I started out desperately wanting to make Mouclade, a curried mussel dish that originated in the French port city of La Rochelle but ended up with a more Asian feeling bowl of turmeric ginger mussels. In some ways, curry and mussels sound weird together, but the flavor combination is off the hook, especially when backed by coconut milk and hot chili peppers.

This easy tuna spaghetti is perhaps my sister Anne’s greatest contribution to the culinary arts. It’s an easy-to-make, quick pasta that literally takes less time to prepare the sauce than it does to cook the pasta. Perfect for busy families on the go. What I love about it is its versatility. You will notice in the ingredient list a number of optional items. Add those, don’t add those. If you don’t like tuna try adding shrimp to the mix or just eat it on its own. Dinner shouldn’t be complicated!

Learn how to make steamed mussels the French way. The best moules marinières or 'sailor-style mussels' ever. The mussels are simply steamed in white wine and herbs. From start to finish, moules marinières will take no longer than 10 to 15 minutes to prepare.

One of my favorite Provençale dipping sauces is called Anchoïade. It is an anchovy sauce that marries perfectly with raw and lightly cooked vegetables, smeared on tartines and served with a classic lentil salad, or drizzled over roasted red peppers stuffed with creamy goat cheese and basil.

Typically one finds a wide selection of both raw and cooked vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, poached salt cod, and snails. Many grand aïoli include lots more fish. This past weekend I made mine with snow peas, snap peas, artichokes, and fennel harvested from my own garden with carrots, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, new potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, beets, radishes, shrimp, halibut, clams, octopus, and salt cod.