Sara’s Weeknight Meals Season 15
Cheese Curds
When I visited the Alluitz Natura, a sheep farm in Basque Country, Spain, they showed me how they make cheese curds from the sheep milk. It is a very simple process. The curds are usually served as a snack or dessert with honey. The taste of the curds is unique…
Pollo a la Vasca
When I was in Bilbao, in Spain’s Basque country, I got to cook with two members of a txoko. A txoko is a traditional Basque gastronomic society — a private, invitation‑only club where members gather regularly to cook, eat, drink, and socialize. There are 1500 altogether in Basque country. They…
Dunes Blanches – Cream Puffs in Bordeaux
Stop 2 on our sweets adventure in Bordeaux France was a place called Chez Pascal Dunes Blanches, s pastry shop that only sold whipped cream filled cream puffs. They are crispy on the outside and explode in your mouth. There are several rotating flavors but I for one fell for…
Savory Crepes in Brittany
In Cancale, Brittany, I learned how to make one of the local specialties – a buckwheat galette (essentially a savory crepe) filled with local scallops and leeks, sauteed in butter and finished with a white wine creme fraiche sauce. My teacher, Mary Margaret Chappell, an expat American, gave us all…
I May Have Come Over to the Butter Side!
For years I’ve been reaching for the olive oil for just about everything -cooking, vinaigrettes, finishing drizzles, but now that I have visited this store and tasted this butter, I might have to reconsider butter. The butter from La Maison du Beurre, in St Malo France is considered by chefs,…
The Highlight of My Trip to Europe
Well, you can tell by the look on my face that I am a happy camper. On the last day of our shoot for Season 15 of “Sara’s Weeknight Meals,” we visited the Golden Guernsey Goats in Guernsey https://www.visitguernsey.com/experiences/activities/golden-guernsey-goats-farm/ and the goat keeper, Peter Girard, offered to let me hold a…
The Best (Alcoholic) Chocolate Covered Cherries!
Who knew Bordeaux France was not only known for its wine but also for its incredible sweets? I got to taste a few of them while shooting Season 15 of “Sara’s Weeknight Meals.” While in Bordeaux we checked out an amazing chocolate shop called Saunion where the specialty were these…
The Oysters of Cancale!
In Cancale, a charming seaside town near St. Malo, I got to taste two of the local oysters at the oyster market. The flat oysters in the photo are called Cancale flats (I know them as Belon) and the other oysters are called Pacific oysters. The woman who sold them…
The Francesinha Sandwich
Just got back from Europe shooting Season 15 of “Sara’s Weeknight Meals” and here’s one of the first things I learned to make in Oporto Portugal – a sort of alcholic Dagwood sandwich called a Francesinha, a take on the French Croque Monsieur. It’s an assortment of meats stuffed between…
I Got to Hang Out with the Sheep
While we were shooting “Sara’s Weeknight Meals” we stopped in Bilbao, Spain to be educated about sheep herding and cheese making. I learned two things while standing in the very wet muddy field: 1. If you give sheep a bottle of milk, they will come and 2. Sheep like to…
White Bean + Greens Soup with Bread Dumplings
This tasty, hearty, soup for supper featuring ridiculously simple bread dumplings will be part of the recipe line up in “Sara’s Weeknight Meals,” Season 15 which starts airing around the country on PBS this October. I’ll let you know then where you can find it in your town. Stay tuned.
Scallion Crepes with Egg
Sneak peak at another recipe featured on “Sara’s Weeknight Meals” Season 15: Taiwanese Dian Biang (scallion crepe with egg), from my Culinary Producer, Jeannie Chen. So tasty and so easy – perfect candidate for breakfast for dinner. You must tune in to the new season which starts airing in October.
Making Hotdogs 3 Ways on Season 15
Sonoran Dogs Yes, you heard me. When I was a kid all I ate (much to my mom’s chagrin) until I was the age of 9 was hotdogs. So, when our camera guy James Ogle, a true hotdog maven, started waxing poetic about this American classic treat, I enlisted him…
Here’s My Set For Season 15!
I just got back from shooting 8 new segments on board my cruise ship set in the Caribbean. Did I see much of the Caribbean? Heck no. Did we get some great work done? Absolutely. Here is the dream team I worked with: From left to right: Dave Ryan, our…