Crostinis are small toasted breads that are perfect for cocktail parties. And in this recipe, you get to make not just one topping, but three. What’s even more excellent here is that the toppings have no red meat, so they would be great for guests who are trying to watch those calories. Now, if you really are planning for a cocktail party, make sure to do the math before buying your ingredients. This Trio of Crostini recipe is only good for 4 servings, three crostinis with different toppings for each person. So be mindful of that.

Serves: 4

As needed, extra-virgin olive oil
10 oz assorted wild mushrooms, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, small, minced
1 tsp finely chopped tarragon
To taste, kosher salt
To taste, cracked black pepper
2 Tbsp blended oil
8 oz ahi tuna, cleaned
1 baguette
To taste, sea salt
6 oz fresh mozzarella
12 petals Olive Oil Tomatoes
3 basil leaves, chiffonade
To taste, crushed red pepper flakes

1. Preheat a sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp oil. Allow the oil to heat for about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and shallots. Continue to sauté for another 2 minutes or until the mushrooms are completely cooked; then remove from the heat and add the chopped tarragon. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Leave at room temperature and reserve for service.

2. Preheat a cast-iron pan over high heat. Season the tuna with kosher salt and black pepper. Add the blended oil to the pan and heat it until it just begins to smoke. Add the tuna and sear on all sides. The tuna should still be rare to medium rare at the end of the searing process. Remove the tuna from the pan and reserve at room temperature for service (no longer than 15 minutes).

3. Using a serrated knife, slice the baguette into 1/4 -in. slices. You will need 12 slices in all. Lay the slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season lightly with kosher salt and pepper. Toast in a preheated 350°F oven for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and reserve for service.

4. At time of service, top 4 of the crostini with the mushroom mixture. Drizzle each with olive oil and season lightly with sea salt. Slice the fresh mozzarella into small pieces that fit on the crostini. Layer 2 tomato petals and 3 slices of the fresh mozzarella on 4 of the crostini. Sprinkle with the basil chiffonade and season lightly with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Cut the tuna into 12 slices. Arrange 3 slices of the tuna on each of the 4 remaining crostini. Season with sea salt and crushed red pepper.

5. Place 1 of each crostini on each of 4 serving plates and serve immediately.

Baguette is the perfect bread to be used as base for hors d’oeuvres. The crust would give each serving shape and the crumb would nicely absorb the flavor of each topping. The same goes with this recipe. However, if you cannot find any baguette–which I find unlikely–you can just use any bread with a hardy crust. Also, make sure to ask your guests if they mind eating any seafood. Tuna is fish, after all, and it sure does smell like one, too. But then, the other two toppings don’t have any seafood in them; so you’re pretty much covered there, in my opinion. And if you’re confused as to which wine might be perfect for these particular crostinis, I think you wouldn’t go wrong with a bottle of Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc. Bon appétit!

Sandwiches are among the most filling edibles in the world; and among the easiest to prepare as well. Now, the Lobster Club Sandwich does not just sound delicious but also tastes delicious, especially when it is made with a yummy brioche. Moreover, this recipe wouldn’t take much time to prepare. It is just a sandwich, after all. The lobster meat is the only thing that needs to be cooked and fussed over and after that, you just have to assemble the rest of the ingredients with it. And voila, you get one delicious lunch, snack, or dinner.

Serves: 4

1 qt Lobster Essence
2 oz carrot, diced
2 oz onion, diced
2 oz celery, diced
1 bay leaf
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp Spice de Cosette
2 Maine lobster tails
1 vanilla bean
2 oz mayonnaise
1 vanilla brioche, baguette size
Softened unsalted butter, to taste
1 Roma tomato
4 oz iceberg lettuce
4 slices bacon, cooked

1. Place the lobster stock in a 2-qt saucepan. Add the carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, lemon juice, and Spice de Cosette, and bring to a strong simmer. Place the lobster tails in the stock and blanch for 3–5 minutes or until the lobster is fully cooked. Remove the lobster from the stock and place in ice water to stop the cooking process. After it has cooled, remove the meat from the shells. Slice the lobster meat into 1/4-in slices.

2. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the mayonnaise. Mix thoroughly and reserve for service.

3. Slice the brioche into 12 slices, about 1/4 in. thick. Spread softened butter on all of the slices and brown lightly in a nonstick skillet.

4. Slice 4 thin slices of tomato and reserve.

5. Cut the lettuce into pieces the same size as the brioche slices.

6. At time of service, spread a thin layer of vanilla mayonnaise on 1 brioche slice. Place 1 slice of the lobster tail on the bread. Place a second brioche slice on top of the lobster tail. Spread a small amount of mayonnaise on the second slice. Add 1 slice of the tomato, some lettuce, and a slice of bacon. Top with a third brioche slice. Secure with a toothpick or wooden skewer. Repeat to make 3 more sandwiches.

As with most meals, a Lobster Club Sandwich is best eaten with friends–or family, if you will. Meals, in my opinion, are meant to be group affairs. So prepare this sandwich when you have loved ones around to eat them with, for food taste so much better when shared. Don’t you think so? One important thing though, be sure to have some antihistamine on hand when you serve this sandwich, just in case someone gets a swollen tongue after a bite or two. Now that that’s out of the way… bon appétit, mes amis!

As I’ve mentioned before, wine is an important part of French cuisine. Now, bread is just as important, maybe even more so. Traditionally in France, bread is consumed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is so essential for meals that people would hazard heavy rain, strong winds, or even flood just to visit the local boulangerie for some baguettes. But baguettes are not the only kind of bread you can find in France. Now here are eight types of French bread that have become popular around the world today.

1. Baguette

Now, who doesn’t know this world famous bread? Despite its popularity, the baguette is considered one of the simple breads because traditionally it is made of only flour, salt, yeast, and water. It is also often baked and consumed in the same day because it does not have preservatives and would go stale the next day. The baguette is closely linked to French cuisine. It is even synonymous with the term “French bread” in some countries. And it can be used to accompany almost any French dish or any kind of French cheese. Yes, it may be a simple bread but it is one of the most versatile ones out there.

2. Pain de Campagne

Pain de campagne literally means “country bread” in French. Typically, it is a large round or rectangular bread made with natural leavening, salt, water, and a mixture of white, rye, and/or whole wheat flour. It tastes a tad like the common sourdough, but less sour. This bread could be as heavy as four to twelve pounds and has a thick crust, which makes it last longer than the baguette.

3. Ficelle

Ficelle means “string” in French. It is a typical French bread and actually has the same ingredients as the baguette. The only difference between the two breads is that the baguette usually measures up to two inches in diameter while the ficelle is thinner, usually one inch in diameter. Most of the time the two have the same length but some boulangeries bake ficelles much shorter than baguettes. It is advisable to consume ficelle fresh from the oven as its crust dries up faster than the baguette because it’s much smaller in diameter.

Baguette, with its crunchy, crisp crust and a soft, delectable center, is a traditional white bread served in France, and a staple of French cuisine. French “une baguette” is translated into English as a “stick”, which truly describes the unique form of this most popular French bread – it is shaped as a wand of about 60 cm long, and weighs 500 grammes (about 1 pound).In some areas of France, this bread is still delivered to the customers’ door every morning, together with traditional milk and cream. In big cities, people go to the local “Boulangerie” (hot bread shop) at least once a day themselves, to get a fresh loaf which is eaten at all three meals.

What to do if the nearest to you Boulangerie is as far as France? Do not despair, but try to bake baguette at home! It certainly takes a little time, effort and patience to master baking good baguette by yourself – but only until you become forever addicted to its terrific taste. We recommend the following recipes of this authentic, home-made French bread:

French Bread – Allrecipes
Bakers Yeast Bread
Country sourdough-yeast bread
French Bread
French Bread – baking911.com
Authentic French Bread
French Bread – About.com