It goes without saying that New Year’s Eve this year will be very different for most people. Many of us will be ringing in the New Year from home. To be honest, it is exactly how I have always loved to celebrate the holiday and this year is no exception. After the year we have…
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Easiest Lemon Cranberry Cake Ever
Cranberry cake has always been synonymous with the Holidays to me. The tart, tangy cranberries are the perfect complement to a creamy, moist cake brightened by citrus. When I couldn’t find our family’s classic Cranberry Cake recipe I begin testing recipes and played around ingredients to come up with the closest possible resemblance to our…
Best gifts for home cooks under $25
This Christmas I have vowed to give my family useful gifts. We don’t know when we will wear nice shoes or dress clothes again, but I do know that I have been spending A LOT of time in the kitchen. As a Chef’s Wife I am lucky to have some pretty cool tools in my…
Le Chef’s Mashed Potatoes
Decadent, buttery , restaurant-worthy mashed potatoes are simpler than you think to make. The other day I observed my husband (Le Chef) making his signature mashed potatoes and I was determined to write down every step to share with you all. I have had these potatoes many times over the years and their simplicity is…
Le Chef’s French Onion Soup Gratinée
I Love EVERYTHING about French Onion Soup Gratinée. The rich, comforting broth. The ooey-gooey cheese pull. The bits of crispy cheese that stick to the edge of the bowl (you know you eat those too!). I also love the warm conviviality of the dish. It is impossible not to laugh and make mmmmm sounds as…
6 Birthday Cake Baking Fails and how to fix them
It all started when I called our local cake shop to have a cake made for Valentina’s Birthday. My soon-to-be 3 year old daughter asked for a Ballerina cake and I, knowing absolutely nothing about cakes except from what I learned watching Neurotic Mom‘s instagram videos, chose the most beautiful cake with the fondant ballet…
French Lentil Soup Recipe
The French adore lentils! Judging by the way my husband’s eyes light up when I say I am making my Lentil Soup, I know I have a winner. This French Lentil Soup recipe is surprisingly easy and quick to make. 10 minutes of prep time, 45 minutes of simmering time and you have a healthy,…
Foolproof Eggplant Lasagna Recipe
Lasagna is one of my favorite dishes of all time. I can eat half a tray in one setting, easily! This foolproof eggplant lasagna recipe makes me feel a little better about eating all of the gooey, yummy cheese. I substitute the lasagna noodles for eggplant slices and the dish becomes gluten free as well….
Easy Fresh Fruit Compote Recipe
Observing Le Chef prepare breakfast one morning I realized there was a much simpler way to use overripe fruit. Fresh fruit compote! So quick to prepare and it can be done in small batches which you can easily freeze.
Roasted Plum, Goat Cheese & Lemon Thyme Salad Recipe
Long, languorous lunches outdoors is what the best summer memories are made of, in my opinion. A chilled bottle of Rosé, a crusty baguette and a dish made with care that is as lush as it is light. This is how I loved to spend my summer afternoons with Le Chef when living in the…
Sparkling Rosemary Peach Piscine Cocktail
On a recent trip to Balducci’s Food Lovers Market, the towering display of ripe peaches inspired me to make this refreshing drink. One sip of this Sparkling Rosemary Peach Piscine Cocktail immediately brings me back to beach days on the French Riviera. Legend has it that Brigitte Bardot herself coined the term “Piscine” to refer…
Les Petits Farcis Niçois (or Petits Farcis à la Provençale)
Step by step instructions to make my favorite French Riviera dish – Les Petits Farcis Nicois. Rich and hearty with fresh summer vegetables – a showstopper!
La Soupe au Pistou
La Soupe au Pistou – Provençal Summer Soup Those who follow me know that I love my soups, regardless of the season. I love making a BIG pot and portion it out to eat for the rest of the week; I then freeze the leftovers. As a working mom with a baby on the way,…
French Salade Niçoise Recipe
Here is a simple, tasty French Salade Niçoise recipe. One of my all-time favorite salads that is full of protein and with lots of good veggies. Perfect for picnics or long lunches in the sun. It is a guilt-free lunch that represents the French Riviera. With each bite I can imagine myself back in Nice,…
Easy Spring Asparagus Soup Recipe
Easy spring asparagus soup recipe. Flavorful and rich, no cream needed. 4 main ingredients: Asparagus, potatoes, onion and garlic. Bon Appétit!
Baking Baguettes for beginners
At the beginning of quarantine I learned to bake bread with Le Chef. I am almost embarrassed to say that this is the first time that we ever baked bread together, but I suppose it is one of the upsides of 2020. I made my first attempt using the recipe that my friend Julie-Anne (@eat.love.montreal…
French Easter Traditions
French Easter Traditions in the South of France France, and especially the South of France, has a strong catholic heritage and Easter weekend is not only a three but a four day public holiday. With the temperatures between the high 60s and mid 70s in April on the French Riviera, you can imagine how busy…
Introducing Le Chef’s Baby Books – A children’s book series for foodies.
Follow along on our journey to publish a children’s book series about good food and healthy eating habits with a francophile twist, bien sûr! Almost two years ago I began working on a children’s book series together with my husband and the exceptionally talented illustrator, Elena Fay. In reading bedtime stories to my daughter I…
6 Tips for Hosting a Chic French Themed New Year’s Eve Party
Read below for 6 key ingredients to add a French Chic feel to your New Year’s Eve party. Before I launched lechefswife.com I was graciously invited by the fabulous Ashleigh of @pearlslaceandgrace to write a guest post for her blog about how to host a French themed New Year’s Eve party. I was so intimidated,…
Romantic Day Date in DC
French Inspired Romantic Day Date with Le Chef in Washington, DC After the birth of our daughter, a romantic day date in DC has become our favorite way to reconnect. Around the holidays, we love going downtown in DC. With all the decorations and the chic French shops – add in a stop at Le…
How to host a Bastille Day Celebration
La Fête de la Bastille – le 14 Juillet How to host a French Riviera-style Bastille Day celebration. This year, Bastille Day falls on a Sunday so there is no better excuse to hang on to your red, white and blue decorations for a little longer and throw a French Riviera-style chic summer soirée! “Bastille…
Fête de Fiançailles – Engagement Party
My engagement party to Le Chef in the South of France and what I learnt about entertaining “à la Française”.
Prendre L’air
While living on the French Riviera “Aller prendre l’air” was a magical cure-all for so many things.
It means to go out and take in air. Such a simple concept but it was part of our every day life. The hour long lunch breaks at work always included stepping out of the office and having a coffee (espresso, of course) next to the sea.
Easy French Crêpes Recipe
My Grandmother’s Crêpes are as easy to make as 1-2-3. 1 Cup of flour, 2 cups of milk, 3 large eggs. Et Voilà!
How we met – Notre Rencontre
Twenty-three years old and in my last year of business school I went on a study exchange to a university in Nice, France. I had visited Nice while backpacking through Europe with a friend of mine and had immediately known that I wanted to go back. Only a few weeks into my exchange, the professor…
Authentic Swiss Cheese Fondue
My earliest childhood food memories are of making this Cheese Fondue, my Grandmother Pauly’s Authentic Swiss Cheese Fondue. In this exact same red pot. My grandmother was Swiss German. She grew up in Davos, one of the most beautiful little traditional Swiss villages you ever did see, nestled in the mountains near Zurich. During the…
Simple French Toast Recipe
Le Chef’s Wife Simple French Toast Recipe First published on Little Birdies Blog Like many people this year I have been at home with my kids. I am blessed with a beautiful, head-strong 3 year old daughter and a, so far, mild tempered 2 month old son. While I have LOVED all the time that…
Le Chef’s Wife Minestrone
My mom taught me to make big batches of chunky, meal-in-a-bowl soups as the ultimate healthy meal. She would make a big pot on the weekend, then eat it through the week. Now that I have children too, I have taken to freezing individual portions of this soup to pull out whenever I don’t have…
Healthy 3 Bean Turkey Chili
The first time I ever made this Healthy 3 Bean Turkey Chili I was surprised at just how easy it was. With just 10 minutes of prep time you can have a big pot of fragrant Chili bubbling away on the stove. I have tried several different types of Chili but I keep coming back…
