Onion Bhaji

This Onion Bhaji recipe comes from a wonderful chef and talented photographer from London. Her name is Dimple and she has a vegetarian FaceBook page that I have contributed to for years called Sharing Food With Shivaay Delights. It's a fantastic source for interesting vegetarian recipes.

Indian food is one of my desert island foods. I suppose I would have to add Italian too! Anyway, I have always loved onion bhaji. I saw Dimple make these online using a muffin tin, which appealed to me. I couldn't find my regular muffin tins, so I used a mini tin. I really don't like deep frying things. These came out very flavorful, though not quite as crispy as usual, it's lower in fat and just as good. The recipe calls for gram or chickpea flour. I am very lucky to live super close to a large Indian market, though Bob's Red Mill had this flour as well.

The next time I am in London, I would love to meet Dimple in person!

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Lillet Reviver

A message from my husband Eric...
Ever since Leslie returned from her year abroad in Paris with tales of the wonders—and apéritifs--of the City of Lights, Lillet has been a staple in our lives. When Drinking French entered our lives (thanks to Marc and Jessica), we naturally gravitated to anything with Lillet in it and this one does not disappoint. A flanker to the classic Corpse Reviver cocktail, the Lillet Reviver is fresh and truly reviving—the shot of gin doesn’t hurt, either. The good news is that you do not have to be a corpse to enjoy this tonic pick-me-up!

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L’Embrassadeur

David Lebovitz’s L’Embrassadeur cocktail (the name is a saucy mash-up of the word Ambassadeur and Embrassades or “hugs and kisses”) showcases the French peach-based aperitif RinQuinQuin — what Lillet is to orange, RinQuinQuin is to peach and pairs it beautifully with pink grapefruit and lavender. The lavender bitters we have are laced with CBD, having this cocktail at our house is a très relaxé affair, perfectly in tune with the times.

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La Marguerite

In the US, few remember that Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s victory over the French - I think that Empress Carlotta escaped, but Maximillian was lined up and shot at Puebla - so there is some irony in David Lebovitz’s French take on Mexico’s national drink, the Margarita. The use of the Bordeaux-based orange-infused aperitif Lillet makes this a much lighter alternative to the traditional Margarita but equally as delicious!

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Dill Pickle Hummus

I keep seeing Dill Pickle Hummus everywhere. Trader Joe's makes it, but I decided to concoct my own. My husband likes anything with pickles. When we were dating about 100 years ago, I remember going to the market and he bought a jar of pickles and ate the whole thing in the car on the way home! This should have been a tip-off!

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Romaine Salad “Caesar Gratin”

I saw this recipe for Romaine Salad “Caesar Gratin” on Eric Ripert’s Instagram. He is one of my favorite French chefs. We have a salad most days for lunch. I buy romaine almost exclusively because it seems to last the longest. I thought I would try this new twist on a classic Caesar salad. It turns out that it's absolutely delicious and makes a nice presentation. I left out the anchovies, but it's up to you.

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Fire Crackers

I came across this crazy recipe for Fire Crackers in Southern Living magazine. They are also known as Alabama or Cowboy Crackers. The recipe seemed so strange to me, that I decided to make them. Truth be told, I only used 1 sleeve of crackers. I thought it might be a bit much for my husband and me to eat an entire box of oil-saturated saltines! I like anything hot and spicy! You have to leave them overnight in a Ziploc bag before you bake them. And it turns out they are really good, especially with an ice-cold beer!

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Artichokes French

So after my Chicken French research, I found out you can "French" other things. This Artichoke French is superb using a can of artichoke hearts. It makes a wonderful hors d'oeuvre. I guess you could say I am not obsessed!

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Maple Bacon Wrapped Carrots

These Maple Bacon Wrapped Carrots are crispy, sweet, salty and spicy! What's not to love about this?!

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Chicken French – Rochester, NY Style

We had this Chicken French - Rochester, NY Style in a classic old-school restaurant called Charley Brown's when we were in Rochester. It's frozen in time around 1982. They have this dish on the menu called - Chicken French ~ egg-dipped, sautéed in sherry-lemon butter My husband Eric thought it was the best chicken he'd EVER had, which I have to agree!

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