FFwD - Cheesy Creme Brûlée

My sister in law, Kathy, has had me cook two French Friday dishes at her house. Weird that they're both cheese dishes! The previous one was a cheese soufflé. It was not a hit! This time it was cheesy Creme brûlée and it was more popular but still they would have preferred a standard Creme brûlée.....they missed the sugar topping:)

That being said, Gary and I loved it. I think next time I will try making it in a chafing dish and serve it with a hearty, crusty bread.

This blog participates in www.frenchfridays.com.

FFwD - Chicken Breasts Diable

I did my entire post, added the pictures, hit preview and it all disappeared!  Where'd it go?

Delicious Chicken Breasts Diable!

To summarize - it was great.  It was easy.  We loved it and will do it again.  I breaded my cutlets and fried them.  My son said they were Frenchified Fried Chicken and Gravy:)

Apple and Blackberry Polenta Cobbler

Since its my goal to cook at least one recipe from every food magazine that comes into my house I made Apple and Blackberry Polenta Cobbler from February's Bon Appetit.  It was also delicious and easy and tasted even better the next day.

Be sure to visit the French Friday with Dorie website to see what all the participants thought of this recipe.  Now if this post disappears I give up!

FFwD - Cheating On Winter Pea Soup + Coeur á la Créme

Cheating on Winter Pea Soup

This soup was easy.  This soup was good.  I didn't have any of the color issues talked about in the P&Q.  It worked and we enjoyed it.  I'll admit to curiosity about boiled romaine but it contributed a lightness and a freshness to the soup that was nice.  This is a keeper for us!

I've been telling myself (and my husband) that I would get back into my bread baking routine for several months now.  I was a regular bread baker for quite a while.  I don't know what happened.  Life I guess.  Actually, I realized just now it was my mother's illness and death 2.5 years ago. Time to get going on the things I like to do!  I know she would want me to as she took great pride in any and all of her children's accomplishments.

So it was a simple one day bread Thursday but definitely a delicious addition to the soup.  Just a basic white bread with oatmeal and flax seed.  It made a delicious ham and cheese panini to go with our soup!

I know this is the post that never ends but moving on to the coeur á la créme.  Something was lost here for me.  There was no, absolutely none, liquid to drain out.  Cream cheese, sugar, whipped cream of course it was good but I just couldn't find the point of it.  That being said, I made this while visiting my grandson and my daughter in law loved it.  I felt like it needed to be used IN something.  Like a twist on smores maybe?

This post participates in French Fridays with Dorie.  A project that is cooking through her book Around My French Table.  

Secret Valentine - Death By Chocolate Cookies

Death by Chocolate Cookies

I don't know how she does it but Alice organized a Valentine's cookie exchange for our French Friday group.  At Christmas she organized a card exchange.   Alice has terrific ideas and the energy to carry them out!  I envy that:)

Anyhow I received Death By Chocolate Cookies from Liz Berg at http://www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com/.  They were chocolatey and delicious and everything you want in a chocolate cookie.  We ate several immediately (who could resist?) then put the rest in the freezer and have been having one in the afternoon with our coffee.  If you're looking for a new chocolate cookie recipe I highly recommend this one!  And you see the lovely red paisley print in the background?  That's a beautiful dish towel that came in my package as well!  Lucky me!!!

1 cup + 1 Tbsp flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

5 Tbsp room temp butter

3/4 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

Melt the 8 oz. chocolate chips in microwave until smooth and set aside.

Whisk together eggs and vanilla.  Set aside and yes this makes for a lot of dirty dishes!

Beat butter until smooth and creamy then beat in sugars.  Mix in eggs and vanilla until incorporated.  Add chocolate and mix until incorporated.  Add dry ingredients on low speed and mix until just combined.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Chill dough for 1/2 hour.

Scoop 2 T dough and roll into balls.  Bake about 10 minutes or until cookies just start to set.  Centers will appear soft.  Cool for 5 minutes on sheet then remove to cooking rack.

Enjoy!  

FFwD-Fresh Orange Pork Tenderloin

Fresh Orange Pork Tenderloin

This is a hard one to write about.  I wanted to like it but can't say that I did.  The end dish wasn't worth the work involved.  I like the idea of fresh orange and pork but this didn't match my vision.  I do think, however, a roasted pork with an orange glaze and an orange reduction on the side might be interesting. 

I read the P&Qs so I left out the onions but I wanted more of the cardamon flavor to come through.  One thing that occurred to me is the blandness of pork today.  Pork used to be more flavorful, fattier.  Also, I had quite a bit of sauce.  All in all this didn't work out for me but I think there is something here that could work, should work.  I'm going to try it again using pork loin, if I can find it.  Its hard to find pork loin these days.  I wonder why...

This is where you go to find everyone's adventures!  I hope our members in the northeast don't get hit too hard by the latest storm!

FFwD - Brown Sugar, Squash, and Brussels Sprouts en Papillotes

Roasted Brown Sugar, Squash and Brussels Sprouts!

Maybe this recipe didn't generate the level of controversy of liver but whether to 'en papillote' or roast had us buzzing!  I roasted for a simple reason.  I adore roasted brussels sprouts.  Its the only cooking method that causes me to adore brussels sprouts.  En papillote is a wonderful way to cook and I especially enjoy making little packages for the grill but for me brussels sprouts should be eaten roasted or raw.  Plain and simple.

That being said we enjoyed this combo.  The squash and apple were delicious with the sprouts and I plan on making it again next week for company.  Remember back in November when we made  Endives, Apples and Grapes?  I made the bonne idee using squash, chestnuts, apples and grapes.  I think I'll try that recipe using brussels sprouts and roasting.  Should be delicious I think!

I don't know about where you live but here in Oklahoma we are taking turns passing around a bug to each other.  It seems none of us can stay well more than a week before we get something else!  Please let this end soon!!!!  I miss good health....

French Fridays with Dorie is where you will find everyone's cooking adventures!

FFwD - Chicken Liver Gâteaux with Pickled Onions

Chicken Liver Gâteaux with Pickled Onions

When I went to Napa last September I had dinner at Bouchon.  I had the best paté I've ever tasted.  It was so creamy, rich and delicate.  They served it in a terrine with a thin layer of delicious (duck?) fat over the top.  I've fantasized about that paté...yes, it was that good!

Since then I've looked for the recipe but can't find it on line and I've vowed to not buy a new cookbook until I use more of what I own but it just now occurs to me to check the library and YES they have it.  I've added my name to the reserve list.

This paté is good.  More of a slicing paté than a spreading paté but quite delicious.

 I'll admit to being squeamish about the liver when I thought about it but once I started working with them I was okay.  My liver was fatty which caused me to wonder about my chicken's diet and the fat surrounding my own liver but that's another topic!  Raw liver in the food processor had me reliving Rosemary's Baby and I wondered what my sleep/nightmare's might be.

My mother was a farm girl so I grew up watching and helping mom handle all kinds of meat and various innards.  She even MADE mince meat when that involved cooking a hog's head!...and she loved to pull me into her food projects:)

Anyhow, I've been wanting to make paté but was intimidated and I thank Dorie Greenspan and this group for pushing my comfort zone!    Oh yes, the pickled onions are quite good too and I'm looking for other ways to use them.

Check out the rest of the group at French Fridays with Dorie.  We're cooking from her book Around My French Table.

FFwD - Long and Slow Apples + Herb Speckled Spaetzle

I was in Memphis for last week's French Fridays Herb Speckled Spaetzle (say that 3 times quickly) and just didn't think my in-laws would enjoy it.  Well, that's kind of true but its also true to say I was afraid...yes, I feared the spaetzle.  I just couldn't visualize how this was going to work.  I finally got my courage up and made it when I got home.  I used my mom's old ricer and a lot of things I visualized happening happened!  The herbs didn't go through the little holes.  Some of the dough/batter stuck together and fell into the water in globs creating what I was sure would be gelatinous masses of goo.  After boiling the spaetzle goo I almost tossed it figuring I could boil pasta and combine with the butter, onions, mushrooms for a delicious dish.  But I pushed on and somehow the gelatinous goo globs became delicious spaetzle!  And it was Gary approved!

Herb Speckled Spaetzle does not photograph well:(

This week's recipe, Long and Slow Apples was as good and as easy as I expected.  The mandoline makes short work of the slicing.  I can't wait to read everyone else's post and see if the plastic wrap melted for them.  I checked the P&Q section and Mardi said hers melted.  Since mine was in the oven I quickly replaced my Glad wrap with parchment.  The apples turned out great!

Long and Slow Apples

I served mine with vanilla ice cream topped with a sprinkling of orange zest and toasted walnuts with a splash of Harlequin Orange Liquer.  Delicious, elegant and oh so easy!

All of the French Friday cooks can be found here!  Read about our adventures as we cook through Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table. Happy 2013 to one and all!

FFwD - Go With Everything Celery Root Puree

Celery Root

I was skeptical about this one from the get go.  Not because of the celery root but because of the mashed potatoeness.  Mashed potatoes are kind of sacred around here.  I don't mess with mashed potatoes.  They should be loaded with butter and salt and pepper and be plentiful!  Additions, unless its bacon, are not appreciated by any of the men in my family!

Having said that I was interested in the celery root.  I've seen it in the grocery store but never tried it.  When I was checking out the grocery clerk wanted to know all about what I was doing with it and my cooking group.  Another convert for Dorie?  Maybe!

I went with another unknown, turbot, to serve with the celery root.  The fishmonger described it as a pretty mild, fatty fish that was very fresh.

Celery Root Puree and Pan Fried Turbot
It looks so good, I liked it, Gary didn't.

The conclusion - don't put celery in the mashed potatoes and leave the turbot at the market!

For Christmas I got a Krups citrus juicer.  If you don't have one of these you need to get one!  How did I live without it for so many years?  I found a recipe for a Citrus Tart and used all orange instead of a combo of citrus.  This tart is creamy and custardy with just the right amount of orange.  Gary says its the best custard he's ever had and it saved the meal in his eyes!

Citrus Tart

I'm still visiting everyone's blog all the way back to the chicken a la Normande!  I hope to get caught up soon:)  Happy New Year to everyone!  I have a good feeling about 2013 and look forward to cooking with each and everyone of you!  AND I resolve to use the title Around My French Table more often!  Here's where you can find all the French Friday results

FFwD - Cheez-It-Ish Crackers

Cheez It Ish Crackers

These didn't work for me.  Since I'm running late I peeked at what other French Friday cooks were saying on the FF website and it looks like I am in the minority!  Where did I go wrong?  The dough did NOT come together in the food processor or after kneading a few times so I added a tablespoon of water.  Maybe 2-3 tablespoons would have been better but I squashed and pushed and shoved it together, wrapped it in plastic and hoped for the best.

The next day I couldn't get the dough to stay together long enough to roll out so I kind of squished it together to form little crackers.  I guess no one will be surprised when I say the crackers were kind of tough.  The flavor was good though!  I don't know what went wrong for me.  Maybe some of the Doristas have suggestions.  I topped each cracker with either Red Sea Salt or freshly ground pepper.  I thought they just needed something!

It was an entire day of cooking today.  Pumpkin bread, eight loaves...yes I said 8 loaves!  And caramel corn.  Now I have my neighbor gifts ready to deliver tomorrow.

My time with my grandson was wonderful!  He is so much fun, you know that point between baby and little boy?  He's right there.  Starting to play and talk and show his own little personality but still cuddly and needy.  Love it!

Every year I think I will have a Christmas Party.  So many of the French Friday cooks have their act together and do amazing things.  I'm not one of those:)  BUT I did have a little cocktail party of my own with Cheez-It-Ish Crackers, herbed olives and the Barefoot Contessa's Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts.  And Sofia!  Love me some Sofia:)  I haven't given up.  Next year I'll have that party:)

Thank you to all who participated in the Christmas card exchange.  They have been such a bright spot in this holiday season.  So much sadness in the world lately.  I look at my cards and think of the wonderful bonds formed in our little community of cooks and feel more hopeful for the world.