Potato gratin

Gratin Dauphinois, a creamy Potato casserole

Gratin Dauphinois is a French dish of sliced potatoes baked in milk and/or cream, using the Gratin technique from the Dauphiné region in south-eastern France. A wonderful creamy potato casserole and side to impress your family or guests I ate the Gratin Dauphinois on my way to Colmar while staying in the Black Forest. This scalloped potato casserole dish is absolutely simple. Made with just … Continue reading Gratin Dauphinois, a creamy Potato casserole

Bouillabaisse, french fish soup

Bouillabaisse, a tasty French Fish soup

While making a stop in Marseille in October 2022, I ate this very tasty Fish soup. In France it is called Bouillabaisse and was originally the sailor’s and poor man’s food. Now it is served mostly in fine restaurants. Back then, the lesser quality fish or seafood leftovers have been boiled for a long time to elicit the full flavor of the ingredients. This kind … Continue reading Bouillabaisse, a tasty French Fish soup

St. Michel, Normandy

A Trip to Normandy, Well Worth the Wait

By Guest Author Claudia Clark. Visiting the Northern region of France known as Normandy is somewhere I had always wanted to go because my mother had been a French teacher and spent several years there as part of an exchange program while she was in college and was quite fond of the area. From the time I was a small child she showed me photos and shared her stories of the time she spent there.  Continue reading A Trip to Normandy, Well Worth the Wait

Quiche

Quiche Lorraine, a classic French-German dish

The word Quiche derives from German “Kuchen”, meaning “cake.” In the Lorraine region (now France), the mixture was made from everyday ingredients and was reduced to the bare minimum: beaten eggs with cream and a little butter. In the summer the people of Lorraine harvested Spring onions from the garden, which they chopped and enhanced the taste of the mixture. Continue reading Quiche Lorraine, a classic French-German dish

Tarte Flambée, Flammkuchen

Flammkuchen or Tarte Flambée 

Tarte flambée, as the French call it, is proof that good recipes don’t need tons of ingredients. But good ones! Tarte flambée is always on our table when we don’t really feel like cooking. This is done so quickly, that it does not require a long rise time or the cumbersome preparation of other ingredients. Continue reading Flammkuchen or Tarte Flambée 

Chamonix, France

Chamonix-MontBlanc, the highest Mountain in Western Europe

The charming French town Chamonix initially rose to international fame in 1924 as the first host of the Winter Olympics. Located in the Haute-Savoie department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France between the peaks of the Aiguilles Rouges and Aiguille du Midi. By guest author Claudia Clark Continue reading Chamonix-MontBlanc, the highest Mountain in Western Europe

Colmar, France

Colmar, the most picturesque, historic town in the Alsace

The Alsace region with all its beauty is a real place for connoisseurs, but above all, it causes tourists to be amazed. The town of Colmar, is arguably the most delightful city in France! While staying in the Black Forest, I left one morning after breakfast to drive to the French side. Colmar, the third largest city in the region, is no longer a real small town with its almost 67,000 inhabitants, but is often regarded as such due to its intimacy and its enticing small town charm. My expectations were rewarded visiting this magnificent city. Continue reading Colmar, the most picturesque, historic town in the Alsace