New Year, New List

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope 2011 has brought you a lot of Tadas! already.

Don't you love it when the new year comes around?

It's like a blank slate to make goals & dreams

come to life.

I don't make resolutions because not keeping them

is a blah. Let's just say I want to keep learning

and to try new experiences & adventures --

that's always TADA!

On the top of my list is reading more.

Including reading more cookbooks and learning

new cuisines like French cooking.

I've always tiptoed around this cuisine

because I've dismissed it as complicated.

Until I found this book:

It's part cookbook with easy to follow recipes,

part memoir with insights into French culture

lovingly written by Dorie Greenspan.

I knew very little about Miss Greenspan but I immediately fell

in love with her when she read excerpts from the book.

What a wonderful storyteller!

A gentle woman who would feed you, regale you with

stories if ever you knocked at her door.

And true enough, the recipes in the book were

simple enough for the home cook and received

TADAs! when my husband and I made

these at a recent party.

Here's what we made:

Chestnut and Pear Soup

{served as an appetizer}

Goat Cheese Mini Puffs

{I made the cream puff dough from scratch!}

Potato Gratin

{layers of potato, cheese & cream}

Pancetta Green Beans

I can't wait to try her other recipes

so I can make everyday blah meals

into TADA! meals! I might even join

French Fridays with Dorie.

Have a great day!