Thursday, June 11, 2015

Celebration Week #3: Play It Again Dorie

and the 
Mother (and Daughter) of All Make-ups
- Part II
Per Nana~
I have selected Dorie's "Chicken Breasts Diable" for this week's repeat
 recipe, something that goes over well in our house. The first time I prepared
 the recipe I thought the sauce, consisting of white wine, heavy cream, with 
mustard and Worcestershire sauce was out of this world. I have used it on
 pork tenderloin as well as beef, and it never fails to give a delicious flavor.  

I even served it again this week, along with homemade macaroni salad and 
sliced tomatoes with fresh basil I am growing in containers. 
My next project for all that basil it to make pesto...
This morning we drove to our local farm stand to see if they were open for the
 season and upon inquiring, managed to get 11 small zucchini blossoms.
 I was so happy because when I made Dorie's "Shrimp Filled Zucchini 
Blossoms" I could not find any and had to use a substitution. 
I stuffed the flowers today with garlic and herb chèvre cheese, 
coated them with tempura batter and fried them. 

Delicious and another "play it again" recipe !
Per Tricia~
I.
Did.
It.


Phew. I had no less than FIFTY makeups to complete and after a few marathon 
sessions (the likes of which have previously only been applied to Netflix binges)
Like Nana, I am now caught up and ready for my "graduation badge" :)

Spoiler alert, there are many photos coming so feel free to just scroll very quickly
 past them. We chose to include all of our make-ups by posting one picture to 
memorialize the recipes. That's what we planned to do with this adventure. 
Our goal was for each of us to "cook the book". 

Before the make-ups however I will share that my
 most repeated recipe is "Beggar's Linguine"
There have been many favorites from this book but somehow the unusual combo of
 sweet, salty, crunchy and soft that this pasta dish covers really appeals to me. I try to
 keep the ingredients on hand so this also helps out.  A close runner up is the strawberry
 goat cheese tartine, which taught me that if you have hearty bread, soft cheese and fresh 
strawberries you need to run and find your pepper and balsamic vinegar. YUM. 
   
The Make-ups ~
1. Shrimp Filled Zucchini Blossoms Bib Lettuce - Lovely. More tempura in my future.
2. Green As Spring Veal Stew - Gorgeous. Enjoyed the veal but not a huge fan of dill so likely not a repeat. 
3. Cinnamon Crunch Chicken- I mashed my Speculoos a bit too hard but this was delicious. How lucky that Speculoos were another make up dish and I had fresh ones on hand !
4. Pumpkin Gorgonzola Flan - My husband adores these. Crazy easy, sans the waterbath part. 
5. My Go-To Beef Daube- bacon and a bottle of wine in there, what's not to love ?
6. Blueberry Mascarpone Roulade- a production but what a WOW factor. And delicious !
7. Herb Speckled Spaetzle Dumplings - Lesson learned; don't attempt spaetzle without a spaetzle maker. Delicious comfort food regardless of the shape. 
8. Bacon, Egg & Asparagus Salad - perfect for this time of year.
9. Michel Rostang double chocolate mousse - excited to finally make this and it didn't disappoint. YUM.
10. Tomato Cheese Tartlets - Perfect summer treats and great for guests.
11. Cocoa Sablés - Crazy good. Just crazy good.  
12. Sweet & Spicy Cocktail Nuts- Impressive with little effort. And delicious, did I mention delicious ?
13. Coconut Friands - Yummy but they go down a bit too quick in this mini muffin size :)
14. Caramel Topped Semolina Cake - lousy photo, great cake. The burnt looking part is actually delicious caramel that got a wee bit too much color but tasted divine. Looks aren't everything....
15. Visitandine - lovely vanilla cake. Hubby adored it so a keeper for sure.
16. Deconstructed BLT with Egg- who doesn't love a good salad, especially with homemade croutons (wheat rustic bread, not burnt :) tossed in bacon fat. 
17. Storzapretis- My nemesis. Delicious finished dish but crazy amount of work involved for this lazy cook....
18. Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes- Lovely. I adore prunes so no surprise this is a keeper. And the tagine gets more play.....
19. Quiche Maraîchère - lovely but my heart belongs to Gérard's Mustard Tart.
20. Warm Scallop Salad with Corn, Nectarine - creative, unusual and wonderfully delicious combo. Hubby loved it and wants it again soon. 
21. Gérard's Mustard Tart - ADORE. I absolutely love this recipe- an all time favorite. It is possible I even hide leftovers in the salad drawer so others don't find it......
22. Spicy Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup - well, I tried it. Once.
23. Cold Melon Berry Soup - the first time I ever put a cantaloupe in the Cuisinart. Refreshing.
24. Crab Avocado "Ravioli"- no pasta involved. Adventure but not a repeat- too fussy for us. 
25. Guacamole with Tomato and Bell Pepper- nice guacamole. Also reminded me to make guacamole at home more often. 
26. Speculoos - love this cookie, the taste and all the memories of Paris it brings to mind. 
27. Spur of the Moment Veggie Soup (Stone Soup) Carrot Style - good reminder to use up on hand veggies in soup.
28. Swiss Chard pancakes - had fun with the colored chard. Surprised at how lovely these savory cakes were. 
29. Mushroom & Shallot Quiche - I don't even like mushrooms and I enjoyed this one. Hubby flipped over it. Keeper for sure. 
30. Lime, Honey and Beet Salad - delicious but my fear of red stains on everything will preclude this being a repeat.....
31. David's Seaweed Sablés - surprisingly rich savory treat. The cat adored the leftover Nori.
32. Fresh Tuna, Mozzarella & Basil Pizza - Hubby adores sushi grade tuna and adored this recipe. 
33. Lyonnaise Garlic & Herb Cheese - truly just like Boursin, simply delicious. 
34. Minted Zucchini Tagliatelle - refreshing but next time I will make tagliatelle pasta and add mint and chopped zucchini :)
35. Skate Cod with Capers, Cornichons &Brown Butter - another unusual and delicous combo we wouldn't have tried otherwise. Hubby raved. This one is on the short list. 
36. Chicken, Apples & Cream a la Normandy - lovely. I dodged the mushrooms and enjoyed the rest. 
37. Café Salle Pleyel Hamburger - lots of fixings in there. We found the texture to be to soft and like "meatloaf" for us. We are old school about burgers :)
38. Hachis Parmentier - inside


38. Hachis Parmentier - outside 
39. Leeks Vinaigrette with Mimosa - Perfect for summer. Lovely dressing.
40. St. Germain des Prés Onion Biscuits - using these small biscuits for "nibbles" is a great idea.

41. Braised Cardamom Curry Lamb - not big fans of curry but this was a nice change, even if not to be repeated. Plus I got the use the tagine again :)
42. Buckwheat Blini with Smoked Salmon - the buckwheat part we could take or leave but the smoked salmon and blini combo is a keeper. 
43. Smoked Salmon Waffles - salmon on the inside and out. Genius. I couldn't wait to dive in and they did not disappoint.
44. Salmon & Potatoes in a Jar - or jars. I came, I saw, I prepared it. Hubby ate it....
45. Cod & Spinach Roulades - one of the biggest adventures in the whole book, in my opinion. I kept re-reading the recipe because I could not believe the steps. Cod in a Cuisinart, then make a sausage shape filled, rolled and tied with Saran Wrap. Which you then put in a steamer. I was certain the whole package would melt. Of course it did not. 
46. Salmon Rillettes - the third type of rillettes from this cookbook, also our favorite. 
47. Chunky Beets with Red Onions - dodged the permanent stains but next time Hubby will need to order them when out.

48. Socca from Vieux Nice - can't recall the last time I cooked at 500 degrees. Fun but not appreciated enough to repeat. I'll just go to Nice for this one......
49. Pissalaière - I wanted to try making this once and I did. Repeats will include different toppings. 
50. Wheatberry & Tuna Salad- lovely for the summer. I need to use Wheatberries more often.

Violà- we are both done !


Happy French Friday ~


18 comments:

  1. Oh, my gosh. I'm dizzy just scrolling through everything you two made! Brava, you win some sort of award for most make up recipes in one week :) SO many yummy recipes---thanks for taking me down memory lane. xo

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  2. Wow - an impressive array of dishes here. Congrats on cooking the book! Chicken diable and beggars linguine were also great choices for "repeats". I had forgotten about the linguine - must try that again.

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  3. HOLY MOLY! I am exhausted just looking at this list! Go ladies!!! (you didn't make ALL these in a week, did you?)

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  4. Hi Everyone- I did NOT make all of these in a week. I do work full time - LOL. We had some of our make ups done beforehand but realized our already double posts get a bit unwieldy when we take on 2 or 3 more each. So we decided a while back to do one or two big posts at the end. That said, I made far too many of mine in the last two weeks. We thought I had 28 to do, then it went up and my finally full analysis(which was time consuming to even figure out) of what I missed was 50. Silver lining ? I had a crazy amount of ingredients around and readily available - egg whites, check, tarragon, check, speculoo, check - LOL.

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  5. Wow, unbelievable determination to finish the book. You did miss some wonderful recipes. Congrats for doing it all and yes, love that Chicken diable.

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  6. Wow! Look at you ladies knock out the make ups. I've also been keeping an eye out for zucchini blossoms so that I can do that one again. I decided last year that it will be a new spring tradition. And the rest of your dishes look absolutely amazing, a fun trip down memory lane and a reminder to revisit a few of these in the near future.

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  7. Ok now seriously, this is the longest post you have ever written! so many of my personal faves are on your make-up list... that double chocolate mousse cake?? :) thats a specialty cake for special persons in my life LOL and my go-to birthday treat for myself. I love the zucchini blossoms and wish I could get them here but alas, not as of yet....
    I love that you guys are all done now! : )

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  8. You win the most make ups in a single post award as well as your graduation badge! I think this is a record that will stand the test of time. The Chicken Diable is the dish my mother in law always requests when she comes over so I know it is at the top of my play-it-again list. Great GREAT job here you two!

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  9. Wow and double Wow! Good job ladies!

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  10. OK, I'm exhausted! And hungry!!!

    Nana, I am happy to be reminded of the chicken diable! It really is delicious. And your squash blossoms look fantastic! You'd think I could find them out here, but alas, no. I so love pesto - I'm sure you'll enjoy yours. You'll have to share photos (hint, I always add some Italian parsley - good flavor, but tends to keep the basil bright green too)

    And Tricia! You. Did. It. I am beyond impressed! All of those dishes. Well done, my friend! Well done! Though I have to say I was surprised at some of them that were make-ups! My list would still be longer. Oh, and I've not made that pasta since the first time. I guess I should try it again. Congratulations!!!

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  11. Nana: what a beautiful plate with the lovely Chicken Breasts Diable and, oh, those Zucchini Blossoms - I found some today and should be making this recipe again soon - congratulations on making ALL the recipes, I am far from done and I will never be done.
    Tricia: your post is literally taking my breath away. I do not even know where to start - all of your dishes, appetizers, baked goods, etc. look outstanding and I can only imagine the determination and love that went into each and every one of them!
    Respect, ladies, respect!!!
    And congratulations from my entire "gang" as well!!!
    Have a great weekend - I am still breathless and utterly impressed!
    Andrea

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  12. Nana, the Chicken Breasts Diable didn't make any of my lists, but just barely. I'm so glad you found some zucchini blossoms to re-do the recipe - they look beautiful!

    Tricia, I just don't know what to say - 50 make ups in one post!!! Wow. And all with gorgeous photos. Now, I feel like I have no excuse for procrastinating on the twenty or so that I have to make up. :) Congratulations on completing the book!

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  13. Nana, I love the sauce on the chicken diable. I've made it several times, but usually on pork. Delicious!

    Tricia, I am VERY IMPRESSED! I have just two left (both desserts that don't inspire me), but if nothing else has motivated me, your post is tipping me over the stumbling block and I WILL FINISH THIS WEEK! I loved scrolling through the pictures. It was a real trip down memory lane!

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  14. You ladies are awesome! I can't believe how much you got done, Tricia:) Everything even looks delicious. Now I wonder, Tricia, if you will be cooking for the next month or so.

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  15. Oh my…I can’t believe you knocked all those out at once! Totally impressed,Tricia! You both did an amazing job! Nana loved those squash blossoms…looking forward to trying them again as soon as my zucchini comes in! :)

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  16. Nana - That chicken is one of those recipes I needed to be reminded about. I loved it when I first made it, but somehow forgot to make it again. That will change soon!

    Tricia - Wow! I'm super impressed and everything looks delicious.

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  17. Tricia, AMAZING catch-up! How many weeks did it take you? I am awed. It was fun reading your quick comments on each one. I think I'm going to copy your approach if I ever get my make ups posted.

    Nana, thanks for the reminder about that chicken. I need to make it again.

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  18. Hello, Mrs. Stormer and Nana! Chase and I shared a kitchen during our semester in London, and knowing that I love to cook, he showed me your blog. Needless to say, I’ve been hooked on it! I’ve always loved cooking and some of my most cherished memories involve being in the kitchen with my mom and nana cooking anything from home made ravioli to chicken pot pies. Your blog makes me nostalgic and warms my heart to see another mother and daughter cooking team. Fun fact: my mom and nana knew Julia Child because they would go to the same supermarket so in my kitchen we have a framed, handwritten note that Julia wrote to my mom. I’d consider Julia our version of your Dorie— a greatly admired, family favorite chef! I’m a hospitality student at BU where I am currently taking a gourmet cooking class. I ordered Dorie’s book, “Around my French Table” so I can cook 6 of her recipes for my final project for the class. I can’t wait to show the book to my mom and do some much needed mother/daughter cooking during Thanksgiving break. Anyway, I LOVE your blog and its concept. Thank you for the inspiration.

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