Julia Child’s First Meal in France – Sole Meunière

Julia Child’s Sole Meunière

Julia Child’s Sole Meunière

Sole meunière is the second course, and probably the most memorable course, Julia Child had during her first meal in France. This is a classic French dish, where sole, filets or the whole fish, is lightly floured and then pan fried with butter. The sauce is finished with capers, parsley, and fresh lemon juice. It’s very similar to this pan-fried salmon dish I made a couple weeks ago.

Here’s Julia’s description of the sole meunière served to her at Restaurant La Couronne: read more

Salmon with Lemon-Dill Butter Sauce and Capers

Salmon with Lemon-Dill Butter Sauce and Capers

Salmon with Lemon-Dill Butter Sauce and Capers, Garlic-Roasted Asparagus and Boiled New Potatoes

Sometimes you need a flavorful meal that’s quick and easy. This salmon with lemon-dill butter sauce and capers is just that! Recently, Corey and I moved from Chicago to Atlanta; while exciting, it was also exhausting.

Despite a weekend of driving across the country, unloading and unpacking boxes, and setting up a new apartment, I was determined to break in my new kitchen with a home-cooked meal. To find a quick recipe, I turned to the Splendid Table’s Weeknight Kitchen (an excellent resource for busy cooks). This delicious salmon recipe is one-pot meal that only uses 5 ingredients (not including salt and pepper). read more

Coconut-Smothered Black-Eyed Peas Curry

Coconut-Smothered Black-Eyed Peas Curry

Coconut-Smothered Black-Eyed Peas Curry with Basmati Rice and Naan

Recently, the Splendid Table podcast taught me about Blue Zones. These geographic areas contain the healthiest, longest-lived people in the world. Dan Buettner studied the cultures and diets in these places, seeking to discover their secrets. He ultimately determined that, while many factors affect health and longevity (such as community involvement and exercise), diet–particularly one rich in beans–is a primary contributor. On this basis, he recommends eating around one cup of beans a day. read more

Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Thai chicken satay is one of my absolute favorites! After grilling or broiling these strips of well-marinated chicken, the resulting dish is smoky, moist, and delicious. The peanut sauce only adds another dimension to this complex and satisfying meal.

The key to great Thai chicken satay is marinating the meat for several hours using a sweet, salty, and spicy marinade. (Spicy in the sense of flavorful, not hot.)

The marinade consists of lemongrass, shallots, garlic, red chilies, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, soy and fish sauces, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. This is quite the panoply of ingredients, but trust me, the result is worth it! read more

Korean-Style Tuna Tartare + Why I Love Food

Korean-Style Tuna Tartare

Korean-Style Tuna Tartare with Avocado and Radish Slices and Ginger Dressing

Before I talk about this fresh and vibrant Korean-style tuna tartare, I’d like to share what fuels my passion for food. The sheer pleasure of it certainly plays a part, but it’s not the heart of the matter.

People, places, cultures, and connections inspire me to seek out world cuisines. Through food, one can gain insight into another culture and share an experience with the people who live there: “Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture.” – Mark Kurlansky read more