Basque Potato Tortilla - French Fridays with Dorie

I'm so glad that today was one of my days off .  J didn't have to be at class until 9, so I was up at 6:30 peeling potatoes and chopping onions. Sounds glamorous doesn't it ?  It's one of my favorite times to be in the kitchen, the sky outside is still that dark indigo blue and just starting to glow slightly on the horizon with the sun trying to rise.  I say trying because after all this is Seattle and today is a typical February day in Seattle, very very windy and very very grey.
 

So the smell of potatoes and onions cooking in my cast iron skillet brought some warmth to my world.  I love Dorie Greenspan's recipes from Around My French Table. They consistently transport me.  This morning I could imagine someone across the ocean in their French kitchen just on the outskirts of Bayonne cooking this same dish .  She's just come back from the market and empties her bag onto the old wooden table.  Freshly dug potatoes, sweet onions, fresh eggs from the farm down the road and a little Jambon de Bayonne or Bayonne Ham. Some red wine, a crisp baguette from the Boulanger and a small salad of chervil, parsley and fresh herbs. A perfect afternoon lunch for her and her love. 

 I have fallen in love with Bayonne, from the Basque region of France. Seriously who wouldn't love to live in an area that since 1462 has been celebrating the deliciousness of the  “Jambon de Bayonne”  or Bayonne ham. And if that doesn't make your mouth water-they have a chocolate festival in May celebrating their famous chocolate making that was introduced in 1496 ! 
I made this tortilla simple and straightforward-mainly because unlike my French counterpart I did not just return from the market and my pantry did not have some of the ingredients I would have liked to have added to this.  However it was still delicious with the potatoes, onions,rosemary and garlic.  I wanted to add something for interest and I remembered I had a jar of Roasted Garlic and Fig spread-perfect. 

A little side of that to drag a bite  of the tortilla through -just the right amount of caramelized sweetness to offset the spicy bite from the cayenne. Next time I will add some grated cheese just after I remove it from the oven.  I imagine the cheese and the garlic fig spread would combine beautifully. Bon Appetit and head over to French Fridays with Dorie to see everyone elses' results.

Michel Rostang’s Double Chocolate Mousse Cake-French Fridays with Dorie

I knew I would love this weeks recipe.  Chocolate and mousse together-a wonderfully divine combination.  Mousse is one of my favorite things and chocolate mousse, well it is definitely something I would want on a deserted island along with George Clooney, opps I mean J.  

 I couldn't bear to add ice cream or whipped cream to the plate.  I wanted the pure incredibly rich chocolate taste to be the star.  I read all the P & Q's over at French Fridays with Dorie so I knew what not to do.  I've made a cake similar to this when I worked at the bakery and it was always one of my favorites.  Dorie gives you a couple of variations to try with this cake.  I baked a third of the batter; cooled the cake for 4 hours; added the rest of the mousse batter and baked it again for 30 minutes; then chilled it for another 4 hours. I dusted it with unsweetened cocoa powder. Thank you Dorie - I love love love this version. And don't let the simple appearance of this cake fool you. 

After one bite you will think you just had the most decadent bite  in the world-and you have.  Again simplicity wins out-good ingredients, careful directions and a little love in your heart while cooking equals success.  Speaking of love in your heart-this would make a beautiful Valentine's Day dessert, add a little raspberry coulis around it, top with a bit of whipped cream and a few ripe raspberries-your partner will be forever grateful.

This has espresso in it so it enhances the chocolate. But don't let the fact that this contains espresso  stop you from having an espresso with this slice or an ice cold glass of milk-mmm heaven.  I must confess I went through two slices while setting up to shoot my photos for this.  Ohh, but they were small slices-that's my story and I'm sticking to it !

Head over to French Fridays with Dorie and see the beautiful cakes everyone else created.

Paris Mushroom Soup-French Fridays with Dorie

I'm making this soup and pretending I'm in a tiny kitchen in a small apartment in Paris.  I can see the Eiffel Tower out of my living room window if I peek between the buildings.

The aroma from the onions and mushrooms is filling the small space and the windows are fogging up from the steam. There is a baguette on the dining room table.  J picked it up from the bakery around the corner from the apartment.  It's crisp and crunchy and fresh from the bakery oven.  The table is set with an old lace tablecloth,picked up  last Saturday at Les Puces.  It's tattered and mended but it has a certain charm. Someones silver haired grandmother took great care of it.

 I can only imagine the conversations around the table that it's been privy to. The candles are the only light in the dining room now and they are giving off such a warm romantic glow.  This is going to be a perfect dinner.  The snow is still falling quietly in Paris and the sky is turning my favorite shade of blue-you know that blue that seems to glow and almost appears iridescent just before the sun sets and the moon rises.  Perhaps we will bundle up after eating this delicious soup and take a late walk along the Seine.

Thank you Dorie for giving me this moment to daydream about my favorite place in the world and thank you for this marvelous recipe.  Fresh mushrooms,onions,garlic, a little white wine, some rosemary, a bit of chives and scallions and topped off with creme fraiche, seasoned with a little salt and pepper-the absolute best mushroom soup I've ever made. Did you ever notice that some of the most delicious things are also the simplest ? 

Stop by French Friday's with Dorie and see how everyone did with this recipe.  Then buy the book and make a pot yourself-it's a very simple recipe and well worth it.  Bon Appetit ! 

Potato Leek Soup - French Fridays with Dorie

It's been very cold and sometimes raining in Seattle. I know I have nothing to complain about with everyone else having to dig out from that horrible storm that hit across the United States. I grew up in Pittsburgh and I remember those storms. What I romanticize about the most is that first snowfall of the season-when it would sneak in during the wee small hours of the morning. We were night owls in those days and as soon as we saw it falling we would bundle up and go out for a midnight walk. It was quieter than I ever remember the world being during those walks. You could barely hear the snow falling. It was that thick steady snow that stuck to your coat and hat so that by the time you walked a block you looked like a little snowman. The tree branches were thick with the snow and fire hydrants wore little snow caps. It was fun to be the first human to make tracks in the snow. Sometimes it was so thick and so steady that by the time we turned back our tracks had disappeared. I miss those midnight snow walks. We knew we could count on everything being shut down the next day.

Snow days were fun even as adults-you could cook up a good pot of soup, make some homemade bread or experiment with some new cookie recipe. Or pull out the cross country skis and blaze trails with the sun shining !

Well I don't have snow here but with the cold chilling my bones I knew it was time for some soup. And not just any ordinary soup-but Dorie Greenspan's Potato and Leek Soup. The Potato Leek Soup was one of the recipe selections for my French Fridays with Dorie Group. I couldn't wait to make this, it sounded like the perfect soup to take the chill off.

As usual, I wasn't disappointed. Dorie gives you the choice of leaving the soup chunky with the luscious bits of leeks and potatoes still intact or whirling it all together in a food processor resulting in a smooth creamy soup. I opted for chunky-I love to have a good hearty chewy soup. Tell me is there anything that Dorie cooks "not so good" ? I don't think so, every recipe I have tried turns out with ohhs and ahhs around the dinner table. I added a nice crisp homemade crouton topped with some fresh shaved Gruyere cheese. Then I remembered I had bought some White Truffle Oil from La Buona Tavala at Pike Place Market. A few drops of that was the perfect finishing touch to this soup.

Each time I cook something from Dorie's latest book Around My French TableI encourage you to go out and buy the book-this recipe is no exception. Buy the book and start enjoying some of the most delicious recipes you will find. Bon Appetit !

My Go To Beef Daube - French Fridays with Dorie

I was procrastinating this morning.  I have perfected procrastination and it is now an art form. In the middle of my morning I was getting ready to write this post and in doing some research I stumbled upon a beautiful blog My French Kitchen.  You must visit-it is a beautiful world to procrastinate in -from the clever writings, the gorgeous photos and the watercolors-they left me breathless.  As I scrolled through and came upon the first recipe card-so beautifully illustrated with her watercolors,  I wanted to run out and buy watercolors and start sketching. I love this world of blogging-so much to inspire .

And speaking of inspiring-another incredible dish by Dorie Greenspan.  I thought I loved the chicken I roasted a few weeks ago-the Beef Daube-is another new love.  A daube is  the French way of describing stew. Beef stew is a good go to dish on a cold blustery day, and everyone has their own favorite recipe. Just once, set aside that recipe and try this one-this is no ordinary stew. From the pan searing, braising in a bottle of wine-yes a bottle-and the smell of the sauce and garlic permeating the house -a culinary pleasure you must try. Parsnips have become my new favorite vegetable this Fall, I've been adding them to everything and so I was excited to see them as an option to add for this recipe. And of course I added them ! Have you bought Around My French Table yet ?  No ?  Add it to your Christmas list-I'm sure Santa will appreciate the results.  Bon Appetit and Happy Holidays.

Click here to see every one's entries for Friday

Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux-French Fridays with Dorie

I've joined another cooking group.  Since I belong to a few "baking groups" I decided to join a group that would help me develop my savory side .  Fortunately for me a group was formed cooking their way through Dorie Greenspan's latest book "Around My French Table". The group is called French Fridays with Dorie.

 I love this book and couldn't wait to get started.  The recipe I chose to cook  this month was Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux.  Simple roasted chicken with potatoes, carrots, garlic,shallots,white wine,rosemary,thyme, oregano and the secret ingredient -a large slice of bread placed under the chicken while it roasts.  Why didn't I know about this little trick before ? Oh my gosh-I will never roast chicken any other way again, nor will I ever use a different recipe. 

My sweetie couldn't stop raving about the taste of the chicken,the aroma and the bread-it was like chicken stuffing but better.  You also toss the chicken liver inside the chicken while it roasts and when it's done, spread that liver on the crisp caramel flavored bread that you removed from  under the chicken-can you hear the angels singing ? Yes I'm in love with Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux.

If I were you I would run out and buy this cookbook. You will never go wrong with Dorie Greenspan.  I'm off to heat up the leftover chicken -the bread is all gone-boo hoo. Bon Appetit.

PS. Yes my little chicken is upside down- I like to roast it that way-all the lovely juices stay in the breast and it's incredibly moist when I slice into it !