There are a lot of fun things to do al fresco, although some things, which we might have done in our college years, may seem less appropriate now. But, who knows, after trying this salad with a cold, crisp… Read More ›
Classic French Dishes
French Bread – The Classic Baguette
The French arguably have the best cuisine in the world. They may well be the best wine producers and everyone agrees that they are the most prolific producer of fine cheeses. They are also a little quirky. For example, if… Read More ›
Back to the French Classics – Pain Perdu or French Toast
Sometimes we call something by a certain name for so long that we really forget what it is all about and the name bears no resemblance to the real thing. For example, I call my wife “sweetheart”. French toast is… Read More ›
Steak Au Poivre – The Classic French Recipe
This is the eighth in our series of French classics. We will do 12 in total and then move to Italia. Previous posts were: Tarte Tatin Beef Bourguignon Coquilles St. Jacques Gratin Dauphinois French Onion S Coq Au Vin Pommes… Read More ›
Pommes Anna – A French Classic from the Time of Napoleon III
Earlier in our tour of French classics, we did a famous potato dish called Gratin Dauphinois. This famous dish is made with potatoes, cheese and, of course, butter. Possibly an even more famous French potato dish is Pommes Anna, which… Read More ›
Classic Coq Au Vin
The French – love ‘em or hate ‘em – are very cool. They use wine in everything – and why not – they are still the best producer of quality wines in the world. They have also somehow convinced us… Read More ›
Classic French Onion Soup
Bravado cooking is about a number of things, one of which is a respect for the great classic dishes. There is a reason why we have classics – because they are dependably good. I was reminded of this a few… Read More ›
Gratin Dauphinois
We continue our series on French classics with this famous potato dish. As with most of the French classics, you can find a good recipe for Gratin Dauphinois (pronounced gra-tan’ doe-fee-nwa’) in Julia Child’s “The Art of French Cooking” (p…. Read More ›
Beef Bourguignon – Another French Classic
What started as peasant fare made with inexpensive cuts of beef that were braised all day long in local red wine has become one of the most famous dishes in the world. Beef Bourguignon was first made in the Dark… Read More ›
Coquilles St. Jacques
Bravado Cooking is about cooking with flair and élan – converting the preparation of a dish into a “food event” that your guests will remember. Sass and swagger are words we like. Bravado Cooking is also about making things from… Read More ›
The Classic Tarte Tatin
Bravado cooking is about many things – making things from scratch, taking whatever time is required because your guests really are important, finding ways to drink good wine while you cook and – the subject of this post – showing… Read More ›
Pâte Brisée – The One-Handed Pie Crust
Late one night – about 1:00AM – I was awakened by an urgent knock at the door of my hotel room. It was Bob in only his Jockey shorts. He claimed he took the wrong turn coming out of the… Read More ›