October 19, 2010

Some Monday fun

Forty clove garlic chicken,
chanterelle, barley pilaf. I should have photographed the actual dish, but we were hungry, and i forgot. This dish was easy and wonderful. You can't go wrong with chanterelles, and leeks.
All cooked and ready to consume!

Saturday, I went skipping off to Le Creuset, and bought this oh so pretty oval dutch oven. I was on the fence with the color for a few days. I went back and forth on getting the ivory colored one, or the turquoise, but this one kept calling my name, in all it's purple glory. I love the name of the color: "Cassis."We visited Cassis in the south of France a couple of years ago, and I decided that when I cook with this lovely pot, all the memories of that beautiful area will come back, so I just had to get it! :) Besides, I thought getting the ivory one would be a safe choice, so I went the opposite way. I don't buy very many kitchen items anymore, since I have a very well stocked kitchen, but the only oval dutch oven I had was a pyrex one, that I rarely used, because I thought I couldn't achieve the results that the Le Creuset one gives. I packed up the glass one, and made room for the newest member of the kitchen. It was fun to cook with it I must say.
This is Nicole and Pierre's good friend Jo. She is visiting from London, and we had the pleasure of her company for dinner last night. We all had some good laughs and great stories to share. I love having dinner parties like this, on a night you normally would not.



There are no words for how good this cake turned out! It is on the cover of the newest issue of "Fine Cooking." Buy the issue and make it! It is called ,"Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake." The topping: Pecans, crystalized ginger,pepitas (pumpkin seeds). They are glazed in brown sugar. The frosting is cream cheese, with brown butter. YUM!

14 comments:

  1. The cake is AMAZING! Just had a slice after lunch, and I am dieing all over again! See you thursday!

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  2. LOL, when I saw your first photo of the 40 clove chicken, I didn't even notice the chicken, but the gorgeous pot.

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  3. I have so many things to say about this.

    1. Dutch oven envy. Mine is Martha Stewart for Macy's, and red (good), but round (not as cool as oval), and chipping everywhere (too many no-knead breads)

    2. Cassis? I've never been, but my husband went his last year of college and talks about that place nonstop. He's written songs about it, and he doesn't even write songs. I have to go there!!

    3. Cream cheese with BROWN BUTTER? Oh my gosh. You just blew my mind.

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  4. Dude I would love a 40 garlic clove chicken, we use a lot of garlic over here. Love the purple, I am glad you went with is! The cake... glorious.

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  5. yum ... everything looks amazing!

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  6. cassis is also blackcurrent (my fave sherbet !) but I think you know that... I don't eat chicken but this awesome cake makes me drool on the keyboard...
    what a lovely evening & Nichole was dressed like a forest fairy

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  7. It looks delicious! That cake looks amazing!!!!

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  8. The cassis color, to me seems to go so well with fall. I think it is important to choose a color according to how the food will look in it. Many folks just pick the color according to how it will look in your kitchen. The comfort foods you make in it will look beautiful with the cassis - just like your 40 clove chicken does. Carolina

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  9. Yummy, I love the photos on this post. Hugs!

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  10. wow, i'm floored. can you cook for me sometime? :)

    i saw that very same pot online, williams sonoma i think, and thought it was so pretty and probably very useful! LOVE that color.

    i didn't know there was a place called cassis! cassis always makes me think of that drink, kir royale. i love it when you mention france and the time you've spent there.

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  11. Wow, that cake looks and sounds amazing! I love pumpkin. When I invested in my Le Creuset I went for the orange sunrise color. Doesn't match anything else in my kitchen and I absolutely adore it.

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  12. okay, i don't usually like cake, but THAT IS MY KIND OF CAKE. holy cow, will you bring me a piece? and 40 cloves of garlic is just my style too. :)

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