Around My French Table

[pikawicca]

I know from EYC that several Hounds have this book. Just got mine today and want to make many of the recipes. It's going to be hard diving my time between Arabesque and Dorie's new book, but I'll give it my best. Please post when you've made something from AMFT. (I've got my eye on the potato chip tortilla to begin with.)

[westernmeadowlark]

I've made the chicken b'stilla a couple times now (making it again tomorrow, yay!), it comes out fantastic, just like ones i've had in moroccan restaurants.

the very first recipe in the book, for cheese gougeres, is a hell of a lot of fun to make and very tasty too :)

[smilingal]

westernmeadowlark - can you please share both recipes?

[JoanN]

You can find both recipes using Googles "search inside the book" feature. The Gougeres recipe is on page 4, the Chicken B'Stilla on page 222.

I tried to give you direct links but that didn't seem to work. You should be able to find them from here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=SbTV...

Just type the names of the recipes in the search box.

[smilingal]

JoanN - thank you so much - do you know if there is a way to print from that feature? I was unable to do this. I make a wonderful hors doeurves Chicken B'stilla. I definitely will try this one as a main dish. I love the flavor profile.

[JoanN]

Unfortunately, there is no way to print from Google's Look Inside the Book feature. What I've often done is search to see if someone else has posted the recipe on their blog, printed that, and checked it against the original to see if there's critical information missing or if they "adapted" a little too enthusiastically. If you can't find the recipe elsewhere, I'm afraid there's not much you can do other than open Word and start typing.

[Gio]

Here's a link to the recipe that the blogger says she "copied fairly faithfully"...! But Google search came up with many other links...

http://foodiefootnotes.blogspot.com/2010/12/chicken-bstilla-pastilla.html

I don't have the book in front of me but it looks pretty much like the actual recipe... perhaps someone else can corroborate.

Google page...
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid...

[smilingal]

gio - thanks for that link - it was almost direct! Looking forward to trying this version.

[alkapal]

i looked to see if i could do a screen shot, but the set up is not amenable.

[smilingal]

thanks!

[kscooley]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is EYC?

[GretchenS]

I think from context that pikawicca probably meant EYB or Eat Your Books http://www.eatyourbooks.com/ to which a lot of CHs belong.

[pikawicca]

Exactly right. Love, love, love EYB!

[kscooley]

Thanks! I saw this referenced in another thread, so was getting a bit curious. LOL I'll have to check it out!

[LulusMom]

Prepare your bookcases for an influx ...

[roxlet]

Tonight I made the chicken diable, which was quite delicious although the DH felt that the sauce was too mustardy even though I didn't use the total amount. I served it with the broccoli with breadcrumbs, which was absolutely delicious, and some fine egg noodles. A lovely meal.

[beetlebug]

Waffles and Cream (pg. 416)

This is my post from my crazy waffle thread.

I woke up this morning wanting to make waffles. Since I didn't decide this last night, Marian Cunningham and Mollie Katzen's recipes were off the table since they needed to rise overnight. After consulting Eat Your Books, I found the perfect recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table.

These waffles were excellent - thin, crisp on the outside, very slightly soft on the inside.

Whisk 9 T of melted butter with 2/3 cup of warm milk. Whisk in 1/2 cup flour (I think I may have used 2/3 cup flour because my eye may have caught the wrong measurement) and add 1T sugar, 1/4 t salt and 1 t vanilla. I also added in some cinnamon. In a separate bowl, beat 2 large egg whites until the peaks are firm and stiff. Then, fold in the flour mixture.

My waffle maker took about 2/3 cup of batter and it made three round waffles. Dorie recommends eating this with confectioner's sugar, ice cream and/or chocolate or caramel sauce. Since it was breakfast and I had no whipped cream, I just used a bit of blueberry jam and ginger syrup.

I think I like waffles after all.

[roxylewis]

Her lemon curd recipe is as delicious as any other I've ever used, and far easier!

I've made the apple cake several times; it's good, and very forgiving of whatever apple variety hodgepodge you use. I've thrown in some pear, too. The batter is quite boozy, which makes clean-up even more fun! I do find the cake rather wet after the first day, like others have mentioned, and I wonder if eventually I won't just go back to the tried-and-true chocolateandzucchini's Gateau de Mamy, or some amalgam...

Like everyone else, I seem to have zoomed in on the stuffed pumpkin recipe almost immediately. I've had fabulous results all three times I've done it, even with varying degrees of pumpkin softness and some playing around with the ingredients. I do agree that a bit more cream/broth/moistener is needed.

The speculoos were only so-so, in my opinion, but I prefer a very spicy, crunchy cookie and it just wasn't that.

The gougeres were good (hard to mess up those ingredients!), but I had some trouble with them flattening out - it was probably me, but I've never had an issue with a recipe I pulled from epicurious a few years back. I found them very eggy, too, which isn't a bad thing but not so much to my taste.

I can't wait to try the savory pumpkin flan!

[roxlet]

I made the lazy person's roast chicken, which I have to say was just all right. She has you cook it in a casserole pot and put some slices of french bread under the chicken, which are supposed to get toasty. Mine absolutely fused to the bottom of my Le Creuset. It is soaking now, and I really hope it comes off especially since the DH did a major cleaning job on this pot last week. Fortunately, he's out at a rehearsal. But at the end of the day it was a roast chicken. A roast chicken with a big, annoying, messy clean-up.

[Nocturnalbill]

Made the B'stilla for friends a few nights ago. I used Ras al Hanout instead of the spices listed but otherwise no real changes. Definitely made enough for two pies. Flavor was very good. Easier than the recipe sounds. Also learned that frozen filo dough comes with so many sheets in the box that I will now have to experiment with baklava...not that this is a bad thing.

[italy531]

I am in the process of making the french onion soup. So far the onions are taking longer than the hour she estimates to caramelize but I was expecting that based on other recipes I have seen. Can't wait to taste it when it is done!

[tzakiel]

I finally got my copy. First thing I have tried is the cauliflower and bacon gratin.... it came out wonderful, just like the photo in the book.

http://www.vodkitchen.com/2011/01/13/...

[cassoulady]

I made the rosemary butter veal chop recipe tonight and it was wonderful! My chops were a bit more than an inch and took a bit longer to cook then the recipe indicated, I ended up popping them in the oven for a few minutes. The crust on the outside had a wonderful thyme and rosemary flavor and the inside was a wonderful pink. The sauce is really a brothy and flavorful and absorbed right into the meat so it really seemed sauce-less which was fine. I thought this was a wonderful recipe. The only downside is the cost of the veal chops, but I thought it was a wonderful dish and worthy of splurging on!

[JeffW]

Happy New Year all. I stumbled on this post only just now...WOW, lots of responses. Not able to pore through all of them, so hopefully I'm not being redundant. From this book I've made the Stuffed Pumpkin. I used a Kabocha squash instead which some call "Japanese Pumpkin". It was a stellar dish. I used a tad more cream for the texture that I wanted....I think maybe 1/2 cup. I baked it on a pan and the Kabocha kept its shape beautifully....it's a less watery squash than a sugar pumpkin, plus if desired one can actually eat the skin of a Kabocha. The only other recipe I made from the book so far was the "top secret" chocolate mousse. That one won't be made again.
Cheers,
Jeff

[cassoulady]

Has anyone made her recipe for homemade creme fraiche? I use quite a bit of it and thought it might be handy to be able to make it ( and probably less expensive). Has anyone had luck with this?

[JoanN]

I make it all the time. Used to be that you had no choice; really couldn't find it in the markets here. I often I cut the recipe by two thirds since I rarely need a full cup of creme fraiche. Works like a charm.

[cassoulady]

thanks- is your recipe very similar to hers?

[JoanN]

There are a number of variations on the theme, but all are pretty similar. Julia, in Volume I of Mastering the Art, has you combine a teaspoon of buttermilk and heavy cream and heat the mixture to not more than 85 degrees. It's faster (just how fast depends on how hot the room is), but more of a pain in the neck.

ETA: Ooops . Meant to say "a teaspoon of buttermilk and a cup of heavy cream." Sorry.

[cassoulady]

thanks! I will try this!

[smtucker]

This is the method that I use, especially in the winter when the kitchen never gets warmer than about 67º [even with the oven on!]

[JoanN]

Good point. Hadn't thought of that since my kitchen is nearly always warmer than I'd like it to be.

[buttertart]

You New Yorker, you.

[JoanN]

Basque Potato Tortilla (page 142)

Not the kind of thing I’d usually make, but I had some leftover roasted potatoes from a dinner party and they were even cooked with rosemary and garlic, as are the potatoes in this recipe. Seemed a no brainer. Hardly even had to adjust the recipe. Just sauteed the already cooked potatoes along with a chopped onion for 10 minutes instead of 20.

Recipe calls for adding salt, pepper, and piment d’Espelette to the beaten eggs before stirring in the potato and onion mixture so you can’t taste for seasoning. I undersalted. Would have been better if I hadn’t. Still, this was pretty good, and a good use of leftover potatoes. But not something I’d make a special trip to buy the ingredients for.

[burgeoningfoodie]

Still looks yummy and something could be great for breakfast.

[dkennedy]

I have M. Jacques' armagnac chicken in the oven right now, with some modifications. I read through everyone's posts before starting it, hoping to get some feedback. Looks like I am the first one to try this dish.

First of all, super easy one pot dish. I did not have armagnac and substituted Cognac based on Dorie's bonne idea. I took it out after the one hour and it was neither browned nor well seasoned. I browned the chicken on the inside of the cast iron lid. I re-seasoned everything and added a cut up lemon to the veggies, then put it all back in for 20 additional minutes. Just took it out and it is now perfect. Do not add the 1 cup of water unless you want a lot of sauce.

[dkennedy]

The other "dish" I have made from AMFT is not much of a dish at all. It is listed among the salads, a 1/2ed avocado, perfectly ripe, seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon juice, the cavity is filled with roasted pistachio oil. All I can tell you is WOW, the first bite is mind blowing!! With pistachio oil going for $3.00 an ounce, you probably will only make this on rainy days and Sundays, but oh my, it will make you wish for a rainy Sunday.

[pikawicca]

I haven't tried this, but why on earth would you fill a very oily food with more oil? I wouldn't even consider it.

[JoanN]

But isn't that one reason we all buy cookbooks and try new recipes is to try combinations we might otherwise not even consider?

In this instance Dorie says the combination of avocado and pistachio was recommended to her by the maker and purveyor of "some of the finest nut oils in the world." Dorie says she's been serving it ever since and that "everyone falls for it as quickly and as happily as I did."

I don't care for avocados, but if I did, those recommendations and dkennedy's endorsement would be sufficiently intriguing for me not to dismiss it out hand.

[LulusMom]

Lets face it, fat is very tasty. So ... two kinds of fat in one? Could be very good, especially since I don't think avocados taste especially fatty.

[dkennedy]

Looks like I have sparked quite the debate. Pikawicca, the flavor of the pistachio oil perfectly compliments the creamy texture of the avocado. The salt and lemon offer a needed contrast to balance out the flavors . Talking about it has made me realize how hungry I am, so I think I will make myself one right now.

[pikawicca]

I think I might like finely chopped pistachios sprinkled on top of an avocado, just can't imagine pouring oil on one.

[dkennedy]

Just finished putting together the apple cake for my daughter's class holiday party. It is in the oven now. Didn't see anything about turning the cake 1/2 way through....It took longer to transverse this thread to find everyone's input about what and what not to do than it did to make the cake! Can someone refresh my memory how to search within a discussion thread for a specific word.

BTW, the raw batter is yummy. This would be an ideal recipe to do with kids. It does not require a mixer, offers lots of fun tasks like measuring, whisking, folding, and peeling. I think I will make another one with my daughter this weekend.

[JoanN]

Those of us who have been active in Cookbook of the Month for a while have gotten into the habit of (1) replying to the original post when reporting on a recipe that no one has made before, or (2) replying to the first mention of a recipe that someone else, or many someones, has tried before. That way, all new reports stand out, and all reports on the same recipe follow that initial report making it very easy to follow who has made what changes or has tips for improving it.

That said, Ctrl > F will bring up the Find dialog box for you to search within the thread for the word or words you're looking for.

[TorontoJo]

And make sure that all the posts are expanded, as ctrl + F will only search the exposed text on the page.

[dkennedy]

JoanN and TorontoJo,

Thank you so much for your help. I am going to save this info in my inbox for future reference. Apple cake # 2 is in the oven right now. I added lemon zest and cinnamon to this batch. Will report back on the results.

[dkennedy]

As I mentioned above, I made a second apple cake this weekend with a few changes that improved it dramatically. I added 1/4 t. cinnamon and the zest of 1 lemon to the batter. The first recipe was good but a little to flat, IMO. This second version really has an intense apple pie flavor, without being too sweet. It has already become a favorite recipe for my family.

I also made Dorie's go-to daube recipe and her veal chops with rosemary compound butter. Both were good, solid recipes, but not good enough for me to make again. I have a similar veal chop recipe which has a lot less steps and a much better balance of flavor.

[Endivia]

I also think it was good but like my avocado even more Mexican style with onion, tomato, lime juice, coarse sea salt and pepper.

[italy531]

I got my copy in the mail yesterday and can't wait to start cooking and join the discussion!

[JoanN]

Gougères (page 4)

I’ve been making Gougères forever. Probably a dozen different recipes starting with Michael Field, through Julia Child, on to Judy Rodgers. These just might possibly be the best yet. How come? Well, she uses half milk and half water rather than all water; she uses a lot more butter, a lot more cheese, and even more egg than many recipes. (And truth to tell, I added even more cheese than she called for; my eight ounces to her six. Cave aged Gruyère, by the way.) And unlike nearly every other Gougères I’ve tried, these are dropped, not piped. These were lighter, cheesier, holeyer, crisper on the outside.

I made them Wednesday, refrigerated them overnight, crisped them up Thursday, and served them with Prosecco. And now I’m eating the leftovers for breakfast. Mmmmm. Gougères for breakfast.

[buttertart]

You are definitely my kind of person, JoanN. That sounds like a breakfast of the gods. Must make these.

[LulusMom]

I hope you had more prosecco with the breakfast too! They look and sound wonderful.

[JoanN]

Ha! Don't I just wish!

[souschef]

"Well, she uses half milk and half water rather than all water; she uses a lot more butter, a lot more cheese, and even more egg than many recipes."

That statement made me think of Michael Ruhlman's book on ratios. Does she still conform to that ?

[JoanN]

Don' t have Ruhlman's book so I don't know what he says the classic ratio for a choux paste is.

I have, however, since posting that, received as a gift the new Harold McGee. He says, with specific regard to gougères, that for the crispest shells the choux should be all water, no milk or cream; bread flour instead of AP flour; more egg whites than yolks, and enough liquid to make the dough as fluid as possible. He also says that to make an especially light gourère, you should use a drier grating cheese such as Parmesan.

So, that contradicts just about everything in this recipe, which I thought had such a wonderfully crispy shell.

I thought about what McGee had to say as I was making popovers the other night. The recipe (not sure of its provenance; a friend just printed it out and said "use this one"), specifically said to use whole milk and not to substitute and it didn't separate the eggs. Those popovers were certainly crispy.

[tzakiel]

I will have to try these. I have been using a recipe by thomas keller and they are wonderful, but will be curious to see the difference here.

[mebby]

Just made these last night for NYE nosh with champagne before dinner and they were unbelievably easy and so decadently, airily delicious. I am no kind of baker whatsoever, but these seemed pretty infallible, even with my hand mixer breaking in the middle.

And I just love the tone of her recipes -- it really does feel like she's standing next to you whispering little encouragements in your ear. I will definitely be making these again and again (and we too had leftovers for breakfast this morning -- a great way to start the new year).

[JoanN]

Great idea for a NYE preprandial nibble. Sorry I didn't think of it myself. I need an excuse to make these again.

[buttertart]

Made gougeres for NYE - the leftover ones make a nice pre-brunch snack, even cold. I'm kicking myself fo never making choux paste until the summer. What was I thinking???

[souschef]

Yeah, what WERE your thinking ???

There`s nothing quite like éclairs, fresh from the oven, cooled, then filled with chocolate pastry cream. I see that in your future.

[buttertart]

I should do that for my chocolate adoring pals. And some vanilla ones for ME!

[cassoulady]

Swiss Chard Stuffed Pork Roast-
This was wonderful. I used red chard, golden raisins. It was wonderful. Very moist. It was easy and quick to prepare but looked so nice cut into slices on a platter. I would make this again.

[buttertart]

Made the salted butter break apart sablé thing today - it calls for being rolled out into an appx 5 x 11 in rectangle (55 sq in) - I pressed it into an 8x8 pan (64 sq in) for approximately the same acreage - it's a bit thicker than the 1/4 in she describes. Since breaking it apart would not appeal to the person I primarily made it for, I cut it with my bench scraper into 16 pcs while it was warm. It baked up a bit cakier than I expected, looking forward to trying it.

[pikawicca]

Shrimp and Cellophane Noodles

This was not a success -- weird combination of flavors (sesame oil, tree ear mushrooms, Chinese 5-spice powder, cilantro) all mixed with lots of tomato puree. Way too sweet; don't know why the recipe calls for additional sugar! Perhaps French tomato puree is different? If you decide to try this, I suggest leaving out the sugar and pureeing a can of plum tomatoes to sub for the puree.

[JoanN]

As I said above, it tasted like two entirely different dishes smashed together. I used pureed plum tomatoes. Didn't help any.

[pikawicca]

Missed your post. Wish I hadn't.

[Gio]

A different take on the dang stuffed pumpkin. The author of the blog used acorn squash and cooked the stuffed squash UPSIDE DOWN. !!
Link with pics:

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/re...

[buttertart]

The amount of play that particular recipe has gotten everywhere amazes me, I just have to say it. It would be the very last thing out of the book I would ever make. No pumpkin for this kittycat. Dang indeed!

[roxlet]

Ditto for me, buttertart!

[BigSal]

Roasted Jerusalem artichokes with garlic p. 353

Roast sunchokes that have been peeled, quartered and seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary and thinly sliced garlic. Roast at 400 until lightly browned and pierces easily. Both my husband and I enjoyed them. Nice change of pace from potatoes.

[rabaja]

Those sound great, can't wait to find some sunchokes around here soon.

I'm expecting my copy of AMFT today. $24 and free shipping, can't wait to snuggle up with it.

[buttertart]

Highly recommend the pork tenderloin with oranges recipe. The cardamom brings out the orange flavor like crazy. The dish will be fantastic in the dead of winter when the oranges are superb.

[buttertart]

Just finished reading through the book. There are so many recipes (particularly of the sweet variety...) I want to make. Having the pork tenderloin w oranges tonight.
Reheated "go-to" daube with poppyseed sour cream noodles and leftover Greek salad made a nice dinner last night. It improves with keeping/rewarming and freezing doesn't impair it.

[cassoulady]

I made the pumpkin Friday night for a dinner party as a main course. Two of my guests were vegetarians so I omitted the bacon. I also added sauteed leeks. I thought this was wonderful. The guests went back for seconds. I have attached photos.

[rose water]

made the pumpkin on thanksgiving, subbing broth for the cream as others have suggested upthread. it was delicious, and the presentation was beautiful and dramatic. the soupy baked bread and cheese reminded me a lot of the zuni chard and onion panade. though the panade doesn't have the presentation panache of this pumpkin, given the space constraints within the pumpkin belly, the panade allows for much more delicious baked stuff.

i'm tempted to mix and match the two recipes, because the throw everything togetheriness of the pumpkin (with excellent results) makes me question the saute your onions and chard just so fussiness of the zuni recipe.

[BigSal]

Broth-Braised Potatoes p. 35

Easy and delicious. Chicken broth, olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, bay leaf, herbs (I used both thyme and rosemary), salt and pepper and simmered for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and simmer until tender. A simple twist on regular boiled potatoes.

[pikawicca]

Mmm... that sounds good. We eat a lot of potatoes in this house, so I'll definitely give that a try.

[DiningDiva]

I think I missed that recipe somewhere along the line. That sound delicious!

[DiningDiva]

I've made the Brown Sugar Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts recipe several times. Definitely a keeper for us. very easy even for a weeknight; I just pop it in the oven while I'm preparing the rest of the meal. Best of all, since it is cooked in a foil packet, there is no clean-up other than to toss the foil.

I have found, however, that I need to use a lot more sage than the recipe calls for, which may actually be a function of the sage leaves I have available to me. Also have found that the portion size is pretty big.

[Mrs.Bones]

I made Marie-Helene's Apple cake as part of French Friday's with Dorie, and Chicken Couscous on my own.
Both are DELICIOUS!

The apple cake is really easy to throw together, and stays moist for days. I recommend browning the butter beforehand, since it gives a great nutty/caramel flavor. And when it says to use a springform pan? Listen to Dorie. I didn't have one and my cake fell apart on the flip-out. If you only have a 9-inch sf pan, use 1.5x's the recipe. Here's my blog link (not a pretty picture, but it was so delicious that we didn't care) http://kitchenwithbrina.blogspot.com/...

The Chicken Couscous was delicious, as well. It makes a lot, so we're still eating the leftovers. I used chicken thighs and left out the carrots (by accident), and added some raisins and almonds to the couscous. Very flavorful, fragrant and tasty.

[Becca Porter]

I made my second apple cake in a regular cake pan. I used Baker's Joy to grease. I had no problems, it even survived the second flip back to right-side up.

I made the chicken couscous a week or so ago, and it was my favorite meat based dish yet. Really good.

[Mrs.Bones]

Ahhh..I'll try Bakers Joy next time! I used butter to follow the recipe and it was a hot (delicious) mess.

[Becca Porter]

I would really prefer to use butter, but in these high risk recipes nothing beats Baker's Joy. It has never failed me.

[DiningDiva]

I made the apple cake over the weekend and we liked it really well. It's ridiculously easy to make. However, I found that by the 2nd day, the cake portion of it was getting a little on the soggy side. I would assume that is because it's absorbing the liquid still left in the apples. I really like the suggestion to brown the butter, I think that would be a very welcome addition. I also think one could add a little bit of spice (cinnamon or nutmeg for example) if desired.

[Endivia]

Hi, I am new to chow. I have made Marie Hellene's cake several times now and it was always delicious. Yesterday I was out of rum so used cognac instead. It was also very good. Lovely cognac flavor with every bite of moist apple cake. I love this book!
Another favorite is the quiche with Gorgonzola and apples. Very easy and delicious cold as an afternoon snack (ideally with wine).

[The Dairy Queen]

Welcome to Chowhound. Thanks for letting us know about your substitution. I'm always interesting to know which ways recipes can be tweaked for what you have on hand!

~TDQ

[souschef]

Has anyone tried making it with Calvados ?

[buttertart]

That would be nice. I blow hot and cold on rum myself.

[cassoulady]

I have only made it with Calvados, it was a great!!

[rose water]

just made the quiche with gorgonzola and apples today. or at least, i was inspired by it and adapted it. i did more of a frittata than a quiche (no crust around, and no time/energy to make one), used less cream than called for and one more egg, and one whole apple rather than half. delicious, and totally simple to do. can't really imagine using all the cream called for--this was *plenty* rich with the 1/2 cup we had on hand.

[nomadchowwoman]

I made two tarts (or quiches) from the book to take to a party yesterday, Gerard's Mustard Tart and the Spinach-Bacon Quiche. To the mustard tart, I added some steamed asparagus (six I had leftover halved lengthwise) to the leeks and carrots. I would make this one again.

Because I had a lot of arugula about to go wilty, I subbed it for the spinach in the Spinach-Bacon quiche and couldn't tell any difference (I don't ever cook arugula, but it onviously loses its wonderful peppery bite cooked this way). This was fine, but I'm not sure it's any better than any of the many spinach-bacon quiches I've made or eaten over the years.

Although they got gobbled up (the competition was not that stiff), in both cases I had undersalted, which, of course is not the fault of the recipe, just the cook.

[BigSal]

Chicken Basquaise p. 210

I made the piperade in advance to make this a little easier to make this meal after work. One sautés onion, green peppers, red peppers and mild chiles (I used Anaheim). Then you add tomato (I used the very, very last roma from my garden and supplemented them with drained Pomi chopped tomatoes). Season with salt and piment d’espelette (I like it spicy so I went with a little more than a pinch). This is a wonderful combination of flavors and could eat this alone hot or cold (and as a matter of fact I did ). This reminds me of a Penelope Casas recipe for an empanada of atun. The filling is made with onions, green peppers, garlic, tomato sauce and tuna. I like the filling so much that I often just make the filling and not the empanada dough. I think I could add tuna to this piperade mixture and be just as pleased.
The chicken is then browned (we used chicken thighs), set aside and seasoned. The oil is removed and then the pot is deglazed with white wine. The chicken and piperade is cooked until done. Our half recipe was done in 30 minutes. The chicken skin was rubbery, but I probably had the dutch oven on a little too high. The chicken was very moist and paired well with the piperade. We served this with brown rice.

Tuna-Packed Piquillio Peppers p. 174

I really enjoyed this. Pantry staples, quick to put together and lovely flavors. The filling is made with tuna, capers, minced shallots, olives (I used oil-cured black), minced parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil. I enjoyed this combination of flavors very much. As you might imagine, the flavors are even better after giving them some time to meld together. This filling is then stuffed into piquillo peppers. I think one can eat them at room temperature or warmed through.

Café-Style Grated Carrot Salad p. 107

Grate carrots and toss with vinaigrette made of grapeseed oil (I unintentionally used olive oil), Dijon mustard, honey, cider vinegar (I used lemon juice), salt, pepper and parsley. This was a fresh, crunchy side to our Cornish hen. I quite liked it, but my husband did not, although he is not much of a raw vegetable fan. I found that I like the salad even more after it has marinated a little bit. The carrots still have some texture, but the flavors have a chance to marry a bit.

Olive-Olive Cornish Hens p. 225

Spatchcock a Cornish hen and remove breast bone. Work some of the black olive tapenade under the skin of the breast and thighs. Rub with olive oil, squirt with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook at 500F for 25-30 minutes. Our hen was cooked after 25 minutes, but the skin was not as golden as we wanted, so we broiled it briefly until crisp. The tapenade adds a nice earthiness and gives the hen a little something extra. Little effort, quick to make, and tasty- would make this again.

[The Dairy Queen]

You've done quite a bit of cooking! Wow!

~TDQ

[BigSal]

I have been a little smitten with this book. The recipes are fairly healthy, easy to cook after work and just different enough from my normal routine to keep things interesting.

[The Dairy Queen]

Those are all really appealing qualities in a recipe. I hope to get more time to cook from this book this month! Thanks for the inspiration.

~TDQ

[Gio]

Pancetta Green Beans, Pg. 333

This is a very nice side dish for any protein, in our case grilled marinated chicken breasts. The panchetta adds a savory flavor that is perfect with the beans. I had some lovely haricot verte from the farm so steamed them instead of boiling. In the meantime, saute some chopped panchetta till crispy, remove and drain on paper towels. Heat the skillet again and add a 1/2 T of unsalted butter. When the beans are "crisp tender"... but still bright green... add them to the skillet, toss with the butter, heat through, return the panchetta, season with S & P, toss and serve.

[Gio]

Garlicky Crumb-Coated Broccoli, Pg. 334

Loved this...! Steamed broccoli, patted dry, rolled and heated in fried garlicy herb-buttered lemon juicy bread crumbs. Yum. That's it. So simple. I used parsley and thyme for the herbs and a beautiful Romanesco for the broccoli. Try it, you'll love it too.

[DiningDiva]

Salmon and Tomatoes en Papillote (pg 302)

Winner, winner salmon dinner!! I walked in the door at 6:05 pm this evening, dinner was on the table by 6:35 pm...and that includes the prep time AND the cooking time. Wow, it couldn't have been faster or easier. Plus it was truly delicious. This will be going into our regular dinner rotation.

[cassoulady]

Marie-Helene's apple cake- this was so wonderful. I am not a big dessert maker but this recipe is a real keeper. The recipe calls for staples- flour, sugar, eggs and a few apples so they are all on hand. I used Calvados instead of rum. It is very appley. I thought I did something wrong at first because there wouldnt be enough batter to cover the apples, but the cake really is more apple than cake. It was great and I cant wait to make it again. This time I make double it so that it is a taller cake.

[silkenpaw]

I was visiting my mother last week and made this in her inadequate kitchen. Whiskey was the only hard alcohol on hand so I used that. The cake tasted great and is definitely a keeper but all the apples ended up on the bottom. Did that happen to yours?

[Mrs.Bones]

My apples sunk a little bit, but not all of them. Could it be that the pieces were too big?

[cassoulady]

Mine didnt sink but when mixing it, it really didnt seem that there was enough batter but the apples are the showcase here not the batter, so a good portion of the apples were not covered on the top.

[BigSal]

Tuna Confit with Black Olive Tapenade and Tomato Salsa p. 305
Tuna is marinated overnight in olive oil, preserved lemons, sun dried tomatoes, salt, garlic, white onion, celery, parsley, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and zest. The recipe calls for 1 lb of tuna 1” thick and I had about 6 ounces 1.5 inches thick. Then cook at 225 for about an hour. The recipe calls for 1 c of oil. I needed to add more to my terrine to make sure the tuna was covered.

The tuna is served with a tomato salsa made of grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, preserved lemon, sweet pickled cherry peppers, olive oil, piment d’espelette and salt. This turned out to be a surprisingly good accompaniment. Fresh, lemony and vibrant with a touch of heat - even with my supermarket tomatoes. Yum! The black olive tapenade was a nice touch too. Both of these elements add a nice depth of flavor and the dish may have been a little flat without them.

The tuna was a little overcooked, probably because of the difference in thickness and weight of my tuna. The final internal temperature was 150 F. I would have liked it cooked a little less. The flavored oil was delicious, but not enough to justify using all that oil. As for the tuna, it may just be my preference, but I think I prefer my tuna seared or raw (sashimi). The tuna was good, but opening a jar of Spanish bonito del norte would have been just as satisfying. Again, this may be because I overcooked the fish.

[LulusMom]

Aside from the overcooking (and I'm with you on how much I like my tuna cooked) this sounds absolutely wonderful. Just the kind of flavors I love.

[buttertart]

Book is now available for $22.00 on Amazon - pounce!

[Gio]

Here's a link to a bunch of photographs of dishes from the book that the French Fridays with Dorie cookalong group made for a virtual surprise birthday party they gave for Dorie:
http://phemomenon.blogspot.com/2010/1...

Inspiring... and notice the "pumpkin" used for that stuffed pumpkin recipe...

[buttertart]

I like the look of that pork tenderloin especially.

[Gio]

I have my eye on the lazy person's roast chicken...

[Chris VR]

Her blog entry says "I got a Pumpkin called Mantovana (from Mantua where they make wonderful ravioli with it)." That pumpkin had a much thicker wall than the one I used... maybe that's why mine was less than perfect.

[Gio]

The orange pumpkin (Sugar pumpkin)I used had much less flesh as well. As you know, each of these winter squashes have different tastes too so those factors may have contributed to our unsatisfctory results. Better luck - to us - next time.

[Chris VR]

I've got my sugar pumpkin from the coop and am determined to make this work despite the diet I'm on right now!

[Gio]

I'm ashamed to say I've moved on without the attempt at a second try although your determination has me re-inspired. Good luck with your new pumpkin and I await the results. Perhaps "sugar pumpkin" will go on my shoppng list. for tomorrow...

[buttertart]

Have the daube in the oven, smells great, and is simple to make.

[Becca Porter]

Which daube?

[buttertart]

The "my go-to daube". It came out very nicely - deeply flavored (I used chuck, 3 lb of that oval steak cut with the gristle in the middle, each piece about 5x3" and 1 1/2" in thick, cut into 4 pcs each and the gristle removed. Wasn't going to add the carrots for fear of sweetness but did and they are great too. (I didn't notice a distinct Cognac taste in the finished product - used Hennessy and a bottle of a not sure what Italian red, would go for a Syrah next time I think because the Italian was very dark and made the daube a tiny bit on the purplish side.)

[Becca Porter]

I made the beef cheeks daube a couple of days ago. I used chuck roast though. It was amazing! I absolutely loved it. You stir in macaroni and bittersweet chocolate at the end. It was so savory and comforting. I ended up eating the leftovers for lunch and dinner the next day!

[dkennedy]

I am so glad to hear this is worth making. I have had my eye on it, and was trying to decide between this a the the go to. I think i will try this one first.

[BigSal]

Salmon and tomatoes en papillotte p. 302
Another quick meal that can easily be put together after a long day at work. Start by searing cherry or grape tomatoes on med-high until wrinkled and bubbly. She recommends doing this in a skillet with olive oil. I seared my tomatoes in a non-stick pan without oil. The searing is an optional step, but with the ordinary tomatoes from the supermarket I had, it was a must. It really brought the tomatoes back from the dead. Next, basil leaves are put on the foil, sprinkle with salt and white pepper, top with salmon, drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil, season with s & p, place the tomatoes on the side, add grated lemon zest, sliced scallions, a squirt of lemon juice, top with two thin slices of lemon, basil leaf and a sprig of thyme and moisten with olive oil (I did not add additional oil). 10 minutes later dinner is on the table. Healthy and satisfying. The Mr., an unabashed carnivore, enjoyed this too.

[smtucker]

chicken in a pot: the garlic and lemon version, page 206

This is my first meal using this cookbook, and if the rest of the book is as good, this is going to be a great year!

My only annoyance was that for a one pot dinner, I had to get two pots dirty. By the time I had assembled the dish, I understood why, and you just have to live with this.

I had purchased a 3.25lbs chicken. I pulled it out four hours before cooking, salted and let it dry on a rack. When it was time to begin the prep, you start by rinsing, and then boiling in simple syrup, one half of a preserved lemon. The vegetables are sweet potatoes, small onions or shallots, carrots, celery and tons of garlic. I subbed white potatoes for the sweet, a mixture of shallots and not so big onions, and omitted the celery. The onions were about the size of a baseball, freshly purchased at the farmer's market. The potatoes and garlic were also local items. In a very hot pan, you brown the veggies. I did them in two batches. She has you set the burner on high which is really hot on my stove. I had to add some sunflower oil to the olive oil to prevent truly scortching my nice All Clad sautee pan. You moved the browned veggies to the dutch oven, add more oil and brown the chicken. I admit it. I skimped on the browning. Washing, peeling, prepping the veggies and lemon had taken longer than I anticipated, and the darn chicken needed to get in the oven so I could be on time for my evening meeting.

You place parsley, rosemary and thyme into the pot and then nestle the chicken amongst the vegetables. Hands were required to make this happen. I then added the chicken stock [homemade, no seasonings] and wine with half the called for oil. Then you mix up the dough aka kindergarten paste. Seal and cook for 50 minutes.

Wow! This was excellent! The primary eater of this house loved this dish. I served it with pain ancienne made in the morning, and we sopped up the juices with gusto. We finished the meal with just a bit of goat cheese Brie.

I purchased the lemons from a local store, and maybe they aren't that "strong"? I have never cooked with preserved lemons before, and though you could sense the lemon in the dish, I would have enjoyed more of that lemon flavor. The only other thing I would make sure to do, is brown the chicken just a little bit more. After 50 minutes of baking, our chicken registered 170º degrees so I could reduce the cooking time for the smaller bird.

My last note would be this is a dish designed for substitutions. Leeks, turnips, celery root, I think you could add whatever you happen to have, just brown them first.

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, I've had my eye on that dish. That's the one you seal with a bread dough, right? I saw a French chef do that on Iron Chef (the Japanese original) and have been dying to do it ever since. What becomes of the dough when you're done? Can you eat it? Or, do you at least break the seal at the table with some dramatic flair?

~TDQ

[smtucker]

The dough is nasty. It has no yeast and no salt, plus it is a thin ribbon that has been cooked for 50 minutes. My husband did munch one bite and proclaimed it nasty. Removing the dough from the finished dish was a little like removing the hard salt case after baking fish in a salt bed. I used the tongs of a fork to work one part off, and then the rest came more easily. I did flourish off the top, but with only two of us, there were no gasps of delight. Just one "nice."

Hubert Keller tells a wonderful story of growing up in Alsace France. Monday was laundry day in his small village. As in many towns throughout France, the women of the village all went to the communical wash tub, and worked together. These communal washing areas are all over the country. They look like Roman bathtubs on the side of a stone plaza, and have various mechanical devices to bring water into the tub and to drain it. In a place like Alsace they are covered, while in Provence they are not.

Anyhow, Herbert's father was the village baker and they lived above the shop. On Mondays, the village women would bring their cooking vessels, all filled with Monday lunch, to the baker who would then seal them with some fresh dough. All the pots went into the oven while the women washed clothes. Herbert recounts that the smells in the rooms above the shop were magnificent. At 12:30, the women returned for their meals, and carried them home. It is a recent event that homes in France have ovens; before this happened the village baker did all of the oven cooking for everyone.

[The Dairy Queen]

Ah, too bad the dough is nasty. It looks so pretty.

The communal oven thing is pretty common--isn't that's where the term baker's dozen comes from? Where the bakers would add in an extra loaf as a gesture to prove to their patrons they weren't stealing bread? There were communal ovens in St. Paul in the 1940s. People still talk about them.

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Because the evaporation during baking made people think they were getting less back than they put in. (Good new book that mentions exactly that - Bill Bryson's "At Home".)

[Tom P]

chicken in a pot: the garlic and lemon version, page 206

I received this book for Christmas - beautiful! And being the chicken fanatic I am, I made the cover recipe first. It was a wow dish indeed.

I did not use sweet potatoes, as I am not a huge fan. Used yellow potatoes instead. I also threw in some whole, peeled shallots. I did not do the brouhaha at the beginning with preserved lemons. I used my homemade and they are not as salty as those in a jar from the store. Worked perfectly just throwing 2 quarters of preserved lemons in the bottom of the pot and saved a step.

The dough was indeed horrible, which I now know it is supposed to be... it seals it, and is not for eating. But that was my only disappointment. But who cares. It looked gorgeous coming out of the oven and opening it, and everything tasted incredible. And the rich, unctuous sauce at the bottom - oh my. So good. When I do it again, which I will soon, I will add even more vegetables and herbs. They turn out wonderfully. The whole cloves of garlic cooked in their skin are maybe the best part. Soft, not bitter at all, the skin on most of them seems just to disappear.

One note: I am a very good cook but not a baker and anything with dough is usually a nightmare for me. This recipe does not give proportions for water to flour, so I of course initially added too much water. It took me a while to get the dough right (kept adding flour) but once I did, it rolled rather easy! As I thought we could eat it, I spiced up the dough with salt and pepper and cayenne... no need, you will not eat it, even dipped in the sauce (which I of course had to try.)

Great recipe! And such a beautiful book. So glad to discover this thread

[smtucker]

We are having this chicken & lemon dish again tomorrow night. This is a dish that just makes this household happy... we do serve it with some Pain Ancienne pulled freshly from the oven.

[Tom P]

Fresh bread from the oven dipped in that sauce? Oh my :)

[BigSal]

20 minute honey-glazed duck breasts p. 229

Duck breast is scored and seasoned with salt and pepper. Breast is cooked skin side down for 8 minutes, flip and cook for 3 more for med-rare. Put in foil and keep warm in 325 oven 5 minutes. The sauce is made from a teaspoon of fat, balsamic, honey, and lime. The duck was cooked perfectly and I would have been happy to eat it without the sauce. The sauce was fine. I probably could have played with the ingredients to give it a better balance. Quick and decadent after work meal.

[smtucker]

Oh good! I have been eyeing this recipe since we are about to make duck confit for next month's COTM. I always prefer to buy whole ducks because, well, you get the legs for free and all that lovely duck fat. This is on my list of recipes to try.

[roxlet]

How sweet was this? I'm not a big fan of sweet with protein...

[BigSal]

Not cloyingly sweet, but sweet-ish. I am not a big fan of sweet with protein either, in fact, I prefer savory foods to sweet. The lime juice does help balance the sauce, but I wasn't crazy about it either, it was just ok. For me, the boon was the method to cook the duck. It resulted in deliciously crispy skin (terrible for me, but terribly good). This could go with any sauce of your choosing...or even without.

[burgeoningfoodie]

I saw this book at the bookstore next door (independent store). Both this book and Baking are about the same heft. AMFT though is a bit more decadent in it's layout and photos. Maybe it is just my imagination though or maybe it is such to go along with the book.

The few recipes I saw while perusing through the book looked delightful and I was surprised there wasn't such heavy cream and butter laden dishes (cheese not withstanding), but again I only did a quick perusal. I'm excited about possibly getting this book, but I think I'll have to do it through Amazon.

[c oliver]

Salted Butter Break-Ups, p. 400

After reading another thread where it's clear that I MUST serve dessert even though neither of us particularly care for it, I found this.

1-/3/4 c AP flour
2/3 C sugar
3/4-1 t sel gris or kosher salt
9 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 18 pieces
3-5 T cold water
1 eg yolk, for glaze

Except for the yolk, this all gets done in the food process, shape into a square, wrap in plastic and fridge for at least and hour. Roll out into a rectangle (mine was definitely an oval), brush with egg, use the back of a fork to make a crosshatch pattern and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

It's one great big cookie that you can break up before serving or bring to the table whole. It is a fun and tasty and easy dessert. Four of us ate the whole thing so no leftovers. I really recommend this.

[rose water]

this is intriguing and tempting. when you roll it out, how thick is the rectangle supposed to be?

[c oliver]

Sorry for the delay. Coincidentally, I just made this again today so I've attached a picture. Recipe says a quarter of an inch and to not be fussy with the shape and I sure wasn't. First one was an oval and today's is pretty much a circle.

[cassoulady]

Reading these reviews is making me want to run out and get this book right away even though I promised myself no more cook books til christmas.

[c oliver]

Promises made to yourself can sometimes be broken if you have a really, really, really good reason. Reason/excuse #1: once wet, winter weather sets in there, you're going to need something good to read (as well as cook from) and this is a great read. Have I helped at all???

[cassoulady]

Oh yes! thanks! As it is, I am worknig my (still) through Fish Without A Doubt, but there is always room for some more recipes. I have also been making pretty much everything from Barbara Lynch's book Stir. I think I will head over to pick up AMFT tonight.

[BigSal]

I have Stir, but have yet to cook from it. Please share some of the must make recipes.

[Nocturnalbill]

The white beans and Chicken in bread are great.

[cassoulady]

I love the bolognese (its very different than Marcellas which I always make). The squash with sage cream is amazing and is the reason I bought the book ( tasted it at a friends and said, "I need to make this!") Her instructions for gnocchi and fresh pasta are really good. The gnocchi recipe is the only one I have used that really works for me. Maybe its the proportions, maybe its the instrictions, not sure. I love the panko chicken breasts as well as the chicken thighs. The short ribs are wonderful and all the salads are fresh and simple. The pictures are beautiful. I really like this book. The recipes are easy, with many of them very easy for a worknight and the longer ones still have minimal hands on cooking time.

[buttertart]

This is Stir or Dorie?

[cassoulady]

My apologis, those were Stir, in response to Big Sal's question. I havent purchased Dories book yet, will likely do this weekend.

[buttertart]

I was just curious, no prob! Stir sounds great too.

[mebby]

Stir does sound great -- and sounded even better after a preview via Amazon's "Look Inside" -- it found its way into my cart. I like her writing style and the recipes don't look too "cheffy." Thanks for pointing it out, cassoulady.

[BigSal]

Thanks for the reply. I agree that he pictures are gorgeous and I am glad to hear that the many recipes can be tackled on a worknight. I have been curious to try the Bolognese recipe. I remember it had chicken livers like the recipe from the Splendid Table and I thought the livers added a wonderful richness to the sauce.

[nomadchowwoman]

I tried the onion "carbonara" tonight and wasn't crazy about it. Interestingly enough, my husband loved it--and I really thought he wouldn't, mainly because he normally rejects what he considers gimicky deviations in his favorite comfort foods. I guess from his perspective, this recipe has the egg, the bacon, the cream, the cheese--so what's not to like?
I don't know--the recipe struck me as kind of . . . wan. The tangle of steamed onion: well, yes, it did give the finished dish the appearance of a pristine, silky carbonara--that is, one without the caramelly edge that makes the dish irresisitible . But, despite all the luscious rib-stickiness of dairy and bacon, I was always aware that I was eating, well, steamed onion. And I guess steamed is just not what I want in onion. And definitely not what i want in carbonara.
If I were to make this again, I would saute those onions w/the butter and bacon, nudging them toward caramelization before tossing them w/the egg yolk, cream, grated cheese, and pepper--just as I would if I were making standard carbonara, with pasta.

[DiningDiva]

Made the Spinach & Bacon Quiche (page 160/61) for dinner last night. I didn't have time to make the crust recipe she suggests using, so I just made my usual pie crust. I also used a 9" pie plate because I wasn't quite sure where my 9" tart pan was.

The quiche was quite delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper, I'll make this again. My regular pie crust was just fine with it, but I think this recipe really should be made in a tart pan. The amount of filling is perfect for a tart pan, a little skimpy for a standard 9" pie plate.

The real surprise came this morning when I tried a piece of the quiche cold for breakfast. Outstanding! I thought it was better cold than it was hot, and I really liked it hot :-)

Making the Brown Sugar Squash & Brussles Sprouts en Papillote (pg. 352/53) for dinner tonight to go with some slow cooker boneless short ribs.

[smtucker]

Isn't quiche for breakfast perfect? I really should make some mini-quiche for the freezer again. The perfect 3oz meal.

[DiningDiva]

Yes, it really is. I have some 6" tart pans that I think would be perfect for this recipe. May have to try it again real soon :-)

[LulusMom]

Can someone who has the book give me a hint as to how "meaty" it is? Not a lot of red meat cooked in this house, and no pork at all, so this info will be useful in my decision (in other words - porky, no buy).

[The Dairy Queen]

It's indexed on EYB, if you want to scan the recipes... It has 342 recipes, 69 of which have as ingredients "meat, poultry, and game."

~TDQ

[Becca Porter]

Okay, I have made a few more things from this book. Last night I got over my pumpkin fear, and made the stuffed pumpkin. It was so adorable. I was so happy that I loved it! Luckily cooked pumpkin doesn't taste likes uncooked pumpkin smells.

The apple cake was good. It would have been great with more flavorful apples. That is not the cake's fault though.

The Vietnamese soup was not spicy at all. I meant to serve it with chili oil, but I forgot. I am bit scared of fish sauce, but I used it in this soup. I did find this a bit bland.

[bear]

Gorgeous pics! Now I'm really hungry.

[buttertart]

Finally got my copy yesterday - what a gorgeous book - everything is so appealing (and hungry-making). She's done it again. Love her breezy/cosy style too.

[The Dairy Queen]

I'm hoping my copy will arrive today or tomorrow... Can't wait!

~TDQ

[buttertart]

It's even nicer than I expected. Surely it'll get there in time for the weekend!

[mebby]

Mine shipped on the 11th too so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for today. Funny how this thread is getting possibly more activity than this month's COTM even though the book is so new -- seems like it's food that's both basic/comforting in flavor profiles (as opposed to "weird"/ethnic) and simultaneously out-of-the-ordinary enough to be exciting.

[wench31]

That Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good sounds and looks delicious! I will have to try that one. Has anybody tried the sausage stuffed cornish hens yet? I am thinking of trying it this weekend but wanted to know if anybody's done that yet.

[The Dairy Queen]

OOhh that sounds fabulous. If you do try, please let us know!

~TDQ

[BigSal]

Lentil, lemon and tuna salad p. 140

My husband does not like lentils so I have been eating lentils for lunch. This week it has been this recipe. Grainy mustard, black olive tapenade, red wine vinegar and olive oil is made into a dressing. Pour over warm lentils. Add chopped preserved lemon, scallions, and tuna packed in oil. This has been a tasty lunch. Easy to play with the flavors. I might add a little more tapenade and scallions. I think it would be good with or without the tuna.

Curried chicken, peppers peas en papillote p. 221

Chicken breat is cut into strips, season with curry powder, olive oil, salt , pepper, diced red bell peppers, thinly sliced red onions and peas. Sealed in packets (I used foil) and baked at 400 for about 20 minutes. A healthy and quick after work meal. The chicken was moist, not over the top delicious, but good. I think it needs a little something to give it more punch, but not sure what.

[Chocolatechipkt]

Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good

How could I resist this recipe? I made it for dinner tonight, and it was delicious. The first pumpkin I cut open was rock hard--seriously, it was harder than the coconut I hacked open last week--but luckily the second one was more reasonable. (I made two versions of this: one with bacon, and a veg. version with walnuts instead. The vegetarians in my family are having this tomorrow, so no reports on that yet.) I added some walnuts to the bacon version, too. I used various kinds of bread that were in the freezer, incl. some pumpernickel with raisins, and a combination of Jarlsberg, cheddar, and parrano cheeses. My final version looks a little drier and/or fuller than Dorie's does in her picture ... but maybe I used less cream and cheese? I didn't measure those particularly carefully, but it was all moist and cheesy in the end, so no complaints. This was a good-sized pumpkin, maybe 3.5 lbs, and we'll have the rest tomorrow, I think. :)

[burgeoningfoodie]

So I know this is a long thread and I know they are two totally different books by the same author, but if you had to choose between this and Baking... Which would you go with? I'm interested in this book and would love to cook from her website (like the Tuesdays with Dorie), but I also keep kosher in my house.. so that maeks things kinda tough. THanks for posting some of the recipes. The tomato tart looks like the first thing I'll make when I get around to it.. fighting illness at the moment. Does she have an updated Gateau Basque recipe?

[The Dairy Queen]

The Baking book was one of our first cookbooks of the month. These threads might be helpful to you, though not directly responsive to your "which book is best" question. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/3474...

~TDQ

[buttertart]

There's a very nice Gateau Basque in the new David Lebovitz, "Ready for Dessert".

[burgeoningfoodie]

I have nothing against Dorie's Version from her NYTimes article, but I guess it left me wanting a thinner side crust and more filling. I saw one recently that looked yummy but don't remember from what link. Thanks buttertart I'll keep that in mind. I think the next non-bread related baking book I get will be by Mr. Malgieri. He seems heavily praised.

[The Dairy Queen]

Apologies if this has been posted, but here's an interview with Dorie, along with 3 recipes from the book (including Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good).

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesgui...

~TDQ

[BigSal]

Mediterranean Swordfish with Frilly Herb Salad p. 297
I bought swordfish on the way home tonight thinking this would be a quick meal…and it was except that the fish requires at least an hour to marinate. Ugh. I’m happy to report this was worth the wait. We purchased a swordfish steak and sliced it in half so that each steak was about ½ inch thick. The fish is marinated in thinly sliced onions, olive oil, caper juice, capers, lemon juice, lemon zest, rosemary, piment d’Espelette, salt and a pinch of sugar. After an hour of marinating, reserve the marinade and cook the fish on high heat for a few minutes on each side. We only made half a recipe so there was not a lot of marinade left, but we scraped what we could off of the fish (it was mostly onions and capers rather than liquids) and heated it in the microwave to serve with the fish with a touch more rosemary. Delicious! The lemony, briny topping (it really wasn’t a sauce) really enhances the swordfish. The raw onions lost their bite after marinating in the lemon. Eating this made me think of summer. It’d be great on the grill too. We ate this with the herb salad (parsley, oregano, thyme, tarragon and chives) seasoned with salt and pepper and dressed with lemon and olive oil. The herb salad was a nice touch- herby and light. I’ve discovered some great new recipes with this book and I can’t wait to try another recipe.

[Gio]

That recipe called out to me when DH brought home two lovely fillets yesterday...nice and thick. But the hour marinade would have made dinner too late for us. I'm glad to read that it's a successful recipe. though. Will keep it in mind. Thanks, Sal...!

[JoanN]

I'm at a friend's house in the country and made the Mediterranean Swordfish and Stuffed Pumpkin for dinner the other night. Big hits--both of them. I marinated the fish for about three hours in the fridge and really liked the way it was infused with the lemon flavor. Also liked the way the marinade became the accompaniment. BigSal is right. I would be great on the grill.

The pumpkin is just such a knockout presentation, you really can't go wrong with it. Nitpicking, I thought the stuffing a bit dry and will definitely use pickawicca's idea of substituting broth for cream next time. And although the pumpkin pierced easily with a knife after about an hour and three quarters, I should have cooked it at least another 15 minutes if not another half an hour. This recipe is going to be a lot of fun to play with. Next time I'll definitely add spinach or other greens and one of the people I served it to thought apples would be marvelous addition. It's almost a shame pumpkins are in season for such a short time.

[c oliver]

I'm finally fixing this tonight and have both cream and broth available. Sounds like you have a strong perference for the broth?

[JoanN]

Instead of heavy cream I used fat-free evaporated milk just to cut down a bit on the calories. Because I thought it needed a little more liquid than called for and because I thought the liquid could have been more flavorful, picawicca's idea of using broth instead sounds spot-on to me. Haven't tried it yet though so I can't really say I have a "preference" for it.

[The Dairy Queen]

I tried it with stock and thought it was terrific.

And, hurray, my book FINALLY arrived today! I haven't even peeled off the plastic yet! Am going to do that now!

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Woo hoo! I kissed mine when I got it.

[Chocolatechipkt]

I've only made it the once, and with cream, and it was good. It was very rich, though, and I usually make stuffing with broth and/or cider, so I think I'll do that in the future. Mine wasn't dry, however, and I'm pretty sure I used less cream than called for.

[TorontoJo]

Based on a similar recipe on epicurious, I'm going to use some white wine in place of some of the cream. Because really, what can't be improved with wine?

[LulusMom]

It took me a while, but I came up with this answer: a margarita. And that was the only thing.

[TorontoJo]

LOL -- that does sound vile!

[c oliver]

Well, I feel duty-bound to report that it was a complete disaster!!! But not the recipe, ingredients or cook's problem. After two hours, a knife would pierce the pumpkin although it didn't look like everyone's pix. Silly me, it didn't occur to me to check the internal temp (okay, some operator error). I thought well, it must be ready. It wasn't. Cheese hadn't even melted!!! And since that was dinner along with a little salad, we were both quite grouchy. Actually caused insomnia last night. So this morning, I checked the temp of the oven. BIG problem. A setting of 350 gave me only 225. No wonder it wasn't done. So now I have the remaining half in the MW/convection oven. Thank goodness, I wasn't serving it to guests and even more grateful that I found this out now. (Still under warranty.)

So looking forward to tasting it in a little while -when it's actually cooked rather than slightly warmed. Whew.

[c oliver]

Excellent!

Question. I used gruyere cause I had a chunk that was just the right size. Cut in 1/2" cubes. Even when very hot, it was still in cubes. This was shrink-wrapped, grocery store gruyere. Should it not have melted?

[JoanN]

I used fairly crummy supermarket gruyere, too, because that's what was available. But I grated it on the large holes of one of those old-fashioned box graters. Even though I took the pumpkin out too early, the cheese was still melted. I'd suggest you grate rather than cube it next time.

[pikawicca]

Get an oven thermometer, girl! Ovens need to be adjusted more than most people realize. Good thing you found this out before Turkey Day.

[c oliver]

I have one and I checked it when I first got it six months ago. It was low but only by 20 degrees. This was a real shock. Probably points out that I don't use my oven very often :)

[Goblin]

Mediterranean swordfish with(out) frilly herb salad, p. 297.
Just wanted to report that I made this last night one year later than BigSal and JoanN, and it was a big hit--really a lovely way to serve swordfish that reminded us of summer, too, with it's Mediterranean savor of lemons, capers, and rosemary. BigSal has described the recipe perfectly. I ended up making extra marinade--about 1 1/2 times what was called for-- and I'm glad I did, because the flavors and textures of this sauce, when rewarmed till hot, are absolutely delicious poured over the finished fish. We all liked the slight crunch of the thinly sliced onions, too.
DG does such a good job of describing her fish-cooking methods. I followed them precisely and the swordfish steaks were perfectly cooked. If I do say so myself! ;-)
What I did not do, since this WAS a chilly late-October evening, was serve this over a "frilly herb salad." Instead I cooked a few heartier sides: garlic-sauteed cabbage, spiced spinach and kale with almonds, and a warm bread salad with green beans and tomatoes. Kind of heterogenous, but I'm still finishing up some items from my CSA box.

[BigSal]

Glad to see you enjoyed this too. When I reflect on my favorite new COTM recipes, this one is included. BTW, your sides sounds perfect for our colder fall nights.

[nomadchowwoman]

Mediterranean Swordfish (without the Frilly Herb Salad), p. 297

I've had this marked since Big Sal reported on it a year ago (what happened to that year?), and finally got around to it several nights ago. I made half a recipe, used WF frozen swordfish steaks, which (their brand frozen fish, I mean), I've discovered, I like a lot. For the sauce, I did everthing as directed except I completely forgot to put in the onion (which we love), and I reduced the amount of rosemary to 1 scant tsp (as I'm always afraid of rosemary taking over; that in my garden seems very strong). At any rate, it was delicious (if a tad overcooked), and I'll definitely make it again. Next time WITH the frilly herb salad. And the onion.

[MandalayVA]

I don't have the book but the Serious Eats website posted Dorie's recipe for beef daube and I tried it out last weekend. It called for a quarter cup of cognac and while my husband loved the daube I'm not a big fan of cognac and that's all I could taste. It's worth making again but I might try a shot of a good whiskey or bourbon in place of the cognac to get the depth of flavor without the gross cognac taste.

[Gio]

Lemon Barley Pilaf, Pg. 383

Although DG calls this "an earthy gratin" I didn't sense that at all and neither did DH. Rather, we thought it was an OK side dish for the Chicken tagine on pg. 212. It's an easy enough dish to prep and cook and a nice way to add another grain to a meal.

We used organic pearl barley which is cooked in a combination of sautéed onion, chicken broth and water, and bay leaf. After a few minutes diced carrot is tossed onto the mix, then a diced red pepper, with a few minutes cooking time between additions. Heat is turned off, chopped scallions and lemon zest is then added seasoning adjusted and the pilaf is served. It did pair well with the chicken which had quite a few flavors competing for attention.

[Gio]

Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes, Pg. 212

We liked this very much. Sweet and a little savory, but not too much of either. A 4 lb. chicken or chicken thighs are called for, I used the thighs and a Dutch oven not a tagine.

To begin 2 large white onions are sliced thinly in half-moons, placed in a DO with a little olive oil and cooked till "melted" - 30 minutes. In the meantime the chicken pieces are browned in a non-stick skillet. When the onions are ready saffron, S & P, cinnamon, cayenne, 1 star anise point, bay leaf, honey, broth and a bit of water are added to the DO. The prunes are scattered over the mixture, chicken pieces placed on top, cubed sweet potatoes are strewn and the pot is brought to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes till the meat and potatoes are tender. We didn't reduce the sauce...just served it drizzled over the chicken, fruit and potatoes. About that 1 star anise point: I couldn't discern that flavor note at all but wonder if the whole pod would have been overpowering since I thought the flavor of the finished dish was more subtle than I thought it would be. Anyway, we liked it and can see making it again. It wasn't very time consuming nor terribly difficult. I served this with her Lemon Barley Pilaf on pg. 383.

[buttertart]

One point seems too little but you have to watch star anise, i put a few pieces in some pickled peaches I was making and had to fish them out practically immediately to keep them from overpowering the other spices. Maybe a tb of pastis at the end to bring out the anise note?

[Gio]

Update re the chicken tagine:
We had the remainder of the chicken with sweet potatoes and prunes for lunch yesterday and It. Was. Delicious. It was so good I'm making it again later in the week. The flavors were intensified yet still not overly sweet. There seemed to be a tremendous depth of flavor I didn't notice the first time around. This convinces me that we should be cooking a day ahead for all our meals...LOL

[pikawicca]

Made this for dinner tonight and loved it. Used one large "point" of star anise, and that was plenty. After adding the chicken to the pot, popped it into a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Removed the chicken and veg and reduced the sauce. Served over couscous.

[pikawicca]

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good

This was a great dish. I used a beaten egg and 1/2 cup cream for the liquid, mixing up all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl before tackling the pumpkin. All of the stuffing fit in my slightly-more-then-3 1/2-pound pumpkin.

Baked in a 2-quart Dutch oven lined with foil, edges trailing over the outside of the pot. The foil made good handle for removing the cooked pumpkin to the serving platter.

Baked for 2 hours. There was some liquid pooled on the top, so I let the pumpkin rest for five minutes before cutting into quarters. Beautiful presentation -- the stuffing held together perfectly.

This is rich, and along with a salad, served 4 people just fine.

Next time, I'll try subbing chicken stock for the cream to lighten it up a bit. This really is a lovely dish as written, though, and would make a fantastic vegetarian main course.

[Gio]

Many thanks for your report, Pikawicca! I have that planned for Sunday lunch next week. Can't wait...

[Gio]

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good

Well, I failed PSwEG. Miserably. Had all the right ingredients: 3.2 lb sugar pumpkin, 4 oz. stale bread chunks, 4 oz. Gruyère cubes, added a small handful of peas and a small cubed apple per her 'bonne idee' suggestions, and used 1/3 cup 1/2 & 1/2, plus garlic and S & P.

First of all the pumpkin was quite dense but DH managed to carve the cap off. I mixed everything in a bowl first as Picawicca did. Getting all the fibers and seeds out of the inside was a major pain. Filled the cavity, set the pumpkin into a low-sided 2 qt. casserole and put it into a preheated 350F oven. Prepared a salad and the dressing. Sat down to read my book and wait. And wait. And wait.

The d***n pumpkin never got soft. In fact, the skin was as hard as a clam shell. The stuffing seemed to be cooked but it certainly was not bubbling. The cheese did not melt. I know the oven was hot but I'm getting an oven thermometer today just to be sure. Made Claudia Roden's stuffed pumpkin a few weeks ago and it was fabulous. But this... A Disaster.

[Becca Porter]

Huh. My pumpkin definitely got soft. By one and a half hours it was totally soft and just held together by the skin. I cooked it on a sheet pan though. I am betting the casserole pan made the difference.

[Gio]

I thought of that too, Becca. The first stuffed pumpkin I made was set on a baking sheet and was perfectly cooked. I'm definitely making Dorie's version again.

[The Dairy Queen]

I'm not convinced the casserole pan was the trouble. I baked mine on a casserole pan (sides about 2 inches high), too and got almost the identical results as Becca: by the time the "minimum" cooking time had elapsed, the flesh of the squash was soft and cooked through. In fact, I didn't even have a chance to bake it for a time with the lid off as Dorie suggests.

One thing that might have made a difference for me, compared to Gio, is that I used chicken stock in lieu of heavy cream. And, I used a cinderella squash that had really thick sides--maybe 3 inches thick? As a result, I couldn't use all the filling and, therefore had to eyeball the amount of chicken stock I poured in. It is very possible that I used proportionally more chicken stock than the recipe called for. It just seemed to want more. I wonder if the extra stock helped it "cook"/steam from the inside?

Here's a link to my post in case it's helpful to anyone. I'm sorry to read we aren't having universal success with this recipe. :( . You are brave to try it again, Gio and Chris VR: Good Luck!

Here's my post http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/731319#5979027 in case it's helpful to anyone.

Also, here's what a cinderella (Red Etampes) squash looks like (though mine was all orange, no green) http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-te...

~TDQ

[bear]

Gio, I'm pretty sure that I microwaved mine a bit before stuffing and baking to shorten the cooking time.

[Gio]

In retrospect, Bear, that sounds like a good idea. I must have been working off a false sense of security since my other stuffed pumpkin was perfect. It could also be that this pumpkin was older...? Yet t'is the season, isn't it.

[c oliver]

I'd wondered about the quality of the pumpkin myself. Even cooking just half of it in the MW/convection, it took 90 minutes and could have gone longer. And, yes, like you, the cheese never melted.

[Chris VR]

I tried this recipe as well, although I used the variation at http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo... which includes bacon, chives and thyme. The bread cubes I had were stale bagels, the pumpkin was just over 2 pounds, and the cheese was 1/2 gouda, 1/2 cheddar. I cooked it for 1:45 in a high-sided Le Creuset casserole.

My cheese got nice and melty, although I think that mostly happened when I took the pumpkin cap off for the last 20 minutes of cooking, as that recipe suggests. The bread was still on the hard and chewy side (my fault for using bagels, they're too dense. I think I could have managed better results with more cream but I was trying not to go overboard.) The pumpkin definitely got soft-ish, but I think it needed more time to get to the totally soft stage, and I didn't have the time to give.

I'd try it again, with a sheet pan and more appropriate bread cubes. I liked the garlicky, cheesy bread cubes. I never think of cheese when stuffing squash, and it's given me some ideas for other recipes.

[Gio]

c.oliver & Chris VR:
I'm definitely making this again. Pumpkin is on my shopping list for this coming Saturday (at Tendercrop Farm). DH was dumbfounded when I told him we were making it again... but I had such success with the other one I have to. I simply cannot let a little pumpkin get the best of me.

[Chris VR]

That's the spirit! Please do post back! If another sugar pumpkin comes my way (last one was via the co-op), I might just have to do the same!

[c oliver]

Well, til now, I've left Bob's name out of this :) I won't be fixing it again because he really didn't like it. He just didn't care for the pumpkin part of it. I think I'll stuff acorn or butternut squash with the stuffing.

[Gio]

The stuffed pumpkin recipe from Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Eastern Food calls for a sprinkling of sugar inside the pumpkin. I didn't do it, and it turned out I didn't need to but that's a thought for another time. Actually the pumpkin flesh of My Disaster was cooked very well...curiously enough. The Roden stuffing had rice and'or ground meat and spices... and was delicious.

I think the acorn or butternut squashes would be fine to stuff. There are a few of each stached away in our "cool, dry, dark place." In fact, I'm considering using just the bowl of the butternut for stuffing and the neck part for plain roasting...two dishes for the price of one.

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, I'm so glad this turned out well. I've got this queued up for tonight--have everything prepped to go. Just need to actually stuff it in the pumpkin (really, a Cinderella squash) and go.

Instead of the heavy cream, I'm going to try to use the Maida Heatter's blended low-fat cottage cheese trick. We'll see how that works.. But, I love the chicken stock idea! Also, she says in the notes that you can throw some spinach in. I'm going to do that, too.

Was it pretty, too, picawicca? As in, something that would be fun to serve for a special dinner?

~TDQ

[pikawicca]

Drop dead gorgeous -- certainly company-worthy.

[The Dairy Queen]

I was hoping you'd say that. I'm going to bake mine in a casserole dish tonight because I don't trust myself to be able to slide it off onto a plate without a disaster (I'm very disaster prone, in life, but esp in the kitchen). Did you do yours in the casserole dish?

~TDQ

[pikawicca]

Did it in a 2-quart Dutch oven lined with foil. If you make the foil strip long enough, you can use the foil as handles to lift the pumpkin easily out of the pot.

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, I'm sorry, you already said that. What a terrific idea! I might even try that!

~TDQ

[c oliver]

I'm SO frustrated. Safeway had pallets of pumpkins --- but all big jack-o-lantern ones :( So I'm going to fix the cauliflour au gratin instead.

[PopcornSally]

That gives me the idea that you could make the recipe using another type of large squash. My pumpkin tasted similar to butternut squash anyway... Why not just halve a butternut and cook it the same way? Then you could enjoy it during other seasons when pumpkins are too hard to find!

[blue room]

Forgive me if this is a really dumb question, but is the pumpkin itself supposed to be eaten too?

[pikawicca]

Everything but the skin.

[The Dairy Queen]

OK, we tried this Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good--I followed the recipe almost exactly, except that I used a Cinderella Squash instead of pumpkin (looks just like a pumpkin). She didn't say one way or the other, so I used a whole wheat baquette. I used chicken stock (great Idea pikawicca) instead of the cream. Oh, and she said you could throw in some spinach, so I did. I baked it in a casserole dish, which is just my speed, not too precarious. It took 90 minutes to bake,so, I didn't get to employ her suggestion to remove the top for the last 20 minutes of baking so that the stuffing got crunchy, but, I agree it would be a good idea. It would be very pretty to bring to the table, but it was pretty much a massacre to serve it.

Not all of the filling fit, so, I split a delicata squash lengthwise "stuffed" the remaining filling into the two halves, and covered them with tin foil. This was really good, too!

I think this would be a fantastic meal for vegetarians, omitting the bacon in favor of some chopped walnuts, perhaps.

I think we're going to do this with all of our cinderella and delicata squash for the rest of the season!

Easy peasy, delicious.

My husband gave it a 6.5 out of 10, which is good for any meal that does not involve a slab of meat.

I have photos, but I'll post them later. (Prob this weekend.)

~TDQ

[Mrs.Bones]

Just don't use chicken stock if you're going to call it a vegetarian main course! :-)

Sounds delish, though.

[BigSal]

Salmon with basil tapenade p. 299

I made the olive tapenade (p. 487) for this recipe and the lentil, lemon and tuna salad (p. 140). The tapenade is made with oil cured olives, anchovy, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice and piment d’Espelette and olive oil.

We served the salmon with lemon-steamed spinach and the crash-hot potatoes (thanks to @JaneEYB). What a great meal! My husband does not like olives, so I was a little concerned about making this, but I’m glad I did. The tapenade compliments the salmon nicely. The tapenade, black pepper, lemon zest , lemon juice and herb mixture (I used basil)) is piped into the salmon (into slits on each side of the salmon). Cook salmon in saute pan top side down for two minutes and then 2 minutes on the skin side (I used 1T of oil, but could have used even less). My salmon cooked quickly so we only baked it for 2 minutes rather than the 6 recommended and then rested for 5 minutes under foil. Salmon is served with a sauce made of the tapenade, olive oil, lemon zest , lemon juice and minced basil. This was so flavorful and moist. For those that choose not to pipe the tapenade into the slits in the salmon, you could just put the tapenade on top of the salmon before putting it in the oven. Also, if one did not have basil, I think thyme or rosemary would work since those are the key herbs in the tapenade.

Lemon-steamed Spinach p. 331
Spinach is seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon zest and olive oil and then steamed. Simple and subtle. I enjoyed it, but the hubby did not. My spinach was a little watery because I steamed it too long (I only made a quarter recipe). If I didn’t have potatoes, I might add pine nuts to this dish to add more substance.

[The Dairy Queen]

This book has now been INDEXED on EYB! WOOHOO!

EDIT--or, it's been partially indexed? It says 300+ recipes, but I can only see about 2 dozen. So, maybe it's underway?

~TDQ

[c oliver]

Got home a couple of hours ago and the book was here. We've hardly been here for the last month and the cupboards are bare. But I'm up to page 153 reading this. There's hardly anything I've seen that isn't appealing. What a book. Thanks all.

[BigSal]

Potato Chip Tortilla p. 141

I’ve seen versions of this dish from Ferran Adrià and Jose Andres, but have never attempted it. Yesterday I wanted a quick lunch and thought of this recipe. Crush potato chips. Finely chop onions, garlic, add eggs, minced herbs (I used Italian parsley), piment d’Espelette, salt and pepper then add to crushed chips and mix. Add oil (I didn’t use the full 1 T because I used a non-stick pan), cook until sides are set and finish in broiler. So quick to put together and fewer dishes and less oil than a traditional tortilla…and no flipping (although that is part of the fun of making it). My husband enjoyed it and I thought it was ok. In fairness to Dorie, I may be comparing it too much to a traditional tortilla de patatas and she does state that this is her riff on it. I also found the taste of raw onions a little too strong for me in this dish. I would have preferred them sautéed, but that takes away the ease and quickness of the recipe. If I were to do this again, I’d use an even smaller small onion or rinse the onions first to make them less pungent. All in all satisfying and glad that I tried it, but I do prefer a classic tortilla española.

[Becca Porter]

I thought the same thing. I just did a regular chop because I thought they would be sauteed. They definitely needed to be minced. I liked it though, other than the texture of the onions.

[pikawicca]

Thanks for the report. I'll use a minced shallot when I try this.

[BigSal]

Great idea! A shallot should do the trick.

[Gio]

Question About DG's Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes which I'm making tonight.

The recipe calls for "a star anise point." I take this to mean just one point torn from a whole star anise pod... NOT the whole anise. Am I correct?

[smtucker]

Why yes, that is what that would mean! How funny to only use one point in a tagine.

[JoanN]

I'm sure that's exactly what it means. But I must say, that seems pretty skimpy to me considering the rest of the ingredients in the dish.

[Gio]

Thanks, both of you! I'm not overly fond of star anise to begin with so I'll just use just the one point. However, I'm so clumsy I'll probably end up with more than I want. There's quite a lot of sweetness with the other ingredients so perhaps the one would simply add another, albeit small. flavor note. We shall see. Lemon Barley Pilaf will be the side dish. I'm hoping to balance the sweet.

[mcel215]

I made Gerard's Mustard Tart with Carrots and Leek ~ It's a fabulous recipe. I used a store bought crust to save time and it was still excellent.

[Becca Porter]

Tonight I made the Hachis Parmentier for dinner. I am hesitant to post much about it because it is the recipe for FFwD in a couple of weeks. I will say that I highly recommend it. (photo attached)

I made the salad with the vanilla vinaigrette to go with it. I wasn't a huge fan of it to tell you the truth, but it was gorgeous. (photo attached)

The mustard tart with tomatoes was outstanding! (photo attached)

I really loved the cauliflower bacon gratin. I think cauli is wonderful and underused. It is bound in a quiche-like mixture with added flour. Gruyere is delicious! (photo attached)

The applesauce was surprisingly amazing and had us all licking our bowls. I used McIntosh apples, 1 tablespoon of salted butter, and the vanilla. (photo attached)

[Becca Porter]

Oops. I forgot the HP photo. I added one of the leek carrot mustard tart as well.

[BigSal]

Wow, your pictures are so colorful and inspiring! Thanks for sharing. Just tried my first recipe today and look forward to exploring this book further.

[toveggiegirl]

Gorgeous!

[Chocolatechipkt]

This all sounds so good. I can't wait til my copy gets here!

[Gio]

Here's the recipe for Dorie's stuffed pumpkin, if anyone's interested:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[mcel215]

Thanks Gio, I was going to ask you for it. :)

[Sherri]

I am not a regular contributor to the COTM discussion, so please pardon my intrusion if I overstep. I was intrigued reading this recipe, thought it sounded like a great dish. However, immediately the "pour the cream over it all" instruction caught my eye. The "hit or miss" nature of liquid not reaching some of the dry bread was bothersome plus 1/3 C did not seem to be enough liquid.

To answer my own question, I made two pumpkins! For the first, I followed instructions to a "T" (rare for me). For the second, I mixed all the stuffing ingredients in a large bowl. As I suspected, it was spotty dampened and not very damp at that. I added some chicken broth - perhaps 1/2 C, I didn't measure. I stuffed both pumpkins and baked them side-by-side in a large roaster.

We had houseguests all last week and they were the unwitting Guinea Pigs for this experiment. I brought both to table and cut them into quarters so we each a piece of #1 and #2. The second pumpkin won the taste test by a landslide - 4-0. We all thought the texture of the stuffing of Dorie's original suffered from some hard, dry spots which was not the case with the second, mixed stuffing pumpkin. They both tasted good; not the same but delicious nonetheless.

I'm glad that I followed my instinct (is this another name for "experience"?) because I'll make it again, but I'll make it my way.
NB: we had a discussion about using an egg or two in the liquid to make a custard-y filling. Stay tuned.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Wow, great idea, Sherri! When I make this, I will follow your lead and mix the liquid with the stuffing ingredients rather than pour it over.

P.S. This book is not actually a COTM - people are just reporting on their cooking from it. Regardless, with regard to COTM threads and all others, always benefit from more people weighing in with their experiences, IMO.

[Gio]

Welcome, Sherri. You're certainly not intruding at all. Everyone is welcome to the COTM boards and any of the boards for that matter. So post away.

This particular thread is not a COTM thread although it does seem like it because so many are cooking from this book at this time. There are a few discussions vis a vis the stuffed pumpkin up thread from your post and here's Picawicca's post of her result with this recipe:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7313...

My report is somewhere below ... but I had a disaster even though I did mix all the indredients in a large bowl as you did...

[blue room]

"...houseguests...were...unwitting Guinea Pigs..."
That's being a little hard on youself-- I'd say they were very lucky to be there during your high-end cooking trials!

:)

[Jaymes]

I made this as well, and also doubted that 1/3 C cream was enough. So I just kept pouring cream over the stuffing in the pumpkin until it seemed to be completely saturated, and could hold no more.

We had no dry, hard spots. We also sliced to serve. This was so good, and so lovely. Definitely going to add it a a permanent side on our Thanksgiving table.

[PopcornSally]

I joined the French Fridays with Dorie group. I've also made a few things on my own. Great recpes, easy to execute and understand. So far I've made Duck with Peaches(nectarines), Gougeres, Spice Crusted Tuna, Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good, and my favorite-- Gerard's Mustard Tart. I've calculated nutritional values for most of these recipes an have been surprised to find them all reasonable in calories per serving. Yes, they have a fair amount of fat but you end each meal not only satisfied, but happy :).

[JoanN]

That Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good is high on my list to try next. It really looks spectacular. How did you serve it? Did you slice or scoop? I've kind of been avoiding the tarts since I was trying to hold down the carbs. But then I go and make those fried chard pancakes. What can I say? The best laid plans . . . .

[PopcornSally]

Ha ha! I've given up on low carbs cuz it didn't work for me long-term, bring on the tarts, baby! I sliced the pumpkin to serve it. Very good and pretty easy, just takes a while to cook. I highly recommend it while you can buy those little pumpkins now. I also roasted the seeds-- bonus!

[Gio]

That stuffed pumpkin is high on my To Make list. It looks wonderful and after making a few stuffed veggie recipes from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food last month I'm on a stuffed veggie roll.

[c oliver]

Y'all are killing me! We're getting home on Sunday and I sure hope that book is waiting for me. I don't know what's IN that pumpkin but it sounds cool.

[pikawicca]

I just bought a pie pumpkin at the farmers market to make the Pumkpin Stuffed with Everything Good tomorrow. It looks wonderful.

[JoanN]

Then you'll definitely beat me to it. Can't wait to read your report. I'm going to be away much of the rest of the month. I just hope there are some of those lovely small pumpkins left in the market when I return.

[c oliver]

They store well if you have time to get them before you leave.

@Gio: thanks. That sounds fantastic.

[JoanN]

Gave that passing thought. Any tips on how to store them other than just leaving them in that universal cool, dark, dry place that none of us have had since the turn of the century? The one before the last one?

[c oliver]

Do you have controllable heat in your place? We turn our heat UP to 60 when we get up in the morning and even in summer our house rarely gets 70 so I forget that most of world doesn't live like we do.

[mebby]

I struggle with that as well -- I know that you shouldn't store tomatoes and other produce in the fridge, but in L.A. my house can hit 90 or above during the day and I am certainly not running the air when I'm not home on behalf of the produce!

[jules127]

I made this yesterday with a long island cheese pumpkin, and I'm already looking forward to making it with the rice variation she mentioned. It did take mine over 2 full hours, but the flavors were fantastic. I scooped but would slice next time. I also added about 2 bunches of cooked kale, I think there is so much room to vary this.

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh wow! http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

I think that's going to be on my agenda this weekend, too. When is my book going to arrive?! buttertart, or other TGC'ers, do you have yours yet?

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Noooooooooooo...

[The Dairy Queen]

:( .

~TDQ

[buttertart]

They better ship it this week!!!

[roxlet]

I finally took the bait and joined. If nothing else, I have some possible Christmas gifts for the cooks on my list!

[buttertart]

What the heck, right?

[roxlet]

Yup.

[The Dairy Queen]

buttertart, you might want to confirm with TGC the status of your order, just to make sure it really is on the way...

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Checked again, it shows shipped 10/11. So I should have it by the end of the week and can stop feeling sorry for myself.

[The Dairy Queen]

WHEW! Mine is en route as well, although I'm sure I'll find something new to feel sorry for myself over, such as, why isn't "My Sweet Mexico" available on TGC?

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Yeah? http://www.thegoodcook.com/pages/sear...

[mebby]

Yeah! Just checked and mine shipped on 10/11 as well. This is my first experience with TGC and I have to say that I think it will be my last -- I'd rather have good customer service and quick shipping and pay a little more. Plus, I looked just now and the irritating thing is that My Sweet Mexico is not listed by either author name or under Mexican cookbooks -- yeesh. That and they backordered my Bake! order with no ETA on when it would ship, so I canceled. That's the end of my TGC rant, but suffice it to say that I do now see why people mention it with some irritation.

[The Dairy Queen]

Yes, TGC comes with a few warts. :).

My Sweet Mexico is a "book search" book which means you don't get a good price and it doesn't count towards anything. I don't see the advantage... Still, I would like that book! It seems lovely!

~TDQ

[souschef]

You don't have it YET? I saw it at the bookstore about a week ago, but as you know, I have an embargo on books, with very few exceptions. I could have bought it and shipped it to you; you could have had it in your sweaty little handsright now :)

[buttertart]

No thanks, I was being frugal and ordered it from The Good Cook book club and the book gods punished me by releasing it in September when original pub date was 10/8 and the club didn't ship until after the orig pub date. I hope it's at home when I get there. I could have had it 10 times over by now.

[TorontoJo]

Here's a silly question, as I've never cooked with fresh pumpkins before. I'm hoping to make the pumpkin as a vegetarian main for Thanksgiving next month (I'm thinking stuffed with a wild rice blend and mushrooms). Does anyone know whether there will still be pumpkins at the stores at that time? And any recs as to the type of pumpkin I should be looking for?

[pikawicca]

You want a "pie pumpkin," the most common being "sugar" pumpkins. Doubt you'll find one in a grocery store in late November, but you should be able to get one now and keep it in a cool place for a month.

[Gio]

TorontoJo: Here, north of Boston MA, the farms and markets sell what they call, "Sugar" pumpkins or "Sugar Pie" pumpkins. They're from 3 - 4 pounds and about 9-ish inches in diameter. I honestly can't remember if I've seen them in late November but they store very well, especially if in a cool dry place.

[TorontoJo]

Thanks, guys! I'll go get a couple now and store them in my basement, which is reasonably dry. Fingers crossed that I won't have a moldy pumpkin next month!

[The Dairy Queen]

We store pumpkins in our basement and they last many months. A month should be fine, as long as it's in a cool dry place. Also, inspect your pumpkins carefully for bruises as damage will cause them to spoil quickly.

~TDQ

[burgeoningfoodie]

How do you know what type of pumpkin they are in the event they are not labeled? Here in NC in the middle of the state I think we only get a box full of pumpkins with no clue as to what kind they are and how that may make the taste different. I believe most people make them in to Halloween decor.

[Becca Porter]

I was worried about this as well. The pumpkin I bought for this yesterday has a sticker marking them as a pie pumpkin, as well as the produce code.

[pikawicca]

You don't want to use a Jack o'Lantern-type pumpkin -- they are watery and stringy. Unfortunately, sugar, or pie pumpkins look exactly like the big guys, only in miniature. If you don't have access to a farmers market or farm stand, the best you can probably do is ask the produce manager of your grocery store if he can order one for you.

[burgeoningfoodie]

I found the correct pumpkins. Just had to look for them. Guess I never paid attention to them before. Now the next question.. I know the recipe calls for Bacon... How big of a factor is the bacon and has anyone used something else? My house hold tries to keep kosher so bacon would be out.

[smtucker]

In her bonnée idea notes, she mentions that bacon is optional, or can be subbed out for sausage or ham chunks. Obviously, neither option works for you unless you have a turkey sausage that you know you like. I would aim for a toulouse or andouille style turkey sausage based on the flavor profiles of her suggestions.

[burgeoningfoodie]

Yeah unfortunately I've yeat to find any turkey sausage here that is kosher. Only veggie sausages and veggie frozen bacon and I don't think those will work..

Although now I'm wondering if someone has tried to make an inside out pumpkin pie with this thought. So that when you are done the inside of the pumpkin pretty much tastes or equates to the pie itself.

[bear]

I made mine without bacon so my vegetarian son could have some, and it was delicious.

[LulusMom]

I've found that sometimes sun dried tomatoes give the same sort of salty, umami taste that bacon does. Just a thought.

[The Dairy Queen]

I think you could easily sub chopped walnuts for the bacon. I think you'll want something like that for textural variety. I haven't tried it, though. Dorie describes this as a pretty flexible recipe.

~TDQ

[roxlet]

When we had our Muslim house guests, my husband used a lot of smoked turkey legs and wings when bacon was called for. I know people who also swear by duck bacon, though I have never tried it.

[Chocolatechipkt]

I made one version with bacon and one with walnuts, and both were well-liked, so I think the bacon, while good, isn't critical. :)

[toveggiegirl]

Dorie shared a recipe for Cheesy Stuffed Pumpkin a few years ago that is almost identical to this recipe but doesn't include bacon. So go ahead, try it withour the bacon. I'm sure it will be great.
http://www.food.com/recipe/cheesy-stu...

[JoanN]

Swiss Chard Pancakes (page 350)

I had a lot of chard left over after stuffing the pork loin so decided to use some of it to make these pancakes. You make a batter of whole milk (I used skim), flour, eggs, onion, shallot, garlic, parsley, and chives in either a food processor or a blender. Add some Swiss chard leaves, season generously, and pulse until the chard is incorporated, but not completely pulverized. Shallow fry in hot oil.

I guess it’s not exactly the healthiest way to use up Swiss chard, but it sounded good to me. I don’t know. Maybe my mother didn’t pass along the frying gene. At first the oil was too hot so the pancakes got too brown before they were fully cooked. Even when I turned down the heat I never managed to be able to cook them the full three minutes on one side and two on the other that was called for. There were a few that were just right, though, and those were very tasty. And unbelievably filling, I might add.

These, by the way, are called “farçous”—a word I’d never heard before. Dorie says they are usually eaten as a main course with a salad but that they also could be served as a side or as an hors d’oeuvre with a dipping sauce.

She says they can be frozen and reheated. I’ve got the leftovers in the freezer now. I’ll be curious to see if in the reheating I will be able not only to crisp them up again but to finish cooking the insides of those that just weren’t quite done yet.

[Caitlin McGrath]

This sounds good, and reminds me a bit of the zucchini-cottage cheese pancakes I learned to make from my mother. How will you reheat them? I'd be inclined to just throw them in a toaster oven.

After reading this thread and looking through the preview pages on Amazon, I'm definitely tempted by this book. I do need to buy one more thing to satisfy my commitment for the Good Cook book club...

[JoanN]

I got rid of my toaster oven recently to make room for a FoodSaver. It was one or the other, not both. And after about four months now I'm convinced I made the right choice. But that's not what you were asking, was it?

Yes, I'm assuming I'll just stick the frozen pancakes in the oven. Probably on a parchment-lined baking sheet to absorb some of the residual oil. Did you ever try to freeze your zucchini-cottage cheese pancakes?

[Caitlin McGrath]

I feel you on the counter space. I have been living somewhere with a (tiny) toaster oven for a couple of years and I like it (although of course, it's not great for toast!), but I have never had one before, because I never had room.

I have never frozen the zucchini pancakes, only refrigerated leftovers until the next day and reheated them (and have found that the toaster oven works very well for this). If you want your chard pancakes to recrisp a bit, my recommendation is to put them on a rack over a baking sheet when you reheat them in the oven. That strategy works pretty well with latkes.

[JoanN]

Good thought--so the heat surrounds them. Didn't think of that. (And never had any leftover latkes to experiment with. Not sure I've ever even *seen* a leftover latke.)

[buttertart]

May exist in the same realm as that in which "leftover wine" resides.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Well, it is also the best strategy to keep latkes warm but non-soggy while you cook the rest, if you want to serve them all at once to your diners. Which is certainly more common in than leftover latkes in my experience, it is true.

[LulusMom]

I've taken to reheating calamari for Lulu in a very very hot nonstick pan. Pizza works brilliantly this way (mimics the heat of a pizza oven much better than a regular oven can do), and fried stuff isn't half bad.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Oh yes, I learned here on Chowhound about reheating pizza in a skillet with the lid on. It is absolutely the best way - crisps up the crust while re-melting the cheese and heating the toppings. The other day I did this with leftover pizza from a good Italian restaurant, and frankly, the crust was better (crisper, more blistered) than it was at the restaurant the night before, straight from the pizza oven.

[LulusMom]

It is such a great trick. Now I always always take home leftover 'za. But it really isn't half bad with fried things either.

[JoanN]

Swiss Chard Pancakes Redux

I'd almost forgotten these were in the freezer, separated, as she recommends, with leaves of parchment paper, until I needed a super-quick supper the other night. I reheated them as you suggested, Caitlin, on a rack on a baking sheet.

The reheated pancakes were better than the original. They were cooked through and crisper. They even looked better. Although not at all what Dorie suggests (creme fraiche, basil coulis), I served them with an Asian dipping sauce since they seemed kinda sorta like scallion pancakes (although not as good). Still not going on the do-again list.

[smtucker]

I wouldn't recommend the parchment paper. These types of fried delights do a little better if you warm them on the racks, or to keep your oven clean, place a cookie cooling rack over the sheet pan. The extra oil will drip, and the interiors should cook some more. All good things!

[JoanN]

So obvious, and I just didn't think of it. I fry so rarely these days. And as I said, I seem not to be very good at it when I do. Thanks to you and Caitlin both, I'll at least do better at the reheating part of it from here on out.

[JoanN]

Chard-Stuffed Pork Roast (page 276)

I took some liberties with this recipe. What it calls for is a boneless pork loin roast. What I used was half of a standing rib roast of pork that I had in the freezer. The stuffing I made and used as directed: it’s Swiss chard (I used red) stems and leaves cut up and sautéed with onion and garlic, seasoned, and mixed with crushed red pepper and raisins. The roast is oiled, seasoned, and covered with crushed black peppercorns and coriander seeds. In addition to coating the roast, I cut along the rib bones almost to the chine and spread more pepper and coriander in there. Roast in a preheated 375 degree oven until pork is 140 degrees. She says it will probably take about 40 minutes but that you should start checking at about 25.

I discovered something that doesn’t seem so odd in retrospect, but really threw me off at first. After 25 minutes, the top part of the roast, above the stuffing, was at 140 degrees while the part near the bone, below the stuffing, was about 125 degrees. I measured a few times so I don’t think it was that my thermometer was inserted incorrectly (e.g., in the stuffing or against the bone). Anyway, I cooked the roast another 15 minutes and then let it rest for 15 minutes more. The part above the stuffing ended up drier than I would have liked it; but the part below was just perfect—slightly pink, very juicy.

I was bit hesitant about the raisins. I don’t always like them in savory dishes. But there aren’t many here and they added just the barest hint of sweetness to every other bite or so. Quite delightful. In fact, the whole dish was quite delightful. And it’s really quick and easy to make, a good recipe to keep in mind because it’s pretty enough to serve to casual company.

[Becca Porter]

Oh, I have been wanting to make this one!

[oakjoan]

Becca! Are you the person who had the old "Becks and Posh" website?

[Becca Porter]

Nope, not me I'm afraid...

[greygarious]

This would be a good recipe for the technique Cook's Country presented in 2008. You butterfly 2 pork tenderloins, leaving about 1/4" attached. Then you turn them so that the small end on one lines up with the large end of the other. Spread with paste/stuffing, then overlap lengthwide and fold so they form tow interlocking "U"s. Tie and roast.

[smtucker]

chard-stuffed pork roast, page 276

On a lark, I bought this cut at Whole Foods this weekend since it was on sale and it has been months since we have had pork on the table. The Wolfert options for this cut were braising in milk, and that wasn't what I wanted to at all, so I turned to around my french table.

My loin roast was small 1.92 lbs. Unlike the picture, this roast was long and skinny so I knew that this would only need to cook for 20-25 minutes. Sautee the onions, added the garlic, and then I wilted spinach since I didn't have any chard. Toss the onions, garlic, spinach, with some salt, pepper and in my case, dried cranberries since we both hate raisins. I slit the roast once as instructed, stuffed and tied. I took her suggestion and used my 10" cast iron fry pan and threw it into the oven. It reached 140º at 25 minutes. Rest and serve.

When it came out of the oven, the roast was not browned enough. So, I browned it which did overcook the two ends just a bit.

So, in the future, I plan to make a few permanent modifications. First off, I am going to pretend I am making a bracciole and open the roast in thirds so the stuffing swirls more. I want more garlic and in fact, may try some herb-garlic pastes with the vegetables. I wanted more of the coriander/pepper crust, a lot more. The fruit thing is okay, but I will probably pass on that in the future. And finally, I plan on browning the three sides that won't be sitting on the cast iron so I get the crust. I am viewing this recipe as a guide, and I will bring my own ideas to the technique.

I have some bread dough rising so I can make Kaiser rolls in the morning. There is a lot of pork left and we will enjoy sandwiches for days to come.

[roxlet]

Which Kaiser Roll recipe do you use? I usually make the one from The Fresh Loaf...

[smtucker]

I made the Kaiser Rolls from Bread Baker's Apprentice. I thought the resulting rolls were just what I had as a child in NYC. Book is downstairs, but let's see how much I can remember. I made a starter which lived in the fridge for 2 days, and then I started the dough. Starter, plus more flour, egg, non-diadastic malt, salt, yeast, and water. After first rise, tie the rolls into knots [since I don't have a kaiser cutter], another rise, spritz the tops with water, add seeds, and then bake. I chose to top with sesame seeds.

Any ingredient differences between our two books?

[roxlet]

Actually, I have that book, but the recipe I've been making is from www.freshloaf.com. They have a nifty way to form the rolls by pleating the top and then flipping them upside down on poppy seeds to let them do their last rise. Then you flip them again to bake. I've been very happy with them, but now I will take another look at the one in the Bread Baker's Apprentice. I think it is a similar recipe, but without a starter.

I, too, had great Kaiser Rolls growing up in Brooklyn. After church on Sundays, we would go to the nearby Jewish Bakery and go in the back and get the hot rolls that were still on the baking sheets. We'd put them in brown paper bags, and in the winter, it was a treat to hug the bag in the car on the way home. What you can get in the store is just a pale imitation. Sometimes I have gotten decent ones from artisinal bakeries, but they are always too yeasty, imo.

[smtucker]

And I was raised on the Kaiser Rolls from a nearby Jewish Bakery in Forest Hills. When we moved to the suburbs, my parent's would go back to the old neighborhood to get some to bring home.

[Gio]

Provençal Vegetable Soup, Pg. 83
Basil Pesto, Pg. 488

Delicious and comforting 'soupe au pistou' for a chilly and rainy Autumn evening. Ms Greenspan says the vegetables can be anything you have on hand...except for a few absolutely necessary ones that should be included. I had to omit the zucchini and green beans but had all the others: onion, garlic, carrots, potato, chickpeas, tomatoes, and fresh corn kernels. I included celery and 2 leeks. The veggies are chopped or diced and each is sautéed in sequence then herb sprigs are added along with broth or water... we used home made chicken broth. The soup is simmered till all the vegetables are tender. To serve add a dollop of basil pesto and a drizzle of EVOO. We sprinkled freshly grated parmigiano over top of each serving. I used all the basil I had for the pesto so didn't have any left for an additional garnish. This is a keeper... it doesn't take very long to prep the vegetables and once the they're sautéed the soup is finished in less than 30 minutes.

This recipe is also on line thanks to Toveggiegirl.

The book arrived late afternoon yesterday and I dove into it immediately. There's a lovely lamb and apricot tagine I'm dying to make, pg. 284. This book should make a good COTM some time soon.

[JoanN]

Shrimp and Cellophane Noodles (page 322)

As Dorie says in the headnote, this is a “just-remotely Chinese mix of shrimp, dried mushrooms, and slithery, translucent noodles tossed with a tomato sauce that get its spunk from a spoonful of Chinese five-spice powder . . . .”

Maybe I’ve been cooking too much Chinese food lately and “just remotely Chinese” isn’t good enough. Maybe it’s just too fusion-y for me. It tasted like two different dishes smashed together, the Chinese one on the bottom with an Italian tomato sauce with garlic and onion on top. It wasn’t bad. The leftover shrimp in the spicy tomato sauce was actually pretty good. But as you may have guessed, I won’t be making it again.

[toveggiegirl]

Here are a few more recipes. Some of these look so good.

Sablé Breton Galette
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/the-bakers-apprentice-galette/

Endives, Apples, and Grapes
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/09/cook-the-book-endives-apples-and-grapes.html

Salted Butter Break-Ups
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/09/salted-butter-break-ups-cookies-recipe.html

Basic French Lentils
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/09/basic-french-lentils-recipe.html

Go-To Beef Daube
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/09/dorie-greenspans-go-to-beef-daube-stew-recipe.html

Provençal Olive Fougasse
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/09/provencal-olive-fougasse-recipe.html

All-White Salad
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/09/all-white-salad-recipe-dorie-greenspan-around-my-french-table.html

Rice Pudding With Caramel Apples
http://www.food.com/recipe/rice-pudding-with-caramel-apples-dorie-greenspan-438835

Clafoutis
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/dishing/2010/07/best_summer_des.html

Savory Cheese and Chive Bread
http://susikochenundbacken.blogspot.c...

[JoanN]

It's so terrific of you to have put together theses lists, toveggiegirl. I'm going to be visiting a friend for a long weekend and had planned to bring the book with me. Now I don't have to. You've found some--actually, quite a few--of the very recipes I had hoped to make. Remind me what it is we used to do before we had laptops?

[smtucker]

Finally, I am snuggling up with this book. My goodness! I am only on page 53 and I have run out post it notes.

So this is not my Cousin Anne's French dinner table. [And, her table is the last place you would find "bistro" food as well.] But this food sounds absolutely wonderful. My Cousin Anne would say "tres drole" to much of this, slurp it up, and thank me for a lovely meal. As long as the bread is a true baguette, she would love this.

I can't wait to continue through this book. What a fun journey.

[toveggiegirl]

Here a few recipes from " Around My French Table" for those still waiting for their cookbooks!

Mustard Batons http://doriegreenspan.com/2010/09/french-made-easy-mustard-batons-from-around-my-french-table.html

Quiche Maraichere (French Vegetable Tart) http://www.food.com/438731

Speculoos - There is an error in the printed cookbook. This is the correct recipe.
http://doriegreenspan.com/2010/08/well-according-to-amazon-around.html

Provencal Vegetable Soup http://www.ecookbooks.com/t-Around-My-French-Table-Dorie-Greenspan.aspx

Gougeres
Gerard’s Mustard Tart
Vietnamese Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup
Hachis Parmentier
Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake
http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/FFwD.RecipePacket.pdf

Chicken, Apples and Cream a la Normande http://www.montereyherald.com/food/ci...

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, aren't you sweet. THank you!

~TDQ

[toveggiegirl]

You are all very welcome. What else is an insomniac foodie to do??! :-)

[mcel215]

Wow, everything looks so delicious. Thank you for sharing those links. :)

[Becca Porter]

Man, I typed up the quiche Maraichere on my blog. It was a long one because I included the recipe for the tart shell, which worked great.

They must have added the recipe after I googled it.

[c oliver]

I pretty much made the decision to buy the book based on your photo!

[Becca Porter]

I am so glad to hear it was worthwhile then! You won't regret it.

[c oliver]

I don't like most blogs but have saved yours so please keep it up.

[toveggiegirl]

Your quiche looks fabulous!

[Gio]

Thanks so much for the links, Toveggiegirl! I had planned to make an ad lib vegetable soup for tonight's dinner with chicken stock I made over the week-end. Now I can use the Provençal Vegetable Soup recipe from AMFT. I'm still waiting for my book to arrive from Jessica's.

[buttertart]

Thank you/mille fois merci! That chicken with apples dish might be just the ticket for this weekend's dinner guests.

[classylady]

Saw the recipe for the Marie Helene's Apple cake can't wait to try now that the apples are in season. The Hachis Parmentier looks interesting too.

[buttertart]

Here's a review of it that makes me even madder I don't have mine yet -
http://www.bookslut.com/cookbookslut/...

[c oliver]

I don't know whether to kiss you or slap you!!! I put this in my Amazon cart yesterday but waited, hoping I'd get over it. You and that dang review put me over the edge. So thanks a lot. Really :)

[smtucker]

It's good for you. :-)

[greedygirl]

I'm with you, c oliver. Trying not to log onto Amazon right now and buy myself a treat to beat the post-holiday blues. The good news is that we're getting new shelves built next week to accommodate my addiction!

[LulusMom]

Me too! Somehow I've only just found this thread (not as much time to sit in front of the computer as usual ... Lulu has discovered the joys of emailing her adult friends). But this book sounds kind of like a must have.

[burgeoningfoodie]

Yeah I saw this one as I was wondering if anyone would be trying the Friday bake along.

[LulusMom]

I'm thinking I'm going to have to buy the book. Will you be getting it too, BF? (What a pleasant surprise finding you on the home cooking board.)

[burgeoningfoodie]

Not a high priority for me in the list of books to acquire. I would (for me) probably get her Baking book first. I'm going to check out the Southern Foodways Alliance Cookbook coming out on Friday.

[JoanN]

Interesting review, and one I'm not at all sure I agree with, especially "this might just supplant . . . Patricia Wells’s Bistro Cooking as my everyday French cookbook of choice." I've only made five recipes from the book so far (one I haven't reported on yet) and I don't think it's the least comparable to the Wells book. First of all, a point that a number of reviewers seem to be glossing over, she's talking about food that is cooked in French homes today as opposed to "French" food. That means that many of the recipes have other influences--Chinese, Thai, Indian, southern U.S. Yes, there are modern takes on classic French dishes, but I fear that those who expect this to be a classic French cookbook, even a "modernized" bistro cookbook, are going to be sorely disappointed.

[pikawicca]

I think that the title of the book says it all: no claim to be a resource for classic French cooking, just what she cooks when at home in France. It's interesting to compare recipes to what American home cooks are cooking. I like the book.

[JoanN]

Exactly. Unfortunately, I think a number of reviewers, such as the one smtucker quoted above, may be leading people astray by implying something else.

[smtucker]

I quoted no one! I think that was buttertart. :-)

[JoanN]

Sorry. You're absolutely right. It was indeed buttertart who linked to the review I was quoting. My apologies.

[buttertart]

I don't have the book yet (surprise, surprise, sounds of tearing hair out) so can't comment on the accuracy of the review, but thought it was worthwhile. As does Ms Greenspan, apparently - as noted on her Facebook page.
The American in Paris angle - and the contemporary French home cooking one -makes this a different kind of interesting from a Bistro Cooking or other book aimed at replicating French food for American tables.

[JoanN]

Which is exactly why I thought it very odd of the reviewer, as well as somewhat misleading, to say that one book "just might supplant" the other.

[buttertart]

Reviewer hyperbole-itis setting in, perhaps.

[buttertart]

On reading the book, agree with you 100% on this, since the recipes are by and large anything but bistro classics - it's a very personal book and very winning because of it. A lot of the things remind me of what I've been fed by friends in Paris.

[oakjoan]

Well, I admit that I was confused by the title. It DOES sound as if it's French recipes. I don't know how she could have titled it to make it more understandable.

What I Cook When I'm In France But Not Necessarily French Recipes by Dorrie Greenspan doesn't capture one's imagination.

[c oliver]

:)

[LulusMom]

I *always* love reading your posts OJ. Thanks for the laugh (and very good point).

[jarona]

Nice:) Actually for a really GREAT cookbook for authentic French home cooking is "I Know How To Cook" by Ginette Mathiot. It is basically the Franco version of Joy of Cooking. The recipes are simple and easy. Not complicated. The Beef Bourginoin (bad spelling) is sooooooooooooooo simple and delicious. This book is great for everyone.

[Becca Porter]

I am cooking out of this book as well. I am doing a lot of blogging about it, and I am a member of French Fridays with Dorie. I am loving everything I make.

[JoanN]

I'm finding it somewhat difficult to navigate that site (French Fridays). Any chance you could tell us here what you've made and what you've especially liked?

[JoanN]

Creamy, Cheesy, Garlicky Rice with Spinach (page 380)

Dorie’s headnote to this recipe could have been a post in that contentious thread about is it or is it not risotto. She ends by saying “good creamy rice is good no matter what you call it.” And this was very definitely very good.

The recipe calls for Arborio rice cooked in chicken or vegetable broth (I used homemade chicken broth) and 10 ounces of spinach (I used a pound of baby spinach) cooked, squeezed dry, and chopped. Both are added to lightly sautéed garlic and onion along with 1/4 pound of grated Gruyere, Emmenthal, or Swiss (I used cave aged Gruyere) and 1/4 cup of heavy cream (I used my blender cottage cheese substitute) and the whole is seasoned well and stirred together.

I served this as a side with a hunk of protein but it could easily be a main course and I think it will be for me in the future. It’s wonderful comfort food. It’s also generously portioned. She says it would serve four as a side, two as a main course. It’s pretty filling. I think the full recipe, even as a main, would easily serve at least three

[Caitlin McGrath]

This sounds so good, and I love the idea of using the blended cottage cheese sub (question: do you think that would work in a food processor or mini FP instead of a blender?). How much rice and broth are called for?

[JoanN]

Funny you ask. My blender died on me less than halfway through the 5 minute blending of the cottage cheese so I switched it over to the FP. Seemed the same to me. I think the only issue would be that with the FP, some of the cottage cheese chunks that splatter against the sides of the bowl would have to be scraped back down. The texture of the result is thicker than heavy cream; it doesn't actually pour. But it melted right into the rice and I'd challenge just about anyone to know the difference.

Proportions were 3-1/4 to 3-1/2 cups broth to 1 cup Arborio. Cook, covered, until most of the liquid is absorbed, then set aside, covered, to let the rice finish cooking.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Excellent, and thank you, Joan! My blender is currently in storage, but I have a FP here. This sounds like a comforting treat that wouldn't be too over the top with your sub, and I plan to try it.

[c oliver]

I'm not familiar with your blender cottage cheese cream. Could you give some details please? Also, shame on you and pika and others. I think I'm going to have to order this book. We're in Ventura, CA, right now and it's cold and foggy and the dishes you've done sound esp. good. Thanks :)

[JoanN]

To make a substitute for heavy cream, put low- or no-fat cottage cheese in a blender and blend for 5 minutes. The original recipe, and I no longer have any idea where I came across it, said to add 2 tablespoons of nonfat dry milk to about a tub of cottage cheese. I've done it both with and without the dry milk, but never side-by-side. Damned if I can tell the difference.

As I mentioned, this mixture doesn't pour. But it's great for adding to cooked ingredients. And it whips. Not to the volume that heavy cream does, but it does whip and in the right circumstances really can be substituted for whipped cream.

I often end up with quite a bit left over. I love it with cut up fruit for breakfast, adding Splenda if it's needed.

You'll often see non-fat condensed milk recommended as a substitute for heavy cream and I do use that sometimes, but I find this more versatile.

[c oliver]

Thanks. Our dogs get a small spoonful of no-fat cottage cheese with their kibble so this is something that I always have on hand. What a really good idea - for us,not the dogs.

[toveggiegirl]

Thanks for that great tip, JoanN. I'm definitely going to try this.

[Mrs.Bones]

This is AMAZING. Thank you!! I've skipped so many yummy looking recipes b/c they call for heavy cream. I'm totally going to try this.

[Gio]

Creamy, Cheesy, Garlicky Rice with Spinach, Pg. 380

We made this last night and absolutely loved it. I used Swiss cheese, carnaroli rice, chicken stock, a 12 oz. bag of baby spinach, 1/2 &1/2, and followed the recipe exactly (for a change). JoanN describes the procedure up-thread. I wonder how broccoli rabe or broccolini would be instead of spinach... An ad lib lamb stir-fry was served along with the rice and a mesclun salad with a balsamic vinaigrette.

[c oliver]

What about kale? I bought some that is beautiful but I've never cooked kale, I'm ashamed to admit.

[The Dairy Queen]

Try the crispy kale chips from epicurious, coliver!

~TDQ

[c oliver]

Ooh, thanks. That sounds like a winner.

[The Dairy Queen]

Ooh, I've got some CSA chard--beautiful rainbow stuff. My husband doesn't love it, but he does love "creamy cheesy and garlicy"...so, perhaps I should just jump in with that!

~TDQ

[Gio]

Kale or chard... I think they would work. IMO the cheese would overpower the taste of chard and probably the kale too.

BTW: that "beautiful rainbow stuff" is the "Bright Lights" chard variety. I've grown it in my garden. Our CSA has finished for the season but the farm we shop at grows it so we'll get some tomorrow...

[Caitlin McGrath]

So, I finally got around to making the Creamy, Cheesy, Garlicky Rice with Spinach (and of course have had my own copy of the book for a while from which to follow the recipe).

I used carnaroli rice and vegetable broth (I was serving a vegetarian), a pound of baby spinach leaves, gruyere, and JoanN's blended cottage cheese sub for the cream (worked perfectly in mini bowl of my FP). I served it as a main dish, and it served three just fine, with a side of sautéed zucchini. This was wonderful comfort food, and delicious. It really took advantage of the texture of the risotto rice in a low-maintenance way.

I'm so glad I finally got around to trying the blended cottage cheese sub (I remember the discussion of during Hopkinson month, and TDQ's use of it in some of his desserts). The texture surpassed my expectations (very, very smooth), and I will make much use of it. Even aside from fat considerations, cream is not something I keep around or use much, and I'm not going to buy a carton just to use a few tablespoons, but I can always use up a container of cottage cheese in various ways.

[The Dairy Queen]

Love JoanN's blended cottage cheese trick. I'm so glad it worked in this dish!

~TDQ

[c oliver]

I neglected to post on this when I made it but wanted to check back in and say that it's a great leftover. I froze half of it and we had it last night with some shrimp. I reheated, covered with foil at 350 for about 30 minutes. Alot of water had come out of the spinach so I removed the foil, upped it to 400 for maybe 10 minutes which took care of that and even crisped up the edges a bit. I really like this recipe alot. And I doubly like things that I can freeze and have a month later.

[Caitlin McGrath]

I bet leftovers would be nice made into little cakes and sautéed in butter or olive oil, since it is risotto-like. Might need an egg mixed in as a binder, but I'm imaging they'd come out crusty on the outside, creamy inside.

[c oliver]

Oh my. That sounds fantastic. I'm all ready to make it just FOR the leftovers. Another thing I like about it is that there really is a good enough rice to spinach ratio that I think it does count as the green vegetable component.

[mcel215]

Joan,
Is there any way you could provide me a link for this recipe? I want to make it, but
don't have the book yet.
Thanks.

[JoanN]

Can’t find the recipe online, but here’s a paraphrase.

Bring 3-1/4 cups chicken or vegetable both to a boil. Stir in1 cup risotto rice, cover pot, reduce heat, and simmer until most of the broth has been absorbed. Turn off heat and let the rice finish cooking.

Meanwhile, clean 10 ounces of spinach, toss it into a large pot, sprinkle with salt, cover pot, and cook over low heat about 5 minutes until spinach is tender. Drain spinach, squeeze it dry, and chop coarsely.

Melt 1 tablespoons unsalted butter in the cleaned out spinach pot and add 1 finely chopped medium-sized onion, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, and S&P, and cook about 5 minutes. Dump rice and spinach into the pot, add ¼ pound grated Gruyère, Emmenthal, or Swiss cheese and 1/4 cup of heavy cream, season generously with salt and pepper, and stir everything together. Add a splash more cream if the mixture seems a little dry.

[mcel215]

Thank you Joan, paraphrasing works fine for me. :)

[mcel215]

The only problem I am having (I am making it now), is realizing when "most of the broth has been absorbed" stage. About how much time did you let the rice cook before turning it off? And how much longer do you let it sit? I don't know what consistency I should be looking for? Thanks

[mebby]

I haven't made this yet, but she says to cook the rice until "almost tender" and doesn't give any guidance on time to let it finish cooking.

[mcel215]

Thanks mebby, but it was hard for me to tell. The rice was very watery at 15 minutes, so even if it was 'almost tender", I don't think the water would have absorbed to the correct consistency. But, I turned the stove up a bit and added a paper towel between the lid and the pan and let it cook for another 5 minutes. I then shut the heat, stirred and let it sit for 5 minutes with the heat off.

I am still not sure about the consistency, but the dish was fabulous tasting.

Here is a picture of it plated for dinner. It worked well with the plain shrimp I had leftover from Thanksgiving (shrimp cocktail).

[JoanN]

I'm probably too late here, but I turned the heat off while the rice was still a bit wet and let it sit while I prepared the remainder of the dish. By the time I was ready to stir everything together, the rice was finished. You just want to make sure the rice is very slightly al dente but has absorbed all the liquid.

[pikawicca]

Made this to accompany shrimp for dinner last night. It was delicious, but the instructions leave something to be desired. I used 3 1/4 cups of broth. After 20 minutes at a gentle simmer, the rice was cooked al dente, but quite a bit of liquid remained. I drained it thoroughly in a colander before adding it to the onion/spinach pot. This worked perfectly.

[Caitlin McGrath]

When I made this, I, too, had more broth in the pot than the rice absorbed before it was done. Next time, I will start with slightly less broth.

[JoanN]

Kinda surprised that both you and pika had the same problem and I didn't. I guess there are a lot of different factors involved such as which rice and how old it is and how strong the simmer is. And that may well be why the recipe couldn't be more specific than it is.

[LulusMom]

Rice is the weirdest thing. We *almost* never have problems with it - so much so that my husband doesn't understand why anyone would buy a rice cooker. And then one time out of something like 12 the rice is off. And we haven't done anything different from our norm. Something I cook probably once a week with almost never a problem, and yet I would feel nervous making it for guests, just in case.

[mcel215]

Pik,

I totally agree with you on the instructions. I was really perplexed when I made this dish tonight. There is NO way that my rice would have absorbed that much liquid without "ad libbing" of some sort. I never thought of draining it. Thnx.

BTW, about a year or so, you posted your pie dough recipe and I copied it. It's so easy and an excellent tasting crust. I wanted to thank you ever since, so glad I got the chance.

Just a quick question. When you pulse it in the FP, do you let it come to a "ball" stage, or just large clumps? I have been a little timid letting it go all the way to the "ball" stage, lol!

[JoanN]

Cola and Jam Spareribs (page 280)

Had my eye on this from my first flip-through. Smelled great. Looked spectacular. The taste, unfortunately, did not live up to the expectation.

You rub the ribs with a mixture of five spice powder, ground ginger, and s&p then paint them with a mixture of apricot jam, orange juice, and lemon juice. You can marinate or not. I did, for about five hours. Roast 45 minutes, baste, roast another 45 minutes, add a cup of Coco-Cola and baste every 5 minutes for the next half hour.

I had such high hopes. They weren’t bad; they just weren’t as wonderful as I had anticipated they’d be while they were cooking. The surface flavor of the ribs was good, but it didn’t penetrate the meat. Maybe a longer marinating time would have helped? Too many recipes out there for me to try to bother playing around with this one.

[roxlet]

Sounds awfully sweet...

[JoanN]

Not as much as you might think. The acid really cut it. I'm not all that crazy about sweet with protein, but that really wasn't the problem here.

[morwen]

Coco-Cola on ribs? Sounds more like Paula than Dorie, American South than South of France.

[The Dairy Queen]

That's what I was thinking, morewen!

~TDQ

[JoanN]

You're right. Dorie says that where she first had these ribs, in Tours, the chef had spent some time in Kentucky where he developed a fondness for both Coke and barbecue. She also says she couldn't pry the recipe out of him but she thinks her version is one he would approve of. I'm not so sure.

[Gio]

Virginia Willis also has a terrific recipe called, "Coca-Cola-Glazed Baby Back Ribs:. Page 79 in her "Bon Appetit Y'All" book. She studied in France with Anne Willan so brings her French training to her Southern roots. Here's my report of the recipe the first time I made it:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6164...

My copy of AMFT has been shipped! So, I'm hoping for a Monday or Tuesday delivery. Yippee...!!

[JoanN]

So glad you pointed that out, Gio. I'm sure I read it when you first posted it, but had completely forgotten about it. I'm making a note to give those a try.

I'm enjoying AMFT a great deal and I'd love to have someone join me on this thread. It's kind of lonely around here.

[Gio]

As soon as I read enough of the book to mark some recipes, I'll join you Joan. You're doing yeoman service, though! As usual, I might add.

Right now I'm sorta doing a few of Ina's recipes and really paying attention to Mark Bittman's "The Food Matters Cookbook." (Last night it was 2 dishes: his roast pork w/apples, potatoes & onions and braised collard greens. More veggies than meat.)

[JoanN]

I'm still waiting for Ina from the library. I have two other cookbooks out of the library. And three new cookbooks I've barely made a dent in.

It was just sort of by chance that I got on the roll with Dorie. You make something and it's good so you make something else. It helps that I'm finding quite a few of her recipes, especially if I pay careful attention to portion control, quite diet friendly. (In rather desperate need of that right now and I suspect I'm not going to find that true of Ina. ;-)

@smtucker: Really with you on the weather. She has a Braised Cardamom Curry Lamb that has had me checking the 10-day weather report since I first got the book.

[The Dairy Queen]

Still waiting for my copy to arrive.

~TDQ

[JoanN]

That's such a bummer. Who did you order it from?

[The Dairy Queen]

The Good Cook.

~TDQ

[JoanN]

Every time someone mentions that--what is it? a club? a Web site? both?--I go over to take a look. There have never been four books I wanted. At least, not all at the same time. And now I'm just as happy that that is true. Why should they be so behind everyone else on delivery?

[roxlet]

Same with me JoanN. I put books in my basket, think about it, and when I go back they're gone.

[The Dairy Queen]

I guess it's a club, if you think of it in the same way as you think of the old book clubs where you get a good deal on some kind of entry package and then you have a commitment to buy a certain number of books at the "regular" price. My experience is that it's difficult to take full advantage of their various promotions: if it's four for $1, I can only find 3 I really want; if it's two for the price of 3, I usually can only find 2 I want. I find that I end up getting a good deal on a couple of books and getting to try another random book for essentially free. Sometimes I end up liking it; sometimes, not, and I just give it away. It's a pretty good deal if they have the books you want.
~TDQ

[smtucker]

I too plan to join you, but real-life is getting in the way of even reading through the book, much less cooking from it. Now that the weather has turned chilly, French food like my cousin Anne makes when I visit her in Paris, is starting to appeal.

[The Dairy Queen]

I would join you but I am sans a copy of AMFT until mid-January. :(.

~TDQ

[oakjoan]

This response got bumped down so it doesn't make any sense. It's regarding the cola and ribs recipe. I think Nigella has a recipe for ham with Coke. My reaction has always been "ewwwwwwwwwwwww!"

[FrancaV]

Oh, thank goodness someone else said it, LOL! I'm sorry, but with all of the fabulous recipes out there waiting to be made I would never, not ever, choose one that had Coca Cola as an ingredient. Ew. Ick.

[bear]

Third!

[Mrs.Bones]

I make my brisket w/Coke sometimes! You can't taste it in the end product, esp if you mix it with spices. It ends up a little sweet, but mostly savory with a hint of the sugar.

[buttertart]

Apparently a major part of the world production of nutmeg goes into Coke. It sounds quite good with ribs.

[alkapal]

ah, maybe that's why i like coke!

[isadorasmama]

Braising in cola sounds weird but it makes pretty good (and some might say) authentic carnitas.

[smilingal]

i really love CH - and this is yet another one of those times I am thankful for my CH friends. I have finally had the chance to earmark recipes from the book to try - and this (cola and jam spareribs) was one of them -- but I quickly took out the page marker, feeling as you expressed, "too many recipes....to bother playing around..."". Thanks for the feedback!

[JoanN]

Spice-Crusted Tuna (page 304)

Simple. Super quick. Very enjoyable. Break up seeds from 6 cardamom pods, white peppercorns, coriander seeds, fresh ginger, and fleur de sel in a mortar and pestle, press into lightly oiled tuna steaks, and sear 2 minutes on each side.

I was glad I’d read her note saying that the tuna was good at room temp and that leftovers were delicious sliced and served on a green salad. I got a call I’d been waiting for all day just seconds before the fish was ready so I pulled it out of the pan and set it aside for nearly half an hour. Decided to just slice it and serve it on the salad. Good call.

This is definitely spicy. Not for everyone. But I wouldn’t want to cut back on the white pepper either. I’ll just be careful to whom I serve it. I also think I could have cooked the fish probably 15 seconds less per side; it was pink in the center, but I would have preferred it more toward red.

[BigSal]

We made this last night. Nice and quick to put together. The Mr. thought the spices were "weird." Like JoanN mentioned this is spicy. The spices are VERY present. I am torn about this one. I wasn't smitten with the recipe, but was intrigued. I think I'll have to try it again before I give the final verdict on this one.

[smtucker]

I have just received my copy as well, but haven't had time to get into a snuggly chair and read. Can't wait though. I am hopeful that it is filled with foods like my cousin makes in the Winter.

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, I missed this thread! I am still awaiting my copy, but I'm already loving JoanN's report (of course, that particular recipe is "off the table" for me so to speak, until next summer!)

~TDQ

[JoanN]

Warm Scallop Salad with Corn, Nectarines, and Basil (page 320)

Got home after being away for a while to find this book and the last of the summer bounty waiting for me. This recipe sounded just perfect—and it was. You make a lime dressing with zest, juice, piment d’Espelette (I used Aleppo pepper because I had it on hand), and olive oil. I blanched the basil for the coulis as she suggested and pureed it in olive oil in the container of my stick blender.

Don’t have a grill so I used my 12” cast-iron skillet to warm the nectarine halves and sear the scallops.

To serve, surround the seared scallops with corn kenels barely moistened with the lime dressing, top the corn with halved, seasoned cherry or grape tomatoes, and add the warmed nectarine half to the side of the plate. Spoon some lime dressing over the scallops then top with some of the basil coulis. Sprinkle with shredded fresh basil if you wish (I didn’t bother).

I was a bit hesitant about the raw corn. I shouldn’t have been. This is a simply delightful dish to highlight my favorite foods of summer and a wonderful introduction to a book I think may be full of surprises (very pleasant ones).

[Gio]

Oh boy does that look gorgeous. This is one book I'm very interested in so I'll be more than interested in reports here. Thanks for starting the thread, Pika!

ETA: Here's a link to a site that has a group cooking through the book. "French Fridays with Dorie":

http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/