Food, travel and photography

Category: Chic dinner party recipes

APPLE ROSES

APPLE ROSES

This lovely dessert is easy to warm up! Although shaping the flowers is a bit tricky at first, once you’ve got the technique, you’ll finish the preparation in a breeze. You can even let your creativity take over and vary the toppings … for example, 

BLACK PUDDING SPICED WITH BANANAS & CINAMMON COOKIES

BLACK PUDDING SPICED WITH BANANAS & CINAMMON COOKIES

This dish is ideal when you don’t have much time but wish to impress your guests with an exotic unique delight. Moreover, it’s quick and easy to make. Served with a large green or mixed salad on the side, it stands as a main course 

Steamed turbot or wild-caught young turbot

Steamed turbot or wild-caught young turbot

Wild-caught turbot is a white meat lean fish and is precisely sought for its firmness and its exquisite qualities. It is quite a budget and the waste to remove after cooking is also substantial. It is rich in vitamins and proteins. Young turbots like to 

Limonana (Middle Eastern Mint Lemonade)

Limonana (Middle Eastern Mint Lemonade)

Limonana, also called Lemon & Mint Lemonade in the Middle-East, is very popular in Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Jordan. There are so many versions! It is sipped during lunch, at bars on the beach, and grabbed on the go on a hot day. I’m sharing 

New York cheese cake

New York cheese cake

I started appreciating this dessert when I was living in Philadelphia. This is now one of my favorite desserts. There are so many cheese cake recipes, all of them delicious, but more or less easy to digest… This cheese cake is absolutely delicious, but I 

Endive tarte tatin

Endive tarte tatin

Inexpensive, easy to prepare, endives are low in calories. They have diuretic and digestive properties and are rich in minerals. So, don’t ignore them and add them to your fresh produce shopping list! They are a very pleasant seasonal side dish in its various forms

Shrimp profiterole with pastis and garlic cream

Shrimp profiterole with pastis and garlic cream

This recipe is incredibly delightful!!! Profiteroles are best when baked at the last minute (at most 2 hours before serving). However, the puffs’ dough as well as the garlic cream can be prepared early.

Alicante paella

Alicante paella

For a proper storage of your Paella pan between two paella dinner parties, I advise you to rub in some olive oil with a paper towel on the inner part of your pan. That way, your pan won’t rust.

Pine nut lamb keftas, dried barberry and chili

Pine nut lamb keftas, dried barberry and chili

Sabrina Ghayour, a Persian chef, lives in the United Kingdom and is known for preparing easy, delicious and colorful recipes. Her books have become great references for Persian cooking in the past few years. I love her cooking and I was very touched by her extreme kindness 

Christmas Toffee Barbara’s way

Christmas Toffee Barbara’s way

This is Barbara’s very own special recipe for Christmas Toffee. Believe me: it’s a killer! This is perfect as a homemade treat. It was a nice and delicious experience to watch Barbara make this delicious candy.

Forbidden Black rice with Gorgonzola and Speck

Forbidden Black rice with Gorgonzola and Speck

Brigitte is an outstanding cook as well as a great photographer. I took this picture myself, but I must admit that I am not as talented as she is! Do take a look at “Popote et Fleur de Sel”, her website, and check it up 

Mushroom cappucino

Mushroom cappucino

This very tasty dish is to be prepared 24 hours in advance. My friend Isabelle is now a nutrition coach, and runs cooking workshops in Brussels. She always has great new recipes to share with me.

French Flag Cocktail

French Flag Cocktail

This cocktail will always remain the symbol for the victory of France in the world soccer championship’s final on 15th of July  2018. Happy memories of a great time shared by the French people united in joy.

Persimmon goat cheese and roasted hazelnuts salad

Persimmon goat cheese and roasted hazelnuts salad

Choose firm and crunchy fuyu persimmons for this recipe as their pulp will not be too juicy. This variety is crunch, sweet, and best for salads.Thank you, Hélène, for sharing this delicious starter. Hélène’s French recipe website is now running under the name “Minute Papillotte”. 

double chocolate French charlotte

double chocolate French charlotte

You may also moisten your ladyfingers with kirsch if you wish. If you do so, you need 1 cap of alcohol for 100 ml of water. Raspberry or other types of berry syrups are good too, according to Caroline. She just adds one layer of 

Moroccan style eggplant wraps

Moroccan style eggplant wraps

I forget who gave me this delicious recipe a long time ago but after making some changes along the way, this is my own version of this irresistible recipe! Many thanks anyways to my unknown contributor! 

Goat cheese truffles

Goat cheese truffles

Suzanne’s chives, raisins and pomegranate goat cheese truffles is an original and easy recipe that can be prepared ahead of time.

French Beurre Blanc my Way (butter sauce)

French Beurre Blanc my Way (butter sauce)

Champagne and shallots are the prime ingredients used in this recipe to flavour this butter sauce. White wine is also often used in this classic French cuisine recipe too … Don’t hesitate to try it!

Beetroot & goat cheese millefeuille

Beetroot & goat cheese millefeuille

Stylish, delicious, and festive do not necessarily mean expensive…No particular hardship for this beautiful recipe which tastes as good as it looks!

Laurene’s rice pudding

Laurene’s rice pudding

Another traditional dessert you may conveniently prepare a day in advance. In the shape of an elegant pie and presented with style on a pastry dish with fresh fruits, this Rice Pudding is a real delight. Along with fresh litchis or mandarines I just love 

Catherine’s tuna salad

Catherine’s tuna salad

On a bed of lettuce, as a tuna sandwich spread, or stuffed in a tomato this American Tuna Salad recipe is a winner in all families. You can even use it to make a delicious Tuna Melt! And if you have leftovers, it is still 

Lemongrass Scallops Skewers with Creamy Rice & Passion Fruit Sauce

Lemongrass Scallops Skewers with Creamy Rice & Passion Fruit Sauce

This is a real Chef’s recipe which I made adjustments to. I would like to address my very special thanks to the team of cuisine teachers from the Professional Cooking High School Escofier for letting me publish their recipe on my blog. You may find it on Page 25 

Karin’s crab meat and brandy o’gratin

Karin’s crab meat and brandy o’gratin

If you use light cream the dish turns out perfectly too. Karin likes to use chunks of crab rather than crumbs… As a starter this quantity is for 6 to 7 guests. As a main dish it serves 4 to 6 people.

STEPHANIE’S FRENCH CHICKEN LIVER PÂTÉ

STEPHANIE’S FRENCH CHICKEN LIVER PÂTÉ

Stéphanie, who is a great cook and who is used to organising large dinner parties, managed to convince me to make this fantastic recipe. Use one of your nice terrine dishes as it will be served on the table.

Quitterie’s homemade cheese puffs

Quitterie’s homemade cheese puffs

You’re going to love preparing this recipe! Only 20 minutes to bake and you can munch on these delicious puffs!

homemade orangettes

homemade orangettes

How to make orangettes? Buy fresh oranges and premium luxury dark chocolate, and give this easy orangette recipe a try. You’ll love it!

christine’s mango avocado and shrimp salad

christine’s mango avocado and shrimp salad

This salad is an all-time winner in our family. It is nutritious and well balanced and may well be considered a full meal in the summer. If you plan to serve it as a lighter starter, don’t use so much vinaigrette dressing and don’t use 

scallops with parma ham

scallops with parma ham

Tender, succulent, surprisingly very easy to cook, these scallops with parma ham are ready in 15 minutes. Enjoy!

creamed zucchini & pumpkin soup

creamed zucchini & pumpkin soup

Full of flavors this bicolor soup is just beautiful and delicious. Although you can use any kind of squash here. Butternut works well, I tried! 

Armelle’s scallops carpaccio

Armelle’s scallops carpaccio

This recipe was inspired from the 750gr website video on You Tube perfectly filmed and explained by the Chefs Damien and Christophe.

Rosetta’s Blueberry tiramisu

Rosetta’s Blueberry tiramisu

A friend of mine tried with a mix of red fruits, it was delicious as well.

Virginie’s pumpkin and hazelnut cod gratin

Virginie’s pumpkin and hazelnut cod gratin

Don’t hesitate to swap pumpkin for squash (red kuri squash) and to use a spicy olive oil such as the Peperoncino. I tried it too and it was perfect. I also tried with the butternut squash, but was a little disappointed : it tasted a little blend. I should have 

Shrimp ans zucchini mousse

Shrimp ans zucchini mousse

You may very well change the final touch if you have other ingredients : keep the zucchini mousse and the shrimps and top with a dash of pesto, avocado or sundried tomatoes, use cilantro or basil leaves as you wish. Served warm, at room temperature 

Avocado Beet Pear and banana smoothie

Avocado Beet Pear and banana smoothie

Valerie found this recipe on the internet. We were 8 to taste and we loved it! Julia is a French Blogger. COOKING JULIA is her blog. I’m very pleased to share her recipe in English with you.