french omelette

French Omelette

Have you ever seen a French chef make a crepe? They do this wonderfully quick motion with their wrist while holding the crepe pan, making the crepe flip over perfectly. They do the same thing with their omelettes too. A French omelette, also known as an omelet aux fines herbes, is flipped over and cooked on both sides before it’s folded into thirds to create the finished presentation. I’m not ashamed to admit that the whole flick of the wrist movement scares me and I avoid it when I can. Whenever I make a crepe or a French omelette, I simply use a really large spatula to aid me in flipping the food over. It works perfectly every time and I don’t have any fear that my food will end up on my kitchen floor rather than back in the pan.

pistou

Pesto Sauce (Basil Sauce)

Pistou, also known as the French version of pesto sauce, is like a dream come true for me. My favorite herb to grow, cook with, and eat is basil. I just love its flavor and aroma; both have this incredible ability to set the mood for whatever I’m making. Whether it’s a basil sauce pizza that has me imagining the Amalfi coast, or a white bean soup au pistou giving me visions of Avignon, basil has a transportive quality. 

puff pastry turnovers

Puff Pastry Turnovers

When they say context is everything, it’s really true. The word chaussons means slippers in French, but it’s also the name given to puff pastry turnovers. Strange, right? That’s why you’ll usually hear the dessert version of the word followed by whatever fruit it’s been made with. Usually, that’s chaussons aux pommes (apple turnovers), or in this case aux fraises (strawberries). With the abundance of farm-fresh, aromatic, sweet strawberries, I can think of nothing better than using them in delectable puff pastry turnovers like this.

fougasse

Fougasse

After a couple of unusually hot days in California, I couldn’t help but feel some anticipation for summer. I spent the weekend by the pool, bbq-ing, indulging in my favorite ice cream, and watching travel videos of the French Riviera. I love watching those travel guide films, especially when they share views of the beautiful lavender fields of Provence and glimmering turquoise waters of the Cote d’Azur. To quell my pressing need for a dose of Southern France, I made this Provencal olive bread called fougasse. Eating the flavorful bread, warm out the oven, I could almost feel the sea breeze on my face and smell the lavender trailing through the air.

Baba au rhum

Baba au rhum

I’m generally not a fan of cakes that are soaked in liquids because they usually end up on the mushy side. But (because there’s always a but), this baba au rhum is a true exception. Before I dive into why, I just have to say that the name of this cake makes me giggle. It doesn’t sound particularly elegant, or French for that matter, but if you could only see the beauty it becomes once it’s all dressed up and ready to be served. 

french sandwich

French Sandwich (Pan Bagnat)

I remember the first time I saw a French sandwich, I was a bit bewildered. Whereas in the States we’re accustomed to 6″ subs, in France, sandwiches are no shorter than 12″. It was amazing to see all these super long sandwiches, piled up high on top of each other inside all the deli windows. It was even more amazing to stare at my empty hands after I finished one of them! I remember buying the sandwich and thinking there was no possible way I could finish the whole thing. But lo and behold, it was all gone 10 minutes later. And who could blame me? A French sandwich is a magnificent thing; it’s nothing like our plain ol’ turkey sandwich here in the States.

crepe cake

Salted Caramel Crepe Cake

Just when I thought I had salted caramel in about every dessert I could think of, I got the idea to create a salted caramel crepe cake. Known in French as a gâteau mille crêpes, a crepe cake is made up of “thousands” of crepe layers filled with pastry cream. A thousand (mille) layers is obviously an exaggeration, but it’s generally what the French tend to name desserts that are made up of many, many layers.