Enjoying nearly every true word of David Lebovitz's book The Sweet life in Paris, I came upon something surprising. He wrote: "The French devour books like Americans wolf down brownies. In a nation of readers, writers are revered in France like pro football players are in America." Maybe in the field of food, writers are revered by the French, maybe if you are French, writers are revered by the French, but what ever you do, don't write about one of their one hundred year old dolls if you are American. I had written a book about their once very collectible dolls named Bleuette. The book was in French and English, so that was not the problem. It had been read and corrected by more than one Bleuette (so-called) expert, so that was not the problem. The problem seemed to be that the French take no lessons from an American doll dealer who does not, herself collect dolls. No lessons from someone who has the temerity to come to Paris every two or three months to buy their dolls, whisk them home, write about them and then sell them at brisk rate only to travel back to get more for the hungry American market. This, at a time when many Americans were pouring French wine into the gutters for some protest or other, I was actually putting money into the French economy at an alarming rate and continued to do so for five straight years. In France at Chartres, Galerie de Chartres, before one of their fabulous doll auction Jean-Pierre Lelievre, gazing out at the crowded stone-walled chapel, held up my newly published book about their beloved doll thinking that it would be a happy opening for his doll auction. Instead, an icy hush fell over the auction room, hundreds of sets of French eyes sent spears of hatred my way with a chill that might have sent the devil himself scurrying from the auction room... but not I; undaunted and incautious, I bid for and bought every single Bleuette as well as all of her best GL fashions that came up that day!
Whew! I need a glass of wine, after that! I really do enjoy cooking with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food. Wine makes a beef stew deep and rich. It perks up a baked fish dish like the one from my all time favorite cookbook Virginia Hospitality from the early 1970s. (The cover is gone so I had to search for the title .) The pages are marked and noted and torn. This cookbook was bought on a trip with my friend Marica Richards who was my room mother for several years because I taught three of her four children, and, eventually Andy and I bought her great house where we have lived for 24 years. Love , love, love it all. When Marcia and I traveled without our husbands we antiqued in Pennsylvania and up and down the east coast, buying community cookbooks along the way and stuffing the van with antiques back in the seventies.
Note:
Another nice treat with a glass of red wine is Trader Joe's 5" round miniature pizzas that they sell in a stack from their frozen food selections. What a fast fix and the dough is like home made, all fresh and puffy. All you have to do is pop them in the oven. (I let mine thaw first.) I am looking forward to serving these fresh from the over at my next party. People with children looking for an afternoon pick me up will enjoy these to no end. You can also add your own touch to the topping--it will hold it and it will give you pleasure.
Flounder Fillet in Herb and Wine Sauce
4 ribs celery, chopped fine
2 teaspoons onion, minced
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons dill (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups condensed mushroom soup
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon parsley
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
16 ounces fillet flounder
Preheat oven to 375. Saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients, except the fish, and mix well. Pour into a shallow 10x16 inch casserole. Lay the fish fillets in the sauce, spooning some over the fish. bake 20-25 minutes. Serves 6
If there are any left overs it makes an excellent base for a fish chowder.
This Double Fudge Pie was such a hit the first time I made it, it was gone in 10 minutes. It is so easy.
Serve it warm
Double Fudge Pie
1/2 cup butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon milk
Preheat oven to 325. Melt butter and chocolate and cool slightly. Gradually mix into eggs. Add remaining ingredients and stir until just mixed. Spread into a buttered 9 inch pie plate and bake for precisely 40 minutes (make time adjustments when using convection oven). Center will be soft and moist when taken from oven, but firms a little when cooling. Best served warm with vanilla ice cream. No crust! Easy. One time I got fancy with this and made creme a l'anglaise which is a runny custard. I rested each slice on a bed of this creamy, heavenly concoction.
