FFwD: Sweet & Spicy Cocktail Nuts

Hey lookie there! I have a post! I guess the holidays are taking advantage of me.

Well no excuses because these sweet and spicy nuts were super simple. The only real hurdle is figuring out how much and which spices you will toss in.

My honey is convinced the finished product is full of evil things that are really bad for you because they are really really addictive. (I promise there is absolutely no bacon in there.)

You can find the recipe for Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts, on page 18 in Dorie Greenspan's book Around my French Table. And be sure to join the club by becoming a member of French Fridays with Dorie.

Oh hey did you guys catch Dorie on the Martha Stewart Show... it was pretty great. She seriously made Martha look like an Amazon woman.

FFwD: Potato Gratin

I don't mean to bore you guys with lame stories from Culinary School but its all I got some days....

The last week or so of school is pretty boring. It's supposed to be like our introduction to the production kitchen or something to that effect. But really what it was was a smorgasbord of food. I think since we were becoming pastry chefs, we (ok maybe just me) were ravenous for savory food. So we scavenged things from the school pantry and cooked things... just to eat. One of the instructors I can't remember who introduced us to the wonderful world of Gruyere, with potatoes, and cream and onions. I think it was Chef George, who also made us Ginger Beer and I will never ever get over it, I wish I had a chilly glass right now. I've been making it ever since.... the potatoes that is, not the beer (but oh how I wish!). I made it last year for Thanksgiving, it almost caused a riot because I didn't have mashed potatoes. Until they tried them and they were immediately converts. I don't think I have to make mashed potatoes. Ever. Again.

Dorie's are a little bit more refined with all the garlic infused herbi-ness but just as good in a different sorta way. Maybe I will merge the two this year for the holidays... a Gratin Hybrid. You can get with the program and buy Around my French Table where you can find the recipe for Potato Gratin, on pages 360 and 361. Join in the fun over at French Fridays with Dorie... hey you don't even have to have a blog! No one reads them anyway ;)

FFwD: Hachis Parmentier [Shepard's Pie]

This was so damn good... no really, really good. We ate 1/2 of it and I'm sure it was meant for a family of more than two people. I can't wait until tomorrow so I can has leftoverz.

Me and my honey made the quick version when we got home from work today. It didn't take that long to put together which is cool because we will be making it again

We threw in some peas for good measure and used some Dubliner Irish Cheddar, if you've never tried this cheese you should right away.

If you haven't gotten your book go here and get it already! And join the group of other cookers at French Fridays with Dorie. I promise you will not be disappointed ;)

FFwD: Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

I finally got my book around my french table from Amazon! Pretty funny that the first recipe I get to make for the new group French Fridays with Dorie is Vietnamese...

Anyhoo... I actually love making soup, I whip up soup all the time because I can somehow make it out of pretty much anything we have around and we eat like kings peasants for a few days because there's always some leftover.

I think the most exhaustive thing about this soup is the ingredients, I couldn't find coriander seeds, white pepper or ginger. Well I found ginger but it looked like a science experiment so I just left it in the store. Fresh and Easy wasn't living up the 'fresh' part today. Other than that its a breeze to make. It did smell a little funky I must admit, probably the fish sauce or something but it did taste good in the end ;) I think I would leave the fishes out of it next time.