Elle Republic

Summer may be here but I’m not ready to give up some of that good ol’ comfort food. I may love my salads above all, but sometimes you just need to give into those cravings and enjoy a big plate of pasta. This time I thought I’d step it up a notch – the result, tender lamb filet in a creamy peppercorn sauce. Pretty swanky, pretty delish. I ate something...

My favorite Schwaber was traveling in South Germany this week, and so upon returning I thought I would surprise him by keeping that South Germany feeling going (North Italy as he calls it) by presenting him with homemade "Wurstsalat". Common in southern Germany, it's one of those dishes you often see served in beer gardens, usually with a slice of dark brown rye bread and a 1 liter (Maß) mug...

There's a new lettuce in town - it's called Salanova! I discovered it at the farmer's market last week. It was so pretty, I had to ask what it is called. I was told three times "my name is Frank", "no I mean the lettuce, what is the lettuce called"? Salvanova. Just like butter lettuce, it's irresistible. Like sweet baby leaf butter lettuce, it is perfectly matched for this blackberry...

This is an easy and flavorful homemade chicken stock that’s perfect for any recipe calling for chicken stock or chicken broth. Fresh chicken broth is magical for making soul-warming soups and unparalleled sauces. It makes a huge difference in enhancing any dish, especially risottos. Once the broth has been prepared, you can decide whether to remove the excess fat or not. I think it adds a lot of richness and often...

Now that my favorite Schwabe has come to the realization that papayas are powerfully healthy, he’s been on a bit of a papaya fix. At the market last week we bought a whoppingly huge one for 13€. Bigger than an eggplant but smaller than your average watermelon, that thing was huge! So what ensued was three days of engorging ourselves on incredibly delicious papaya! I decided to skip using any...

To my relief a great family meal. One child wants rice, the other noodles. What to do? Okay, peas are a hit. Bacon too. I don't like bacon, but I love prosciutto. Okay. Solution. Orzo. Abundant in Greece. Risotto too. Aahh relief. Orzo risotto. Yes, a family vacation with culinary possibilities despite only have 3 pots, and one mini skillet. I mean mini. 1 fried egg mini. So salads,...