What’s for Dinner?

A newsletter for home chefs about food, cooking, and enjoyment of food

July 13, 2025

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed some good food!

This weekend was busy for me. I finally finished the Pantry Guide - check it out and let me know what you think! I hope you will find it useful.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER?

I also spent some time playing in the kitchen with a Moroccan recipe from a friend in Rabat (thank you, Selma!). It was a recipe of an unusual chicken tagine that included herbes de provence herb mix originating from the Provence region of southeastern France. I was intrigued! The recipe turned out brilliantly, and it was oh so easy to make! Here is how: take chicken (I used 4 legs), add a chopped onion, juice of one lemon, a few tablespoons of plain yogurt (optional), a tablespoon each: dijon mustard, herbes de provence, ground ginger, paprika; a teaspoon each: garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Drizzle some olive oil over (maybe 1/4 cup or so) and add about half a cup of water. That’s it! Mix it all well in a baking dish and put in the oven on 400F. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes, uncover, and bake additional 20-30 minutes. Serve with rice or couscous. I ate it with leftover baguette and a salad - it was fantastic!

WHAT’S FOR DESSERT?

The inclusion of herbes de provence in the tagine made me think France for dessert. But what to make? I had some leftover chocolate cream in the fridge, so I wanted something I could use it with… I could not pick between profiteroles or eclairs so ended up baking something in-between!

Profiteroles are surprisingly easy to make: the choux pastry consists of literally four ingredients - water, butter, flour, and eggs. I haven’t made them in a while so was pleasantly reminded about the ease with which they come together! I used a handwritten recipe from my sister, but check out this one, it’s similar. I used a stand mixer on low speed to mix the dough after it cooled to about 150F.

Let me know what you are cooking! and bon appétit!

Elena