Wild Mushroom Tartlet Recipe

I recently hosted a dinner party and was looking for a gourmet side dish for filet mignon. I selected a savory tart filled with a combination of wild mushrooms such as fresh morels, beech, maitake, Hegehogs and brown crimini mushrooms. 

Playing with such ingredients is a great way to take your guests on a great gastronomical adventure. Plus, preparing this dish is fairly basic and simple. I used  pastry dough that I baked first and then filled with the mushrooms. They're rich in umami, which is the savory flavor quality that sort of mimics what we get from meat. The savory tarts ended up being the perfect pairing for the gourmet meat. 

Cooking with Almond Flour

My childhood in France was punctuated with much fun, joy and delicious pleasures. I especially loved January, because it's the time of the year when Epiphany is celebrated with la galette des Rois, or king's cake. For those who don't know, epiphany is a Christian holiday that celebrates the Magi visiting baby Jesus. January 6th is the official day of Epiphany, but in France, we usually celebrate it on the Sunday between the 2nd and the 8th.

Thinly Sliced Baked Potatoes

After publishing my first cookbook Haute Potato (75 gourmet potato recipes) and feeding our family our favorite potato dishes for years, I thought I had come up with all of the possible ways to cook the starchy, tuberous crop. This potato recipe is an adaptation of my potato flower crisp. This variation is a little easier and quicker to prepare than the original. It's the result of improvising for a dinner party; instead of using individual servings, I laid uniformly mandoline-sliced potato slices in a pretty design on a baking pan and baked them just as you would the potato crisp. The finished product is a thinner potato layer, which might not be as visually festive but it's just as delicious.

So next time you're tempted to create the crispy potato flower but are pressed for time, opt for this quick and easy version. 

Angel Salted Caramel Chocolate Dessert Cups for Christmas

These angel dessert cups are the result of our hard work baking for this holiday season. The sweets are made of milk chocolate with salted caramel bits turned into a delicious, egg-free mousse, topped with vanilla bean-flavored cream, salted caramel sauce and an angel-shaped, crisp sugar cookie. 

The most amazing part was to see the look in Aria's eyes. She was mesmerized by the "snow" (powdered sugar) on the angel cookies; I could see a sparkle much like the stars at night, which was priceless. Hearing her laugh with delight brings so much joy to the house, you can almost hear the triumphant chorus of angels. Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

Indian-Inspired Vegetarian Wonton Appetizer Recipe

Christmas celebrations are a few days away and I've been experimenting in the kitchen with new, fun appetizers that could be served that day. Whenever I host a dinner, I try to serve dishes that reflect the multi-cultural aspect of our household. The idea behind these fusion appetizers was to use Asian wonton wrappers and fill them with flavorful Indian-inspired navratan korm, which consists of a creamy curry made of nuts and vegetables. 

Korma is usually served with naan (flat Indian bread) and can be messy if served buffet-style. So making little bite-sized pockets is a neat way to introduce someone to this dish. Once the filling is ready, the key is to ensure that the wonton is well sealed so the filling doesn't leak while frying. With a little practice it's really easy.