Quartre Quarts - French Fridays with Dorie

Quartre Quarts

I'm back! I'm back on the French Fridays with Dorie circuit! This week, the French Fridays with Dorie group made Quartre Quarts from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Around my French Table. 

It's a snacking cake with no frosting. Um, I'm sooooo there!

This is totally delicious. I just made it afternoon and am trying to save some to bring into work tomorrow! It reminds me of the Swedish Visiting Cake sans the nuts. It is light, not very sweet and goes perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea. I used vanilla (you can also use rum) so it has a great warm, vanilla taste. It's topped with just enough brown sugar to give it sweetness.

Be sure to check out my fellow French Fridays with Dorie members and see their creations!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book or find it at your library.

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Mozzarella, Tomato and Strawberry Salad - French Fridays with Dorie

Mozzarella, Tomato and Strawberry Salad

This week, the French Fridays with Dorie group made Mozzarella, Tomato and Strawberry Salad from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Around my French Table.

I love food on a stick. Corn dogs, Okinawan dangos from Obon festivals (which are starting now!!), Mango with chili powder. Of course, Pocky is the edible stick food too. Nom nom. Dorie makes her salad on a plate...but I went for the portable salad.

Unlike my dad, I don't have a very green thumb. I kill plants often with neglect (what? I have to water the plant?!). But I was at Trader Joe's this morning and saw that a box of basil was $3 and the basil plant was also $3. I decided to try my hand at "gardening" again and picked up the plant. Don't be expecting bushels of pesto from me, but I hope I can keep it alive during my dad's upcoming tomato season.

This recipe is so simple... strawberries, tomatoes, mozzarella, salt, pepper and a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Couldn't be easier and more tasty. The sweetness of the strawberries goes perfectly with the cheese and tomato.

Be sure to check out my fellow French Fridays with Dorie members and see their creations!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book or find it at your library.

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Spinach and Ham Quiche - French Fridays with Dorie

Spinach and Ham Quiche

This week, the French Fridays with Dorie group made Spinach and Bacon Quiche from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Around my French Table.

I did make and eat this on Friday, but ran a little late in my posting.

I'm going to tell you something. In confidence. You know, between you and me.

I stepped on the bathroom scale the other day and there was a number (in big, bright blue digital characters) that is just not right with the world. I mean, the biggest number I've ever seen. Ever.

I'm afraid the state or feds are gonna come barging through the door, while I'm standing in front of an open refrigerator, and arrest me for perjury...for the weight shown my driver's license is, um, not close to the actual number. Oy vey. I need to move a lot more and eat a lot less.

So, I tried to lighten up my little quiche. I dropped the crust and the bacon. I replaced the bacon with small pieces of ham (way less in fat). But it didn't lose any flavor.

Finally, I know this probably isn't anywhere "around my French table", but I did eat my second half with some Salsa Lizano sauce from Costa Rica. It goes perfectly with egg dishes. :)

Be sure to check out my fellow French Fridays with Dorie members and see their creations!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book or find it at your library.

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Quinoa, Fruit and Nut Salad - French Fridays with Dorie

This week, the French Fridays with Dorie group made Quinoa, Fruit and Nut Salad from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Around my French Table. Sure, I'm a day late in posting, but I did make and eat it on Friday! :)

I've eaten quinoa in the past, but never cooked with the ancient super grain. To tell the truth, I'm having some issues with quinoa...because I feel I should buy one box and send one box back to Bolivia. Did you hear that in Bolivia, where they've been eating quinoa for a zillion years, locals are being priced out of the market? Because of the worldwide demand for quinoa, the price of quinoa has increased and many poor Bolivians cannot afford quinoa. And now they are eating cheap, less nutritious processed foods, rice and noodles. Oy vey. (Articles from: NYTimes "Quinoa’s Global Success Creates Quandary at Home" 3/19/2011, The Week, NPR)

This salad is very adaptable. I used dried cranberries, golden raisins, almonds, and sunflower seeds. My dressing included pink grapefruit, Meyer lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh ginger. I didn't have any fresh herbs around, so I chiffonade lettuce instead. I skipped the dollop of yogurt.


Be sure to check out my fellow French Fridays with Dorie members and see their creations!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book or find it at your library.

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Savory Cheese and Chive Bread - French Fridays with Dorie

Savory Cheese and Chive Bread  

This week, the French Fridays with Dorie group made Savory Cheese and Chive Bread from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Around my French Table.

I thought this was going to be a yeast bread and I wouldn't have time to make it, but luckily it was a simple savory quick bread. You can use a bunch of different cheeses and I used some sharp cheddar (those easy peasy pre-shredded varieties), fresh chives and California walnuts.

Being part of Foodbuzz, I received free bottles of the new Crisco line of olive oils. They have Light, Pure and Extra Virgin Olive Oils. I used the Extra Virgin olive oil in this recipe!

The bread is super simple to make...dry and wet ingredients are quickly mixed, but not overmixed and the walnuts, chives and cheese are folded into the thick batter. It all goes into a bread pan and 35 minutes later...you have a yummy savory bread.

Be sure to check out my fellow French Fridays with Dorie members and see their creations!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book or find it at your library.

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Pancetta Green Beans - French Fridays with Dorie

Pancetta Green Beans

This week, the French Fridays with Dorie group made Pancetta Green Beans from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Around my French Table.

I work on Saturday this week, so I have Friday off. I explored a Friday farmer's market in a neighboring city and picked up some green beans. I'm lucky to live in Los Angeles where there is a farmer's market someplace in the area everyday of the year.

 

The beans are blanched for a few minutes, then set in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Since I was only making a small side dish, I went to Whole Foods and bought...$.65 worth of pancetta! (One very thin slice, please). Remember, I'm the lady at the seafood stand buying $.50 worth of shrimp for dinner. You cook up the pancetta, add back in the green beans and enjoy!

My dad has a Meyer lemon tree. Thus, everything has lemon on it lately (in fact, next week is "Lemon Week" on the blog!) I threw some zest on the green beans and it brightened the flavor of this lovely side dish. The pancetta is so warm, salty and satisfying. I need to raid my piggy bank to buy $.65 more! :)

Be sure to check out my fellow French Fridays with Dorie members and see their creations!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book or find it at your library.

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Basque Potato Tortilla - French Fridays with Dorie

Basque Potato Tortilla

This week, the French Fridays with Dorie group made Basque Potato Tortilla from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Around my French Table.

My friend's dad is Ecuadorian and grew up with eating tortillas that are basically egg and potato omelets - it is definitely a meal in itself. So, when he went to a Mexican restaurant here in Los Angeles many years ago, he ordered a tortilla. How many, sir? He, of course, answers "one" because he isn't a competitive eater. Imagine his surprise when a little flat corn tortilla arrived. This story always makes me chuckle.

So, when you see Tortilla in this title, know that it's a Spanish tortilla and not a corn or flour tortilla you might see at the grocery store! :)

I used a sweet potato because I was too lazy to go to the store to get a regular potato! Well, it turned out great! I also added some spinach leaves to the onion, sweet potato and eggs. I made about 1/2 the recipe in a smaller pan and used 3 whole eggs and one egg white. After the eggs set, you pop it into the broiler for a few minutes to get that absolutely delicious and beautiful brown topping. The broiler rocks it.

Be sure to check out my fellow French Fridays with Dorie members and see their creations!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book or find it at your library.

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Paris Mushroom Soup - French Fridays with Dorie

Paris Mushroom Soup

This week's recipe selection for French Fridays with Dorie is Paris Mushroom Soup. Doesn't that just sound 100 times better than Plain Mushroom Soup or Las Vegas Mushroom Soup?! We are cooking and baking our way through Dorie Greenspan's new book: Around my French Table

Unlike baking, you can really change things up in cooking. I like that. Perhaps I should try this cooking thing a bit more. :)

I used olive oil instead of butter, shallots instead of onion, skipped the garlic (because I forgot), passed on the wine and parsley. I also completely missed the salad portion because I didn't have the herbs. But if I make it again, I will definitely get all the herbs. Or maybe grow a herb garden. Yeah, right. After a quick whiz in the food processor, I placed a little dollop of sour cream top.

Check out what other French Fridays with Dorie members made here! Yes, this is called French Fridays and I'm posting on Saturday. But at least I got one in!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support the awesome Dorie Greenspan and purchase the book:

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Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake - French Fridays with Dorie

Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake 

This week's selection for the group French Fridays with Dorie is Marie-Helene’s Apple Cake from Dorie Greenspan's fantastic new book "Around my French Table".
 

Sorry I've missed the past few weeks of this new group. Blame the Bundt! :) But I love apple cakes so I didn't want to pass this one up!

I used a Gala apple and a Golden delicious apple. I made 1/2 the recipe and baked it in a 4" springform. I didn't use all the batter...good thing or it would have overflowed! I also subbed Trader Joe's Spicy Apple Cider for the rum.

The name of this post reminds me of my great friend, Helen. We've been friends since the Northridge earthquake in 1994. We used to work together at Project Angel Food. During a crazy five-day fundraising event, we were working hard and stressing out. Since we had trained the volunteers in our area, most knew to ask Mary or Helen questions about their tasks. On the last day (when we were so exhausted and just so sick of seeing each other), a volunteer comes up and says, "I'm looking for Mary-Helen." Since then, we often refer to ourselves as MaryHelen or HelenMary. I'm hanging out with Helen tonight and will bring her a slice of this cake.

Check out the other posts of fellow French Fridays with Dorie members!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book: Around my French Table

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Gougeres - French Fridays with Dorie

Gougeres!

I've joined a new cooking/baking group! Yes, you saw the word "cooking" - that usually isn't in my vocabulary. But who can resist Dorie Greenspan's brand new book, "Around my French Table" and a group making one recipe a week?! Named French Fridays with Dorie, we'll be posting on (wait for it...) Friday! I've had such a good time with Tuesdays with Dorie (going through Dorie's book "Baking From My Home to Yours"), that when superwoman Laurie suggested going through this book, I was there.

First, congratulations to "The Goatherd" of Frederick, Maryland who won my giveaway of Dorie's new book! Check out The Flying Goat Farm - they have Goats and they sell hand dyed yarn and fabrics. Too cool!

Our first recipe is first in the book, and selected by Dorie herself! Gougeres are hard to pronounce, but easy to eat. I used Gruyere cheese and they have the flavor of a very grown up Cheez-It! :)

Easy to make - less than 1 hour from start to finish. Also, you can keep puffs in the freezer, and bake off as needed.

If you are interested in joining French Fridays with Dorie, sign up here!

Here are links to fellow French Fridays with Dorie members! See you next Friday for Gerard's Mustard Tart.

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book!

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Dorie's Around My French Table Giveaway!

Win this book!

This summer was challenging. The weather was gloomy, and so were some other things. I dropped off a lot of blogging, but now that "fall" is here, I'm hoping to come back to the swing of things! (btw, "Fall" in Los Angeles includes 90 degree temps this weekend! Eeck!)

This fall, I'm joining a new cooking group! French Fridays with Dorie is a sister project of Tuesdays with Dorie. The awesome Dorie Greenspan has a new book out and FFwD is going to go through the book one recipe at a time.

Since "cooking" to me usually involves mixing TWO different cereals, soy milk AND a sliced banana (oh yes, that is four different ingredients!), I am looking forward this group!

And if you want to join, register here.

My Tuesdays with Dorie friend Mary (such a cool name!) has given me an early 40th birthday gift of Dorie's new book! Whoo hoo! It is beautiful and I can't wait to start cooking. Then I thought, what better way to celebrate Fall, Dorie, Birthdays, Friends and all that good stuff, than by paying it forward and giving one person a copy of the book?!

To enter the giveaway (one copy of Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours), just leave a comment (if you aren't connected to a blog, leave your email address...and if you have a blogger account but it's private so I can't see it...leave your email address). Deadline is Thursday, September 30, 2010 at midnight PDT. Only US addresses. FTC disclosure: I'm paying for this myself.

{10/1/2010 update: Contest is closed! Congrats to #35 The Goatherd}

Good luck and happy cooking! - mary the food librarian

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