sel et sucre

Author: Claire

  • Ratatouille

    ratatouille

    It feels like we are positively barreling into summer. I love watching the gardens in my neighborhood steadily grow, plants spreading out and reaching high. Of course, my focus is always on the food, and I can’t help but smile as I start to see the tangled squash vines (not in my garden, unfortunately, as I can’t bring myself to plant them again after watching them take over and then subsequently die by root disease before producing a couple years ago) and the small fruits forming behind the wilting flowers on tomato and pepper plants. In anticipation of the most prolific summer days, when the produce is cheap and overflowing, here is a great simple ratatouille recipe to make the most of some of those delicious vegetables. I’ve left eggplant out of my version here, but feel free to include it (make sure to salt the eggplant and let it sit before using), and I’ve chosen to include mushrooms instead, which are a little less traditional, because I like the meatiness they add. Oven roasting adds a little extra depth and brings out the natural sweetness of the squash and bell peppers. This stew can be a great side or vegetarian (vegan, actually!) entree. I served mine with Tuscan braised white beans – I know, mixing my Italian and my French food here, but it was a great combination.

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  • Tuscan Braised White Beans

    tuscan braised white beans

    I cook a lot of one pot meals so I often feel like my recipe collection is lacking in good sides. These Tuscan braised white beans are a simple but versatile dish that would go well alongside lots of different main dishes. The addition of olives and greens adds something a little unusual for a bean dish and helps to keep this side interesting enough to eat on its own as a snack. I kept the spicing simple with herbs de provence, but using fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano, if you have them on hand, would work equally well, if not better.

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  • Pickled Sugar Snap Peas

    pickled sugar snap peas

    Every year, I eagerly await the opening of the farmers market near me. The winter can drag on around here, those seemingly endless days when eating locally and seasonally feels impossible, when beets and greens are the best you can do. The farmers market doesn’t open until late May, but that first Sunday when I can stroll down the street (I’m lucky enough to live just a block away) and see the vendors open for business, I feel a great sense of excitement and relief. Excitement, of course, about all the fresh food and the summer season ahead of me, but also relief, as though only this truly cements that the warm weather is here to stay (until fall, at least). Although this market has great meats, cheeses, and baked goods, I always beeline first for the produce. Without a plan in mind, I was seduced by a pint of sugar snap peas, fresh from the vine and extra sweet. I knew I wanted something simple (and almost just ate them plain), to focus on the flavor of the peas themselves, and this pickle recipe was perfect. The sugar snap peas are the star of the show, their crisp sweetness complemented by the acidity of vinegar and flavored with garlic and chiles. I tasted them 24 hours after pickling and immediately regretted not having bought more sugar snap peas (I highly recommend doing the full recipe posted here – my batch was only about half). They’re the perfect little springtime snack.

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  • Giant Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Sandwich

    giant chocolate caramel ice cream sandwich

    I love cakes. Baking them, eating them, looking at photos of them. They’re extravagant and delicious. But my boyfriend prefers cookies, and it’s long been a source of tension between us. For his recent birthday, however, we came up with a compromise. An ice cream sandwich the size of a cake. All the extravagance of a cake, even layered almost like a cake, yet really just two giant cookies with ice cream. We tossed around flavors for a while before settling on chocolate and caramel, a classic combination. Baking two very large cookies was as simple as filling two cake pans; this also resulted in a denser and chewier cookie, although I imagine you could just drop the batter on two cookie sheets for thinner and more traditional cookies. The rest of the logistics were a little more difficult than expected. I made the mistake of attempting to layer the ice cream sandwich while the ice cream was freshly churned and very soft which ended up with the bottom cookie absorbing much of the ice cream. I re-filled the cookies with more ice cream after it hardened up in the freezer with better results (only to later discover the ice cream soaked cookie on the bottom with pleasant surprise). The cookies then started to crack when I was re-assembling the giant sandwich (as you can see in the photo), and that’s when I realized: making a giant ice cream sandwich is about having fun and being playful with food. Sometimes you have to try cooking something new, something fun, even though you make mistakes along the way. This has long been how I’ve felt about baking extravagant cakes, and suddenly I’m feeling that way about cookies, too.

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  • Salted Brown Butter Caramel Ice Cream

    salted brown butter caramel ice cream

    Three years ago, I pulled my parents’ dusty ice cream maker out of storage and started putting it to use. I began with simple recipes and was astounded to find just how easy it was to make delicious ice cream. I quickly graduated to custard-based recipes and discovered a whole new level of creamy richness. This recipe, however, still made me hesitate. Not only custard-based, but involving two separate batches of caramel pushed right to the edge of burning, it seemed far too complex to be worth it, especially when I could make very tasty ice cream without such a hassle. But it stayed in the back of my mind. In these past three years, I’ve become much more confident with making caramel, with making ice cream, and with my cooking in general, and finally it became clear I had to take on the challenge of this recipe. Never content to just follow the recipe, I decided to also brown the butter. Even with this extra step, I found this recipe came together fairly easily. And the resulting ice cream… unbelievably decadent, streaks of caramel in a rich caramel base with hints of nutty roasted flavors, and, of course, some salt to balance the sweetness. It was a triumph, one that made me seriously consider starting my own ice cream business, perhaps even exploring an Ice Cream Truck Rental to share these indulgent flavors with others on the go.

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  • Brownie Cookies

    brownie cookies

    Some people love brownies, and some people love cookies, but most people, myself included, love both. For all of them, these are a revelatory dessert. All of the chocolate decadence of a brownie in cookie form. The key to this magical crossover dessert is large quantities of melted chocolate and eggs which give the cookies a fudge-like texture. Simple to make and guaranteed to please, these cookies should most definitely make their way into your life. You’ll never look at brownies or cookies quite the same way again.

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  • Thai Corn Salad

    thai corn salad

    As we move into summer, I just don’t have the patience to spend a long time next to a hot stove or hot oven to cook. And I certainly don’t feel like eating anything too heavy or rich. So this easy Thai corn salad is perfect for a light lunch or as a side to a lazy summer dinner. A dressing of fresh Thai basil and cilantro along with lime, honey, and ginger perfectly complements the sweet corn that will soon flood our markets and makes this a lot more exciting than your usual corn salad. And since the salad tastes great cold, at room temperature, or even a little warm (and there’s no dairy to spoil), this is the perfect dish to bring along to a picnic. It only takes about fifteen minutes to throw together (or maybe a little bit longer if you use cooked corn rather than raw – I recommend grilling if you’re going to cook the corn), so you’ll still have a lot of time to get out and enjoy yourself.

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  • Kimchi Omelet

    kimchi omelet

    When I was younger, I could wake up and go hours without eating. In fact, the thought of eating right after waking up made me feel slightly queasy. Lately, however, this has changed drastically. These days, I often wake up to the sound of my stomach growling. I need to eat as quickly as possible so often opt for oatmeal (cooked the night before) or yogurt. But sometimes I need a change of pace, and this kimchi omelet was a perfect addition to my morning rotation. The eggs and zucchini make this wonderfully filling, while the kimchi’s flavor means spicing is effortless. And, of course, it’s quick and easy to make. I can’t resist serving this omelet with a couple slices of bacon (which I always find to be a great complement to kimchi), but it’s absolutely delicious on its own as well.

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  • Cucumber Sesame Salad

    cucumber sesame salad

    My life has been crazy lately, an absolute whirlwind of activity. All exciting events in various ways, but I’ve barely had a chance to catch my breath. As a matter of fact, I am writing this from an airport terminal as I wait to board a flight to Istanbul (where I’ll be presenting at a conference – and getting ideas for new cooking projects, of course). It can be hard, amidst a flurry of events, to keep cooking, to eat well (both in terms of health and taste). So that’s why I’m posting a simple recipe today, one you can throw together in a matter of minutes. And one that’s quite tasty, to boot. This Asian-inspired cucumber salad can work as a quick lunch (especially if served over greens) or a side and would work amazingly at a picnic. Black sesame seeds add crunch, flavor, and great visual effect. Even when your life feels overwhelming, you should find a little time for this salad.

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  • Garam Masala Cookies

    garam masala cookies

    When it comes to desserts, I much prefer the unusual to the ordinary. I’ve never been one for vanilla ice cream or chocolate chip cookies; they’re tasty, sure, but way too boring for me. Give me something complex and exciting! These garam masala cookies are definitely in line with my dessert philosophy. Yes, they’re sweet, as cookies are meant to be, but they’re also nutty from brown butter and spicy from garam masala. At first, these fragrant cookies are reminiscent of spice cookies, with the familiar flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. But then there are those less familiar notes from the other components of the garam masala. While unusual, these cookies are still thoroughly enjoyable even for less adventurous eaters and were scarfed right up when I baked them for a party. So, whether you always prefer unique desserts or usually opt for more vanilla options, these cookies are worth throwing together the next time you have a chance.

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