Elegant pan-fried veal steaks on butter-fried bread with ham, topped with a Madeira and Armagnac mushroom cream sauce. French bistro dining at home in 45 minutes.
Polenta blueberry cakes are tiny lemon-glazed muffins with cornmeal grit, buttermilk tang, and juicy blueberries folded through. A make-ahead dessert or brunch bite for a crowd.
Apple oatmeal chewy bars with diced Golden Delicious apple, walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon baked in a 13x9 pan. A one-bowl bar cookie that's soft, fruity, and packed with texture.
Veal stew Normandy style with sauteed Granny Smith apples, reduced apple cider, cream, and steamed Kirby cucumbers. A French-inspired way to transform leftover veal stew.
Easy salad with homemade garlic-butter croutons, crisp romaine hearts, vinaigrette, mayo-style dressing, and a shower of Parmigiano-Reggiano. A Caesar-adjacent side that comes together while the croutons toast.
Microwave peach Melba cheesecake pie with a graham cracker crust, almond-scented cream cheese filling, and raspberry jam topping. Ready in about 20 minutes.
Salmon baked in foil packets on a bed of spinach, topped with a creamy horseradish walnut sauce. An elegant one-packet dinner with easy cleanup.
Salt-roasted shrimp with a scampi beurre blanc dipping sauce. A showstopper appetizer where shrimp cook shell-on over a bed of rock salt and get served with a buttery white wine dip.
Chocolate cherry cheesecake with a chocolate wafer crust, melted chocolate chip filling spiked with cherry liqueur, and cherry pie filling on top. A show-stopping dessert that chills for 24 hours.
Mussel and saffron soup with fresh mussels steamed in white wine, simmered in a leek, garlic, and fenugreek broth tinted golden with saffron and finished with cream.
Granola scones studded with five-fruit cocktail, baked as one large round and cut into wedges. Crunchy granola clusters, tender crumb, and a sugar-sparkled top.
Penne arrabbiata with a vodka cream sauce: tomatoes, red pepper flakes, garlic, and vodka simmered with heavy cream and tossed with penne and Parmesan.
Southern-style cheesy okra and crab casserole: fresh crabmeat baked with sliced okra, diced carrot and Tabasco in an egg custard, then topped with melted cheddar. A Gulf Coast main dish with Lowcountry roots.
Duck gumbo simmers deboned duck in a dark butter roux with okra, tomatoes, and the Cajun holy trinity for a rich bayou stew. Ladle over rice for a Louisiana cold-weather classic.
Slow-roasted wild duck basted in flambed dry sherry with onion juice, white pepper, and red pepper flakes. Braised breast-side down for tender, flavorful meat.
Old-fashioned custard pie with a lard-and-butter crust and a silky egg-milk filling dusted with nutmeg. Simple farmhouse dessert with a classic five-ingredient filling.