Food is like a beautiful woman: It is sometimes more dramatic and more appealing simply and honestly presented. You can embellish a dish to catch the eye, but it doesn’t mean that the taste will be truly satisfying.
I love bistros which may have started out as places to grab a quick meal but they suggest to me an informal, comfortable restaurant where the food is flavorful and straightforward. The cooking is familiar, like the meals you might enjoy at home, sometimes with simple recipes, but often personalized by the chef and the change of seasons. In France, we can find something for everyone at bistros. In America, steakhouses such as Morton’s, Del Friscos, Elway’s, and others often cater to replicate the best bistros. But the best food in France is still cooked at home and we have collected recipes that we like to eat (and cook).
I am often asked about my style of cooking and how I selected these recipes. It’s simple–they are the best recipes I have found. If you have a better one, please post it to me. I’ll try it before I post it, if it is better, I will take down the one I have and use yours. Usually the recipes start out on things learned in the kitchen, but also from our experiences eating all over the world. Ultimately, they cater to my personal tastes. I think it is more fun to cook what I like to eat. This is a collection of my favorites. My daughter often appreciates the simplest of recipes, as many of them do not take a lot of trouble to clean up after, which is her task after mine as the chef. But, whenever possible, we try to simplify, if it does not sacrifice taste.
I suggest that you start out by trying just one or two new recipes from this site at a time, adding them to the dishes you already feel comfortable with, especially if you are entertaining. As the recipe becomes a familiar friend, branch out with your own adaptations, adding seasonal ingredients or substituting for your favorite flairs. Out of season produce will never give you the best flavors.
I always keep some inexpensive sparkling wine and a crisp refreshing white wine in the refrigerator. Few things are better than toasting friends with some bubbly or stimulating the appetite with a Sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. Pinot noir is very versatile and should always be kept on hand along with a handful of heartier red wines. Among our favorites are the lesser known regions from France near the famous Bordeaux and Burgundy regions, which are still good values. Some of the Australian and South American wines also fit this bill of finding inexpensive hearty reds.
