While the U.S. is stuck in the deep freeze (we’re even cold here in California; which for us means high 50s), I’m thinking about some of my favorite cold-weather comfort foods: mac and cheese, hot chocolate and cinnamon toast, tater tot casserole (you can take the boy out of the Midwest …) homemade chicken pot pie, and potato-cheddar soup, to name a few.

But by far the tastiest and most comforting winter comfort food I’ve ever eaten is French cassoulet, essentially a white-bean stew with duck confit, sausage and thick pieces of bacon baked in a thick sauce, and then topped with bread crumbs and browned under the broiler.

I’ve yet to try my hand at Julia Child’s cassoulet recipe (it’s included in her seminal cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking), but I plan to one of these days. Until then, I’ll just savor the memories of this fantastic delicacy that I’ve enjoyed time and again in the City of Light.