Baked Brie with Honey and Walnuts

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 8

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 8-ounce wheel Brie

1 egg, beaten (for glaze)

¼ cup butter

3 tablespoons honey

1½ teaspoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1 apple, sliced

1 loaf French bread, sliced

Roll out puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Place Brie in center and fold pastry around it, sealing seams. Press with fork to seal seams completely.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Transfer Brie in puff pastry to a baking sheet, seam side up. Brush pastry with egg glaze. Bake until pastry is golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

While pastry is cooling, combine butter, honey, and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until butter melts. Pour sauce on a plate. Sprinkle sauce with walnuts and rosemary. Place pastry-wrapped Brie atop sauce on plate and serve with apples and bread.

Wine Pairing: Brie and Champagne are a great match and create just the right mood for this romantic meal. My favorites are Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot, and Mumm.

French Onion Soup

Swiss Gruyère is the ideal cheese for this dish due to its distinctive earthy flavor and fine melting characteristics.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Servings: 4

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 onions, thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

½ cup dry red wine

6 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

sea salt, to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons cognac

4 sourdough bread slices, toasted

1 cup Swiss Gruyère cheese, grated

½ cup Parmesan, grated

Melt butter with oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Sauté, stirring frequently, until very tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes. 

Make Ahead: Set aside or refrigerate soup up to this step for up to one day.

Return soup to simmer before continuing. Stir in the cognac.

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into broiler-proof soup bowls. Top each with a slice of toast and grated cheeses. Broil until cheeses are melted and lightly browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Wine Pairing: You can’t go wrong pairing a fruity, slightly-chilled Beaujolais Nouveau with this rich, complex soup. Georges Duboeuf makes a very food-happy version.

Mussels Provençal Style

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 2

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 onions, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped,

plus extra to garnish

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 pound ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes)

 sea salt

 freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup dry white wine

2¼ pounds mussels, cleaned

1  loaf French bread

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, celery, garlic, basil, and bay leaf. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, until softened but not browned.

Mix in tomato paste, tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar, and ½ cup of the wine and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Put the mussels in a pot with the other ½ cup of wine. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for a few minutes only, until the mussels have opened, stirring frequently to ensure they are evenly cooked. Discard any mussels that have not opened.

Pour the hot tomato sauce over the mussels, sprinkle with chopped basil, and serve at once.

Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc pairs perfectly with mussels. Though this wine originated in the Loire Valley of France, New Zealand makes some great ones; try the Nautilus Estate from the Marlborough Region.

Lamb Roasted with Herbes de Provence with Pinot Noir Sauce

Lamb is so succulent and flavorful that all it really needs is a big glass of red wine! This recipe utilizes classic herbes de Provence and a beautiful Pinot Noir reduction sauce.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

1¼ pounds top round lamb

3 tablespoons olive oil

 sea salt

 freshly ground pepper

⅓ cup herbes de Provence

Pinot Noir Sauce

16 ounces Pinot Noir

2 tablespoons prepared demi-glace

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Demi-glace is a classic French brown sauce that is quite labor intensive to prepare. If you cannot locate it locally, substitute beef or chicken stock.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub lamb with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and press herb blend into the lamb.

Place lamb in a shallow roasting pan
and cook for 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 125 degrees for medium rare.  Prepare Pinot Noir Sauce while lamb
is roasting. Add ½ cup of the wine to skillet and deglaze over medium-high heat, scraping up any bits left on the bottom of the pan. Mix in the remaining wine, demi-glace, and butter. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

Let lamb rest 5 minutes before slicing. Arrange on serving plates, drizzle with sauce, and serve.

Wine Pairing: Serve a Pinot Noir with the roasted lamb and ratatouille, preferably the same wine that was used to make the Pinot Noir Sauce. Go with a Pommard for a classic
French version or try one of the excellent bottles from Oregon such as Castle Rock.

Provençal Vegetable Stew

This traditional French Provençal vegetable stew comes from the town of Nice and typically includes zucchini, tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, eggplant, onion, and garlic. Usually served as a side dish, it also makes a great main course served with French bread.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Servings: 4

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 eggplant, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 zucchini, chopped

6 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and quartered

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the eggplant, green pepper, and zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. The vegetables should be covered in the juices—if not, add a little water. Add salt, pepper, and herbes de Provence. Cover saucepan and let simmer on low heat for 1 hour.

Make Ahead: Ratatouille can be frozen in airtight containers for up to three months; just reheat in the microwave or on the stove.

Raspberry Mousse

Raspberry liqueur turns a creamy, classic mousse into something decidedly romantic.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Chill Time: 2 hours

Servings: 6

6 egg yolks

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon Framboise liqueur

8 ounces crème fraîche or sour cream

1½  pints fresh raspberries (or frozen, thawed)

 mint sprigs for garnish

Whisk yolks, sugar, and water in a medium-size metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk for about 4 minutes and remove from water. Beat mixture until cool and thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in Framboise. Add crème fraîche and beat just until blended. Divide mixture among six ¾-cup soufflé dishes. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Prior to serving, dip soufflé dishes briefly into hot water. Run a small knife around sides of each mousse. Wipe dishes dry. Turn out each mousse onto a chilled plate. Garnish with
raspberries and a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.  

Wine Pairing: Go back to where you began with a chilled glass of Champagne, but this time you absolutely must toss a raspberry into the glass.