Paris: Settling In

Enter to win a collection of food items from France, selected by Sandy, along with Around my French Table cookbook by Dorie Greenspan. To enter the sweepstakes, go to http://bit.ly/YGrDyy. Follow Sandy in France on Twitter to keep updated on new goodies for the prize package.

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

This year, we considered going on vacation to somewhere new, but we decided on Paris instead. There’s a lot to be said for a place where you’ve already been to the great museums, seen most of the major sites, are familiar with the food, and can navigate the transportation system.

Then you can go out or not. Eat out or not. There’s no pressure to DO; you can just relax.

Of course there’s more to the appeal of Paris than familiarity. Each time we visit, I fall in love with the place, all over again. And you can never have been to the museums enough times to pass them by on each succeeding visit.

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Garlic Butter Rice

Enter to win a collection of food items from France, selected by Sandy, along with Around my French Table cookbook by Dorie Greenspan. To enter the sweepstakes, go to http://bit.ly/YGrDyy. Follow Sandy in France on Twitter to keep updated on new goodies for the prize package.

By Marilyn Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

I’ve always believed the first bite of every dish is the best bite. That’s why Andrew and I often skip the entrée at a restaurant and order appetizers and small plates only.

In fact, even when sharing an entrée, it’s a challenge for us to finish. It’s no wonder I’ve been enjoying the premiere season of Tony Bourdain’s show, The Taste ... a show about hooking people in a bite.

During our 12 days in Japan, we ate lots of delicious food, much of which, like nigiri zushi (hand-formed sushi), is designed to be a bite or two. But I came across a dish that was so good that the first bite took my breath away, and it got better as I finished the very last grain in my bowl. It made me wonder how I would survive without knowing how to make it at home.

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In Love with Meyer Lemons

Enter to win a collection of food items from France, selected by Sandy, along with Around my French Table cookbook by Dorie Greenspan. To enter the sweepstakes, go to http://bit.ly/YGrDyy. Follow Sandy in France on Twitter to keep updated on new goodies for the prize package.

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

Whether it’s the color, the floral scent or the memories of lemonade on hot days that it brings to mind, Meyer lemons are always the fruit that makes me smile widest. Yes, they’re basically just fancy, sweet lemons, but because of that, they’re so much more interesting and attractive.

I definitely never shy away from regular lemons in cooking, and for good reason: their bracing, strong acidity is needed in heavy dishes, both savory and sweet, to cut through the richness. But when Meyer lemons pop up, I like to use them in applications where their sweet, very noticeably floral notes come through clear and bright.

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Almost Tomato Time

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

As the weather warms up and the days grow longer, I begin to anticipate tomato season. I’ll revel in the first good tomatoes, sweet and flavorful, drizzled with a good olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. But as the season progresses, we’ll all be challenged to be more inventive.

Some tomato recipes call for peeling and seeding the tomatoes. Tomato skin can have a plastic mouthfeel so it’s luxurious to eat it when the skin is removed and all you get is the juicy flesh. Seeding rids the tomato of the pesky seeds and when you take out the seed sacs, you also eliminate the extra moisture, ensuring that your tomato dish will not be watery.

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Very Berry Fruit Salad

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

While it’s still a bit blustery around here, we have glimmers of warm sun and temperatures. Just this past weekend, I noticed all of the buds struggling to get some attention and warmth.

My hydrangea plants are already budding and my addiction to tulips is unparalleled this year with a plant or vase of them in practically every room. So if spring hasn’t arrived just yet outdoors, at least I’m getting a dose of it indoors.

I can’t wait for the farmers’ market to open in Pennsylvania, with all of the fresh herbs, produce, plants and fruits that will be laden on every farmer’s table. I haven’t had a fruit-full year in terms of eating enough fruit. So in an effort to jump-start my intake, I made a fruit salad this past weekend for company, to round out my brunch of eggs, bacon, and breads.

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