By Our French Chef en Residence, Claire Tuffereau
“I am a wife, a mother and a grandmother; I am a gardener, a watercolorist and a teacher, but cooking runs my life, brightens my days, cements my relationships, and heals me mentally and physically.
“It all started with my parents and how food was at the center of our family life. When I remember my father and mother, he is in his country garden, painstakingly weeding away, and she is standing in front of the stove, concocting something magical out of the fresh produce he brought home at the end of the week. With this, and without words, they taught me love, respect, and how to care for others. They gave me happiness. If I am an inveterate optimist, I owe it in part to food, its smells, its colors, and its ability to dig deep inside my brain for adventurous and fearless creativity.
“If one day my life needs a summary, this is it:
“She loved, therefore she cooked.”
—Claire Tuffereau
We are delighted to post one of Claire’s recipes each month for you to prepare and enjoy—bon appétit!
Jackdaw Journeys French Recipes
THE LATEST RECIPES FROM IN HOUSE CHEF CLAIRE TUFFEREAU
Pots De Crème: A European Dessert to Delight
Many believe the French were the inventors of the dessert we know today as Pots de Crème, while others give credit to the English. Let’s look into the history of these tiny cups and you can cast your vote. History As members of the British nobility began importing...
LET IT BE SIMPLE! Citrus popovers
Popovers are the simplest breads to make. They don’t require kneading and they don’t necessitate a long rising period. Moreover, their ingredients are so common that you probably have them on hand at all times in your fridge and your pantry. They can be eaten for...
January is for Soups
...And all kinds of other sweet vegetables. What is January without a piping hot roasted butternut squash soup? First, its color is gorgeous, and the smell, ah the smell! This soup is sweet without any added sugar and creamy without any added cream. It is like...
‘Tis The Season! Cranberry-Walnut Bread
What is more comforting than the aroma of a warm cranberry bread just coming out of the oven when it is blistery outside and a thin layer of icy snow outlines the branches of the pine trees at the edge of the garden?
Back Into The Cold
First frost, first snow, first ice. My last flowers: black-eyed Susan, mums, roses, and my insanely fragrant sweet alyssum, which had valiantly resisted up to now, finally gave up
