Creamy Chicken Tarragon Soup w Watercress

Creamy Chicken Tarragon Soup with Watercress
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Think of today’s recipe as the soup version of the classic Provençal dish Poulet à l’Estragon. Traditionally, the French dish is comprised of chicken parts, simmered in a lardon and mushroom sauce finished with creme fraiche and, of course, fresh tarragon. It’s easily one of my favorite dishes. Today’s Creamy Chicken Tarragon Soup is very much inspired by this timeless classic but it has a second muse: a can of condensed soup. Confused yet? Don’t worry, all will be revealed and no, no cans of soup were harmed in the making of this, well, soup. Let’s dive right in!

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Caramelized Fennel Linguine

Caramelized Fennel Linguine with Creme Fraiche
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Today’s Caramelized Fennel Linguine is a tidy little recipe. Minimal ingredients, minimal prep, and a dead simple method. But just because this recipe is short on flourishes doesn’t mean it isn’t toe-curlingly delicious. This pasta dish features caramelized wedges of fennel dressed with a kiss of sherry, a whole lot of butter, and a healthy sprinkling of shredded Grana Padano cheese. Served in a tangle of al dente linguine and finished with toasted breadcrumbs, fennel fronds, and a dollop of creme fraiche, this dish delivers balanced perfection with minimal fuss.

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Curried Red Lentil Hummus

Curried Red Lentil Hummus with Peanut Chili Oil
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Hummus is a staple food in this house. My fridge feels naked without it, truth be told. And no, it’s not always a from-scratch gourmet situation. I’m not above grabbing a tub at the grocery store, particularly when I make the mistake of shopping while hungry. But when my stomach isn’t roaring and I have the gift of time and forethought, I prefer to make my hummus from scratch. And if I’m feeling adventurous, I like to fiddle with it quite a lot. Not all my hummus adventures are noteworthy. Some of them are noteworthy for less than positive reasons.  But today’s Curried Red Lentil Hummus is a winner through and through. So let’s jump right in!

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Invisible Apple Cheddar Cake

Invisible Apple Cheddar Cake
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And just like that, it’s Thanksgiving weekend. Now, I would imagine you probably have your menu figured out, if not partially prepped. But I couldn’t resist debuting this Invisible Apple Cheddar Cake on the threshold of the holiday. Honestly, after having a slice of this beauty, I felt like I had to shout the recipe from the rooftops. But that’s not a very efficient form of communication, so a quick blog post it is. This cake is a salty/sweet riff on the classic French cake Gâteau Invisible. The cake gets its name from the thin slices of apples that seem to disappear within the cake’s batter. I upped the ante by adding a sharp cheddar to the cake. The cheese does make the apples more discernable but I think the flavor was worth the stylistic sacrifice.

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