Mains

French and Baltic main courses: Weeknight dinners, lazy Sundays, family meals, and the occasional dish worth making when people come over.

In my grandmother’s kitchen, nobody ate until everyone was at the table. I still remember the smell of onions cooking, steaming potatoes, kotletes (Latvian breaded meat patties, coming soon) straight from the pan, a mushroom sauce and a green salad on the side. Nothing fancy, but honestly one of the best things about growing up in a Latvian household.

My French mother-in-law cooked the same way. Quiche Lorraine on a Wednesday, salmon and spinach quiche for guests, roast chicken with chestnuts on Sundays. Most of the work done before anyone sat down, so she could actually enjoy the meal too.

French and Baltic mains is what this section is about, and more Latvian recipes including pan fried breaded pork and chicken (Karbonade) and potato pancakes (Kartupeļu Pankūkas) are on their way. On weeknights when I need something fast, the lemon pepper chicken drumsticks with dill are what I reach for.

And if you want to see how these dishes fit into a bigger meal, how a French meal comes together and how the Baltic table is set are good places to start.