Stories by Marguerite Lavigne
20 stories
Sunset Mussels: Chenin Blanc, Green Garlic & Meyer Lemon
When the California sun dips low, this is the dish I crave: sweet mussels steamed in natural Chenin Blanc, kissed with spring green garlic and Meyer lemon.
March 9, 2026
Rosé-Poached Trout with Crushed Potatoes & Blood Orange-Avocado Vierge
A breezy lunch marrying Parisian technique with vibrant California citrus. Grab a chilled glass of natural rosé and let's poach!
March 7, 2026
A Brouillade for the California Sun
A classic Provencal scramble gets a vibrant West Coast update with double-shucked spring favas, creamy avocado, and a punchy jalapeño-mint pistou.
March 5, 2026
Bavette Steak with Whipped Green Garlic-Pistachio Butter & Spring Crunch Salad
Parisian bistro energy meets California spring in this sizzling bavette steak crowned with an addictive green garlic butter.
March 2, 2026
Charred Brussels Sprouts Amandine with Meyer Lemon Brown Butter
Ditch the sad boiled sprouts. We are blasting these until aggressively charred and tossing them in a nutty Meyer lemon brown butter with bright pickled shallots.
February 28, 2026
Rosé-Poached Scallops: A Bistro First Course That Wears Sunglasses
Silky scallops, warm artichoke hearts, and a shamelessly green tarragon–chive vinaigrette—poached in rosé because life is short and dinner should be charming.
February 26, 2026
Wild Mushroom–Green Olive Gratin Toasts: My Winter Bistro Bite (With a California Wink)
When I want briny, bright comfort without committing to a seafood-tower situation, I make these gratin-topped mushroom toasts with preserved-lemon crème fraîche and a peppery arugula shower.
February 24, 2026
Clementine–Vermouth Mussels, or: The Ocean on a California Weekend
My winter-gathering answer to moules marinière: bright clementine, dry vermouth, a sneaky nori–herb butter, and a little avocado-celery crunch that makes the whole bowl feel sunlit.
February 22, 2026
Endive & Comté Barquettes: My Winter Bistro Boats, California-Style
Crisp endive leaves become little bistro boats, slicked with hazelnut–date butter and bronzed under a snowdrift of Comté—then rescued by a bright celery-leaf salad. It’s my go-to winter trick for making people hover near the oven, “just checking” on dinner.
February 20, 2026
My Wine-Bar Shrimp Moment: Poached Shrimp “Vin Blanc” with Warm Clementine–Fennel Vinaigrette
Barely blushing shrimp, dressed warm in a citrusy, briny vinaigrette—this is my coastal-winter escape in a bowl. Bring bread, pour cold white wine, and let the dressing do the flirting.
February 18, 2026
Celeriac Gratin Dip: Bistro Comfort, California Bright
My bistro love letter to celery root: baked like a gratin, finished like a shameless dip—briny, bright, and deeply cozy. Bring bread, bring friends, and open something cold and charming.
February 16, 2026
Parsnip–Pear Winter Bistro Soup: My February Trick for Cozy Elegance
Parsnips bring the velvet, pear brings the hush of sweetness, and a thyme beurre monté turns a humble pot of soup into bistro luxury—no heavy cream, no drama.
February 14, 2026
My Natural-Wine-Night Obsession: Smoked Mackerel “Rillettes” Crostini with Warm Lemon–Caper Butter
Briny, bright, a little smoky—and somehow still light on its feet. This is my five-minute bistro trick for turning smoked mackerel into the kind of snack that makes a bottle of chilled natural wine disappear.
February 12, 2026
Crisp-Braised Duck Legs with Prune–Armagnac Jus (and the California Side I Can’t Quit)
My winter-bistro love language: shatter-crisp duck, a glossy prune–Armagnac pan jus, and a bright, herbal side that keeps the whole plate feeling sunlit.
February 10, 2026
Wild Mushroom & Farro Sunday-Supper Broth (with a Calvados Wink)
My favorite kind of Sunday starter: a clear, deeply mushroomy broth with chewy farro, a little Calvados perfume, and a lemony beurre monté that makes the whole bowl feel like silk—without the heaviness.
February 8, 2026
Bistro Mussel & Potato Chowder(ish): Saffron, Fennel, and a Shamelessly Green Herb Oil
My winter bistro bowl: plump mussels in a saffron–fennel potato broth, finished with parsley–chive herb oil so green it feels like Provence and California are flirting.
February 6, 2026
My Weeknight Bistro Dream: Duck, Pomegranate–Shallot Beurre Blanc, and the Crunchy Things I Refuse to Live Without
Crisp-skinned duck, a beurre blanc sharpened with pomegranate and lemon, and two vegetables engineered to drag every last glossy drop across your plate—this is how I do “bistro” under California sun.
February 4, 2026
Celery Root–Parsnip Bistro Velouté: My February Hug with a California Finish
This silky celeriac–parsnip velouté is bistro comfort with a bright, briny wink—topped with crispy mushrooms and a parsley–caper herb oil that tastes like sunlight.
February 2, 2026
Leek & Gruyère Breakfast Clafoutis: Bistro Brunch, California-Style
A custardy leek-and-Gruyère clafoutis that slices like a dream, paired with crispy potatoes and a warm citrus–endive salad that keeps brunch bright, not sleepy.
January 31, 2026
Duck Confit for People Who Don’t Own a Vat of Fat
My bistro-winter centerpiece: duck legs slow-cooked with citrus and thyme, then roasted hard for shatter-crisp skin—finished with a Cara Cara–shallot jus that tastes like a little sunlight showed up for dinner.
January 29, 2026