Abra

I'm kind of surprised that this thread doesn't already exist, but I've searched going back at least a couple of years, and I don't see a comprehensive truffle recipe round-up. So, yesterday I attended a big truffle festival. I came home with three small truffles, and I want to put them to the best possible use. One I've made into a compound butter and frozen, and the other two are hanging out with some eggs and rice for a day or two while I figure out what to do with them. I have guests coming on Friday, and I think they're gonna get lucky. If you have something utterly delicious to suggest, please, make us all happy!

Thanks for this glimpse into your week. That thing of eating differently from your spouse is such a huge hurdle, and it's always interesting to see how other people surmount it. And I can't help it, since you use it a lot - look into your Passionate Vegetarian for the Abracadabra Pilaf. That's my recipe, or her tweak on it. Me, I use basmati. She really didn't need to credit me, since I'd totally forgotten I'd ever invented the dish, but I was really happy to see it again and discovered that I still like it. Diana, will you give a plug for your freelancing book? I'd love to have a look at it.

We celebrated my husband's birthday yesterday with a fantastic lunch in Les Baux de Provence at La Cabro d'Or. It's a bit evolved from strictly classic, but believe me, there was nothing weird on the plate, just pure deliciousness and beauty. I posted a bunch of photos of their food and terrace here.

Kiliki, I'm not qualified to tell you what to bring home from the Dordogne, but i want to say that it totally IS truffle season right now. The truffle markets and truffle menus are in full swing.

Oh wow, I love that soup idea! And Carolyn, can you say more about how you use your condiment? Not normally having a lot of foie to work with, it's a new concept to me.

Thanks for the confidence-boost. I'm still thinking of making a sauce with it before freezing, but at least I know I can just stick it in the freezer if I come up empty on a sauce idea.

Hi from France, where we have no King Arthur (alas!) and eat lots of endive. Try splitting them lengthwise and removing the little "cone" you'll see inside at the center. That removes most of the bitterness, although a little bitter flavor is a prized feature. And lots of KA photos, please. I was a loyal catalogue customer for many years but I've never seen the store.

Ok, making candles is probably the least-expected reply! Seriously, you guys think it would freeze fine without suffering a loss of quality? I'd love to make the sausage, but I didn't bring my Charcuterie book to France, nor my grinder, nor my stuffer. Other than that, I'm good to go.

I know it sounds completely crazy, but I have too much foie gras in the house and I don't know what to do about it. I've given the details here, but basically I have 180 grams of mi-cuit that I need to use in a way that can keep in the freezer. What would you do in my situation? And please, don't say just eat it!

Excellent. The wines look truly awesome. I've never tasted anything that old. The chestnut custard, though forgotten, looks good, and I'd really like to know more about the creme in the buttered clementines as well. I'm only sorry not to have seen a cross section of your gallantine.

Oh Gonzalez Northgate Market, I pine for thee! One thing you really can't find in France is Mexican food.

Me too. And can you be more specific about the chestnut custard? Bon Anniversaire from across the Channel!

If you're in the central, touristical part of Avignon, you could do far worse than to dine at L'Opéra Café in the Place de l'Horloge. We went running in there the other night before a flamenco ballet (which you can read about here) and because we were late we begged for anything we could eat and be out the door in, get this, 25 minutes or less. A huge plate of well-seasoned beef tartare with some really delicious frites and a glass of Chateauneuf du Pape appeared on the table in less than 5 minutes. We gave our server a nice tip (first time we've tipped in France) and he saved a table for us to return after the show. Later we shared an extravagant creation they called Pastilla, a riff on b'stilla with the lamb rolled and fried crisp in feuilles de brik and a mound of perfectely grilled and spiced eggplant, zucchini, and other vegetables, plus another glass of that very nice red. A quite decent plate of mixed chevres and salad for my dessert, a cheesecake interpretation for my husband, and we were done for the night. The place is rococo beyond imagination in decor, but with a pretty intense disco flavor late at night. The service was impeccably friendly and helpful, and we'll gladly return.

I'm living in France, and I can easily buy "bicarbonate de soude" in the supermarket. It's exactly baking soda, as far as I can tell. I too have brought Rumford baking powder from the States, as the levure chimique isn't the same thing.

I think the nicest celeriac purée is made according to the recipe in The Cooking of Southwest France. It's an equal amount of celeriac and apples, simmered in milk until tender, drained, and whipped with a little cream. Everyone moans when they taste this, even here in France where celeriac purées are pretty common.

Wow, a triple-gay blog! That in itself is very interesting, even if the rest of the topic weren't. Which, of course, it is. In my world losing weight is easy, and keeping it off is impossible. I've lost hundreds of pounds in my life and have little to show for it, except that I can tell you how many points in any food on earth with my eyes closed, which is a skill of limited utility. I'll be following this with interest.

Ok, I might have to get the book just for the Figgy Piggy. The plastic wrap really sucks, but I think it would work in this recipe as you describe it. It sounds beyond delicious.

Those truffle lollipops are adorable. I don't have the book - how do you make them?

I've managed to partake of three hinterlands cakes today, two of the frangipane and puff variety and one couronne. All were delicious and it made for a very fun day. A picture of the inside of my first galette and the story are here. I can pretty much guarantee that this will be the only Epiphany story to include the word "yockstrap!"

Somehow I've missed hearing about this book until now. The recipes sound delicious - but seeing as I'm in France without much in the way of kitchen gadgetry (food processor, knives, food mill, that's about it) should I get it anyway? Or is it gadget-intensive enough that I should wait until I'm reunited with my kitchen stuff?

You can use it in a lovely salad dressing. Blend 1/4 cup quince paste 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons roasted walnut oil 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with arugula or mache. I like to save little cubes of the membrillo to garnish the salad as well.

At this time of year I really crave apple crisp. The recipe for this one, my absolute favorite, is here.

Now THAT was a dinner! Just the kind of food I really love. Is there any chance you'll post a couple of the recipes? Awesome blog, truly.

Yum! We had oliebollen at a party last night, and brought home a couple of leftover ones to warm for breakfast this morning. But your beignets look totally irresistable, even so.

Wow, to me two people and a ham is more like paradise! Ever since we got this Basque ham I've been reveling in adding ham to just about anything. Yesterday I made this Cèpe and Walnut Cream Tart, and the delicious walnut base has ham ground into it. That's the sort of thing that you can easily do when you have a ham living with you, use it as an invisible flavoring ingredient.