Tag: Cuisine

New book series in the works

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I hope your New Year is off to a good start !

Now that the Vignes et Mets seasonal editions are done, a new series is under way : Vignes et Mets Villes. The second series of the collection will be dedicated to my travel or love for cities that I have visited .

Here is a first list of editions currently under my pen :

Paris : a city that I know well, and where I arrived more than three decades ago, in which you will find a guide by arrondissement of some of my favorite restaurants and you will love them all!

Hamburg : a city that I visited as a university student, I went back recently to visit a dear friend, who welcomed me in my first visit. Yes, a longtime friendship that has lasted over the years.


Istanbul, à city that I visited for the first time in 2013, invited to speak at a conference, is one of my favorite metropolis.

Montpellier : I have been travelling to this southern French city several times a year in the last few years and have recently spent a whole month there and really got to know the locals, the cuisine, but still need to continue to explore the area, especially the vineyards!

Tunis : a city that I know well and was a frequent visitor 10 years ago, but have not gone back since the Arab Spring and the Tunisian Revolution. So as I begin my travels after COVID, I will soon be there and will report back .

Vilnius : this is the first Baltic capital that I will visit soon . I have already located some of the best restaurants and farms on the outskirts of the city and am looking forward to tasting their food and drinking their wine .

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New book out soon !

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Just in time for the Holidays : the « Vignes et Mets Automne » will be published in December .
This book is the last in the Vignes et Mets seasonal series, that started with Vignes et Mets and the four seasons, then the Vignes et Mets Hiver, Printemps, Été and now finally the Automne to complete the year with my favorite seasonal dishes, wines, cheeses…and several places, restaurant and hotels, that I recommend.

This would be a great gift for Christmas or any occasion.

Only available on Apple Books here : https://books.apple.com/fr/book/vignes-et-mets/id1604955863?l=en

Stay tuned for the next chapter !

Happy Holidays !

Belles Fêtes de fin d’année !

Frohe Festtage !

Belle Feste !

photo taken recently at the Hotel Haaïtza, La Teste de Buch (33115)

Happy Thanksgiving!

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November is a very special month for our family, as my eldest son was born right around Thanksgiving, opening the door to festivities and celebrations, as we open our Advent calendars on December 1st, which officially inaugurates the Christmas season.

How I love Thanksgiving for all the wonderful family time, cooking together, and bringing our family together around distinctly seasonal Autumn fare, loaded in taste, color and textures, in sum, food for the soul.

As I am in the process of finishing « Vignes et Mets Automne », and also in the process of planning this year’s Thanksgiving with my youngest son, here is last year’s menu, which you will find in the menu section for November :

Champagne, Foie gras, Jack O’Lanterns, Dinde farcie aux pruneaux, Gratin aux Cèpes, Sauce à la canneberge, Pumpkin pie; Vin: Domaine de la Solitude, Pessac-Leognan, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving !

C’est l’Automne!

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After a wonderful Summer, I am always happy to trade out my light, pastel, linen, cotton Summer clothes for warmer, darker clothes. And the contrast is complete : from white to black !

And so it goes with my cuisine : I switch from tomatoes and mozzarella, to leeks and potatoes, from rosé to red wines, to foie gras and a variety of cheeses…and back to butter !

Now is the time to fill your wine cellar with all the wine fairs going on in your local supermarket or caviste. Don’t forget to stock up on champagne for the Holidays !

For October, I have a nice menu for you, just in time for Fall :

Entrée : Canapés aux fruits de mers

Plat : la Caponata, risotto

Fromage : Roquefort

Vin : Bordeaux Grand réserve, 2020

You will find my recipe for La Caponata in the Fall menu section under October . I add in some Harissa and use Frutta di Capero.

Bon appétit !

Welcome to July!

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I am pleased to announce the upcoming publication of the third book in the « Vignes et Mets » series, the Spring or Printemps edition, now available for pre-order on Apple Books until the date of publication, July 10, 2022.

Still a work in progress, the Summer edition will come out just before La Rentrée in September.

And to accompany you throughout the Summer, you will find my menu for July a true delight : Oysters, Salade de la Mer, The Studio by Miraval rosé and Tonton Papas ice cream!

Happy Fourth of July 🇺🇸 and Belle Fete Nationale 🇫🇷!

Vive le mois de juin et l’Eté !

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June starts to feel like Summer, which officially begins on the day of the Summer solstice, or June 21, which is also celebrated with La Fete de la Musique , an evening of musical celebration organised by cities all across France.

But since Roland Garros/French Open is still ongoing , with the Ladies and Men’s finals being played on June 4th and 5th, this is also yet another long weekend, or pont on the French calendar, Monday being a holiday.

Then there are the French legislative elections on June 12 and 19, following the recent re-election of Emmanuel Macron, followed by June 21st, La Fete de la Musique, when Summer officially gets under way, with long evenings on the terrasse, and the vacation mood starts to settle in for Les grandes vacances .

Whether you are juilletistes or aoûtiens, you will be able to enjoy my new collection of recipes coming out soon in Vignes et Mets Printemps and the Été collections , for Spring and Summer.

The monthly recipe for June will be published on June 1st.

Eat in season , eat sustainably and support your local farmers .

Bel Été à tous !

Happy Easter!

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Easter is a wonderful holiday in France, when the schools are off and Spring flowers are starting to bloom…after a bit of light frost!

For Easter Sunday lunch, I prepare the traditional lamb. Take a look at my menu on the website : https://VignesetMets.com/menu/april/

When my children were small, I would prepare an Easter egg hunt in our garden just before breakfast. Or do Easter egg painting, like my Mother did with us. I even took them to a Pysanka workshop, to learn the art of painting Ukrainian Easter eggs.

Once the Easter egg hunt was over, we would have a nice breakfast and thereafter, either go to Easter mass, or go and visit a local park, where there would be children’s activities, games, etc. Or just walk through the gardens of a nearby château to see the flowers in bloom.

Chocolate is a must for Easter. Always remember to bring a nice box of choclates and a bouquet of flowers (tulips are my favorite!) when you are invited.

One year, we drove to Reims to visit the beautiful cathedral (1211) dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, where French kings were crowned, with its 2,300 statues, where one can admire beautiful stained glass windows, some of them dating back to the 13th century, with some more recent ones, done by Chagall in 1974.

In France we have Easter Monday, which makes for a nice long weekend, to spend at the seaside, at Le Touquet, one of my favorite seaside resorts, close enough to drive to from Paris.

One of my favorite Easter desserts is the Colomba, an Italian brioche/panettone, with candied fruits. As many Easter desserts, it is a brioche type bread using eggs, which are forbidden during Carême (40 days preceding Easter). Here is a simple Brioche recipe from my Petit Larousse de la Cuisine (1998) :

150 g de beurre (temperature ambiente)

5 g de levure de boulanger

1 c. à soupe de lait

190 g de farine

20 g de sucre semoule

3 oeufs entiers

sel

Joyeuses Fêtes de Pâques !

Happy Easter! Frohe Ostern! Buona Pasqua !

Ramadan kareem!

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Ramadan starts on April 2nd this year.

Travelling and working in the Middle East, I was privileged to have been invited to several Iftars over the years.

One of the most recent Iftars I attended was on the kind invitation of my friend, David Hammoud, president of the National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSSAC) in Washington D.C.

Here are a few photos taken at this very elegant Iftar at the Ritz Carlton hotel, May 28, 2019.

Wishing you a blessed Ramadan, dear friends.
Ramadan kareem!

Vignes et Mets Hiver

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As we slowly emerge from Winter, with Spring just a few days away, Ellen Wasylina is pleased to announce the publication of the Winter edition of the original book : Vignes et Mets Hiver .

This book opens up the new series of Vignes et Mets , which will feature a new book on each of the four seasons : Hiver, Printemps, Été and Automne.

As in the flagship book, Vignes et Mets Hiver is divided into Mets, Vins, Fromages for the months of January, February and March, followed by Mes Recettes préférées and a nice selection of traditional desserts.

To conclude, the book ends with Les Indispensables and Mes adresses préférées.

Join us on this sustainable and seasonal journey!

This book will be available on Apple Books for pre-order March 14 and for sale on April 1st, 2022.

Happy Birthday!

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In honor of my youngest son’s birthday, I would like to share his favorite dish with you : Coquillettes crème fraîche ham.

As you can see, we are a multilingual family, so some things get transformed along the way…not all French, not all English…

This is a very simple, warm, luscious dish for children, that even adults enjoy, trust me! There are never any leftovers!

Cook your coquillettes al dente.

Once you have drained them, set them aside. In that same saucepan, put it back on the burner and dollop in a good portion of crème fraiche and several slices of jambon blanc , cut in sqaures. When the ham pieces have slightly browned, add in the pasta.

Grate some parmesan cheese.

Once the crème has thickened and has softened the pasta slightly, take it off the heat and add in a good serving of parmesan and fresh ground pepper.

Serve piping hot to a birthday boy’s delight!

Joyeux anniversaire!