Food, travel and photography

Category: Starters

ENDIVE AND SAGE VELOUTÉ

ENDIVE AND SAGE VELOUTÉ

I really like sage. I grow it in my garden and try to use it regularly. This dish is a creamy, light starter that awakens the taste buds. It’s quick to make with just a few ingredients and can be adapted in countless ways. I 

THE LEBANESE LEMON LENTIL SOUP

THE LEBANESE LEMON LENTIL SOUP

I fell in love with Lebanese cuisine over 15 years ago in Brussels. It’s delicious, endlessly varied, fragrant, colorful, and festive. This vegetarian soup is a delight—I tasted it at my friend Roua’s, who kindly shared the recipe with me.

MONKFISH TERRINE

MONKFISH TERRINE

It was during a very pleasant evening many years ago that I tasted this delicious dish, and I have Eliane to thank for the recipe.

Vichyssoise Soup

Vichyssoise Soup

I rediscovered this American starter recipe in London. This delicious soup may be served chilled as well as hot! For the record, this very simple recipe (an inspiration from our French Potage Bonne Femme) was added to the Ritz-Carlton restaurant menu between WWI and WWII. 

ORANGE GLAZED LEEKS, DILL LABNEH

ORANGE GLAZED LEEKS, DILL LABNEH

This starter is quite unique and can easily be prepared in 2 steps. I found it in the February 2024 issue of Saveurs a French magazine. It was created by Audrey Cosson who is a culinary author and designer. Her recipes usually enable interchanging its 

CHORIZO AND RICOTTA PINWHEELS

CHORIZO AND RICOTTA PINWHEELS

Prepared in no time, you can even adapt this recipe with a variety of different flavors, these bites are always a great hit! This recipe is an inspiration of Zoé de Las Cases’s published in the French Figaro Magazine Cuisine as a spotlight for country 

RED PEPPERS WITH GENUINE HALLOUMI AND CHOPPED CHERRY TOMATOES TOPPING

RED PEPPERS WITH GENUINE HALLOUMI AND CHOPPED CHERRY TOMATOES TOPPING

Halloumi cheese originates from Cyprus, it is white, it is quite stiff, and strangely makes your teeth grind. I love it! It is made of goat and ewe milk. I like to have it sliced and grilled, often with grilled vegetables, salad, olives, citrus fruits, 

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 

FRESH BEETROOT, COCONUT MILK, GINGER & LIME SOUP

FRESH BEETROOT, COCONUT MILK, GINGER & LIME SOUP

My friend Karin has a gift for introducing me to fanciful and delicious recipes. I love it! This velouté releases all its flavours once it has been mixed. It’s easy to warm up and to freeze as well.

Red mullet escabeche

Red mullet escabeche

Thank you, Mary for your recipe ! Escabèche is a delicious marinade made of olive oil, garlic and vinegar. It is also used to marinate sea bass fillets. In Cuba, they use it for swordfish too. Another pleasant option is to add the juice of 

Mint & goat cheese tart with vegetables

Mint & goat cheese tart with vegetables

This recipe is another version of my Mint and Goat Cheese Pie. With its minty flavor with the vegies, it’s a pleasant summer meal in its own.

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.

Avocado Féroce

Avocado Féroce

This exotic dish from the French West Indies is essential to the traditional culinary experience when traveling around the Islands. It’s made of salted cod fish, avocado, and cassava flour.

Beef bo būn

Beef bo būn

This Asian dish is a rice vermicelli and stir-fried beef mixed salad with optional pork spring rolls. Be ready to provide chopsticks to your guests.

Sweet potato and red pepper thaï soup

Sweet potato and red pepper thaï soup

Teresa, who is a pharmacist as well as a nutritionist, has a fascinating and wonderful personality. She is the generous-type and I do thank her for sharing this recipe with us. I love the way she cooks: it is simple, tasty and always healthy. Teresa 

Niçoise-style salad by Laurent

Niçoise-style salad by Laurent

For your perfect information, or for the Salade Niçoise purists, this is what I have gathered: the authentic Salade Niçoise does not use vinegar, nor lettuce, never tuna with anchovies, but one or the other. Only raw vegetables that are in season are used, and 

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.

Tomato and olive pie

Tomato and olive pie

Use cherry tomatoes for this recipe. The result is stunning whether served warm or cold.

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”. 

Watercress velouté

Watercress velouté

This recipe is simple, savoury and doesn’t take much time. You may select any type of watercress, they all work! Be careful: watercress leaves are fragile so use them quickly once you’ve purchased them.

My pumpkin soup

My pumpkin soup

This rich and creamy soup is ideal to face the winter weather and replenish with plenty vitamins.

Alexandra’s healthy soup

Alexandra’s healthy soup

This is a genuine healthy soup: made with leeks, garlic, and onions for the pre-biotics (high in fibers), and with kale known to be high in nutrients and anti-oxydants (carotenoids, flavonoids, glucosinolates, calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin C, K …) I love it and I 

Apple and red cabbage velouté

Apple and red cabbage velouté

Apparently, cooking red cabbage is not very popular. That is quite unfortunate because this vegetable is not only delicious, but it also contains excellent nutrients and can be stored in the refrigerator for days… Thank you, Stéphanie, for sharing your red cabbage velouté recipe. 

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! 

Perfect soft-boiled eggs

Perfect soft-boiled eggs

Here are some useful tips to make your soft-boiled eggs: -Eggs should be extra fresh; here is how you check on their freshness: dip the eggs in cold water. The perfect egg for the soft-boiled recipe is the one that remains at the bottom of 

Melitzanosalata

Melitzanosalata

It’s a light eggplant caviar easy to make. Paloma who gave me Mania’s recipe says that this eggplant caviar will become light and foamy as would a mayonnaise when you mix it properly. Adjust with olive oil to your taste accordingly.

Radicchio citrus and burrata salad

Radicchio citrus and burrata salad

When I discovered this cute, tempting salad at my favorite vegetable market, I had to go on the internet to look for a recipe. And I found Magali the founder of Quatre Saisons au Jardin website who authorized the publication of her recipe on my 

Parmesan tartlets with red onion & comté cheese

Parmesan tartlets with red onion & comté cheese

My special thanks to the famous French baker, Gontran Cherrier, for letting me share his delicious recipe with you.

Green pea salad

Green pea salad

Yes, you did read correctly: when in season, the green peas are raw from your vegetable garden or fresh from the market, or when not in season use the frozen ones. One day, I forgot to add the bacon, another day my friend Bertille did 

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!

Cullen Skink

Cullen Skink

Cullen is a small town in Northeast Scotland and the home of one of Scotland’s most famous dishes, Cullen Skink. It is a hardy soup and traditionally made with Finnan haddock (smoked haddock), potatoes, and leeks. It may be served with nice and thick buttered 

Christine’s ginger salad

Christine’s ginger salad

Christine likes it with more ginger, but Caroline and I found the ginger quantity used sufficient. It will be up to you to adapt to your taste. Ginger root is a fabulous antioxidant. When raw it is a great source of manganese and copper. The 

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!