​Serves 4
12 ounces canned tuna packed in oil, drained
4 ounces fresh green beans 
½  small red onion, peeled and sliced 
12 red fingerling potatoes, boiled, cooled
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut into halves 
1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
½ cup Niçoise olives,(oil cured black olives)or pitted kalamata olives
¼ cup capers, rinsed
4 eggs boiled, peeled, and halved 
4 cups mixed baby lettuces
Nicoise Salad Dressing, recipe follows

1. Trim the green beans, and then blanch (cook) in boiling water for 3 minutes.  Immediately strain the green beans and run under cold water to stop the cooking. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the green beans, red onion, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, and capers.  Toss lightly with ¼ cup of the Niçoise dressing and season with salt and pepper.  
3. Divide the lettuce between the plates.  Place equal amounts of dressed vegetables on top of the greens. Divide the drained tuna and eggs between the plates. Drizzle some dressing on top. Serve immediately. 

 
Dressing
Make 1 ½ cups
1 cup olive oil 
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 Tbs fresh tarragon, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients in a bottle and shake well. Taste and add more vinegar (a teaspoon or two at a time) to taste. Your vinaigrette can be kept on the counter. 

​Makes one 8-cup souffle to serve 4
Excerpted from The Way to Cook by Julia Child. 
 
Ingredients
2 Tbs finely grated Parmesan or other hard cheese
2 1/2 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1 cup hot milk
Seasonings: 1/2 tsp paprika, a speck of nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt, and 3 grinds of white pepper
4 egg yolks
5 egg whites (2/3 cup)
1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) coarsely grated Swiss cheese
 
Instructions

1. Preliminaries: Roll the grated cheese in the buttered baking dish to cover the bottom and side, and fasten on the aluminum collar (see Notes below). Preheat the oven to 400 F, and set the rack in the lower third level. Measure out all the ingredients listed.
2. The white sauce – béchamel: Stir and cook the butter and flour together in the saucepan over moderate heat for 2 minutes without coloring. Remove from heat, let cool a moment, then pour in all the hot milk and whisk vigorously to blend. Return to heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, and boil slowly 3 minutes. The sauce will be very thick. Whisk in the seasonings, and remove from heat.
3. Finishing the sauce base: One by one, whisk the egg yolks into the hot sauce.
4. The egg whites: In a clean separate bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites to stiff shining peaks.
5. Finishing the soufflé mixture: Scoop a quarter of the egg whites on top of the sauce and stir them in with a wooden spoon. Turn the rest of the egg whites on top; rapidly and delicately fold them in, alternating scoops of the spatula with sprinkles of the coarsely grated cheese – adding the cheese now makes for a light soufflé.
6. Ahead-of-time note: You may complete the soufflé to this point 1/2 hour or so in advance; cover loosely with a sheet of foil and set away from drafts.
7. Baking – 25 to 30 minutes at 400 F and 375 F. Set in the preheated oven, turn the thermostat down to 375 F, and bake until the soufflé has puffed 2 to 3 inches over the rim of the baking dish into the collar, and the top has browned nicely (see Notes below).
8. Serving: As soon as it is done, remove the collar, then bring the soufflé to the table. To keep the puff standing, hold your serving spoon and fork upright and back to back; plunge them into the crust and tear it apart.

 
Notes
For drama, you choose a dish that’s a little too small, so that the soufflé puffs into a collar. When the collar is removed the puff holds itself 2 to 3 inches over the rim of the dish. Use a double thickness of buttered foil that will rise 3 inches over the top of the dish; secure the collar by inserting a straight pin head down – for easy removal.
When is it done? A soufflé baked in a dish should puff 2 to 3 inches over the rim, and the top should be nicely browned. The puff should hold up when you release the collar just a little bit to check – if the puff sags, rapidly refasten the collar and bake a few minutes more. If you want the puff to hold and the soufflé to stand a reasonable time, test it by plunging a skewer down into the side of the puff; if wet particles cling to it the soufflé will be creamy inside and will not hold as long as if the skewer comes out almost clean. 

Makes 6 servings
 
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 medium white onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced 
2 celery ribs, diced 
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (I like Better Than Bullion paste) 
1 (12-oz) can IPA beer-see other options below
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard or 1 tablespoon Dijon or yellow mustard
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups (about 1 pound) extra-sharp Cheddar
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
3 scallions, chopped 

1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaf, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5-8 minutes. 
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle the flour over vegetables. Continue to cook stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. 
3. While whisking add the milk, broth, and beer. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Cook for 5 minutes. 
4. While the soup is cooking, combine the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the soup. Cook for 3 more minutes. 
5. Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup using a stand blender or immersion blender.
6. Put the pureed soup back into the pot and bring to a simmer.  Add the cheddar cheese by handfuls, whisking constantly, and cook until the cheese is melted. Do not let the soup boil. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with crumbled bacon and scallions as a garnish.

Notes:

• Beer options-the beer you choose will determine the intensity of flavor. I have used IPA and stout for this recipe. The stout is a heavier, smokier beer and will add that level of intensity to the soup. Use a beer you love to drink!
• Add cooked broccoli and shredded cooked chicken to this soup for a really tasty stew-like dish. Delicious!

Makes one 9” cake
 
Cake:
1 cup chocolate or coffee stout or other dark, malty beer -Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout is what I prefer, but I have used other rich malty beers as well.
8 oz. butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup sour cream, room temperature 
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
 
Frosting:
1¼ cups confectioners' sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup heavy cream-plus 1-2 tablespoons to thin frosting if needed

1. Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350F.
2. Butter and flour a 9" x 3" springform pan. Line with a circle of parchment. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, combine the stout and butter place over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Set aside.
4. Whisk together the sugar and the cocoa powder in a bowl. Stir it into the stout and butter and whisk together until smooth. 
5. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Add to the stout mixture.
6. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt and optional espresso powder. Stir into the wet ingredients until smooth. A few tiny little lumps are okay.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 50 minutes. The cake is done when the top springs back when gently pressed, when the sides are just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, and when the internal temperature of the cake reaches 200F. Place the cake on a cooling rack and cool completely in the pan. 
8. For the frosting: Using a food processor or hand mixer, whip the confectioner’s sugar and the room temperature cream cheese until smooth. Add the heavy cream and mix until smooth and spreadable. Ice the top of the cake.
9. Store leftovers in the fridge, but let the cake return to room temperature for serving so the frosting and cake will have the best texture and flavor.

NOTES

• You can also make this cake in a Bundt pan or two 9" x 2" pans if you'd like to make a classic layer cake. Multiply the frosting by 1 ½ to frost the top and between the layers.
• For a non-alcoholic cake, you can swap the stout with 1 cup coffee or espresso.