After 4 plus years of cooking along with the French Friday’s with Dorie crew, we have come to the end and are now reminiscing about all the wonderful food we have cooked together. This week’s challenge is to write about the recipes which we made once from Around my French Table, and then just kept on making again and again.
As with the other challenges, I started by making a list. It was a very long list and in the end I couldn’t pick just one, so decided to do my top 5 again. Am I the only one who thinks about the movie High Fidelity every time we talk about top 5 lists?
Anyway, the ones I’ve made so often that I’ve lost count are:
1. Apple Cake – I actually made this recipe for the first time before I even joined FFwD and it was likely a contributing factor to my decision to join the group in the first place. At some point along the line it replaced apple pie on my Thanksgiving table. If you asked any of my German friends, they would probably confidently tell you that Apple Cake is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert in America:-)
2. Lazy Chicken – Oh that Lazy Chicken. I make this dish at least once a month during the cooler months. I love it because it’s easy to make and only uses one pot. I love it because it’s a great way to use up whatever’s kicking around in my crisper. I love it because the chicken comes out so juicy and delicious. I love it because it makes leftovers for the next day. And I love it because it also lands on my husband’s Top 5 list. This recipe alone is worth the price of the book.
3. Warm Weather Pot-au-Feu – This is the dish I make at least once a month during the warmer months. I never would have made this dish if it were not for this group, not because it sounds bad, but because it sounds boring (which means that it also could have easily landed on my Never Doubt Dorie list). I was stunned by the flavors packed into this recipe the first time we made it and have since made it again and again and again, to absolutely rave reviews. It’s also a guilt-free meal because it’s low in fat and high in veggies:-)
4. Quinoa Fruit & Nut salad – Here’s another guilt-free recipe which has become a week-night standard in my house. I had long liked the flavor of quinoa, but what I like about this recipe is its fresh taste and the fact that it holds up so well as leftovers.
5. Coconut Friands – This one’s a little different. I really enjoyed these little cakes, but the flavor alone is not what keeps me coming back to this recipe, it’s the fact that it’s also a great way to use up extra egg whites whenever you have leftovers from another recipe.
There are more… so many more. I often wonder if I would have enjoyed this adventure as much with another book. Dorie’s recipes were diverse enough to keep me interested and well-tested enough to keep my confidence high. I know the lady’s a baker, but I for one hope that she does another book with savories too. I’m sure we could get the French Fridays with Dorie gang back together for another grand adventure:-)
one expat's life 
I never made the warm weather pot au feu it is truly getting warm enough to check it out. I am not surprised that Dorie’s apple cake convince you to join the group and it went over well with Germans… impressive because they make some fine apple desserts.
Excellent choices, hard to decide which ones to use. It looks like the apple cake is coming
out a winner for many.
I had forgotten about the Lazy Chicken, but now I want to make it again after reading your post. I love one pot dishes and it is definitely cooler here at the moment.
And I had forgotten about the quinoa! Time to make that one again—terrific list!
That apple cake is definitely a keeper!
What a great list! I’ve made that salad a few times too. And never did the warm weather pot-au-feu (need to!). Love the friands. But all of your choices are wonderful, and look so delicious!!!
Rose, wonderful selection indeed – lots of fabulous recipes and always hard to pick out some of our personal favorites – I decided to feature “the most requested recipe” this week. The second most requested recipe is Marie Hélène´s Apple Cake – I even make this one for birthdays.
Euch noch ein schönes Wochenende,
Andrea
In a blogging world where we are always onto the next, new thing, its really amazing at how many of us still made things over and over again. Apple cake is a clear winner I think but the rest of your list has such appeal as well.
“I know the lady’s a baker, but I for one hope that she does another book with savories too. I’m sure we could get the French Fridays with Dorie gang back together for another grand adventure:-)”
THIS. x 1000
Also, yes that apple cake is clearly a winner across the board. I also make it for Thanksgiving! In fact I am thinking about making it this coming week 🙂
That apple cake is a clear winner! Marie Helene has become quite famous due to this recipe! I also love the coconut friands.
Some of us are cooking along with the Cottage Cooking Club…you might want to join us? Nice post, Rose!
So many apple cakes as the repeater! I love your list. That lazy person’s chicken was a close 2nd for me. BTW, I think it’s funny that you live in Germany and don’t have a spaetzle maker. It seems that Andrea has extra, so you should borrow one of hers!
I agree with you about this book. So much variety which keeps it interesting.
There aren’t very many cookbooks on my shelf that I dip into as often as this one and to repeat so many of the recipes, too. I love your choices – they’re ones we’ve repeated, as well.
Such great choices. As I was reading your post, I found myself wondering why I don’t make each one of these more often. Your friends and family are lucky to eat these regularly.