We first heard of Chicken Normandy when we were in Paris this summer.  No, we are noshing on it over in France.   Instead we were watching a French cooking show on TV and were drooling over the tenderly cooked thighs that were being bathed in French apple cider and heavy cream.  Not only was the dish drool worthy, but it was set in the romantic countryside of Normandy in an uber intimate bistro, with dark wooden beamed ceilings and lots of sexy candle light.  We tried a few times to get to Normandy during that trip to France but never quit made it and were never able to find the dish on a menu in Paris.

I have not been able to stop thinking about how delicious that dish would taste while dining alongside a loved one.  Before we left for Boston, I had it set in my mind that we had to have it, so I took this romantic memory and recreated the dish.   I had no recipe to follow, just the notes I took while watching the show:  chick thighs, onions, garlic, crimini mushrooms, cider and cream …. the rest of the recipe was made with passion and love.  It is delicious and a bit sexy, too;  especially when served with duck fat fried potatoes.

Recipe:  Chicken Normandy

1/2 lb baby red potatoes
1/4 cup duck fat
maldon salt, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Boil potatoes, until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Pat dry. Heat duck fat in a large frying pan, over low heat. Add potatoes, stir, turn up heat to medium. Cook until the skins are slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Put into a serving dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve. Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chicken, Chicken Normandy, Chicken Thighs, Cider, Duck Fat, France, French Apple Cider, Fried Potatoes, Mushroom, Normandy, Paris, Romantic

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First we had Tuesdays with Dorie, or as Lenny liked to call it (lovingly of course) Tuesday with the Devil (because there were too many delicious baked treats around) and now we have French Fridays with Dorie.  You see I love her book Baking From My Home to Yours;  why? Because every recipe is always right now and comes our perfectly.  A little secret, I currently only own her book as my go-to baking book, no others exist in our house.  It is the bible of baking as far as I am concerned.  I remember the day I found out Dorie had a new book coming, I could not contain myself, I told everyone I know.  I just have this warm feeling in my soul that Around My French Table will be just as great as Baking.  I am sure the “French” part of the title has something to do with it, being I love France and all;  but, in all honesty Dorie has never let me down.  Geez, if I could marry her I probably would!

The day the book arrived, the first thought besides, what to make, was “I wonder if anyone will start a virtual cooking club such as TWD”.  I tossed around the idea of maybe I should;  but, then schedules, work, traveling, started clouding over those thoughts.  I was so excited when I saw a little tweet out there that Laurie had started French Fridays with Dorie and I was even more excited to read that there was not the “participation rule” (you see I got the boot out of TWD as my work (and hips) schedule was not allowing me to bake at least 2 – 4 times a month).

The kick off recipe for French Fridays is Gougeres (p. 4 – 6) .  Gougeres are basically a cream puff, similar to the Les Chouquettes I love to make for breakfast;  but they are savory.  I have made them many times as they are the perfect small bite with a nice glass of Floc or Champagne before dinner.  I normally add a bit of dijon or maybe a little fresh cracked black pepper along with what-ever cheese I have on hand.  This time I made them exactly as Dorie specifies in her book with lots of Gruyere or cheddar;  I used Gruyere.  I tossed around the idea of cutting the recipe in half as it said it would make 36 (which it did);  but, decided to just go for it.  Glad I did as Lenny had the first batch finished before dinner was on the table.  I served the puffs with dinner as we were having soup and I wanted something different from the stand in warm loaf of bread.  The Gruyere Gougeres were the perfect companion with a warm bowl of  butternut squash soup.

Don’t be afraid to make this small little bite known as the Gougere.  They are easy to make and Dorie makes them even easier, you don’t have to stand over a stove, beating in your eggs by hand;  her recipe has you using your trusty mixer.  What are you waiting for, whip up a batch this weekend.

Surprise your family and friends with this small treat and let us know what you think of them!

Recipe:  Gougeres
* you must buy Dorie’s book to get her wonderful recipe, which I highly recommend, it is beautiful

If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:

Gougeres with Mardi

Gougeres with Marie Alice Joan

Gougeres with Cafe Lynnylu

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Appetizer, Around My French Table, Cheese, Dorie Greenspan, French, French Fridays with Dorie, Gougeres, Gruyere

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We were very lucky to spend a wonderful week in the Gascony region of France this summer. Gascony is probably, most known for their delicious food; it really is a melting pot of regions, from traditional French dishes, to rich hearty country fare, with touches of the spicy Basque region. One of my most memorable meals was one prepared by our friend, Christiane. Christiane is the wife to our friend, Dominique, the charming butcher in our “Who’s Your Butcher” video.  She is a delightful woman, who is always smiling, even when she is getting down and dirty in the lab, rolling roasts and making these adorable pork parcels.  I remember one meal where she served some of their wonderful pork cooked with fresh summer peas, that memory is pressed into my mind as one of the best food meals I have had.

It is funny how you can watch something over and over again, and every time, you see something new.  That is what happened the other day, when I was watching the video (again) and noticed Christiane rolling these delightful little packets;  dinner came to mind.  Unfortunately, I was not able to get the beautiful thin slices of fresh pork, nor delicious homemade bacon, on such short “thought”;  but, I did improvise.  I used thinly pork loin chops, and pounded them until they were paper thin, which was about the same time I noticed the new markings in our butcher block table!!  I seasoned ground pork, with salt and pepper and freshly minced thyme and rosemary and then wrapped the chops around the ground pork, finishing it with strips of applewood bacon.  Lightly browned on the stove-top, doused with some white wine and baked until caramelized and golden.  There is so much flavor in this dish that you want to keep the peas simple;  sauteed shallots, a bit of the juices from the pork, a pinch of thyme and a sprinkle of maldon salt.

Recipe:  Pork Parcels
*serves 4

4 thin pork loin chops

1 lb of ground pork

8 strips of bacon

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

fresh thyme, minced

fresh rosemary, minced

1/2 cup white wine or water

2 pounds fresh green peas or 1 bag of frozen peas

1 small shallot, small dice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup juices from roasted pork

pinch of fresh thyme

sprinkle of maldon salt

Heat oven to 400.  Pound the pork chops, until very thin.  Mix the ground pork with the fresh thyme, rosemary, kosher salt and pepper (I did not measure, I just eyeball it, depending on the flavors we like).  Put a small ball of the ground pork mixture in the middle of the thinly pounded loin, just enough to fill it;  leave enough room to be able to wrap the loin around it.  Wrap a strip of bacon over the rolled pork – one strip in each direction, you will use two strips per loin chop parcel.  If you have cooking twine, gently tie the parcel, to keep it all together.  I did not have twine, so I used the stalk from the rosemary, sharpened one end and wove it through the parcel.

Heat a little olive oil in a deep dutch oven over medium heat, gently sear the parcels, until golden on each side.  Turn off the heat.  Pour in the wine or water, and slide into the oven.  Cook for about 30 – 35 minutes, until cooked to your liking.  We prefer our pork a little pink, not white.  Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let sit on the stove top, while cooking the peas.

In a deep frying pan, heat a little olive oil, add the shallot and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add the thyme and the peas, still until glossy, about 1 minute.  Add the juice from the pork, sprinkle with maldon salt, to taste.  Gently heat for about 3 – 5 minutes over low heat.  The peas will still be bright green but heated through.  Do not overcook.

Pour the peas into a deep serving dish, gently lay the pork parcels on top, pouring any leftover juices from the pan over everything.  Serve.  Eat.

If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:

Mme. Chapolard’s Paupiettes de ‘Pork’

Paupiettes de porc au jambon de Bayonne

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bacon, Gluten Free, Paupiette, Paupiettes de Porc, Peas, Pork, Pork Loin, Pork Parcels, Pork Sausage, Recipe, Spring Peas

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© laudalino for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: France, Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, Traveling, Video

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It has been a fantastic month – lots of wonderful food, lots of much needed R&R, and time with great friends, old and new.  Now it is time to go back to reality.  No worries, we will be back, to spend time with you all as well as the friends we did not get a chance to meet this trip!

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Champagne, France, Paris, Traveling

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Every afternoon we treat ourselves to a small present.  A celebration of life, love and us.  As well as a little bit of, we are just really happy to be where we are.

Every patisserie in Paris takes such great care when wrapping your purchase.

Unwrapping it is so exciting, even if you are the one who purchased it.

It makes it even more special.

Sometimes it is so pretty you just want to look at it.  But, you don’t ….. instead you savor it or in our case devour it!

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: France, Paris, Pastries, Traveling

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© laudalino for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: France, Paris, Pastries, Wordless Wednesday

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© laudalino for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: France, Paris, Seine, Wordless Wednesday

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We were talking over coffee this morning about how we eat so much better when we are in Paris.  And, this is funny because we eat pretty well back home, but here, we tend to eat small little meals.

For instance our day usually starts with ultra creamy (we are talking CUSTARD) yogurt, fresh baked pastries and fresh fruit just picked up from the market and coffee, lots of coffee and we linger in the apartment, listening to music, taking every Parisian breathe in and just enjoying each other.  It is really bliss.

We eventually head out and the first stop is the Tabac for a couple espressos, at which time, we figure out our day.  Keep in mind we have been here often, so we usually hit somewhere we have not been or we just wander the streets, taking it all in, with stops for more espressos or maybe a vin rouge.  Our big meal out is usually lunch, which means a quiant little French Bistro and lots of delicious food.  More wandering and then we head “home”.

I take great joy in going back out after putting my feet up for a bit, to pick up pastries, a bottle of wine and a bag full of  cheese, baguettes, endives, radishes, jambon and more wine.  The pastries are our afternoon snack.  By the time we take the last sweet bite into our mouths, we are on California time and we catch up on emails, phone calls and work.

After a few hours, it is time for dinner which usually is more creamy French cheese, baguettes, fresh produce, jambon and lots of wine.  We then explore a new neighborhood or take an old one in, even further.  We enjoy some music, a walk and a little vin rouge.  That is our perfect Paris.

Want to see more of Paris on a daily basis?  Then come with us!

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 13 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dessert, France, Paris, Pastries

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We had an early tomato appearance at our house last week.  I normally wait until May or June before buying the first of many tomatoes;  but, they looked so pretty at the store that I could not refuse.  I love heirloom tomatoes not only because of their amazing sugary sweet taste or their juicy texture;  also, because they are not perfect.  I love the different shapes, sizes, bumps, lumps and many colors.  As soon as I saw these two odd shaped yellow and red ones I knew they were coming home with me.

I had help making this tart.  No, not Lenny;  that would have warranted a video to entertain you.  I had E & M of MEM.  I mentioned to them that I was going to make a tart out of tomatoes and their interest was definitely peaked.  The girls have really taken on a huge interest in food and cooking, especially Ella.  I have to say I admire her many questions and the desire to learn.  She was there every step of the way, from lining the tart pan, to mixing the filling, to layering the tomatoes and then on to photographing even before  sampling.  She helped with setting up the tart on different plates until we got it just right as well she waited with anticipation after every click of the camera – wanting to see the picture, to make sure they were okay.  Maggie, was not far behind, trailing after her big sister and wanting to do just as she was doing.  Now we know we have some foodies in training;  but, maybe there is a career of photography lurking also!  It was definitely fun to have help making this tart, especially 20 little fingers and two big smiles!

The base of this tart is a slightly peppery and flaky crust.  We made a goat cheese based custard filling for the base of the tart and then layered slices of the beautiful heirloom tomatoes over the top.  Tomatoes and goat cheese are not complete without a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkling of maldon salt and fresh thyme from the garden.   Serve this with a mixed green salad lightly dressed with white balsamic and olive oil, as well as a nice of Rose!  Perfect!  The girls even loved the taste of the tart!

How do you like to use your Heirloom Tomatoes?

Recipe:  Savory Tomato Tart

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Baking, Dinner, Easy Meal, Foodies of the World, Goat Cheese, Heirloom Tomatoes, Kid Friendly, Recipe, Savory Tart, Tart, Thyme, Tomato Tart

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The past two weeks have been heavy meat eating weeks.  Don’t get me wrong, we love to eat and we love to socialize with our friends over food, but, it has been a little nutty.  This week we decided to take it a little easier with some meals that we could extend over a few days.   Quiche was one of the first meals that came to mind.

I love making my quiche crust-less.  Yes, it makes me feel less guilty about all those eggs and cheese.  If you don’t mind a crust, please by all means do use one.  I used the same recipe that I use for all of my quiche recipes but I made a few minor adjustments. This particular quiche was heavily scented with fresh thyme.  I used some zucchini blooms as the main veggie ingredient.  The addition of grey salt and a sprinkle of espelette pepper brought all of the ingredients together.  Served with a green salad and warm bread, it was the perfect meal.

Recipe:  Zucchini Blossom Quiche

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cream, Crustless Quiche, Easy Dinner, Eggs, Espelette pepper, French, Quiche, Recipe, Vegetables, Zucchini Blossoms

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Galette is a French term used for free form crusty cakes; think, buckwheat crepes from the Normandy area.  I love galettes, either sweet or savory, they are wonderful.  And I really love their rustic appearance.  I know when I see a Galette that it will be simple good food.

I had some beets left over from the market last weekend and decided I would make a simple galette with them.  I seasoned my pastry dough with a generous handful of fresh thyme and then lined the dough with goat cheese, beets, olive oil and a sprinkle of maldon salt.  It was lovely, really lovely and made the perfect light dinner, especially when paired with some soup or a small salad.

Do you like Galettes?  If so, are you sweet or savory?  What is your favorite recipe?  Do tell ….. we are always looking for new inspiration from our readers.

Recipe:  Beet and Goat Cheese Galette

Click the printer icon for a downloadable PDF of this recipe

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beet, Free Form Crepe, French, Galette, Goat Cheese, Olive Oil, Thyme, Vegetables

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