Montly Featured Chef: Jacques Pépin!

  Jacques Pépin is known the world over for his timeless recipes and passion for cooking. 

Join us as we celebrate Jacques Pépin, a true cooking legend. Share in the fun by cooking any of Jacques' recipes. Whether you chose a traditional French recipe, one of the classics,  or a quick weeknight meal it is bound to be a success. 

 Feel free to make and post any Jacques Pépin recipe by Sunday, September 18th. If you've cooked along with us when we cooked with Jacques Pépin, or have cooked with Pépin before, feel free to share your favorite Pépin recipes in your post. 

Please remember to leave a comment after linking your post so that we don't miss out on your dish!

  New to IHCC? Need help linking up? Check out our Welcome page. If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with yo

 If you missed out on our amazing Finishing Touches last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the fun ways to jazzed up our dishes!

****And now for an exciting announcement...Heidi Swanson dominated the vote and will be our newest chef at I Heart Cooking Clubs! We look forward to cooking all sorts of delicious, and Super Natural dishes, in the next six months!! New Heidi Swanson themes will be coming shortly and we start cooking with her on October 3rd.

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Au Revoir Chef Pepin! {Until We Meet Again}

It's been a wonderful adventure cooking the recipes of the illustrious Jacques Pépin.  Along the way we've cooked food Jacques' way; learned new techniques; gained some new favorites; and of course, learned some classical French dishes. Now it is time for a new adventure in the kitchen as we say a very fond  Au Revoir Chef Pepin {Until We Meet Again} !

If you'd like to join in the fun, please make and post your Au Revoir Chef Pepin dish by Sunday, October 4th!  Also, please feel free to do a roundup of your favorite Jacques Pépin dishes! It is always nice to see which dishes were favorites. Plus, it gives us a chance to take note and try them for ourselves. Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.

New to IHCC? Need help linking up? Check out our Welcome page. If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed out on our September Potluck  theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out the dishes that were made in celebration of all our IHCC chefs!

YOU VOTED  and you chose the new Monthly Featured Chef option in place of Mystery Box Madness!! Starting this October we will be featuring Nigella Lawson from October 12th through October 18th. During this week you will be able to make ANY Nigella dish!

Also, you will notice some new and exciting changes to the IHCC site this week as we prepare to welcome Ellie Krieger! We will have a new look, a new header, and a new badge!

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September 2015 IHCC Potluck!

It's time to Potluck!!! 

 
Your week to choose any recipe from any of our IHCC chefs! That's right, choose any Jacques Pépin recipe you like, or if you prefer, you can take the opportunity to revisit any one of our previous eleven wonderful IHCC chefs:

Nigella Lawson

Mark Bittman

Giada de Laurentiis

Jamie Oliver

Tessa Kiros

Rick Bayless

Madjur Jaffrey

Yotam Ottolenghi

Donna Hay

Nigel Slater

Diana Henry

To join in the September Potluck fun, just post and link your Potluck dish by Sunday, September 27th. 

Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish. 

New to IHCC? Need help linking up? Check out our Welcome page. If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you. 

If you missed out on our Seasonal Specialties theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out the dishes that everyone made. 

***By now you know Ellie Krieger is our new IHCC Chef. We should have our October Themes posted shortly as we get ready to welcome Ellie. In case you missed it, we have another vote going to decide whether to keep doing the Mystery Box Madness Challenges or try a new monthly Featured Chef event. Please see the poll on the sidebar to vote if you haven't already done so.
 

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Seasonal Specialties!

This week we are cooking Seasonal Specialties featuring the seasonal ingredients where we live. Since IHCC is a global group this means we will be presenting a wide array of beautiful and fresh fixings. We are eager to hear about your favorite ingredients this season!


If you'd like to get seasonal with us, please get out your Jacques Pepin books, and make and post your Seasonal Specialties by Sunday, September the 20th!  Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.

New to IHCC? Need help linking up? Check out our Welcome page. If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed out on our September Mystery Box Madness theme last week, be sure to click on the links and see all the wonderful ways we used our mystery box ingredients!
 
***Also, please don't forget to vote for next female chef that we will be cooking with starting in October! Participants can choose to vote for either Claudia Roden, Diana Kennedy, Ellie Krieger or Heidi Swanson. Please see the top right sidebar to vote if you haven't already done so. We are so excited to see the final result:)

image courtesy of www.notonthehighstreet.com

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September 2015 Mystery Box Madness Challenge (+ A New Chef to Pick!)

Each month we choose ten mystery box ingredients from which to cook. It's up to you to select at least three of those ingredients and to chose a recipe featuring those ingredients from one of our twelve IHCC chefs!  We love to see which chef you chose to cook with, which ingredients you select, and the reason (or story) behind the recipe you share! 

Are you ready for September's MBM challenge?  

  
Here are our Mystery Box Madness Ingredients for September 2015:

Salmon (fresh, smoked, canned) 
Green Peas (dried, fresh, frozen or canned)
 Hazelnuts
Eggplant
Parmesan Cheese
Kale
Apples (any color/kind) 
Blue Cheese 
Rosemary
Bread Rolls/Buns 

Your dish should contain at least three of these mystery ingredients, and you get to choose any dish from our current guest chef, Jacques Pepin, or any one of our previous eleven IHCC Chefs:

Nigella Lawson
  Mark Bittman
 Giada de Laurentiis
  Jamie Oliver  
Tessa Kiros
Rick Bayless  
Madjur Jaffrey
Yotam Ottolenghi
 Donna Hay
 Nigel Slater  Diana Henry

Which mystery ingredients and chef are calling out to you?

If you are up for the challenge, make and post your dish by Sunday, September 13th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.  

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Le Plat du Jour theme last week, be sure to click on the picture links and check out "the dish of the day" recipes that everyone made! 

-----

*** New Chef Voting ***

 

Time certainly flies when you are having fun and it's hard to believe that it is time to vote for our next I Heart Cooking Clubs chef! We will be cooking with Chef Pépin through October 4th but then it's on to a new chef. 

In keeping with our boy-girl-boy-girl rotation, we have four fabulous women for you to choose from.
 

 

Claudia Roden: Cookbook writer, cultural anthropologist and expert on Middle Eastern cooking and Mediterranean food, Roden is known for the stories around her recipes and her many cookbooks.

Ellie Krieger:  Nutritionist, television host, and healthy eating contributor to countless newspaper and magazines, Krieger has four cookbooks and countless online recipes that make comfort food better for you while still tasting great.

Diana Kennedy: Known as "The Julia Child of Mexican Cuisine"--Kennedy is the authority on Mexican foods, cooking, and traditions and has spent close to 50 years chronicling the authentic recipes for her many cookbooks.

Heidi Swanson:  Popular natural foods blogger (101 Cookbooks), photographer, and author of three popular cookbooks (with her fourth publishing this month), Swanson is known for her inventive and delicious vegetarian recipes.  

Please use the poll in the upper right of the blog to vote ONCE for the chef you would most like to cook with. The poll will be up until 11:59 PM (EST) on Wednesday, September 16th. 

Happy Cooking!

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Le Plat du Jour (Dish of the Day)

 What is Le Plat du Jour, or Dish of the Day, at your place?

Choose any Jacques Pepin dish you'd like to be your special Dish of the Day, or Le Plat du Jour! 

If you'd like to join in the fun, please make and post your Le Plat du Jour by Sunday, September the 6th!  Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.

New to IHCC? Need help linking up? Check out our Welcome page. If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed out on our August Potluck theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out the dishes that were made in celebration of all our IHCC chefs!
 

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August 2015 IHCC Potluck!

It's Potluck week again!!! Your time to choose any recipe from any of our IHCC chefs! That's right, choose any Jacques Pépin recipe you like, or if you prefer take the opportunity to revisit any one of our previous eleven wonderful IHCC chefs: 

Nigella Lawson

Mark Bittman

Giada de Laurentiis

Jamie Oliver

Tessa Kiros

Rick Bayless

Madjur Jaffrey

Yotam Ottolenghi

Donna Hay

Nigel Slater

Diana Henry

Pick your pleasure!

To join in the August Potluck fun, just post and link your dish  by Sunday, August 30th. 

Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish. 

New to IHCC? Need help linking up? Check out our Welcome page. If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you. 

If you missed out on our Salads et Vinaigrettes theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out the fabulous salads and dressings that everyone made.

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Mystery Box Madness; August 2015

10 + 3 + 12 = Mystery Box Madness!

Each month we choose 10 mystery box ingredients from which to cook. It's up to you to select at least 3 of those ingredients and to chose a recipe featuring those ingredients from one of our 12 IHCC chefs!  We love to see which chef you chose to cook with, which ingredients you select, and the reason (or story) behind the recipe you share! 

Are you ready for August's MBM challenge?

August 2015 Mystery Box Madness Ingredients:
 

Any Red Fruit (Apples, Berries, Grapes, Plums,Tomato...) 
Corn (Fresh, Canned, or Frozen) 
Tortillas (Corn, Flour, Whole Wheat) 
Skirt or Flank Steak
Oregano (Fresh or Dried) 
Heavy Cream
Goat Cheese
Pumpkin Seeds
Baby/Fingerling Potatoes 
Caramel or Cajeta

   Your dish should contain at least three of these mystery ingredients, and you get to choose any dish from our current guest chef, Jacques Pepin, or any one of our previous eleven IHCC Chefs:

Nigella Lawson
  Mark Bittman
 Giada de Laurentiis
  Jamie Oliver  
Tessa Kiros
Rick Bayless  
Madjur Jaffrey
Yotam Ottolenghi
 Donna Hay
 Nigel Slater 
Diana Henry

  
Which mystery ingredients and chef are calling out to you?  

If you are up for the challenge, make and post your dish by Sunday, August 16th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.  

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our "Reveille-toi!" (Get Out Of Bed!) theme last week, be sure to click on the picture links and check out all the yummy breakfast and brunch dishes that everyone made!

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"Reveille-toi" (Get Out Of Bed)

"Reveille-toi", or Get Out of Bed, sleepyhead!

 Let's cook something to fuel that body and get you going for the day! 

All breakfast and brunch fare is fair game. Omelets, Quiches, Egg Benedict, Souffles, Tarts, Croissants, Pan Perdu, Crepes, Potatoes, Asparagus with Hollandaise...just to name a few.

We can't wait to see how you choose to "Reveille-toi" (Get Out Of Bed)! Make and post your dish by Sunday, August 9th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image below so that we don't miss out on your dish. 

New to IHCC? Need help linking up? Check out our Welcome page. If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed out on our July Potluck last week, please be sure to click on the links and check out all the recipes we shared.

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Credit for images: www.eatyourbooks.com, www.bbc.co.uk, www.finedininglovers.com

July 2015 Potluck!

It's Potluck week!!! That happy week where you can choose any recipe from any of our IHCC chefs! That's right, choose any Jacques Pépin recipe you like, or if you prefer take the opportunity to revisit any one of our previous eleven IHCC chefs: 

Nigella Lawson

Mark Bittman

Giada de Laurentiis

Jamie Oliver

Tessa Kiros

Rick Bayless

Madjur Jaffrey

Yotam Ottolenghi

Donna Hay

Nigel Slater

Diana Henry

It's all up to you!

To join in the July Potluck fun, just post and link your dish  by Sunday, August 2nd. 

Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish. 

New to IHCC? Need help linking up? Check out our Welcome page. If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you. 

If you missed out on our The Mother of All Sauces! theme last week, be sure to click on the links and check out all the dishes everyone made.

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The Mother Of All Sauces!

The five mother sauces are the basis from which all sauces are derived. 

Which of the classic five mother sauces is the Mother Of All Sauces to you?

Béchamel- A smooth white sauce made from combining butter and flour, then whisking in milk.  Béchamel is the basis for cream sauces and can be served with pasta, veggies, fish, eggs, and meat.

Hollandaise- Hollandaise is an emulsification of butter and egg yolks. A sensual and lusty sauce with a pale lemon color it is delicious paired with eggs, veggies, and beef.

Velouté- Veloute is a stock-based white sauce that can be made with the stock of chicken, fish or veal. The sauce is then thickened with a white roux. Very similar to a béchamel, except stock replaces the milk. It pairs well with with hearty chicken dishes, veggies, pastas, and some veal dishes.

Tomato- A sauce made from tomatoes. Sometimes pureed tomatoes serve as a thickener and other times a roux is made to thicken the sauce. Tomato sauce is best served over pasta, veggies, polenta, chicken and/or veal.  

Espagnole- Espagnole is brown sauce made with a roux and brown stock, in short gravy.  It pairs well with roasted meats like beef, duck, lamb and veal.

Which Mother Will You Master? Make and post any Jacques Pépin recipe featuring at least one of the classic five mother sauces, or make a Jacques Pépin dish featuring one of the "small sauces" (the 'children' derived from their famous mothers) by Sunday, July 26th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image and please leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.  

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Fast Food Jacques's Way theme last week, be sure to click on the picture links and check out all the dishes we whipped up in 30 minutes or less!

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Fast Food Jacques's Way!

Nobody wants to be stuck in the kitchen this time of year! Lucky for us, Jacques Pépin has many recipes (including two cookbooks devoted to the subject) that can be on the table in 30 minutes or less.

So this week we are making Fast Food Jacques's Way! 

Make any Jacques Pépin recipe--from online or one of his cookbooks--that can be made in 30 minutes or less. Something sweet, something savory...whatever quick-cooking Jacques recipe that you choose. 

Make and post your dish by Sunday, July 19th. 

Please remember to link a thumbnail image and please leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.  

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our July Mystery Box Madness theme last week, be sure to click on the picture links and check out people used July's ten MBM ingredients! 

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Mystery Box Madness: July 2015!

 

Each month we choose ten mystery box ingredients from which to cook. It's up to you to select at least three of those ingredients and to chose a recipe featuring those ingredients from one of our twelve IHCC chefs!  We love to see which chef you chose to cook with, which ingredients you select, and the reason (or story) behind the recipe you share!

Here are the Mystery Box Madness Ingredients for July 2015:
 

Chicken

Seaweed

Sesame Seeds

Parsley

Mozzarella Cheese

Pasta

Mango

Brown Sugar

Zucchini

Mint

Your dish should contain at least three of these mystery ingredients, and you get to choose any dish from our current guest chef, Jacques Pepin, or any one of our previous eleven IHCC Chefs:

Nigella Lawson
  Mark Bittman
 Giada de Laurentiis
  Jamie Oliver  
Tessa Kiros
Rick Bayless  
Madjur Jaffrey
Yotam Ottolenghi
 Donna Hay
 Nigel Slater 
Diana Henry

Which mystery ingredients and chef are calling out to you?  

If you are up for the challenge, make and post your dish by Sunday, July 12th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.  

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Out of France theme last week, be sure to click on the picture links and check out all the international dishes everyone made! 

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Out of France

We all know Jacques Pépin is the master of French cooking but he is definitely a versatile chef and he has a plethora of recipes from other cuisines in his repertoire.

So, this week at IHCC, we are headed...

Out of France!
 

                                                               Collage Photos courtesy of http://www.freeimages.com/
 
Make any Jacques Pépin recipe that is not French or of French origin--American, Asian, Mexican-inspired--the world is your oyster! 

Make and post your Out of France dish by Sunday, July 5th. 

Please remember to link a thumbnail image and please leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.  

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our June Potluck theme last week, be sure to click on the picture links and check out all the wonderfully welcoming dishes everyone made! 

Happy Traveling! 

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June Potluck!

Here at I Heart Cooking Clubs we are going on six years of cooking wonderful recipes written by our favorite chefs! Potluck week is our week to celebrate all our chefs, past and present. Whether you chose to revisit a favorite chef or stay current and cook with Jacques Pepin, there is sure to be a recipe for you! Either way, I'm sure you'll find a recipe for success!

Chose a recipe from any of the twelve chefs below 

Nigella Lawson
Mark Bittman

Giada de Laurentiis

Jamie Oliver
Tessa Kiros 
Rick Bayless
Madjur Jaffrey
Yotam Ottolenghi
Donna Hay 
Nigel Slater

Diana Henry

Jacques Pépin

The choice is yours!

To join in the June Potluck fun, just post and link your dish by Sunday, June 28th.

Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.

New to IHCC? Need help linking up? Check out our Welcome page. If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed last week's Get This Soiree Started then head back to check out all the delicious party dishes we made!

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Get This Soirée Started!

Here at I Heart Cooking Clubs we love a good party so let's............

 Get This Soirée Started!

Any party dish is fair game this week. Hors d'oeuvres, canapes, dips, small bites, mini desserts, or any type of drink are all great ways to start a soirée. How will you Get This Soirée Started? Please make and link your party dish  Sunday, June 21st. Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.  

New to IHCC? Need help linking up? Check out our Welcome page. If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our fun July Mystery Box Madness please click the link to read about how we chose our mystery ingredients and see how we used them in the challenge!

Note: This week's theme was supposed to be Avec des Glacons (On the Rocks) but we noticed there were only a small handful of drink recipes in Pepin's books so we decided to replace it with the soirée theme.  July's soirée theme was replaced with a new theme, Out of France. Please see sidebar for changes. We apologize for this error. We just assumed Pepin had cocktail recipes.

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June 2015: Mystery Box Madness Challenge!

 

Each month we choose ten mystery box ingredients from which to cook. It's up to you to select at least three of those ingredients and to chose a recipe featuring those ingredients from one of our twelve IHCC chefs!  We love to see which chef you chose to cook with, which ingredients you select, and the reason (or story) behind the recipe you share!

Here are the Mystery Box Madness Ingredients for June 2015:

 Any White-Fleshed Fish Green Leaf Lettuce

Pine Nuts

Dill

Cheddar Cheese

Almond Extract or Liqueur

Blueberries

Cornstarch

Bell Pepper

Black Beans 

Your dish should contain at least three of these mystery ingredients, and you get to choose any dish from our current guest chef, Jacques Pepin, or any one of our previous eleven IHCC Chefs:

Nigella Lawson
  Mark Bittman
 Giada de Laurentiis
  Jamie Oliver  
Tessa Kiros
Rick Bayless  
Madjur Jaffrey
Yotam Ottolenghi
 Donna Hay
 Nigel Slater 
Diana Henry

Which mystery ingredients and chef are calling out to you?  

If you are up for the challenge, make and post your dish by Sunday, June 14th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.  

New to IHCC?  Need help linking up?  Check out our Welcome page.  If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our Fromage S'il Vous Plait theme last week, be sure to click on the picture links and check out all the cheese pleasing dishes everyone made! 

And, if you have a suggestion for future Mystery Box Madness Ingredients we would love to hear it! Please leave a comment on this post below. Note: When suggesting ingredients, there is a 'MBM Challenge Ingredients' tab under the IHCC header picture (listing all of the Mystery Box Madness Ingredients we have used so far) to serve as a reference--so we don't repeat them. ;-)

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Fromage S'il Vous Plait! {Cheese If You Please}

Fromage S'il Vous Plait! 

Cheese if you please! Here at IHCC we are big cheese lovers! This is the week to bring out the cheese and let it shine. Make any Jacques Pépin recipe featuring cheese!!

Here are a few French cheeses just to get you thinking about all the fun options:  Brie, Camembert, Comté, Emmental, Fromage Blanc, Roquefort, Neufchâtel, Chèvre, Boursin, and Gruyère are among the most classic French cheeses but feel free to use any cheese you like!

What dish will have your friends and family saying Fromage S'il Vous Plait! Please make and link your cheesy delight by Sunday, June 7th. Please remember to link a thumbnail image and leave a comment after you link so that we don't miss out on your dish.  

New to IHCC? Need help linking up? Check out our Welcome page. If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we will get back with you.

If you missed our delicious May Potluck please click the link to read about all our wonderful dishes!

July themes and Mystery Box Madness ingredients are listed on the right sidebar. Thanks for the ideas and suggestions! We always love hearing your feedback!
 

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