Friday, January 28, 2011

French Fridays with Dorie Rewind: I'm a Month Behind!

So I'm literally drowning in recipes, but that really isn't a bad thing, right?  I'm a month behind on French Fridays with Dorie, so this is actually December's monthly roundup (minus the speculoos, which I didn't make).  Surprisingly enough, my very favorite recipe of the bunch was Dorie's Spiced Butter-Glazed Carrots.  The carrots are cooked until tender and glazed in a wonderful combination of onion, ginger, garlic and cardamom seeds.  As a lover of cooked carrots, these were some of the best I've ever had.
No one else in my family likes cooked carrots (I told you I lived with a bunch of crazy folk), so I just made a half batch.  I had them as a side dish for dinner one night and then ate the rest of them for lunch one day.  Just me and a plate of carrots.  I felt virtuous, for once.
I've done an obscene amount of braising this month, but Dorie's Go-To Beef Daube really does stand out among the others. A very robust and hearty beef stew loaded with veggies and braised in red wine.  A real winner for the whole family.  Even my picky daughter asked for more!
I usually don't have a least favorite when it comes to Dorie's recipes.  However, I really didn't care for the Leek and Potato Soup.  I think the recipe was written well enough.  It was really more of a personal thing.  I'm thinking that maybe I'm not the biggest fan of leeks.  Not sure.  Either way, I jazzed mine up with some extra buttery croutons, which made the soup MUCH tastier.

And, finally, Dorie's Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts.  I made the recipe two times and both times they disappeared quickly.  The first time I made them according to the recipe, with chili powder, cinnamon and a dash of cayenne.  We loved them!  The second time I made them with only cinnamon, sugar and a sprinkling of cardamom.  We loved those too!  I think it's safe to say that Dorie's Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts are a winner.  I can see myself making them many times in the future (almonds and pecans are my favorite)! 

Now onto next month!  Hopefully I'll have a chance to catch up.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

15 comments:

  1. mmm I am definitely going to have to give those carrots a try! I need some virtuous in my life!

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  2. Mmmmm...everything looks tasty! I'm just impressed that you're doing the rewind. After so long, I usually just say "oh well" and move on the next thing...very impressive ;)

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  3. I remember how when I was a kid I hated cooked carrots, with a passion, now I love the stuff. They are yummy and so good for you. Great recipe :D
    *kisses* HH

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  4. Those carrots look really yummy! So do the spiced cocktail nuts!:)

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  5. Carrots...well, all of it, you made some grand looking food!!! I have the book finally, from the library, and am trying to decide if I ought to buy it.

    Wish I lived near you and could come to dinner!

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  6. Great looking dishes, Kim! Especially the nuts.
    And there's no such thing as too much braising!

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  7. That's a lot of catch up--good for you. That beef daube is the one that is really making me drool--although it all looks great. ;-)

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  8. I adore carrots...will definitely look that recipe up. My diet won't let me eat them now, but I'll make them first chance I get. (there must be lots of sugar in them or something)

    Going to make the nuts for Super Bowl Day!
    Thanks, Kim!

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  9. The spiced carrots were my favorite too!

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  10. lots of delicious stuff happening in your kitchen! i love those carrots. we eat a ton of carrots, but i never think to cook them that often. the nuts look AWESOME, i love that coating, i don't think i'd be able to stop eating them.

    how's the weather been? after our second snow day i really felt for you and your twelfth! i hope you have a great weekend!

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  11. I've been impressed with the range of fantastic and approachable recipes in Dorie's cookbook. Those cocktail nuts look perfect for the Superbowl.

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  12. The carrots won me over, but I was already a fan of them.

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  13. Those carrots look amazing!!! Delicious side dish!

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  14. Yay for getting caught up! I was going to skip the carrots too, but I was really glad we tried them - very tasty.
    "obscene amount of braising" - you are too funny!

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  15. I have GOT to try those carrots. I just made some carrots the other night that I fell in love with, but these might be even better!!

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