To celebrate ten years of this project, I finally made J. Kenji López-Alt’s traditional French cassoulet. What once felt intimidating turned out to be approachable with smart shortcuts, patience, and time. The result: fall-apart meats, creamy beans, and rich, comforting flavor worth every minute.
To celebrate 10 years of Store-Bought Is Fine, I tackled Joe Beef’s legendary Marjolaine — a French layered dessert of hazelnut meringue, chocolate ganache, and Nutella + vanilla buttercreams. It’s a dream of a dessert
In honor of an upcoming Paris trip, we cooked our way through Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris for cookbook club. From classic Boeuf Bourguignon to dreamy profiteroles with salted caramel gelato and warm chocolate sauce, it was a night full of French-inspired favorites and rich, nostalgic Barefoot Contessa flavors.
Whether it’s simple classics like French Apple Tart and Chocolate Cassis Cake, or showstoppers like Coeur a la Crème with Raspberries and Ile Flottante, or delicious challenges like Soufflé a L’Orange and Mixed Berry Pavlova, Ina, being the Francophile she is, offers plenty of options to choose from!
Seven years ago today, I ran into Ina Garten and Jeffrey at Verjus in Paris. To celebrate, I’m recreating a favorite dish: Brown Butter Asparagus with Toasted Almonds. This simple yet elegant spin on Asperges Amandine is full of rich, nutty flavors, perfect for spring and weeknight meals.
For a milestone birthday, I tackled Claire Saffitz’s showstopping croquembouche: a caramel-glazed tower of cream puffs filled with vanilla, chocolate, and black sesame pastry cream. Between the crisp shell, airy choux, and silky filling, it was pure dessert magic – and the perfect way to ring in a new decade.
It took me three years into the project to work up the courage to finally make this, and while it takes some time to pull together, it’s much easier than expected! This show-stopping dessert consists of four primary elements: meringue islands, a pool crème anglaise, drizzling of caramel, and finally a sprinkling of almond praline.
Years ago, my friend Annie introduced me to clafoutis during one of her epic brunches, and I’ve been hooked on these pancake-like, slightly sweet desserts with fruit ever since. And Julia Child’s version doesn’t disappoint!