We’re getting the band back together!
This site has gone dormant since French Fridays with Dorie wrapped up and I’m happy to say that a new cookbook adventure has come along to inject a bit of life into my kitchen and my blog. Yes, some of the old FFwD gang put their heads together and came up with a new cook the book project, this time with David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen.
I am not, as it were, a Paris Kitchen virgin. This lovely book has graced my bookshelf for a little over one year and some delicious previews could already be seen in a few of my FFwD posts. So far the recipes I have tried have been delicious and I am very excited to dive into some of the more challenging recipes with my favorite group of online cooks… I missed you guys!
I also missed the first week (way to start off on the right foot) and so my very first post will be a double. Last week the ladies made the very seasonal & tasty Winter Salad. With endives and a creamy roquefort dressing (yum!), this salad was the perfect first course to this week’s recipe…
Steak with Mustard Butter and French Fries, how great does that sound! I made a half batch of fries because, well, my self control tends to melt around fries, even oven fries, and these were no exception. David writes in his book about how Americans are known in France for eating their streak with ketchup and the French are known for eating their’s with butter. As an American I can say that it has never occured to me to serve my steak with either condiment; ketchup sounds like an insult to a good steak and butter sounds a bit like gilding the lilly. But upon closer inspection, the French may just be on to something:-)
Let’s do this!
one expat's life 
Whoo hoo! SO happy to see you cooking along here! Let’s do this indeed!
So glad to see you back, Rose!!!!!
We had our steak with the salad as well – and I am SO glad I only made a half batch of those fries. They are dangerously delicious.
Until FF, the only thing I put on my steak was pepper/ cognac/ cream sauce. This whole compound butter on top thing would never have occurred to me on my own.
It’s so good to be back together again!
You’ve made me think about how Australian’s eat their steaks.
Definitely not with butter! We do like our tomato and BBQ sauce though.
I’m not a fan of meat so I slather mine with anything I can get my hands on but my husband thinks it’s an insult to a good piece of meat!
You winter salad looks great, I missed it and need to catch up.
I’ve never heard of putting ketchup on steak, either. Butter is good on everything, though. It’s funny how other countries view american eating habits. Like, in Naples, the “American” pizza had french fries and hot dogs on it. I tried not to take it personally. ha! I’m planning to cook the steak over the weekend. Yum. Can’t wait!
I am so glad you are joining us on this new adventure! I didn’t realized how much I missed French Fridays until we started again. We certainly picked some winners for our first recipes!
Ketchup on steak? Anyway, I did think this was wonderful. It will become a go-to meal. I enjoyed the mustard butter more than I expected. A nice counterpoint with the steak. Your salad looks delicious too! Happy to be cooking together again, Rose!!
Woo hoo, so happy to be visiting your blog again! I chuckled at the whole insulting steak with ketchup–who really does that?? I guess I do know people who’ve done that, but it sounds terrible. As the kids say, “that mustard butter tho.” I agree that this month’s recipes worked together very well as an entire meal. Great way to start off and thanks so much for joining in!
I am beyond excited that the band is back together again. I’ve missed everyone, even though Facebook has helped us keep in touch. Now that you say it, I’ve never used condiments on my steak either, though I agree the mustard butter is a great choice. The fries were something special too. The salad is perfect to round things out. Yum!
I’m not a Paris Kitchen virgin either (great phrase) so, like you, I already knew I would really enjoy cooking through this book. It’s interesting that this French cookbook is so different from Dorie’s that I don’t feel like we’re spinning our wheels. It did occur to me that the Winter Salad and the Steak and Frites would be a great (albeit rich) combo. Did you like the Roquefort dressing? Your phrase ” ketchup sounds like an insult to a good steak and butter sounds a bit like gilding the lily” was very cute. The flavored butter thing does work, right? Although I don’t do ketchup and steak, I do pour ketchup on my scrambled eggs which nauseates my granddaughters. Glad we’re all back cooking together again.
Some of us in Malaysia love our steaks swimming in black pepper sauce/mushroom sauce/sweet and sour sauce aka oriental sauce, so that mustard butter was a real treat! Your salad looks great with the walnut garnish, the steak and fries very enticing! Good to be back cooking with the group! I made a few of the recipes from the book earlier too.
I don’t put ketchup on anything, I can’t stand it. Hubby actually uses it on cottage cheese and I find
that disgusting. I am glad we are all back cooking again, I needed an incentive. I have made a
few of David’s recipes before and each and every one is terrific. Incidentally, the salad does
go well with the steak and fries.
So glad to be cooking with you again, Rose! I loved these fries just the way they were…the herbs added such nice flavor.
Several of us went to a class in NYC to see David last spring. I have fallen in love with his caramel chocolate mousse.
Both your salad, and steak and fries look mouthwatering!
So glad you’re back to blogging and the group is in full swing again! In my family it’s the French Canadians that get accused of eating ketchup with everything, while the Irish side pulls out bottles of HP Sauce, instead. Neither side would tolerate either on a really good steak, though. This mustard butter would be enjoyed by all of them.
Glad to be joining this veteran group!
I am so happy the group started up again too- I started so late with FFwD and have missed the group! I could never say I have ever used ketchup on steak- maybe A-1 if it was a bad steak- but I truly love the butter!! You meal looks lovely