A Delicious French Stew for a Paris Dinner with Friends

A few days ago, we invited two of my husband’s college students, who are brothers, to come for a home-cooked meal while they were in Paris. Then we learned that their parents were also in town, so we quickly extended the invitation. I had already planned the menu, and had chosen a veal stew with tomatoes and white beans to anchor the meal, a dish that could easily serve six.

In the City of Light, I entertain like my French friends, applying the “cook some, buy some” philosophy. I put most of my effort into the main course and sides, and purchase the rest. For openers, I bought two kinds of olives at a neighboring Sunday marché, and from a local Italian deli I purchased freshly made hummus that I garnished with toasted baguette slices and cherry tomatoes. After the main course, cheeses from a fromagerie were served with Medjool dates, clementines, and thin, crisp nut crackers. For the sweet ending, a tray of pastries–lemon tarts, chocolate ganache sablés, sleek hazelnut and chocolate bars, coconut and pineapple domes—from a near-by patisserie completed the menu.

The Provençal-style veal, tomato, and white bean stew, simmered slowly in wine and Continue reading

Riding Out the Storm with a French Classic—Cassoulet

Cassoulet Rapide 1By Wednesday last week everyone in our small New England town was talking about the big storm! The first I heard of it was at my ophthalmologist’s office where the nurses were all abuzz about the weekend weather forecast. I didn’t pay much attention since predictions here are so often incorrect, but as the day went on, and one television weather reporter after another promised that the upcoming event was going to be historic, I got nervous. Like most of Amherst it seems, I trekked to the market to stock up on food.

On the way there, I decided that I’d try a new recipe—a short version of cassoulet, that classic casserole of beans, sausages, meats, and poultry celebrated in southwestern France. Typically, cassoulet takes several days to make. The beans are prepared at one session, the duck, meats, and sausages at others. I had a recipe, however, for a quick version that my friend, Jacques Ableman, had shared with me when I was in Amsterdam recently. Continue reading

Braised Pork Chops with Fennel and White Beans

Rosemary-rubbed pork chops cooked with fennel in an aromatic mixture of broth, wine, and garlic, and enriched with an addition of cannellini beans make an irresistible main course for cool, crisp autumn evenings. Serve this robust entree with mashed potatoes or buttered noodles. Add a baby romaine salad and a basket of warm crusty peasant bread to round out the menu. Continue reading