Cheese pull? Check! Runny Egg yolk? Check! Layers of Brioche bread baked with ham and a creamy cheese sauce? Check, check! The Croque Madame is the perfect brunch dish. It is impressive to serve and relatively easy to make - I will walk you through it, step by step. I love that it can also […]
A cook's look inside Julia Child's Georgetown home
Are you curious to see what the inside of Julia Child's Georgetown home looks like? Very recently, I learned the location of Julia and Paul Child's Georgetown row house, located on the most idyllic street just one block off M street. To be honest, I had no idea that Julia Child had lived in Georgetown […]
French Fall Dinner Party Menu
The temperature dips, leaves start to fall and my dining tastes switch from outdoor BBQs and salads to warm, comforting meals served on nice tableware. The flicker of candlelight, the smell of something delicious coming from the kitchen and soft music in the air. I long for the cozy feel of a neighborhood French Bistro […]
Super Simple French Roast Chicken Recipe (Poulet Rôti)
To a French woman, a Roast Chicken, or Poulet Rôti is the culinary equivalent to a little black dress. Quick to put together, chic to serve and versatile. This super simple French Roast Chicken recipe can easily be the main course for a special Sunday lunch with friends or a Tuesday night meal for the […]
Soupe au Pistou
Soupe au Pistou - the definitive Soup of the South of France - is one of my favorites and a classic of French Riviera and Provençale Cuisine. A vegetarian soup full of hearty beans, delicious vegetables and flavorful basil. Similar to a Minestrone Soup, but without the tomato base. The perfect meal in a bowl […]
Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese Salad with amazing honey dressing
This Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese salad is UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. The beauty of the fresh figs, the soft decadence of the goat cheese, the sweetness of the honey dressing. YUM! Perhaps made even more special that fresh figs , in the North East USA, are not very easy to find. When I stumble on Fresh […]
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!
The 5 best healthy French summer salad recipes
A trip to your local farmer's market will show you - in North America everything is in season right now! Tomatoes are fragrant and juicy. Cucumbers are crisp and sweet. Peppers are crunchy and tangy. It is the best time of year to make salads - truly any single ingredient drizzled with a little olive […]
Foolproof Eggplant Lasagna
You will love this 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 […]
Le Grand Aïoli, made simple
Le Grand Aïoli. This classic dish is everything I love about summer dining in the South of France. A sophisticated take on a dipping platter with summer vegetables, seafood and a delicious homemade garlicky mayonnaise. Each individual ingredient shines beautifully and the presentation is artful yet casual. Perfect for a luxurious picnic or a long […]
Simple Tomato Burrata Salad with Basil and Orange Zest Recipe
A fresh twist on a familiar favorite - this Tomato Burrata Salad recipe with basil and orange zest is beautiful to serve and has a delicious, decadent flavor from the creamy burrata and the orange zest that will surprise and delight. Click here if you love French Summer Salads. You will enjoy this post with […]
Fresh Fennel and Tomato Salad Made Easy
Have you ever passed by a display of fennel and wondered "what ever would I do with that"? Guess what? You are not alone! A recent survey on my instagram revealed that 88% of respondents weren't sure how to slice fennel. Fennel can be an intimidating vegetable to cut into, but it is absolutely worth […]
Simple Confit Bayaldi Recipe
Remember that scene in the Disney movie Ratatouille when the food critic samples the heavenly "Ratatouille"? It is actually Chef Thomas Keller's interpretation of the classic French Riviera recipe, Confit Bayaldi, that is shown in the movie! No stranger to a Bayaldi - Le Chef used to present this recipe during his cooking competition days. […]
5 tips for a French Riviera Themed Mother's Day at home
If you have a Francophile Mom in your life, she would love to have a French Riviera themed Mother's Day. To spend an afternoon in the sun, a glass of Rosé in hand, enjoying delicious food while being pampered by the ones she loves. The French Riviera for me is more than a destination, it […]
5 lessons I learned cooking live for the first time
This past Saturday I held my very first LIVE cooking demonstration. Sure, I have been food blogging for several years now and have often shared videos of my recorded recipes on instagram or facebook stories. However, never ever have I logged in to zoom to find a "room" full of people, looking back at me […]
Simple French Riviera Spring Menu
On Saturday, April 17th I will be hosting a cooking demonstration for Alliance Française, Washington DC Chapter. (Link here to register before it is too late!) It got me thinking about all that I love to cook in spring time. After months of soups and slow-cooked meals that bring warmth and comfort in winter, in […]
Authentic Olive Tapenade
Tapenade aux olives provençal or, Authentic Provençal Olive Tapenade, is a delicious spread of olives, garlic, capers and often anchovies, that is served in the South of France. Most restaurants and market bistros will serve a small dish of tapenade accompanied with totis (Provençal for small slices of toasted baguette) or vegetable spears the moment […]
French Asparagus Recipe with a Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette
This French Asparagus with a Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette is simple and flavorful. The bright flavors of citrus and the pop of champagne pair beautifully with fresh spring Asparagus, cooked to perfection. Did I mention that it is a vegan recipe, too? Making a delightful French Asparagus side dish is much easier than you think. With […]
Simple Provençal Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese Tartines
Few things are as comforting as a rich tomato soup on a rainy day. This Simple Provençal Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese Tartines is a family favorite and gives a South of France spin to the American Classic. Adding basil pesto (or fresh basil if it is in season) to the soup at the last […]
Le Chef's Wife Essential Kitchen Tools
One of the upsides of being a Chef's wife is that, little by little, I have amassed a kitchen filled with super functional tools that I love. My husband has lovingly stocked our kitchen with professional grade tools that are practical for home cooks like me. I realized, after many messages from you, chers amis, […]
Healthy Potage aux Légumes, a Simple French Vegetable Soup
Potage aux Légumes is a French vegetable soup that has been blended until there are no visible chunks left. It can also be known as soupe passée or soupe moulinée. Similar to a creamed soup, except that there does not need to be any cream. My French Grandmother-in-law loved to serve a potage soup to […]
Celebrate Valentine's Day with a Romantic French Menu
Are you cooking at home for Valentine's Day? As a Chef's wife I have gotten used to not celebrating Valentine's Day on the actual day. Instead, Le Chef and I enjoy cooking a romantic meal together at home the day before or after Valentine's. We plan ahead for a restaurant-worthy meal that will feel special. […]
How to cook Filet Mignon
How to cook Filet Mignon like a French Chef. Filet Mignon is one of the most tender cuts of steak and when cooked properly at home feels very luxurious. Le Chef and I enjoy serving steak at home because, like with the Seared Scallops and Leeks in White Wine appetizer, the star of the show […]
Seared White Wine Scallops and Leeks Recipe
Pan Seared White Wine Diver Scallops and Leeks make for a delicious and elegant French-inspired appetizer. The sweet, buttery taste of the scallops pairs beautifully with the slight tang of leeks. This dish is super simple to make and yet is impressive to serve. Le Chef had this dish on his menu in the South […]
Healthy Freezer Meal Batch Cooking
How I cook 24 made-from-scratch meals in one hour with my healthy freezer meal batch cooking technique As a working mom with two kids I don't have a lot of time to be cooking every day. However, it is a priority for me to be able to serve healthy, tasty meals to my family. I […]
How to host an Après-Ski in your backyard
Après-Ski. The name immediately evokes a ski vacation in the French Alps. Cheeks rosy from the cold, a steaming mug of mulled wine in hand and a meal that warms you up, inside and out. Since there is very little chance that I will be skiing the French Alps this year, Le Chef and I […]
Vin Chaud au Grand Marnier Recipe
A luxurious Après-Ski drink When Le Chef was beginning his culinary career in France he used to work all summer long on his native French Riviera, an iconic tourist destination for the wealthy. In the winter, when the jet set flocked to chic ski resorts, Le Chef was employed in the epicenter of the French […]
French Themed New Year's Eve at home
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
Roasted Plum, Goat Cheese & Lemon Thyme Salad Recipe
This Roasted plum, goat cheese and lemon thyme salad recipe tastes of summer. 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 […]
Sparkling Rosemary Peach Piscine Cocktail
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 to the oversized glasses of Rosé served over ice cubes in the glamorous beach clubs of Saint-Tropez. There are many variations of […]
How to host a drive by Baby Shower
If, like me, you are pregnant and worried about having a baby shower during a pandemic, I think you will find these tips on how to host a drive by baby shower useful. After months at home with barely any contact with the outside world, having a drive by baby shower was one of the […]
How a French Riviera study exchange turned into a career in luxury hotels
By: Anina Belle Giannini Article first published on Renatahaidle.com May 26 2020 What started out as a 3 month study exchange program to the French Riviera... I was 23 years old when I arrived in Nice for my university study exchange. My expat experience began as most study abroad experiences do. I made a great […]
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 […]
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 […]
Weekend Breakfast Ritual à la Française
Le Petit-Déjeuner Weekend breakfasts while living on the French Riviera were one my favorite little luxuries. We would often enjoy a weekend breakfast ritual à la Française. Le Chef and I would take our dog, Heidi, for a long walk along The Promenade des Anglais and then sit down on a terrace to enjoy a […]
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".
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