Fall in love with France, one recipe at a time.

A weekly recipes letter for those who love French food in all its glory.

A Taste of Paris in 45 Minutes — The Effortless French Three-Course Menu

Because French cuisine isn’t about spending hours in the kitchen — it’s about savoring every moment at the table.

There’s a particular kind of evening in Paris when the light softens over the rooftops, and the clatter of plates and laughter spills out from open windows.

Someone’s making dinner — not a grand feast, but something quick and beautiful. The scent of garlic mingles with lemon zest, the wine breathes on the table, and the city hums outside like a heartbeat.

That’s the kind of dinner we’re making tonight. The kind that doesn’t demand perfection, only pleasure. The kind that turns an ordinary weekday into a small celebration of flavor and warmth.

French cooking isn’t about complication; it’s about balance — a drizzle of honey here, a touch of cream there, a handful of herbs to turn the simplest ingredients into poetry. So here it is: a three-course meal that takes less than an hour but tastes as if you’ve been tending it all day.

Total cooking time:

 ~45 minutes

Starter

Salade de Chèvre Chaud

(Warm Goat Cheese on Toast with Honey, Thyme & Walnuts)

Ingredients (for 4)

• 1 small baguette, sliced into 8 rounds

• 200 g (7 oz) goat cheese log

• 2 tbsp runny honey

• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried)

• 100 g (3½ oz) mixed greens (mâche or baby spinach)

• 40 g (1½ oz) walnuts, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp red wine vinegar

• Sea salt & black pepper

Method

1. Preheat your oven grill (broiler).

2. Place baguette slices on a tray, top with goat cheese, drizzle with honey, sprinkle thyme.

3. Grill for 3–5 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

4. Toss greens with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

5. Arrange on plates, scatter walnuts, and crown each with the warm toasts.

Wine pairing: A crisp Sancerre blanc or Pouilly-Fumé, bright enough to slice through the creamy cheese.

Main Course

Filet de Saumon à la Crème de Citron et Aneth

(Pan-Seared Salmon with Lemon-Dill Cream, Green Asparagus & Baby Potatoes)

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets (150 g / 5 oz each)

• 1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp olive oil

• 200 ml (¾ cup) crème fraîche or heavy cream

• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

• 500 g (1 lb) green asparagus, trimmed

• 600 g (1¼ lb) baby potatoes

• Sea salt & black pepper

Method

1. Boil potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes; drain.

2. Steam or blanch asparagus for 5 minutes until tender-crisp.

3. In a skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high. Season salmon; sear 4–5 minutes skin-side down, then 2–3 minutes on the other side. Remove.

4. Add cream, lemon juice, zest, and dill to the same pan; simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.

5. Return salmon briefly to warm through, spoon sauce over. Serve with asparagus and potatoes.

Wine pairing: A rounded Burgundy Chardonnay or floral Côtes du Rhône blanc.

Dessert

Mousse au Chocolat Express
(Quick Chocolate Mousse with Sea Salt & Vanilla Cream)

Ingredients

• 200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate (70%)

• 300 ml (1¼ cups) heavy cream, cold

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• A pinch of sea salt

• Optional: extra whipped cream & chocolate shavings

Method

1. Melt chocolate gently over simmering water; cool slightly.

2. Whip the cream with vanilla until soft peaks form.

3. Fold chocolate into the cream with a spatula until smooth. Add sea salt.

4. Spoon into glasses and chill 20–30 minutes.

5. Serve with a cloud of whipped cream and a few chocolate curls.

Wine pairing: Maury doux or Banyuls, France’s velvety answer to Port.

Recipe Articles

Ripe figs bring an indecent beauty to any dessert, especially when nestled in a buttery tart shell and finished with thyme-infused honey.

Begin by lining your tart tin with pâte brisée, sprinkling ground almonds just over the base.

Blend an egg, a touch of crème fraîche, honey, and a pinch of salt, then pour the mixture over the pastry.

Arrange freshly halved figs, cut sides glistening, and bake at 180°C for about thirty-five minutes.

Just before serving, add a final drizzle of golden honey and scatter fresh thyme leaves for a fragrant finish.

Pair the tart with a chilled Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise or an opulent Sauternes to enhance the fig’s sweetness.

Enjoy it warm, savoring the taste of late summer in every bite.

In Normandy, patience transforms into taste with teurgoule, the region’s beloved cinnamon rice pudding.

This rustic dessert is humble yet cherished, baked slowly for hours until it thickens and caramelizes at the edges.

Made simply with milk, rice, sugar, and a generous shake of cinnamon, teurgoule is a dish steeped in tradition and family lore—no eggs or flourishes required.

The name comes from the old Norman for “twist mouth,” a tribute to cinnamon’s spicy surprise when it first arrived on local tables.

As the pudding bakes, its aroma weaves through farmhouse kitchens, waiting until dusk to reveal its golden, crackled top and creamy center.

Simple, soulful, and memorable—teurgoule is Normandy’s taste of home, best served warm, ideally with apple-based Pommeau or a pot of black tea beside the fire.

And so…

A good French dinner doesn’t need grandeur — only soul. The sound of a spoon against porcelain, the scent of thyme and butter, the smile that lingers after dessert.

When you cook like this — simply, joyfully, and without rush — you taste not just the food, but the spirit of France itself.

Et voilà. Dinner is served.

Bon appétit

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