Steak Marchand De Vin (Wine Merchant Steak) recipe and cookbook review: Jacques Pépin Quick & Simple

#JacquesPépin @JacquesPépin #Quick&Simple @Quick&Simple #HMHCO @HMHCO

Jacques Pépin Quick & Simple. Jacques is not overpromising with that name. The recipes are just as delicious as you’d expect from him, but they are truly quick and simple. The book is totally newbie-appropriate. Most of them are super wallet-friendly, too, with ingredients like frozen vegetables. I’m so excited to share his recipe with you for Wine Merchant Steak. I’ve made many of Jacques’ different wine merchant steaks and this one is my absolute favorite. I love the addition of the Spicy V8. It’s fantastic. I’m going to try this as a bbq sauce, for a really flavorful, sugar-free option. I just bought crab to make his crab cakes and I’ll add that in later, but it’s Valentine’s Day, and this steak is perfect!!!

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Beef, Orange and Olive Stew recipe and cookbook review: Milk Street: The New Rules

#MilkStreet @Milk Street #ChristopherKimball @ChristopherKimball #LittleBrown @LittleBrown

Do you watch Milk Street? Their book, Milk Street: Tuesday Nights, was in my top three cookbooks released last year, and now I see that it got a James Beard Award. Great pick! I try very hard not to say things like best, because my best may very well not be your best. So I will tell you why I love them, and you’ll get a better idea if it sounds like a fit for you. Flavor. They are really strong flavorists. There’s never an apologetic bite to be had. Minimalists. They really do a great job of getting where they’re going on the easiest road available. The recipes are global. For me, that’s great but also the only disappointment I have. As we travel the globe in their books, I’d like to see a little American food represented, too. We’ve got some great stuff!

They have a new book out, Milk Street: The New Rules, and it’s fantastic! Four days and 11 recipes in, and I think 3 of them are the best I’ve ever had. The lentils (I know! Lentils! Promise they’re an addictive bite!), the beef, orange, and olive stew, and the Turkish poached eggs with garlicky yogurt are the best. I said it again and although I think it sounds obnoxious, it’s sincere, and I’m leaving it there.

Jacques Pépin’s Quiche with Bacon and Cookbook review: Essential Pépin

#hmhco #jacquespepin #essentialpepin #fcdallas #worldcup #france

What a soccer weekend it’s been! FC Dallas had a killer deal on tickets this weekend as they were trying for their 300th MLS win. It was 100ºF in the hot Texas sun, but oh so worth it, as they got that 300th victory in a 3-1 game! It was a fan’s dream game with constant possession of the ball. We had too much fun. Then we woke up and watched the final World Cup game. Vive la France!

In honor of France’s victory, I thought I’d share my favorite French cookbook, Essential Pépin: More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food. Jacques’ Quiche with Bacon is fantastic, and easy peasy. Perfect, foolproof crust and gorgeous flavor. I can’t imagine a holiday brunch without it. It’s also lovely on a plain old Saturday morning with a simple green salad. A big thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for letting me share it with you! I’ll get to my review of the book afterwards, but first, that glorious quiche!

If you need more Jacques in your life, here’s my first blog post, Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul in the Kitchen. That one’s filled with photos and Jacques’ charming artwork.

Cook book club?! Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul in the Kitchen

Cook book clubs popped up in my feed. Cook book clubs?! I loved book club, and dinner club, so I was intrigued. The basic idea is that you get together with a group of friends each month. You all get the same cook book. You each pick a different recipe, and bring it to share. Everything is served at room temperature, and there’s no doubling of recipes, so it’s stress free. You rotate houses each month and the host gets to pick the title. Okay, that’s too awesome! The first month at my house. Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul in the Kitchen. I’ll make two recipes so my non-cooking foodie husband can join in on the fun.