Our favorite sandwich

So simple and yet so full of flavor and texture! Roasted chicken breasts, cut into 1" squares, tossed with mayonnaise, sour cream, celery and simple spices, and plumped between two slices of La Brea whole grain bread with a few leaves of red leaf lettuce. It's hearty, filling, and works both in lunch bags and at the table. We love it with a tomato vinaigrette salad and iced tea.

Potage Poireau

This unique and savory soup is a family favorite, passed down several generations from French cook to French cook. Piping hot broth, steamy leeks, potatoes that melt in your mouth, redolent of spices. It's a full meal in itself, great for a simple dinner or a Saturday lunch. We serve with homemade croutons, salad, a sparkling cold glass of Perrier or Chablis. (P.S. Blended well and served cold, it's viccychoise.)

Cheesecake Craving

When friends and family began asking me to bring this cheesecake to their parties, or for doggie bags after my dinner parties, I began to wonder if this was possibly my best recipe. So I make it often, for friends and neighbors who do wonderful favors for us, for holiday celebrations with family, and for our son, who has intermittent "cheesecake cravings." (It's a great lure!) Not difficult to make, but takes the better part of three hours from start to finish. It also needs an hour or two (better overnight) to chill and set. So make it on a Saturday when you don't have to rush it. I serve it plain, but superb accompaniments are sweetened whipped cream and raspberry or pineapple purée. It freezes really well, too.

Oui, Monsieur, a Croque Tartlette

This petit quelque-chose takes its cues from the classic Croque Monsieur, with layered slices of jambon (French ham) and Gruyere cheese tucked into buttery puff pastry. Once it's baked and golden, it's cut in squares, served with French rough mustard and Chablis or a nice Alsatian beer. Perfect for munching on while you watch the Sunday afternoon game, or do the crossword. It works beautifully as breakfast when you have a houseful of out-of-town guests. For breakfast, serve with freshly cut mango/orange fruit salad and steaming hot French press coffee.

A little lamb.

Mmmm. Springtime is lamb time, and the perfect entrée for a Saturday night dinner with friends. This recipe is four generations old, dating back to southern France in the early part of the 19th century. Redolent with a rich gravy formed by onions sautéed in the pan with creamy flageolets (white beans), this "gigot," as they call it in France, is a meal in itself, although I serve it with broiled half tomatoes, each topped with butter, shaved Parmagiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper, homemade breadcrumbs and a drop of extra virgin olive oil. This, and a bottle of Beaujolais, will satisfy and impress your guests, from the next door neighbors, to the new boss. Don't forget the French bread.

Early Sunday supper

“What’s for dinner?” Words I love to hear. Give me a reason to cook. It’s always about food. It’s always about making something tasty and good. Tonight we’re having a hearty and healthy soup (almost a stew) -- beef barley, filled with fresh vegetables, tender chunks of organic beef and organic barley. I let this big pot simmer for hours, until the broth becomes rich, thick and brown, filling the entire house with the aroma of spices. Perfect served with a hunk of crusty French bread, a tossed salad and a glass of Beaujolais.

A late afternoon cake break

This ultra-moist cake is the perfect decadent treat to spike up your afternoon. Filled with raisins, carrots, walnuts, cinnamon and other fresh (and mostly organic) ingredients, and topped with a smooth butter/cream cheese frosting, it's delicious by itself, or with a cup of tea or coffee, or a frosty glass of milk. Relax on the patio, or in the sun room, turn on the classical music, and feast on carrot cake and your daily crossword puzzle. What more could an afternoon want?