My Madison Bistro

I love Anne Willan’s book The Country Cooking of France because besides traditional recipes, it’s rich in both explanations and history. For instance, Anne says, “Parisians have tried to hijack French onion soup, but Lyonnais cooks can plausibly claim title to this bistro classic.” She goes on to say there are two keys to good […]

When I was growing up, my parents made steak fondue every New Year’s Eve. It really was the perfect night: a relaxed dinner, followed by games and watching Dick Clark (at least, when my brother and I were able stay up that late). At any rate, we loved it much more than going out in […]

Usually as we approach mid-November, I’m happily cooking and baking up a storm, relishing the bonus of a warm home. But this has not been a typical year. After a very hot, humid summer, we are still above normal, temperature-wise. As I type this, it’s 70 degrees! People have their heat turned off and their […]

For my next installment of French country cooking, I wanted something fairly simple, yet seasonal. This winter vegetable soup seemed perfect. I had to trek to a couple of grocery stores to find celery root, though around here that’s not all that surprising. This soup is perfect for a cold winter’s night, and it will […]