ffwd – butter and rum crepes

I might as well just start with... this was an epic fail. I made the batter ahead. I felt fairly confident that they would be nice. But I just couldn't get them to cook right. I haven't made crepes for a long time, and to be honest, probably my most consistent efforts have been using … Continue reading ffwd – butter and rum crepes

ffwd – helene’s all-white salad

This week's recipe is for an all-white salad, made with celery, apple, fresh mushrooms and napa cabbage. The dressing is a kind of mayonnaise made with Greek yogurt. Mostly it reminded me of a story in Emeril Lagasse's cookbook Everyday's a Party.** In it, for Ash Wednesday, he tells the story from a novel set in … Continue reading ffwd – helene’s all-white salad

ffwd – moules mariniere

Moules mariniere or mussels, mariner style. These are the mussels I've grown to love over the years and think of as a great treat. Of course, Thai mussels with coconut curry sauce, or those steeped in a light tomato broth are all wonderful as well. And as I made them I wondered why I don't make … Continue reading ffwd – moules mariniere

ffwd – christine’s party soups – the broccoli version

This is a trio of soups that are all made similarly. Vegetables, cooked with a little stock or bouillon, and then pureed. The three suggestions are: asparagus, broccoli and red bell pepper. Dorie also suggests topping the soups with a seasoned whipped cream. They can be served hot or cold. I've made the asparagus one … Continue reading ffwd – christine’s party soups – the broccoli version

ffwd – baked apples filled with fruit and nuts

Baked apples are a real favorite. This particular recipe does take it to another level by adding chopped dried fruits and nuts, along with a bit of honey. In this preparation, the apples are cored partially, and then peeled halfway. The exposed flesh gets a wash of lemon juice. The fruit (here cranberry, cherry and … Continue reading ffwd – baked apples filled with fruit and nuts

ffwd – dressy pasta “risotto”

WOW! This was an unexpected surprise. Maybe it was the concept or the multiple "bonne idee"s that threw me. Once started, I had my reservations about the long cooking time. The two things that really stuck with me when I read the other ideas were: wine. and truffles. I thought that those items would definitely … Continue reading ffwd – dressy pasta “risotto”

ffwd – recipe swap onion “carbonara”

I first learned how to make spaghetti carbonara the summer I worked at an Italian restaurant, and got engaged. The restaurant and husband are both long-gone, but it was a delicious time and a delicious dish. Dorie's remake of the recipe sounded like a lot of fun with its substitution of steamed onions for the … Continue reading ffwd – recipe swap onion “carbonara”

ffwd – mme. maman’s chopped liver

This is one dish that I was happy to try. I actually like chicken livers - it was always a treat to have rumaki at a party or chicken liver pate (that I sometimes still make) that one of my folks' friends would bring over when I was a kid. This is simple enough, if … Continue reading ffwd – mme. maman’s chopped liver

ffwd – orange almond tuiles

I got a bit of a late start on these this week, and have been interrupted by a couple of circumstances in get my post done. These cookies are easy enough to put together. I was surprised that it was only orange juice for the orange flavor, I was completely expecting to get out my … Continue reading ffwd – orange almond tuiles

ffwd – sugar-crusted french toast

French Toast. Real French Toast. I suppose. This is definitely a different version than I would typically find here in the states. But, then again, this is also presented as dessert. The real departure is the amount of sugar in the egg batter. Here we have eggs, an egg yolk (I only made 1/3 recipe), cream … Continue reading ffwd – sugar-crusted french toast