. It’s my new go-to 132 calorie healthy snack that satisfies my sweet tooth and packs in 20 grams of protein. All you need is
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Curried Dhal with Grilled Eggplant
I had some extra red lentils leftover from when I made my Red Lentil, Carrot & Cumin Soup, so I decided to make another dish featuring these much-loved legumes. Prior to this recent lentil kick, I didn’t realize how high in protein lentils are. In fact, they contain 26 grams of protein per 100 grams and are also low in fat and a good source of fiber. All the more reason to enjoy lentils more often. Anyway, this is a delightfully tasty recipe for curried lentils topped with grilled eggplant. The lentils are cooked in turmeric and tamarind paste and then finished off with a healthy dose of curry powder, onions, garlic and ginger. The result is a sweet and sour taste with plenty of kick. The lentils are good on their own, but adding some grilled eggplant slices on top makes it a nice light meal. Enjoy!!
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Red Lentil, Carrot & Cumin Soup
Here is a lovely recipe for a healthy Red Lentil, Carrot & Cumin Soup. This soup is full of warm, spicy flavors and quite simple to make. I always like to cook a few healthy dinners during the week to balance out some indulgent ones frequently consumed on the weekends (see here and here), and this fit the bill perfectly. The only (fairly) time consuming part is the shredding of the carrots, however, if you have a food processor with a grating attachment, the process is very quick! (Purchasing a high quality food processor is a life-changing addition to any kitchen as many of you know!) This soup doesn’t contain any butter, milk, or cream,
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Secret Chicken Noodle Soup
There is nothing more comforting and warming than a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. I have a secret recipe that will change how you make chicken soup forever (promise!). The ingredient list may seem ordinary and pretty straightforward, but it’s the method that will create the most richly colored and full flavored soup. The key is to
