French Chocolate Mousse

This recipe—affectionately dubbed Steak Montreal—lands somewhere between Montreal smoked meat, steak frites, and steak au poivre. What ties it all together is my homemade version of the iconic Montreal steak seasoning, the brainchild of Schwartz’s Deli and the flavor backbone of the city’s bizarro pastrami. Order their towering smoked meat sandwich and you’ll get what I mean.
Montreal steak seasoning is a staple in spice aisles everywhere, but most versions miss the mark on the coarse texture and fresh grind that define the Schwartz’s original. Luckily, it’s easy (and delicious) to make at home—and you get full control over how coarse or fine you want the blend. If you have them on hand, throw in an extra teaspoon of Szechuan peppercorns for a little extra zing.



Steak Montreal

Adapted from Erin Clarkson's Recipe on Cloudy Kitchen. Vanilla bean cream puffs (Choux au Craquelin) with a strawberry rhubarb filling. 




Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Puffs (Choux au Craquelin)

"Typically, a fricassée falls somewhere between a sauté and a stew. Made by first browning chicken and then simmering it slowly in a fragrant mixture of Preserved Artichokes (Recipe Below), wine, capers, lemon, sage, and olive oil, our version is perfect for a chilly evening. We love making our own artichokes for it in the spring, when they arrive at the market in Beaune, but feel free to substitute high-quality oil-packed artichokes from your local Italian specialty shop. Serve the fricassée with hunks of hearty bread."—

Marjorie Taylor & Kendall Smith Franchini

Chicken Fricassée with Artichokes 

"Although it can be great for a big dinner party recipe, this recipe and cooking technique is my go-to when I want to make a fast but extremely rewarding meal for myself. It’s pretty hard to mess this one up: tender poached halibut with some nice greens and baby potatoes, all cooked in one pot, swimming in a lemony beurre monté. Works well with many kinds of fish and allows for a ton of experimentation adding other flavors (miso, smoked chilies, fish sauce, curry powders, spices, etc) to the butter sauce."—

Poached Fish with Potatoes, Greens, and Beurre Monté by Jonah Reider

 whatever wine you use for its cooking. It is made with either white or red wine, but the red is more characteristic. In France it is usually accompanied only by parsley potatoes; buttered green peas could be included if you wish a green vegetable. Serve it with a young, full-bodied red Burgundy, Beaujolais, or Côtes du Rhône."—

Classic Coq au Vin from Joy of Cooking

Leeks Vinaigrette by Laurie Woolever

Leftover Chicken Croquette With Marinara Sauce

Poached pears are one of the easiest and most delicious desserts you can make, and the perfect way to celebrate what I believe to be an underrated fruit. The flavor combinations are endless, but for this recipe I’m opting for white tea as the base of the poaching liquid. The pears are great on their own, or even chopped up and added into other desserts. They do pair particularly well with this super flavorful Almond Crème Anglaise, the classic French dessert sauce amped up with toasted almond flavor. Optionally, for presentation, feel free to trim the bottom of the pears so they have a flat surface to stand on. This will make for a more dramatic presentation. 

White Tea Poached Pears with Almond Crème Anglaise

Here is a Valentine's spin on a beloved French steak classic, steak au poivre. You start with coarsely ground black pepper, lots of it. If you don’t have an adjustable pepper grinder, you can grind or bash your peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, or the bottom of a heavy skillet on a cutting board, bonus points if the cutting board has one of those “juice grooves” in it, better for catching and containing stray peppercorns. After you have seasoned and seared your steak a rich pan sauce is constructed with the unlikely but very complementary addition of chocolate. Chocolate is just as great in savory applications as sweet.  In this recipe the sauce is “mounted” with a generous addition of butter as well a block of your favorite dark chocolate. 



Steak au Poivre With a Chocolate Balsamic Pan Sauce

"Legend holds that this subtly flavored, delicate custard, whose name translates literally as burned cream, originated at the University of Cambridge, in England. Indeed, nearly every individual college, whether it is Christ's College, Trinity College (where the hardened sugar cover is broken with the aid of a perfectly weighted sterling silver hammer), or King's College, lays clam to having invented it. The silken vanilla-scented custard is covered with a layer of sugar, which becomes a brittle sheet of caramel. Burning the sugar evenly can be a challenge the first time out, and though you can accomplish it with a broiler, we find that a small blowtorch specifically designed for kitchen use works best. We prefer turbinado sugar, a slightly refined sugar, for the topping, because it melts easily and forms a crisp, easily shattered cover."—

 The custards can be refrigerated for up to 2 days (cover after the first 4 hours). Pat the tops gently with paper towels before sprinkling with turbinado sugar and caramelizing.

Classic Crème Brûlée

This recipe is excerpted from "Sift" the 2025 Book of the Year in the Food52 Baking Club. Follow us 

 "This ultra-rich, two-textured cake has a secret. What is it? Well, let me tell you: the fudgy cake and mousse layer is made out of the same mix. One half of the mixture is baked, while the other is simply poured on top and left to set into a mousse. This recipe is based on a Gateau Marcel and is a bit of 2-for-1 magic. Nestled in between the layers are Sauternes-soaked raisins, though you could swap these for brandied cherries or whatever might take your fancy. Finish it off with a thick dusting of bitter cocoa powder and you have, in my opinion, the ultimate chocolate dessert."—

 Note: "If you only have a hand mixer, I recommend splitting the mixture in two and making it twice—as it’s a large amount of meringue."—

 Total: 11 hrs 2hrs – soak raisins 20 mins – make mixture 20mins halve & bake 20 mins – Remove from oven & cool 8hrs – Scatter raisins on top & pour mixture on top. Chill overnight 

 Total: 40 mins 40 mins - Demold & decorate

Secret Chocolate Cake

—in this case salmon—simply means to cook it wrapped in parchment paper. It’s an extra step, but the result is consistently moist, delicate, and astonishingly pure in flavor. The lightly seasoned fish steams in the parchment alongside par-cooked vegetables. For this recipe, I’m using turnips and seared fennel, but I often make it with parboiled potatoes and a blanched green vegetable(asparagus or green beans work well, for instance). This dish benefits greatly from a sauce, and below are two recipes that make a delightful duo and pair beautifully with the fish. It’s what I would consider a go-to healthy dinner, and even better, it’s delicious.

Salmon en Papillote with Mustard Mayonnaisse & Dill Gremolata

Homemade mustard is easy, actually. Ok, sure, it’s a multi-day process, but it’s almost all inactive time. Making mustard is so straightforward, delicious, and customizable, you’ll be wondering why people don’t do it more often. This version calls for Champagne, perfect for using up any pesky, fast-flattening bottles you may have open, but any sparkling wine or even non-sparkling wine will do. Once the mustard is finished, it can only benefit from sitting and maturing in the fridge for a couple of days before enjoying.

Champagne Mustard

This recipe is involved but not as difficult as you might expect. It's perfect for a weekend project or holiday celebration. It's also rich, tender, salty, and delicious. This technique uses no additional duck fat, relying only on the fat that renders out of the legs while cooking. Making crispy roast potatoes in that leftover fat is a must. 

Duck Confit with Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes

This time of year, this recipe is on heavy rotation in my kitchen. It uses the best and brightest of winter citrus to complement those bitter, leafy chicories that are ubiquitous during the colder months. If you’ve ever found yourself staring, clueless, at a head of radicchio, give this recipe a try. The recipe below calls for blood orange, but any seasonal winter citrus will work. Cara caras or sumos, for instance, would both be fantastic choices. As a base for your salad, the mix-in options here are limitless: toasted pecans, dried cranberries, crumbled blue cheese, leftover steak, etc. I love to use a lidded jar or deli container to mix my vinaigrettes, so I can easily shake to emulsify. 

Winter Citrus Vinaigrette

Tarte Tatin, in my mind, is a cook’s dessert. It’s endlessly riffable—and pretty forgiving to those with a tendency to eyeball in the kitchen. In this version, figs take the place of the more classic apple and the base caramel is kicked up a notch by adding blood orange and an infusion of rosemary. 

Don’t be fooled by the serving size. While you can get four appropriate slices out of this size Tarte Tatin, you’re more likely to find me eating one all by myself. To ensure an extra flaky crust, put the butter and water into the freezer for 10 or 15 minutes before assembling


Fig Tarte Tatin with Blood Orange and Rosemary

A traditional French financier is a small, rectangular almond cake that originally got its name from its resemblance to a bar of gold, and because it was often served in Parisian cafes in the French capital’s financial district. This version is baked in a tart pan and topped with sliced pears and almonds but retains all the characteristics of a classic financier. It’s primarily made with almond flour, egg whites, sugar, and a small amount of regular flour. Since it requires very little mixing, it takes almost no active cooking time. The flavors are reminiscent of marzipan, and the texture is tender, light, and buttery—the perfect cake to serve in the afternoon with coffee or tea.

Pear Financier Torte

I've always half-joked that baking terrifies me, so I only share recipes I can nail effortlessly. This clafoutis is one of those—a go-to you can use with any fruit. It's a simple French baked custard, traditionally made with cherries, but any stone fruit or berries work. Think of it as a Dutch baby's cousin. Almond extract and toasted, sliced almonds pair perfectly with the fruit, and fresh tarragon adds a lovely licorice note. Like most of my baking recipes, it's more of a flexible technique than a strict formula—feel free to adapt it!

Stone Fruit Clafoutis

Like its cousin, salade Niçoise, pan bagnat originated in Nice, France, and bears a few resemblances. Originally a humble fisherman's meal, pan bagnat was a convenient way to use leftover bread and simple ingredients like tomatoes, onions, and anchovies. (Its name translates to “bathed bread,” a reference to how the bread was traditionally moistened with olive oil and tomato juices.) Over time, it evolved to include tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and various vegetables. My personal take on this classic sandwich uses tuna cakes instead of plain tuna, adding a satisfying texture and extra layers of flavor. 

Tuna Cake Pan Bagnat

Steak au poivre, meaning "pepper steak" in French, is a classic dish celebrated for its simplicity and bold flavors. Originating in the bistro culture of France, this dish is traditionally made with filet mignon, a tender and lean cut of beef. However, my version opts for New York strip steak, a flavorful and well-marbled cut that delivers, in my opinion, a richer, more robust flavor. The true star of this dish is the rainbow peppercorn crust. Unlike traditional steak au poivre, which relies solely on black peppercorns, this recipe incorporates a vibrant blend of pink, green, white, and black peppercorns. The result is a steak that's fiery, floral, and earthy, perfectly complemented by a rich and flavorful sauce. 

Rainbow Peppercorn Steak au Poivre

“Few foods are more reflective of place than buckwheat crêpes—properly called galettes—from Brittany, France,” Liz Prueitt writes in 

. They’re traditionally served with savory ingredients, but Liz rightly recommends pairing these incredibly adaptable, gluten-free crêpes with sweet fillings, too, as our food stylist Anna Billingskog did in a recent episode of 

. (She topped hers with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.) Liz strongly suggests resting the batter overnight, or for at least 2 hours, which will help produce more tender crêpes and strip the buckwheat of its bitterness. Your well-rested batter should spread readily in the pan and be “thinner than a pancake batter and similar to heavy cream.” If it is too thick, try thinning it a splash of water or milk.

Buckwheat Crêpes From Elisabeth Prueitt

The classic tarte Tatin has been reinvented many times since its accidental creation in the late 19th century at the Hôtel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron, France. The story goes that the hotel’s owners, the Tatin sisters, Stéphanie and Caroline, came up with the dessert after botching an apple pie. Now, the tarte Tatin is adored worldwide, and includes pears, peaches, and savory vegetable versions. Here I paired the increasingly popular shallot variation of tarte Tatin with the tangy sweetness of cherries and sherry vinegar. A shave of nutty parmesan or comté at the end will have you questioning whether this is lunch or dessert. I’ll happily consider it both. 

Shallot & Cherry Tarte Tatin

Pot de creme is a simple baked custard of French origin. Made with scalded, sweetened cream and egg yolks, it transforms from liquid to luxuriously creamy solid in the oven. One of the keys to its final, spoonable and smooth consistency is to keep the custards covered in the oven. This can be done in a variety of ways—it’s easy to cover the whole tray in foil to serve as an all-purpose cover, or you can bake the custards in jars, and use the jar lids to keep each portion covered during baking. There are many reasons to love this dessert:  the short ingredient list, the simple method, not to mention it’s a perfect dessert to make ahead. After baking, the custards can be chilled for up to 5 days before serving—making it a perfect addition to a busy dinner party or celebration menu. Pot de creme can be flavored in so many ways - but this one is always a crowd pleaser. Orange and vanilla is truly one of the dreamiest flavors in the world—a perfect combination: sweet and sour orange alongside rich vanilla cream. In this pot de creme, the combination truly sings—and requires only the orange zest, which means you can save the fruit to juice for other purposes—such as your day-after-dinner party breakfast. 

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