Recipes From Makenna Held’s ‘Mostly French’ Cookbook, Inspired by Julia Child’s Former Home

When Makenna Held bought Julia Child’s home in the South of France nearly 10 years ago, she wasn’t quite sure where the journey would take her. But today, she leads a cooking school, has been a TV host and is now a cookbook author. “I had been under the impression that everything that came out of a French kitchen was fussy and involved a chef barking orders to his underlings,” shares Held of her first impressions of French food as a teen. But that view quickly changed and is reflected in her book, Mostly French. Try one of these simply stunning recipes tonight!

Tomato Carpaccio
Serves 4

1 lb. unripe tomatoes, the harder the better
1 to 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, cut in half
Fine sea salt
Sumac
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice tomatoes incredibly thin, as thin as your mandoline or knife skills will allow. We want a stained glass tomato that holds its shape, but ideally allows you to see through to the bottom of the plate.

2. Arrange tomatoes in overlapping spirals on each plate, starting from the outside and working toward the interior. Fill the middle with a couple of slices.

3. Drizzle each with olive oil, about 1 to 2 tsp. per plate. Squeeze the juice from each lemon half over each plate and follow with a sprinkle of salt. Let dressed tomatoes stand at room temperature 20 to 30 min. This allows the flavors to penetrate, and creates bright and briny juices that soften the under ripe tomatoes.

4. Just before serving, finish each plate with a pinch of sumac and a crack or two of black pepper.

PER SERVING: 83 cal, 1g protein, 4g carbs, 1g fiber, 3g sugar, 7g fat

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Roast Chickens With Lemon
Serves 8

2 lemons, sliced into thin rounds
2 yellow onions, cut into thick slices
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tbsp. ground sumac
2 (3 to 4 lb.) chickens, giblets removed, spatchcocked
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Rosemary sprigs
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat oven to its highest setting, 500° to 550°F. On a sheet tray, create a bed of lemons, onions and garlic. Sprinkle with sumac. Lay chickens on top, skin side up. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle each with 1 tsp. salt. Top with a few rosemary sprigs.

2. Put chickens in oven. Reduce to 500°F; roast 15 min. Reduce temperature to 450°F; cook 20 min. more, until chicken is crispy and/or an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F.

3. Transfer to serving platters or a chopping board. Let stand 5 min.; season with pepper. Carve chickens and serve with cooked aromatics and pan juices.

PER SERVING: 574 cal, 42g protein, 3g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g sugar, 41g fat

Miniature Meringues
Serves 8

4 egg whites, at room temp.
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. Cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice
1⁄8 tsp. fine sea salt
3 tbsp. coconut oil
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
10 oz. strawberries, sliced

1. Heat oven to 250°F. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium to soft peaks. Beat in sugar, 1 tbsp. at a time, to stiff peaks. Add cornstarch, lemon juice and salt; beat 30 sec. Drop 8 1⁄2-cup mounds onto baking sheet. Use back of spoon to create a well in center of each.

2. Bake until firm, 1 1⁄4 hrs. Turn off oven; let stand, 1 hr. Cool completely on a wire rack.

3. Melt coconut oil in a small pot over medium. Remove from heat; add chocolate chips. Let stand 2 min.; whisk until smooth.

4. Top meringues with chocolate sauce and strawberries or tropical topping* and serve.

*For tropical topping: Mix 3 peeled and chopped kiwis, 1 cup diced pineapple and 1⁄4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes.

PER SERVING: 272 cal, 1g protein, 42g carbs, 1g fiber, 39g sugar, 11g fat