Butternut Squash Gratin via A KITCHEN IN FRANCE - Recipe and Cookbook Review

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Day four of my dinner party review...

The party was part of a review of of "A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse " by Mimi Thorisson.... 6 Recipes from the book,  8 Friends and family...

First, my disclaimer... I received this book FREE! courtesy of BLOGGING FOR BOOKS.  I was sent the book in exchange for this review.  The book was theirs, but the opinions are mine.


I posted my first course for a dinner party for 8 of my family and friends; Her Onion Tart recipe... (LOVED IT!).

I served the tart as my Sandwich in a Soup and Sandwich course.  I made Mimi's
PUMPKIN SOUP as the soup course.

Next came my Appetizer course... Her title for the recipe is "Gambas Flambees with Pastis" which translates to Prawns (or Shrimp) Flamed with an Anise flavored Liquor.  Worked FANTASTIC, stunning presentation, easy, fast and no First Responders needed to help.

The short version of my longer review of the book (see this post) is that  the book is astounding.  Stunningly beautiful photographs, wonderful descriptions of her family and life in the French countryside and of course wonderful recipes.  I made 6 dishes for my party and each came out as expected, and wonderful!

I served in courses, First course was to be a Soup and Sandwich.  I sort of fudged the sandwich and served the Onion Tart as the sandwich.  The pumpkin soup was served with the tart.  The flaming Shrimp was served as an appetizer and we are now into the main course with a side dish... here's the side!

A wonderful way to serve up seasonal Fall and early winter squash.  An alternative to potatoes or even sweet potatoes and filled with cheese, spices and a creamy base.

Delicious in every way!

Keep scrolling down for this easy to follow recipe...

OK... Here's what I did...

Butternut Gratin

Ingredients

• 3 TBS Butter
• 1 Large Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
• 1 Large Butternut Squash, peeled, halved, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 tsp Nutmeg
• Sea Slat and freshly ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1 Cup, divided, Conte' Cheese (can use Gruyere or Swiss Cheese)
• 2 TBS Butter, cut into 8-10 thin slices
• Fresh Chives for Garnish

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare a casserole pan with non-stick spray.
2. In a large saute' pan, heat the butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the Garlic and Saute an additional 1 minute.
3. Add the squash slices and season with the nutmeg and cook until slightly tender, another 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and mix. Transfer this mix to the prepared casserole dish. Pour the cream all over the top. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and the Bread Crumbs on the top. Dot with the remaining butter slices.
5. Bake until golden brown and delicious for 30 minutes.
6. Serve HOT with sprinkles of the Chives for garnish and ENJOY!

I served this with a Roasted Chicken recipe from the book.  Slathered in Creme Fraiche' and lots of herbs, made for a beautiful colorful presentation and a rustic French countryside mix of flavors!  Come back next post for the Roasted Chicken recipe.

*************************************************************************

So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Ways to Cook Side Dish Recipes"!!!

Sure the meat gets all the glory but real cooks know it's the spread... the specialty Side Dishes that makes a meal rise or fall. Here's a few of my favorite recipes that will help to create that illusive COMPLETE MENU!

LOTS of Potato Sides, Vegetable Sides, Specialty Salads, Bread and MORE!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

1. In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
2. And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
   Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

*******************************************************************************

Here's my Menu for the night...

Pumpkin Soup
With an Onion Tart

Gambas Flambees
With Pastis

Roast Chicken With
Creme Fraiche and Herbs
Served with a
Butternut Squash

PLUS and AMAZING Spectacular
Chocolate Meringue Swirl

As I said, Each of the 6 recipes I tried from the book worked and worked spectacularly.  I have been doing a lot of non-challenging catering dishes lately.  It was fun and exciting to whip these dishes up and serve this menu to my friends.  All well received, all went as best as I could have imagined and I could not recommend this book highly enough.

Beautiful enough to be a table top book, inspiring enough to get lost in on a rainy Sunday afternoon...

And wonderful accessible workable recipes!



And one last disclaimer...
"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."  But the review and opinions are 100% accurate and mine!

FLAMING Shrimp (Gambas Flambees with Sambuca via A KITCHEN IN FRANCE) - Recipe and Cookbook Review

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Day three of my dinner party review...

The party was part of a review of of "A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse " by Mimi Thorisson.... 6 Recipes from the book,  8 Friends and family... And this one even features FIRE... What could go wrong???

Not a thing actually.  The dish flambeed; and no first responders needed to be called.

First, my disclaimer... I received this book FREE! courtesy of BLOGGING FOR BOOKS.  I was sent the book in exchange for this review.  The book was theirs, but the opinions are mine.


I posted my first course for a dinner party for 8 of my family and friends; Her Onion Tart recipe... (LOVED IT!).

I served the tart as my Sandwich in a Soup and Sandwich course.  I made Mimi's
PUMPKIN SOUP as the soup course.

The short version of my longer review of the book (see this post) is that  the book is astounding.  Stunningly beautiful photographs, wonderful descriptions of her family and life in the French countryside and of course wonderful recipes.  I made 6 dishes for my party and each came out as expected, and wonderful!

I served in courses, First course was to be a Soup and Sandwich.  I sort of fudged the sandwich and served the Onion Tart as the sandwich.  The pumpkin soup was served with the tart.

Next cam my Appetizer course... Her title for the recipe is "Gambas Flambees with Pastis" which translates to Prawns (or Shrimp) Flamed with an Anise flavored Liquor.  I am a big fan of Sambuca.  tastes great and flames perfect!  I did go hunting Pastis but was not able to find any.

This is a cooking technique called, "A la Minute" (be sure to say minute with a French accent). Which means made to order.  So, for the logistics of the dinner party I made the soup well in advance (Crock Pot easy).  The Tart was scheduled to come out of the oven just as my guests arrive (giving me 10-15 minutes of greetings and making sure drinks are served).  This dish was prepped, all the ingredients assembled and ready to go.  But the actual cooking does not start until about 5 minutes before time to serve... Cooked to order.

It is also very dramatic for your guests to watch you adding ingredients to the pan and then suddenly... Whooppa!

Just a couple of Flambee' tips... You are actually burning the fumes from the liquor.  You only need to get the flame close to the top of the liquid, do not try to put the flame into the liquid (it goes out).

Next, make your sauce and then pour the liquor into the pan on just one edge.  DO not mix before flambeeing.  Once you have the flame going, shake the pan like a TV chef, do the TV chef flip thing (while flaming,.. be careful) to mix the burning liquor with the sauce and prawns.  You can see the left side of the dish s flaming while the right side has no flame.  It did once I mixed!

I LOVED making this dish.  First, delicious!  The sauce has the Anise aftertaste, a little sweet, the tomatoes and prawns work perfect together, colorful and again... Delicious.  The sauce is wonderful.  Butter rich and again... Delicious.  I served this on a bed of pan fried potatoes.  the potatoes soaked up the sauce and the whole thing  was simply perfect!

As an appetizer, a little potato, a couple of shrimp and a few tomatoes... And that Dramatic Ala Minute Flambee' presentation right in the middle of the meal!

OK... Here's what I did...

Gambas Flambees with Sambuca
(FLAMING Shrimp)

• 4 TBS Butter
• 4 Shallots, Thinly sliced
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Thinly Sliced
• 20 Large Shrimp, Raw, not pre-cooked
• 1/4 Cup Sambuca (or any Anise flavored Liquor, like Pastis)
• 1 Pound Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
• Fine Sea Salt and Fresh ground Black Pepper
• 2 TBS Butter
• 1 TBS Red Pepper Flakes

Cooking Directions

1. In a large Saute pan over medium heat, add the butter and melt. Add the Shallots and garlic and saute for 3 minutes until cooked and softened. Raise the heat to high and add the Shrimp/ Cook, turning once until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes per side.
2. Add the Sambuca. Light a match and carefully ignite the cooking liquid (NOTE: you are actually igniting the vapors that come from the liquor. No need to light the liquid, just get close and it will light). Shake the pan briskly until the flame dies out (about 2 minutes). Stir everything to coat as it flames.
3. Add the Tomatoes, season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and add additional butter. Stir to coat until the bitter melts and the tomatoes begin to wilt.
4. Serve over a few grilled potatoes (even French Fries) to sop up the sauce... And ENJOY!

*************************************************************************

So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Appetizers Recipes"!!!

From Dips and Salsas to everyone's favorite, Deviled Eggs; Appetizers will set the mood for something special. And make enough different ones and you have a Tapas Meal!

Links include Dips (Take a Look at the WORLD's BEST Guacamole recipe (and world's easiest to make), Salsas, Grilled Bites, Watermelon Art, and of course something with a spectacular presentation and taste... Take a look, something to match any occasion...

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.

And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

******************************************************************************

Here's my Menu for the night...

Pumpkin Soup
With an Onion Tart

Gambas Flambees
With Pastis

Roast Chicken With
Creme Fraiche and Herbs
Served with a
Butternut Squash

PLUS and AMAZING Spectacular
Chocolate Meringue Swirl

As I said, Each of the 6 recipes I tried from the book worked and worked spectacularly.  I have been doing a lot of non-challenging catering dishes lately.  It was fun and exciting to whip these dishes up and serve this menu to my friends.  All well received, all went as best as I could have imagined and I could not recommend this book highly enough.

Beautiful enough to be a table top book, inspiring enough to get lost in on a rainy Sunday afternoon...

And wonderful accessible workable recipes!



And one last disclaimer...
"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."  But the review and opinions are 100% accurate and mine!

Pumpkin Soup via A KITCHEN IN FRANCE - Recipe and Cookbook Review

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Day two of my dinner party review...

Yesterday I posted a review of of "A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse " by Mimi Thorisson.

First, my disclaimer... I received this book FREE! courtesy of BLOGGING FOR BOOKS.  I was sent the book in exchange for this review.  The book was theirs, but the opinions are mine.


I posted my first course for a dinner party for 8 of my family and friends; Her Onion Tart recipe... (LOVED IT!).

The short version of my longer review of the book (see yesterday's post) is the book is astounding.  Stunningly beautiful photographs, wonderful descriptions of her family and life in the French countryside and of course wonderful recipes.  I made 6 dishes for my party and each came out as expected, and wonderful!

I served in courses, First course was to be a Soup and Sandwich.  I sort of fudged the sandwich and served the Onion Tart as the sandwich.  This soup was my offering.

The book is divided up seasonally.  Cook what's fresh and local is Mimi's mantra.  Plus, post Halloween, pre-Thanksgiving, there are PLENTY of beautiful little "Pie Pumpkins" available to make this fresh.

I did make a couple of changes.  I am posting the recipe as she wrote, as a part of the review.  My changes were needed for making the party work (6 dishes, all served hot and on time)... So I converted to Crock Pot Slow Cooker Easy.

The second change was more personal taste.  I tasted the soup once it had been pureed.  For me, my tastes run to the more spicy side of flavors.  I had a jar of my BBQ Spice rub handy and just decided that that flavor would be a fine addition.  On the page to her book that discusses the recipe she mentions that the soup is a favorite with her children.  I can understand that as is, it would have been perfect for a younger palate.  As for me and my guests... A tiny extra kick added a little something something extra.

And isn't that the mark of a favorite cookbook.  Not only can you make a recipe with confidence that the dish will work, but that it also inspires you to adapt, change and make it work to your individual tastes.

Loved this soup.  Nice and thick and rich.  The Pumpkin and Parsnips flavors shine through.  Just a great seasonal soup.

Dare I suggest Thanksgiving dinner???

OK... Here's what She says to do did
(but keep scrolling to see my changes)...

Pumpkin Soup 

From

"A KITCHEN IN FRANCE"

Ingredients

• 2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 6 Small Shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Mincedm
• 1-1/2 Pounds / 600 g Pumpkin, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
• 5 Ounces / 150 g Parsnips, peeled and chopped
• Fine Sea Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper
• 2 Cups / 750 ml Whole Milk, more if needed
• 1-1/4 Cups / 300 ml Vegetable Stock
• For the Garnish - 3/4 Cups / 300 ml Creme Fraiche
• 1/2 Cup / 60 g Walnuts, coarsely chopped
• A few Fresh Chives, finely chopped, plus more for serving

Cooking Directions

1. In a large pot, heat the Olive Oil over medium heat. Add the Shallots and Garlic and cook until lightly brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the Pumpkin and Parsnips, season with Salt and Pepper, and cook for 8 minutes.
2. Pour in the Milk and Vegetable Stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat , cover, simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Puree the soup in batches in a blender. adding a little milk or water if the soup is on the thick side, Season with Salt and Pepper.
4. FOR THE GARNISH, mix together the Creme Fraiche, Walnuts and Chives.
5. Divide the soup among bowls and top with a spoonful of the mixture and another sprinkling of Chives.

I made two big changes to her recipe... First, I very much wanted to make this ahead of time...  Crock Pot easy as I like to say.  I followed the first step exactly.  Then I dumped everything in step 2 into the crock pot and set the cooker on High.  2 hours later the pumpkin and parsnips were soft and cooked through,  Instead of pureeing in batches I just used a hand wand mixer and pureed in the slow cooker.

Turning the setting down to low, the soup was done and ready to be served hot from the crock at my convenience.  Made serving for the party much easier.

Second, Once the soup had been pureed, I tasted.  Honestly, while the soup was full of flavor, the pumpkin really stood out, I decided to add a little BBQ spice rub mix.  Only 2 TBS.  the rub has a little Brown sugar, some additional salt and pepper as well as "regular" BBQ type seasonings... Smoked paprika, Garlic and Onion Powder and some additional hot pepper spice.  It maybe my Kansas roots or my love of BBQ, but I thought the extra spice woke the soup up a bit.

As always, cooks should taste and season to taste.... I did.

I served this soup with the Onion Tart that I wrote about yesterday.

Here's my Menu for the night...

Pumpkin Soup
With an Onion Tart

Gambas Flambees
With Pastis

Roast Chicken With
Creme Fraiche and Herbs
Served with a
Butternut Squash

PLUS and AMAZING Spectacular
Chocolate Meringue Swirl

As I said, Each of the 6 recipes I tried from the book worked and worked spectacularly.  I have been doing a lot of non-challenging catering dishes lately.  It was fun and exciting to whip these dishes up and serve this menu to my friends.  All well received, all went as best as I could have imagined and I could not recommend this book highly enough.

Beautiful enough to be a table top book, inspiring enough to get lost in on a rainy Sunday afternoon...

And wonderful accessible workable recipes!



And one last disclaimer...
"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."  But the review and opinions are 100% accurate and mine!

*************************************************************************

So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Recipes for Soup, Chili or Chowder" (Now more than 52 and still growing)

Soup from Scratch is one of the great kitchen joys.  The house smells amazing and the soup warms to the bone.  From broth to chowder, vegetarian to loaded up chili... Even a great idea for a party (love the Potato Soup Bar idea).  Come take a look, sure to have something you might like to try.  All recipes have been tested and WORK!

*************************************************************************

So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of "52 Ways to Cook SLOW COOKER-CROCK POT Easy Recipes"!!!

From meat dishes (Like an AMAZING Root Beer Pulled Pork that will feed a small army), to kitchen staples (FREE Gallon of Chicken Stock anyone?) to a slew of Soup and Stew recipes, these are the dishes that will change the way you cook.  Start in the morning, set and forget and dinner is on the table... Easy Peasy indeed!!!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

1. In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
2. And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
   Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest

Onion Tart via A KITCHEN IN FRANCE - Recipe and Cookbook Review

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It was a beautiful Fall day when I heard the thump on my front stoop of a package arriving.  It got even more beautiful when I opened the package and found a review copy of "A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse " by Mimi Thorisson.

First, my disclaimer... I received this book FREE! courtesy of BLOGGING FOR BOOKS.  I was sent the book in exchange for this review.  The book was theirs, but the opinions are mine.  What follows is my honest impression.

My impression is WOW!  This may be the perfect cookbook.

Her Story... Mimi Thorisson was born in Hong Kong and her story took her to Paris and eventually along with a large family, dogs and a photographer spouse moved to the French countryside.  The introduction to the book quickly gets us to the French Countryside lifestyle we all dream of.  She has the large kitchen, locally produced ingredients, a husband that can make the ordinary look spectacular with a lens... And the family and friends that she cooks for.  She is also a food blogger.  Allow me to quote from her "About Me" page on her blog, MANGER ...

"I’ve been doing a lot of cooking in these last four years, to glowing reviews (my family are very kind) and around 2 years ago I felt the need to share my culinary experiences with some friends and perhaps a few others. So Manger was born and while the rest may not be history it’s my story and my family’s. We are as happy as ever, up to no good, living with 14 amazing dogs, Fox Terriers, Jack Russell’s and one chocolate-colored German pointer called Gertrud. She thinks she’s a terrier by the way."

Her story, as told in her book, includes not only some of the most beautiful food photography I have ever seen, but also shots of her children, husband and the big country kitchen and French countryside that can take you through many a rainy Sunday afternoon of day dreaming.  I can spot her food blogging roots in each recipe, she includes not only a stunning shot of each and every recipe but also a paragraph or two that transports you to her kitchen and lets you be that fly on the wall as she shares something personal about the dish.  For me, I enjoy cookbooks best when I get a feel for the life of the author.   "A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse " has that feel throughout.

Her Book...  The Book itself is large, about 9X11 inch size.  4 Pounds, 304 pages (Half of them full page size photos).  Each of the Approximate 120 (my guess) recipes includes a stylish photograph of the finished dish.  The book is divided into seasonal sections, emphasizing the French and her personal commitment to seasonal cooking.  Farm to Table even in this world of Whole Foods and year round produce.  She also includes suggested menus for each season.  Her recipe choices include plenty of Starters, Sides, Soups, Main courses and of course some spectacular desserts to finish off.

Her Recipes... As I write this, Amazon.com features several pages of the book that you can flip through, including her introduction and several recipes.  Click the blue letters to see a sample...  "A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse " .

No matter how beautiful a book is, the recipes must be accessible (ingredients need to be able to be found... even in Kansas).  They should be doable... Of course it is implied that you know your way around a measuring cup, but nothing so overly complicated that the idea scares off potential cooks.  And last, they must work!  Something you would be proud to serve to your family and friends.

Well, I decided to host a small dinner party for 8 of my friends.  I was so in love with the idea of the recipes I saw, I had a hard time picking one for a review.  Instead I made the party a collection of a Soup and Tart opening course, a Starter, a main course with side and a dessert.  I made 6 dishes from the book (keep checking, will be reviewing all the recipes in the next few days).

I had no trouble finding the ingredients... Remember, I live in Kansas.  While we do have our fair share of exotic ingredient markets we also have plenty of Farmer's Markets to pick from.  Just about everything I needed I was able to find at these markets.  The rest, like crème  fraîche were easy enough to find .... Just ask the guys at the super-market, they are there to help.

As to doable... Well, as I said, I made 6 dishes.  All of them came out fantastic.  Doable for me may not be doable for you.  But I can assure you that the instructions are clear, the measurements are accurate and nothing took more than a basic knowledge of mix, fold, blend and chop.  If I had a scale of 1-5 of difficulty, throwing out the East German score I would not give any of the recipes I made more than a difficulty level of 3.... Well, maybe a 4 on the Flambee recipe (Like I said, keep checking back, it's coming).

All six worked PERFECTLY.  Proud I was to serve up to my friends.

My first course was a Pumpkin Soup (come back tomorrow) with this Onion Tart.  Of the 8 folks at dinner, this was actually picked as a favorite by many.  I believe the secret is the sweet caramelized onions and the combination of Balsamic vinegar and Honey!

A new favorite Side Dish!

OK... Here's what she says to do...

Onion Tart
from
"A Kitchen in France"

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3-1/2 oz./100 g. bacon, cut into lardons or diced
• 1 lb./450 g. onions, thinly sliced
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• all purpose flour for rolling the dough
• 8 oz./230 g. puff pastry

Cooking Directions

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and fry until browned, about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the honey, balsamic vinegar, and thyme, increase the heat to high, and boil to reduce for 2-3 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F./200 degrees C.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. Line a 10 inch/25 cm. tart pan with the pastry and prick the bottom several times with a fork. Trim the edges. Scoop the onion mixture into the tart shell. Bake until the pastry is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before drizzling with olive oil and serving.

And here it is plated with a bowl of Pumpkin Soup...

Here's my Menu for the night...

Pumpkin Soup
With an Onion Tart

Gambas Flambees
With Pastis

Roast Chicken With
Creme Fraiche and Herbs
Served with a
Butternut Squash

PLUS and AMAZING Spectacular
Chocolate Meringue Swirl

As I said, Each of the 6 recipes I tried from the book worked and worked spectacularly.  I have been doing a lot of non-challenging catering dishes lately.  It was fun and exciting to whip these dishes up and serve this menu to my friends.  All well received, all went as best as I could have imagined and I could not recommend this book highly enough.

Beautiful enough to be a table top book, inspiring enough to get lost in on a rainy Sunday afternoon...

And wonderful accessible workable recipes!


And one last disclaimer...
"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."  But the review and opinions are 100% accurate and mine!

*************************************************************************

So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Ways to Cook Side Dish Recipes"!!!

Sure the meat gets all the glory but real cooks know it's the spread... the specialty Side Dishes that makes a meal rise or fall. Here's a few of my favorite recipes that will help to create that illusive COMPLETE MENU!

LOTS of Potato Sides, Vegetable Sides, Specialty Salads, Bread and MORE!

****************************PINTEREST**************************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

1. In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
2. And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
   Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest