Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce

This one, almost, did not get a photo.  I love scallops and with the caramel sauce cooking, the kitchen smelt so good,  I really wanted to eat this as fast as possible.  Even before the photo.

But I did get a photo.  This was an easy recipe to prepare and very elegant.  This I will make again and again.  



I have been raving about how wonderful and easy these recipes are to prepare to my family that my sister admitted she would like the cookbook.  Now she has her very own copy of around my french table.  I highly recommend this cookbook along with the cooking club French Friday's with Dorie.  I have started to cook only from the cooking club cookbooks and not even buy more cookbooks.  For me, this is amazing.  This is great fun and delicious.

Salted Butter Break-Ups

Wow, are these fast to make and fast to eat. 

I spent most of the week thinking I was making scallops this week.  On Wednesday I check the list of recipes to make from French Fridays with Dorie and to my surprise we were making the Salted Butter Break-Ups from around my french table.   I check the list of ingredients and needed butter, I always need butter these days, and sel gris. 

Sel Gris is gray sea salt and I did not have this in my pantry.  So, I went shopping.  I found a very coarse bottle at World Market and a very finely grated bottle at William Sonoma.  The recipe called for a version "with crystal that are large enough to be picked up individually".  But without these instructions with me I purchase the finely grated version and went light on the salt. I am still searching for the perfect salt. 

With that said, my cookie could have been saltier.  Also, I had tried an experiment by freezing ganache so I pared the break-ups with chocolate.  Really, I think these would be great with Strawberry's, but that could be my Spring Fever.  I did use my pastry cutter to score the top of the break-ups.  This worked well, but I need more practice on pretty. 

This is a quick and tasty dessert that would be perfect finish to a rich dinner.  It was sweet and crispy along the edges and softer in the middle.  These were a big hit with my tasters at work. 

Daylight Savings Time

I am all messed up with Daylight Savings Time.  It seems like I had a lot of time after work, so I roasted a chicken and some veggies.  What I did not realize is that I am eating at 7:30 not 6:30.

It was worth it.

I roasted carrots with dill and parsnips. They are so easy and tasty.  Just drizzle both with olive oil and placed on a pan.  I used the oven rack under the chicken and they came out beautiful.  The carrots and parsnips took same amount of time as  the chicken.  These are turning out to be some of my favorite vegetables.  I could not pass them up when I saw them in the grocery store tonight.

This was a weekday treat and I will have some great lunches and treats for the dog. 

Salt-n-Pepper Sandwich Cookies

I joined an on-line baking group.  It is called Baked Sunday Mornings.  So as the name states, I should be posting on Sunday Morning.  But the recipe had a lot of steps.  So, I baked on Sunday afternoon.  The cookies were so good, and I ate too many, so the post is going up tonight.  This recipe can be found in Baked Explorations.  These cookies have a interesting twist, there is white pepper in the chocolate cookie.  Some times you taste is sometimes you just wonder why your lips are burning.  Anyway, these are great. 

This recipe easily make 36 sandwich cookies.  I have gently placed two dozen in the freezer.  This should be interesting to see how they freeze.  I get back to you on this later.

Beggars Linguine

I'm late again for French Friday's with Dorie, but this in not a recipe to pass over.  The Beggar's Linguine   from around my french table has figs and nuts with pasta.  It is something I would have never thought to combine, but mixed with butter, it is great.  I used Spinach & Chive Linguine and it was wonderful.  I had to think of all the butter and stop eating. 

This would be a wonderful surprise for a vegetarian.  Sweet and savory. 

This was my Sunday dinner

French Fridays with Dorie

 Savory Cheese and Chive Bread

I was leery of this week’s recipe.   I had recently made a savory corn bread and it was too salty and not cheesy enough.  But this Savory Cheese and Chive Bread  from around my french table was spot on.  It was like a light biscuit filled with cheese (lots of cheese) a few chives and the earthy crunch of toasted walnuts.  You can even see little  pocket of air in in the muffin giving this a light texture.

I saw one of the other participants of French Fridays with Dorie was going to make muffins, so I did too.  This gives me better portion control (except I ate two right out of the oven) and they are easier to freeze. From now on, this is what I make instead of corn bread.

Everybody's Favorite Cookie

Sunday a had tickets to the ballet with my girlfriend who does not cook.  This was the first time I saw her since her birthday and I offered to make her cookies for her birthday.  This is also what she gets for Christmas.  The cookies are always a big hit.

Yes, it the Mexican Wedding Cookie.

These are wonderful butter cookies filled with lots of pecans and rolled in powder sugar.  Mmm, one of my favorites too.