Food Revolution Day 2013, Madeleines w/French Fridays with Dorie

Bozeman's Cancer Support Community does good food.  Sometimes we even do good, French food, thanks to all I've learned from Dorie Greenspan and the French Fridays group!  In the spirit of Food Revolution Day, May 17, 2013, I hold up the power of real food, home-cooked food, to nurture and heal and bring people together.  For tonight's CSC class, I will share a Thai Chicken Soup, Apple Fennel Slaw, and Cardamom Macaroons.  Today, I share Dorie's delicate and fragrant madeleines with you.  This recipe is a great one because you can make the batter in advance, store it in the fridge and bake fresh madeleines on demand.  It is a fairly stable recipe too, and even accommodated my half olive oil, half butter adjustment.  (Lucky me!  Considering I'm teaching a baking with olive oil class on Monday!)  

What will you choose to cook and share with those around you today, this Food Revolution Day?  Get cooking!  And pass it on.

Recipe for Madeleines, pp. 408 - 409 from Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan

Swiss Chard Pancakes w/French Fridays with Dorie

Farçous.  A staple throughout Southwest France...think thin pancake or thick crépe loaded with chard and herbs.  And think dinner entrée with a salad, not just brunch or breakfast (although I can attest that they are scrumptious with a custardy poached egg).

I used oat flour and chard, although this is a great recipe for using up whatever greens you happen to have, including those beet greens that you usually...put in the composter.  (I know.  I feel guilty too.  No more!)

I discovered that the Vita Mix is overkill for the greens; in seconds, my batter was a uniform green and a bit on the tough side when pancake-d.  So, best to follow Dorie's instructions, and use a regular blender or food processor.  As far as oil and cooking method go, don't over think this.  Forgo the "1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil" and instead brush your griddle or sautée pan with olive oil or butter.  You're cooking pancakes, not doughnuts, just do your thing.  

Recipe for Swiss Chard Pancakes, pp. 350 - 351 from Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan

Cod (or Halibut) and Spinach Roulades

No cod at Montana Fish Company yesterday, so I opted for a beautiful halibut fillet that I had the guy slice in half horizontally with his awesome sushi-sharp knife.  I knew this week's Dorie recipe was Cod and Spinach Roulades, but I hadn't read through anything but the list of ingredients before I had the chance to swing by the fish shop.  Thinking I'd make us a beautiful French Friday lunch today, in the sprit of previous fabulous French Friday lunches, I set to work in the kitchen.  As I scanned the recipe, imaginging a roulade of halibut fillet and spinach filling, the words "fish mousse" seemed to jump off the page.  Hmmm...what a terrible end to my beautiful halibut fillet.  "Fish Mousse"...trés French, but trés sad.  I'll never be able to report this back to the crew at MFC.  

Knowing that my other FFwD'ers were out there having their own fish mousse adventures, I followed through, even though I pulled the last 5 inches of plastic wrap off the roll as I was getting ready for roulade #1.  Quick improvisation with sandwich bags and I had my four roulades into the steamer.  Final report from my dining companion, "It tastes healthy", "...in a good way."  Ha!  I decided it would be cruel to dash his vision w/the fact that 1/2 cup of heavy cream held everything together.  À santé!

Recipe for Cod and Spinach Roulades, pp. 292 - 293 from Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan

Financiers w/French Fridays with Dorie

Ahhh, Jean-Luc Poujauran...I swoon to this day (19 years later!) and currently have The Photo (of the rusticly-pink pâtisserie, with the 2-D dalmation puppy, and the funky little turquoise & blue voiture) framed and on the wall here at home.  My France visits always incorporate hunting for target food shops, and the journies to find them, always on foot with furtive glances at my small-as-I-can-fold-it, one-pager street map, are some of my most precious memories.  I can still feel the large cobblestones underfoot as I finally came upon J.L. Poujauran on rue Jean Nicot.  I purchased a couple rye-raisin rolls using my high school French, and was as happy as can be.  That blissful happiness must explain my subsequent purchase of the 299 franc financier mold you see in the photo.   299 and it isn't even regulation shape!  Ah well, I'm glad I was able to put them to use this week, and I got a chuckle out of seeing the price tag still stuck to the bottom, and realizing how much I spent while in pastry la-la land.  Anyway!  What a treat to return to France on this French Friday.  

What is a financier?  In the baking world, it is a small, "fast food", snack cake, originally created at Pâtisserie Lasne in Paris, to provide the hurried, neighborhood stockbrokers (financiers) with something they could eat without knife, fork, or "fear of telltale crumbs".  The recipe we used for French Fridays was crafted by Dorie based on one that Jean-Luc Poujauran (swoon!) taught her.  It has A Lot of browned butter in it.  Not surprisingly, it tastes Very Good.  Imagine an exquisitely overbuttered, almond madeleine, with a crunchy, sugary-buttery outer shell.  I've got to get to bed so that I can wake up and enjoy a couple with coffee Saturday morning!

Recipe for Financiers, pp. 454-455 from Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan

Pierre Hermé's Olive Sablés w/French Fridays with Dorie

I never would have made these, if not for French Fridays with Dorie, but I'm glad they popped up in the roster...they are tasty!  Buttery, sweet and savory, a cookie that can play on a cheese plate or be enjoyed simply with a cocktail.

Grated hard-boiled egg yolk was a new ingredient for me, but "an ingredient not uncommon in Austrian baking", according to Dorie.  Well, if it works for Pierre Hermé, it works for me.  And a fitting tribute to the brood of baby chickens we brought home today.  Bon weekend!

Recipe for Pierre Hermé's Olive Sablés, pp. 12-13 from Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan

Lemon-Steamed Spinach w/French Fridays with Dorie

Change your relationship with steamed spinach with this Dorie tip:  after washing, toss the leaves with a little olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt, and some lemon zest, then put them in a steamer basket over boiling water for 3 minutes...voilà!  Perfect steamed spinach with a beautiful olive oil and lemon flavor and fragrance.  Try it with those beautiful spinach leaves coming into the farmers' markets.

Recipe for Lemon-Steamed Spinach, p. 331 from Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan

Orange-Scented Lentil Soup w/French Fridays with Dorie

Orange zest and ginger add unexpected deliciousness to lentil soup in this week's Dorie recipe.  I set it to simmer a few minutes ago, and the aroma of everything bubbling away on the stove is divine.  For serving, you purée the works and top with a dollop of yogurt and crisped bacon; now that can get me excited about lentils! 

Recipe for Orange-Scented Lentil Soup, pp. 90 - 91 from Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan