This dish challenged my notions of what a snack of cheese should be. A sandwich of soft-ripened cheese, looking rather like Camembert, with paprika paste inside. A pepper. A halo of onions. A bay leaf and a scatter of allspice berries. And the off-putting part: a puddle of oil. It turned out to be love at first bite.
My relationship with basil is conditional. On the one hand, summer garden without basil feels incomplete, and the scent alone can stop me in my tracks. On the other hand, to say I’m deeply dissatisfied with most of the basil sold in supermarkets is the understatement of the century.
Ratatouille is one of Provence's most beloved vegetable dishes, but not all ratatouille is the same. In this version, each vegetable is grilled separately before being folded into a fresh tomato sauce. The extra step preserves the individual character of the vegetables, adding the flavor only a charcoal grill can provide.
Unlike traditional cocktail sauces made primarily with ketchup and horseradish, Marie Rose doesn't overwhelm. It's creamy, tangy and just spicy enough to pair beautifully with shellfish. My version swaps ketchup for tomato paste and adds orange zest and a splash of cognac for a little extra depth.
One of the hazards of growing zucchini is convincing the local wildlife that you’ve planted it for yourself. Last year, a rabbit sampled one of mine. Not content with a polite nibble, it removed a substantial portion of an otherwise perfect vegetable. After consuming nearly half the squash, it left me a bite shaped like a heart.
Once you move beyond the idea that dessert has to revolve around flour and sugar, berries become incredibly useful. They bring color, freshness, natural sweetness and a surprising amount of nutrition to the table. And they're one of the few fruits that fit comfortably into a low-carb lifestyle.
This Chicken Goulash Soup is proof that comfort food doesn't need to be heavy to be deeply satisfying. Inspired by a memorable bowl I enjoyed in Budapest, this Hungarian-style soup features a richly flavored paprika broth, brimming with chicken and chunky root vegetables.
At his three-Michelin-star temple just outside Lyon, legendary chef Paul Bocuse placed rustic vinegar chicken on his fine dining menu. It was a bold statement that raised eyebrows. He argued that the worth of a dish is determined by its taste, not by the cost of its ingredients or the elegance of its presentation.
Roasting is the simplest and most reliable way to bring out cauliflower’s best qualities. High heat eliminates its tendency toward blandness and sulfurous aromas, replacing them with sweetness, nuttiness and a deeply savory char.
Unlike traditional Italian ricotta, which is made from the whey left over from cheesemaking, this ricotta is made by curdling fresh goat’s milk with lemon juice. The process takes just 20 minutes and results in ricotta that is creamy, slightly tangy and subtly reminiscent of fresh chèvre.
Halloumi is usually sliced and seared to achieve crispness. But grate it, scatter it into a skillet with pistachios, olive oil and cumin seeds, and a transformation occurs. It softens. It sizzles. Then it reorganizes itself into crisp-edged, savory nuggets — not quite cheese, not quite panko, yet still offering a satisfying crunch.
Learn a classic Italian method of cooking fish in parchment. This puttanesca-style pesce al cartoccio with olives, garlic, capers and tomatoes is elegant, low carb and ready in minutes. It’s equally suited to a weeknight supper or an intimate dinner with friends.
A rustic, low-carb version of traditional Choucroute Garni from Alsace. Dry-brined ribs, smoked pork, sausages, cabbage and sauerkraut stewed with vermouth and kirsch. Cozy, hearty and deeply flavorful — a perfect celebratory supper for a crowd of all ages.
It's a myth that raw broccoli simply needs to be “marinated” long enough to become tender. These two salad recipes prove that broccoli responds beautifully to heat before it ever meets a salad dressing. Steam it or roast it first, and you’ll know exactly why it’s worth the extra effort.
It began, years ago, as a goat cheese soufflé. It was good, but it was also fussy and, thickened with flour, high in carbs. The flavors I loved most about goat cheese were muted rather than highlighted. The real turning point for the recipe came not in the kitchen, but in Europe.
January doesn’t have to mean resolutions and restrictions. For me, it’s a time to recharge and restore. I’m feeling the urge to slow down, settle in and cocoon as my focus shifts from celebrating to self-care. Clean, lighter flavors help me reset, not by denying myself, but by giving my body the kind of restoration it naturally seeks.
An aperitif should spark conversation, open the appetite, and feel festive without tipping anyone over the edge before dinner. That’s why I often turn to champagne, not as a standalone toast, but as the star of aperitifs that are bright, balanced and endlessly adaptable.
Homemade liqueurs are an elegant, low-carb way to share holiday cheer. Learn how to make sugar-free Holiday Aquavit, Triple Sec and Five-Day Limoncello with organic ingredients, thoughtful presentation, and just the right timing for gifting. Or for keeping a little yourself.
A cozy Danish-inspired supper, meatloaf steamed with vegetables and finished in a creamy parsley sauce. This heartwarming twist on a traditional “boiled dinner” captures the comfort of old-world cooking, simple, delicious, and full of love.
Almond-based cakes are common in the Mediterranean region, so I focused my search there. When I stumbled across a recipe for Torta Caprese, an Italian classic made with almond flour and dark chocolate, I knew I’d found the perfect test case for making a low carb chocolate cake.
It started with an image in an old cookbook. Pork threaded onto very fancy skewers with fleur-de-lis handles. When or where fresh bay leaves entered the picture is another mystery, but I have an equally hazy memory of pruning my bay tree one afternoon and tossing a few of the cuttings onto the barbecue to see what would happen.
Of all the so-called low carb miracles, riced cauliflower is the dish I hear the most groans about. When I first went low carb about four years ago, cauliflower rice was everywhere, billed as the perfect substitute for rice. Perfect it was not. What motivated me to conduct countless experiments with it was simply that I do love cauliflower.
This vintage family recipe for pickled green beans is fresh, crisp, and deeply nostalgic. Handed down from generations of women in my family. It uses a simple vinegar and water brine, updated with allulose for a low-carb lifestyle. They’re perfect for snacking, cocktails or charcuterie. Celebrate the quiet wisdom of generations past with every crunchy bite.
In my neighborhood, blackberry season is impossible to miss. Here, I’m surrounded by forest and back lanes that are thick with brambles. The berries are incredibly plentiful and, for me, deeply nostalgic. Every time I go picking, I think of my grandmother’s house and the glistening jars of what she preserved over the summer.
For years, I’ve wanted a low-carb crumb topping that actually behaves like a crust when broiled. Something that clings to a piece of fish or meat without falling apart. Something golden on top, with flavor that punches above its weight. Like many recipes I tinker with, this one began with a bad video. It was a soggy-looking dish, but the crust on the fish sparked a fabulous idea.
Some recipes are more than recipes. They’re small acts committed to memory, and then distilled. That’s how I feel about this vinaigrette — a simple blend of oil and vinegar that carries the scent of summer herbs, the rhythm of gardens well-tended, and a few good kitchen tricks that still make me smile. And it all comes together in a dressing with unforgettable flavor.
We had a huge cherry tree in our backyard when I was growing up. In spring, its blossoms felt almost magical, like a huge, pale pink cloud that transformed our yard for a week or two each year. When the petals dropped, it meant the cherries were coming. I’ve loved them ever since.
The Camargue is known for many things: sea salt, harvested by hand into crystals of fleur de sel, wild rice cultivated in the marshy fields, and distinctive black Camargue cattle, prized for their lean, intensely flavored meat. I like to think that my Camarguaise-Style Pot Roast channels the spirit of the place. It’s my homage to an unrealized dream of visiting there one day.
Discover three soul-warming low carb soups to see you through the end of winter: a hearty Hamburger Soup, flexible and flavorful Never Again Soup, and velvety Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Chicken. Each one is comforting, easy to make, and endlessly adaptable. Low carb, high comfort.
I love to poach cod in wine and broth, not only because it enhances the fish’s delicate flavor, but because the method itself brings out a beautifully tender, velvety texture in any sturdy white fish. It also allows the cod to soak up whatever aromatic goodness is in the broth — in this case, fennel, chervil and the warmth of tomatoes.
