Red Wine-Marinated Pot Roast

This red wine-marinated pot roast is an old-fashioned recipe with ties to both Germany and France. The juniper berries and cloves are typical of a German beef roast, while the cloves and bay leaves are more typically provincial French. Joe thinks this is the most flavorful, rich way to cook a pot roast, and the herbs and seasoning make it a bit different. This is perfect for a special dinner party or a nice weekend supper.

Start the recipe one a day ahead so that the beef marinates in the red wine sauce for a good long time. Slowly braise the beef the next day with some hearty root vegetables like carrots and onions and you'll enjoy the smells wafting from the kitchen all afternoon. I bet you won't even need to call the family to dinner - they'll be sitting there waiting for it.

When we made this pot roast for Sunday night dinner, we used my great-grandma Therese (Hopfner) Detzner's cream-and-gold china. Seems a shame to just store the china in the cabinet all the time.  I'm sure my very German ancestors would have loved this German-inspired recipe, too.

Ingredients

For the Marinade

2 cups dry, medium bodied red wine (try a pinot noir, syrah/shiraz, or cabernet sauvignon)

1/2 cup carrot, cut into matchstick pieces

1/2 cup onions, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup celery, cut into matchstick pieces

2 garlic cloves, smashed

3 whole cloves, or 1 tsp ground cloves

2 bay leaves

1 tsp whole juniper berries, or 2 tbsp gin (look for juniper berries in a jar at a Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or  specialty store; keep them in the fridge or freezer for future recipes I will share with you)

For the Roast

3-4 lb nicely marbled boneless chuck, eye of round, or shoulder roast

2/3 cup olive oil
2 large yellow onions

4 large carrots

4 cloves of garlic, minced

6 large potatoes
2 cups beef broth

1/2 cup cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix together all marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Place the meat in the bowl and turn in over several times to coat it with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook (at least 4 hours, but it is best if it marinates for a whole day).

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Drain the meat, retaining the marinade. Pour 2 tbsp of oil into a dutch oven or large pot. Heat the oil, then sear the meat on all sides until well browned (a few minutes per side, including the short sides and ends). Pour the marinade over the meat, cover, and place in the oven. If you prefer to cook this on the stove, bring the marinade to a boil, then reduce heat as low as possible and allow to simmer. Cook the roast for 3 hours, turning and basting occasionally, and adding a little water if the liquid gets very thick or falls below 2" .

Near the end of this cooking time, peel the onions and carrots. Slice the onions into small wedges. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, then brown the onions on all sides. Remove them to a plate or bowl. Slice the carrots into 1" wide pieces on a bias. Heat up 2 more tbsp oil and brown them quickly on all sides. Add them to the onions.

Add the onions, carrots, and 2 of the garlic cloves to top of the meat. Do not mix the vegetables into the pot, or they will get brown and mushy. Cook for 45 minutes more.

In the last 30 minutes of the cooking time, scrub the potatoes and cut them into 2" pieces. Heat the last of the oil and add the potatoes. Brown them on all sides, then add the last two garlic cloves. Add 2 tbsp of water and cover the frying pan. Reduce the heat to low and allow the potatoes to cook slowly.

Remove the roast and set it on a carving block. Discard the cloves, berries, and bay leaves. Strain the vegetables out of the pan juices and put them into a bowl to keep warm in the oven. Pour the cooking liquid back into the pan and add the beef broth. Bring to a boil. Stir together 1/2 cup cold water and the corn starch. Slowly pour it into the broth, stirring constantly. Continue to boil until the broth becomes a thick gravy.

Serve hearty slices of the roast with the sides of vegetables and potatoes, and plenty of gravy. Dinner rolls are great for sopping up the extra sauce.

Serves 6-8.

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Heirloom Tomato Tart

Last summer, my friend Talea made me this tomato pie for lunch one day, and I loved it so much I got her recipe. It's actually a traditional recipe from the Lyons region of France, and perfect for those funny-looking heirloom tomatoes. I've been wanting to post this recipe for the last year.

Ingredients

1 single layer pie crust (we love this recipe for Murbteig pie crust, but pre-made is good and quick, too)
2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp mayonnaise
4 ounces swiss cheese, grated
1 1/2 pounds fresh Heirloom tomatoes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp fresh basil leaves, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp fine bread crumbs
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 tsp olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Oil a pie or tart pan. Place the crust in the pan and pinch the edges. If using fresh pie crust, place it in the freezer on wax paper for a few minutes before transferring it to the pan - it will hold together better.

Prick the crust all over and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until the crust is puffed and golden. Take it out of the oven and let it cool while making the pie ingredients. Turn the oven to 375 degrees.

Slice each tomato in half and squeeze out the seeds. Slice each half into 1/4" slices, and let them drain in a colander for 10 minutes (this helps prevent a soggy crust and a soupy filling). 

Stir together the mustard, mayonnaise, and oregano. Spread half of the mixture on the crust, then sprinkle on half of the cheese. Layer half the tomatoes over the cheese. Repeat with the second half of the mustard, cheese, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Stir together the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, and sprinkle over the top of the pie. Scatter the basil leaves over the crumbs, then drizzle the pie with the olive oil. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 15-20 more minutes, until the crust is browned and the pie is cooked through.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4.

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Pesto Potato Salad Nicoise

This main-dish potato salad is a delightfully different take on the ordinary summer staple. It combines the classic French nicoise salad with a creamy pesto-based dressing. Perfect for our memories of Nice, which also remind Joe of Italy.

The first time Joe was in Nice, he was there on business for a French pharmaceutical company. He didn't get to enjoy much of the seaside life until his day off. Then he went on a countryside run that skirted the Mediterranean nearly to San Remo over the Italian border, before heading back for lunch. He ordered a classic salade Niçoise, which is usually a cold composed salad of potatoes, olives, tomatoes, sardines, tuna, and green beans.

Our version is a a cool summer salad that looks pretty fancy on a platter and gives you something new to do with potato salad. I've already made it a couple of times this summer - and ate the leftovers yesterday at lunch.

Ingredients

For the pesto

3 tbsp basil leaves
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil

For the salad

2 eggs
6 medium potatoes, scrubbed
2 cups green beans, rinsed and cut in half
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 cup white onion, finely sliced
1 6-oz can tuna packed in water, drained
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
1 tbsp anchovy paste
2 tsp salt
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp lemon juice
2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 head of romaine lettuce, separated into leaves

Directions

Blend together all pesto ingredients until smooth. Stir together with the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and anchovy paste, and chill the sauce.

Boil the eggs and potatoes until the potatoes are just tender; drain and rinse with cold water. Chill, then cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks and the eggs into wedges. Place the green beans in boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes, then immerse them in cold water to stop the cooking. 

In a large bowl, stir together the potatoes, green beans, celery, onion, tuna, olives, and sauce. Place the lettuce leaves on individual plates or a large platter. Mound the salad on the lettuce, then arrange the egg and tomato wedges around the salad. 

Serves 4-6.

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Blanquette de Veau (French veal stew with white sauce)

We first had this classic French veal stew at Froggy’s Café – you know, that French place we rhapsodize about. We consulted with Julia Child on the recipe and experimented a little on our own to come up with the recipe here.

While this is technically a basic stew, it's upscale enough for a fancy dinner party. The lovely creamy sauce and tender, buttery veal are a treat for special friends. 

We’ve noticed that some classic French recipes can be rather one-note. For example, the original recipe called for cooking the veal with a carrot, celery stalk and onion, but then discarding everything. The result is the stew contains just meat, mushrooms, and the very flavorful gravy. We switched it up a bit so that we keep all the vegetables in the stew. You might want to play around with this too – but perhaps experiment on something cheaper than veal!

Ingredients

For the Bouquet Garni (Herb bundle)

3” cheesecloth square

Kitchen Twine

1 tbsp parsley leaves

2 cloves

1 bay leaf

1 tsp fresh thyme

6 black peppercorns

For the Stew

2 lbs. boneless veal shoulder, cut into 1″ chunks

2 stalks of celery cut into 1″ pieces

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup pearl onions

1.5 cups baby carrots cut in half

10 oz. of mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, white, crimini, and oyster, sliced

¼ cup sherry

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 ¹⁄₂ tbsp. flour

½ cup heavy cream

Salt and white pepper to taste

Cooked white rice, for serving

Parsley leaves, to garnish

Instructions

Wrap the herbs in the cheese cloth and tie with the twine. In a large pot, place the veal, onions, carrot, celery, broth and enough water to partially cover the food. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat, and simmer one hour. Skim off the scum as it forms. Be careful not to overcook the veal as it will turn to mush!

Add the mushrooms and sherry and cook until the vegetables are tender. Remove the meat and vegetables to a platter and keep warm; return the broth to the pot.

 In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and stir in one cup of the veal broth, stirring until smooth. Slowly stir the white sauce into the large pot, add salt and pepper to taste, and simmer gently until it is thickened. Stir in the cream. Return the meat and vegetables to the pot and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley after plating.

Serve over white rice, noodles, or alone with crusty bread.

Serves 4.

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Potatoes Gratin Savoyard

Potatoes au gratin, or scalloped potatoes, are one of my favorite ways to make spuds, because what's better than a casserole of cream, butter, cheese, and potatoes? Well, we found something even better. Yes we did.

Flipping through Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", I found this recipe for a casserole of potatoes cooked with butter, beef broth, and plenty of Swiss cheese. The flavor is astounding. It makes regular potatoes au gratin seem bland and boring.

Like always, we did our best to lighten up this recipe. I can't imagine how the French could eat like this every day without an epidemic of heart disease. Maybe French butter is healthier, or something.

Ingredients

6 cups red-skinned potatoes, sliced 1/8" thick

4 tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup grated low-fat Swiss cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup hot beef broth

Directions

Soak the potatoes in cold water for 15 minutes, to remove the sticky starch from the surface. Dry on paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 10-inch round or 9x12 square casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread half the potatoes in the dish, then dot with half the butter and cheese. Spread the rest of the potatoes on top, and add the rest of the butter and cheese.

Stir together the garlic, salt and pepper, and broth. Pour over the potatoes. 

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is slightly browned on top.

Serves 6.

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Bouillabaisse (French Fish Soup)

Bouillabaisse, we have conquered you.

Quite a few times we've said, "We should really try bouillabaisse;" then we open Julia Child's cookbook and shake our heads at the 3 pages of directions.

But my beloved F. Scott Fitzgerald mentioned bouillabaisse in his legendary novel about Americans living in the French Riveria: "The Divers went to Nice and dined on a bouillabaisse, which is a stew of rock fish and small lobsters, highly seasoned with saffron, and a bottle of cold Chablis....with the burn and chill of the spiced broth and the parching wine they talked."

 I'll never be young and rich in Nice as the Divers were in "Tender is the Night", but I can eat like them.

Basically, bouillabaisse is a quick soup of fresh leftovers from the fisherman's end of market day. They brought home what didn't sell and cut it up into the pot with some broth, tomatoes, and spices. Julia Child, and some other French cooks, make a bigger science out of it by suggesting you use 5 kinds of fish - some lean, some flaky, some firm-fleshed, and perhaps shellfish. We used fish that was on sale and that we knew we liked.

Lobster Boy wants to know what's for dinner.

Of course, Joe likes to take it up just a notch and make his own broth. This time he used vegetable scraps we'd been storing in the freezer, and the shell of a lobster we had when frozen lobster got down to $2.29 a pound last month (ridiculously cheap, right?).

By all means, make this as simple or elaborate as you want. If you're going for elaborate, do not miss the vegetable-herb sauce called rouille. It add a huge pop of flavor to a simple fish soup.

Ingredients

For the Bouillabaisse:

1 cup leeks, julienned
3 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 cup fennel, julienned
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper
6 cups fish broth, OR 4 cups chicken broth and 1 12-oz bottle clam juice
2 lbs assorted fresh fish fillets
1 1/2 cups lobster meat (or any other shellfish)
1/2 pound mussels
Salt and pepper
1 tsp saffron
 12 slices of crusty French bread

For the Rouille:

2/3 cup roasted red peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
 1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

Put the broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Add the saffron, leeks, tomatoes, orange juice, orange zest, fennel, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Add the fish and cook for 10 minutes. Add the shellfish and saffron, and cook for 5 minutes.

In a food processor or blender, combine all the rouille ingredients, except for the oil. Puree until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Strain the seafood from the soup and keep warm. Place a slice or two in each bowl, then cover with the fish broth. Arrange the fish in each soup bowl. Drizzle with the rouille before serving.

Serves 6-8.

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Fish Stuffed with Spinach and Pecans in Puff Pastry

Every year, Joe's company throws a lavish annual party in Chicago's Loop, and man do we love dressing up and eating well. This year our dinner theme was a Casino Night at the Palmer House. I've only walked through that glorious building, but in January we stayed there overnight.

Palmer House Chicago, the Great Hall

This year, I was especially excited to go to a black-tie event because Joe was planning to wear his gorgeous charcoal pinstripe suit and I had a sparkly new dress.

I look like I'm about to cry, but I'm actually trying to correct the fisheye lens effect so my face isn't bulging forward in the pic. What's up with that, iPhone?

The dinner theme was "Casino Night", and I know very little about casinos except what I saw on the movie "Rain Man". I used to play BlackJack with some friends back in the day at a nightclub, but  I didn't really remember the intricacies. By the end of the night, though, I had a huge stack of chips to trade in for raffle prizes.

I went to bed bragging that I was naturally lucky with Blackjack. In the morning, under a quick shower, I remembered that I'd started playing at the table by announcing I was a newbie, and I had some very talented people giving me advice each round. 

Oh well, at least I felt like a  million dollars. 

This recipe is similar to an entree at the fish carving station. It was a big stand-out in my mind and we knew we had to develop a similar recipe. This is actually pretty easy and looks elegant on the table (if you're not recipe-developing at 10 pm on a work night). If it makes you feel special, why not put on your prettiest dress-up clothes for dinner?

Ingredients

1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced

10 oz baby spinach, rinsed, dried, and stemmed

Salt and Pepper to taste
4 (2 1/2 to 3-ounce) white fish fillets (we used cod, but I would have used orange roughy or sole if it was on sale.)

2 tsp fish seasoning (we used Emeril's)
1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

For the Lemon Sauce

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

dash salt

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2  cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place lightly greased parchment paper in a cookie sheet.

Sprinkle the fish with the fish seasoning and let marinate in the fridge while you're making the rest of the dish.

Heat a large skillet to medium-high, then add the chopped pecans and shake them in the pan while they toast slightly and become fragrant. Set them aside. Melt the butter in the skillet, then add the garlic and spinach, salt and pepper to the pan. Toss the spinach over medium high heat 2-3 minutes, until the leaves are bright green and slightly softened. Let cool.

Sprinkle the counter or a large cutting board with flour. Place one sheet of the puff pastry on the work surface, then roll it out very thin - about 1/8" thick. Lay the pastry on the parchment paper and roll out a second sheet.

Lay the fish on the pastry sheet and cover with the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with the pecans, then add the top layer of pastry and pinch the edges together.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with 1 tablespoon of water Brush over the parchment package. Bake until the puff pastry is golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes

To make the lemon sauce, melt together the butter and olive oil and let cool. Place in a blender or food processor with the salt, lemon, wine, and  shallots; pulse until well blended. Heat the sauce in a small pot until boiling, then reduce to a simmer. Stir the water and cornstarch together, then slowly stir into the lemon sauce. Cook until the sauce is the consistency of gravy.

Remove the fish from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving with the lemon butter sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serves 4

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Stacked Crepes, Western Omelet-Style

My first crepe experience was at the Magic Pan restaurant in the brand-new Renaissance Center in Detroit, where my Grandpa Williams took us after its grand opening. I remember the world singing hallelujah that Detroit was being revitalized and the pain of having to choose just one crepe entree from the giant Magic Pan creperie.

Magic Pan had sugar lumps wrapped in paper, and my cousin Scott and I ate as many as we could without getting caught, and stuffed our pockets full on the way out the door. While my parents chatted, Scott and I dropped the sugar cubes down through the open courtyard, trying to tag a shopper. I can say this now, because the statute of limitations on that crime has now run out.

I also remember a lecture from my mom that has lasted to this day: I am physically unable to pronounce them "crapes" (which rhymes with grapes) but must always say creps, which rhymes with preps. This means I confuse a lot of Americans when I order them from a menu.

First Born developed a passion for crepes early. She loved them so much that her Aunt and Uncle gave her a crepe machine when she was about twelve. Now that she's on her own, her miniscule Chicago kitchen doesn't have room for many appliances, so we've had the benefit of unlimited crepe-making for years. If you don't have a crepe-maker, the instructions below use a little skillet.

Joe and I came up with this recipe one day while looking for something new to cook for Sunday brunch. Since crepes are such a classic French dish, we turned to Julia Child's cookbook for inspiration. After some reasonably simple directions (especially short for Julia), she went on to describe stacked crepes with fillings in between the layers - kind of like a crepe lasagna.

I adore those pretty little crepe rolls full of juicy berries and jam, and if you top them with a bit of mascarpone you'll be pretty close to heaven on a plate. But rolled crepes are a bit of work and if you're clutzy like me, they can also be messy. Crepes stacked up without any rolling tend to eliminate both problems.

This recipe is great for using up leftovers, which is why it is Western omelet (or Denver omelet) style. We had ham, peppers, onions, and a few other things to throw in the filling. Like always, use whatever makes you happy.

Ingredients

For the crepes
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter

For the filling/sauce
1 tbsp oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped mushroom
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/3 cup chopped ham
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

For the sauce
2 eggs
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp Lousiana hot sauce
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

Instructions

Add all of the crepe ingredients to the blender or food processor and pulse for 10 seconds. Put the batter in the refrigerator while preparing the other ingredients. This will let some of the bubbles rise out of the batter so your crepes are less likely to tear.

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the vegetables. Add the ham, then keep warm while making the crepes.

Heat a small non-stick pan. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and quickly swirl it until the pan is evenly covered. Slide a spatula around the edges to release them. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and then flip onto a plate.

Layer crepes with the vegetable mixture and cheese until it is as high as you like.Vigorously whisk together all sauce ingredients until it is frothy, and pour over the stack of crepes. Serve by cutting it into slices like a cake.

If you have leftover crepes, let them cool, then store them in a plastic bag in the fridge or freezer.

Serves 4-6.

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Turkey Cordon Bleu Casserole

This casserole recipe from my sister-in-law Carolyn is so quick and easy that it's perfect for using up leftover turkey and for feeding holiday houseguests. Why spend all your time in the kitchen, when there's so much fun to be had? It's so delicious that people will forget they're eating leftovers.

This is also perfect for feeding a crowd any time of year. In Iowa, where Carolyn lives, this is a staple on buffets and church hot-dish suppers. The recipe can easily be scaled up for large groups. Substitute chicken if you don't have any turkey.

Ingredients

2 cups plain croutons
2 cups turkey, cubed
2 cups ham, cubed
2 c. grated Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup (we like the low-fat, low-sodium kind)
1 c. water
1 cup finely crushed bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Butter a 2 quart casserole dish. Spread the croutons on the bottom. Add half of the turkey and ham cubes. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the meat. Then pour half of the chicken soup/water mixture over. Repeat meat, cheese, soup mixture.

Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and season with salt and pepper. Bake, covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

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Chicken Scallops in Mushroom Sauce

Here's another elegant dish with so much bold flavor that you'll have trouble believing it's low fat and healthy. Using the French technique of cutting the chicken breasts in half and quickly sauteing them on each side leaves them exceptionally tender and juicy.

We spiked the mushroom sauce with a tiny bit of vermouth, and used beef broth instead of chicken for a heartier, mellower flavor. It's so easy to impress someone with this meal, and it's amazingly quick to make. We suggest you have everything prepped and beside the stove before you start cooking. It's that fast!

This is fantastic with steamed green beans and a nice tossed salad.

Ingredients

2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
2 tbsp vermouth or dry white wine
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups fat free beef broth
1 tbsp oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups sliced white mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water

Directions

Stir together the thyme, vermouth, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth, and set it aside.

Lay a chicken breast on a cutting board and place your hand on top of it. Using a sharp knife, slice the breast through the middle from edge to edge, creating two thin fillets. Do the same with the remaining breasts.

Heat a large frying pan, then add the oil and swirl it around to coat the pan. Add half the breast fillets and saute on medium-high heat for 4 or 5 minutes, until the side is cooked but not browned. Flip them over and cook the other side. Remove them to a warm dish and cook the other half of the breast fillets. Keep them warm while going on to the next step.

Place the mushrooms in the pan and saute until they start to turn tender. Stir in the garlic. Return the chicken breasts to the pan. Pour the broth mixture over the breasts and gently stir it. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer 5 minutes.

Stir together the cornstarch and water. Pour it slowly into the sauce, stirring constantly. Keep simmering and stirring until the sauce has become a thin gravy (about 3 to 5 minutes). Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

Each 3 oz. chicken scallop with 1/4 cup sauce has 4 grams of fat and approximately 250 calories.

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Froggy's French Cafe, Highwood IL

If you head straight north from Chicago, you'll find a dozen swanky North Shore communities, and the culture-rich town of Highwood. This town has fabulous restaurants,  including the Miramar Bistro, and Del Rio restaurant, but my favorite place is Froggy's French Cafe. If I could choose the place to eat my last meal, I'd definitely eat it here.

Froggy's is upscale French food done fabulously. It was founded by Gregg Mason and Thierry Lefeuvre in 1980. They also offer catering and a bakery called The Gourmet Frog; we haven't tried the bakery yet. The cafe's wine list is stunning and the cooking gives classic French dishes - breast of duck, fricassee, sweetbreads, escargot - fresh touches like a braised celery root, turnip, and radish salad, oakleaf lettuce, and black currant coulis.

It's no exaggeration at all to say that the Chef's tasting menu, with wine pairings, was the best meal I've ever eaten. I think it was also the largest meal I've ever eaten - ten courses in total, for a birthday celebration a few years ago. We were served three cold appetizers and three hot ones; the sauteed foie gras, garlicky escargot, and marinated artichoke stood out above the rest. The three entree dishes were a salmon with red pepper sauce, lobster ravioli, and a beef dish that I can't recall. The wine pairings were perfect.

Then came port and brandy and dessert. We joked a bit that the chef should just take it back, we were full about three servings beforehand. Instead, the chef sent us an additional take-home package of hand-dipped truffles and sweets. It was all amazing.

Froggy's has always been busy every time we visit, so reservations are highly recommended. Expect a 1-2 hour wait without reservations. The decor, although a little dated, is as upscale as the food, so you might feel out of place if you come wearing jeans. However, there's a more casual feel to the front dining room and the little outdoor patio.

Froggy's French Cafe is at 306 Green Bay Rd, Highwood, IL 60040-1305.

http://www.froggysrestaurant.com/

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Cherry-Almond Clafoutis (Custard Pie)

Have I mentioned that I grew up in the heart of Michigan's fruit-growing region? Michigan is known for fantastic apples, cherries, peaches, and berries. When I was growing up in Southwestern Michigan, we celebrated a Blossomtime Festival at the beginning of summer. The priest would go out to the fields to bless the buds. There was a Glad/Peach Festival that I loved, because I grew prizewinning gladiolas in my mom's garden that beat out adult competitors every year. Bike parades, plenty of fruit stands, and summers picking in the hot sun. It was fun growing up in a small town.

One of the biggest and most famous fruit festivals in Michigan is the Traverse City Cherry Festival. Traverse City is beautiful, with just the right conditions to grow luscious crops of cherries every year. They welcome the world to all sorts of cherry-related fun at the start of the cherry season. This year, the festival starts June 29th.

This recipe celebrates cherries, too. A clafoutis is a light and sweet custard pie, similar to a flan, from the Limousin region of central France (yes, my mind is still on a European vacation!). Clafoutis (clah-foo-tee) is usually baked in a wide shallow gratin pan or skillet and cut into wedges. Since we didn't have that pan, and wanted more than thin wedges,  we cooked it in a 9x12 casserole dish. It was so quick that I whipped it up in minutes and let it cook while I dressed for a dinner party last week.

It was delicate and fabulous under the Super Moon on the longest day of summer. Oh, do I love cherries!

Ingredients

Spray oil
Flour for dusting the pan
1/2 cup raw slivered almonds
1 pound sweet black cherries, pitted (you can use frozen cherries if you thaw them and drain them)
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk (we used skim milk)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (we used dark brown sugar in the photo, because it was all we had, but light brown will give it a lighter golden color and a more delicate taste)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup crème fraîche or plain yogurt at room temperature
2 tbsp powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil and flour a 12-inch round baking dish or a 9x12 rectangle casserole dish.

Heat a small dry pan. Toast the almond slivers on medium-high heat until the almonds are golden and fragrant. Allow them to cool, then sprinkle them over the bottom of the cooking dish. Arrange the cherries over the almonds.

In a mixer bowl or food processor, whip together the eggs, milk, and almond extract. Add the sugar and flour and blend until well mixed. Pour over the cherries.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is well browned and the center is set. Cut into squares or wedges and serve at room temperature drizzled with the cream and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Serves 6-8.

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Eggplant Stuffed with Mushrooms (Aubergines Farcies Duxelles)

Julia Child's exquisite stuffed eggplant recipe can be either a main dish or served in quarters or slices as a side dish. Though Julia probably never heard of Panko bread crumbs, I am certain she would have used them if she found them.

Part of the luscious taste is the cream cheese and small amount of Swiss cheese. I'm sorry, vegans, I don't know how to make this vegetarian-friendly. The rest of you, happy aubergine-ing!

Ingredients

3 medium eggplants
1/4 cup olive oil, divided in half
1 cup minced onion
1 cup porcini mushrooms, finely chopped
2 cups white button mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tsp black truffle salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 oz cream cheese, softened (we used fat-free cream cheese)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese (we used low-fat cheese)
2 tbsp butter, melted

Directions

Cut the stem end off the eggplant and cut them in half lengthwise. Make lengthwise cuts about 1/2 inch apart, scoring the eggplants nearly to the purple peel. Sprinkle the surface with salt and lay on sheets of paper towels for 30 minutes to draw out the water and any bitterness.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spray or oil a baking sheet, then lay the eggplant halves cut side up on the sheet. Broil them 4-5 inches away from the heat for 10 or 15 minutes, until the flesh is very tender. Cut the eggplant from the skin, leaving a 1/4 inch shell on each eggplant. Coarsely chop the flesh. Turn down the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a frying pan, then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute the onion until tender and translucent. Set aside the onions and heat up another tbsp of olive oil. Saute the mushrooms until tender, then stir into the onions. Stir in the truffle salt, pepper, mustard, cream cheese, and herbs.

Lay the eggplant shells in an oiled baking sheet. Fill each eggplant with an equal amount of the mushroom mixture. Stir together the Panko crumbs and cheese, and carefully sprinkle over the tops of the eggplants. Drizzle with the melted butter. Pour 1/8 inch of water around the shells. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the stuffing is tender and bubbly, and the topping is golden brown.

Makes 3 main-dish meals, or 6-8 side dishes.
If you follow Weight Watchers, one medium eggplant half is 4 points+, counts as 2 vegetable servings, and 1 milk serving.

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