Today’s Post is a stroll down Memory Lane. Join me. I think you’re going to like it.
My mantle is filled with Christmas cards received from my French Friday with Dorie blogging colleagues. Many of the cards have food-related scenes and many are handmade.
This week’s FFWD recipe is Chicken, Apples, and Cream à la normande, a sweet, rich stand-alone main course, honoring its namesake. The French region of Normandy is recognized for its apples, brandy-like Calvados, cream, Camembert and butter. Four of those five ingredients are in this dish. Yes, Dorie does admit it’s ‘decidedly rich’.
This was the first recipe I ever made from Around My French Table. I bought the cookbook when it was first published in September 2010 but didn’t even know about the French Friday group. Always a Dorie disciple, I trusted when she wrote, “This dish is more luxurious, far fancier, and much prettier than either its ingredient list or the brief time it takes you to pull it together would lead you to believe.”
She is as good as her word. Chicken, the Normandy way, was as delicious then as it is this week.
Mise en Place – I always gather all the ingredients I need for the recipe on a tray. For this recipe, I used three chicken breasts instead of four and doubled down on the apples and mushrooms.
Following that meal and about six months later, I read about a FFWD group that, every week, makes a specific recipe from Dorie’s cookbook and then blogs about it. At that time my lifestyle, as you might remember, had changed drastically. Although I had adjusted as best I could, what I missed most about being alone and leaving our Colorado life was cooking, companionship at meals and entertaining family and friends. This group, I thought, might just put me back in the food business.
I joined up.
Naturally as I gathered the ingredients for this week’s recipe and put it together, I thought about my two years with the Doristas. In today’s New York Times (12/13/12), reporter Leslie Kaufman wrote an article about Deb Perelman, discussing the evolution of her popular food blog, Smitten Kitchen, into a best-selling cookbook. Kaufman talks about blogosphere friendships as important, developing “in a 21-st century way.”
I browned organic chicken breasts in oil and butter for 3 minutes on each side. Note the large pan.
Later I pulled up our FFWD Link on Facebook. Adriana Angelet who was born and raised in Puerto Rico and writes her blog, http://greatfood360.com, in Spanish and English, had left a comment and picture. “I am a little emotional today. Thank you for filling my tree with so many wonderful wishes.”
She was referring to our FFWD Christmas card exchange. Alice Bush, A Mama, Baby, & Sharpei in the Kitchen, who lives in England, suggested it and many of us signed on. She organized us and gathered addresses. Might I suggest that if Alice were in charge of America’s budget negotiations, that pesky fiscal cliff problem would be solved. We not only received our list but also our marching orders: mailing directions, deadlines and international postage costs – to Europe, Australia, Brunei, and the like. I love this woman.
Our virtual friendships which developed “in a 21-st century way” have turned snail mail and personal notes.
Alice Angelet, who lives in Puerto Rico and blogs on GreatFood360.com shows us her tree filled with Christmas cards from her FFWD friends.
For the past two years (and, more for those who joined on 10/01/10) our FFWD group has cooked and baked and blogged, sharing both our successes and failures, every single week. Surprisingly, and, I think I can speak for everyone, we began as colleagues with a common interest and have evolved into supportive, good friends.
So much has happened to us in the past year. We’ve welcomed a new baby (Emily) and calmed the jitters of a nervous but beautiful bride (Jessica). Ei moved to Naples but figured out how to keep cooking. Paula closed her Buenos Aires cafe and continues to be a good sport with recipe choices despite seasonal differences. When we’re making soups and daubes, it’s her summer.
Liz, Cher and Tricia sent their high school graduates off to college – always a lump-in-the-throat, heart dropping moment. Hey, Moms, send food. Kathy and Diane live in East Coast areas where Sandy was especially vengeful. Betsy went into the “bee business”. (You don’t want to know.) Mardi spent the summer in France and took us along virtually. I lost my husband and many others, including Andrea, lost loved ones.
Add apple, onion and mushrooms to the pan with the browned chicken breasts. Add more olive oil and butter, if needed, to be sure the added ingredients are well mixed and glossy. Then add chicken broth and simmer for ten minutes. Salt and pepper generously throughout the cooking process.
We cherish our pets, losing them is hard. We’re all pulling for Braveheart. Krissy dropped out to care for her family but, after a long absence, just returned. We’re glad. Trevor got his computer stolen, Rose, her camera. Pretty traumatic if you’re a food blogger. Many of us have changed jobs, moving on up!!! Congratulations. And, our fearless leader, Dorie Greenspan, has opened a wildly successful new baking enterprise in New York City called Beurre & Sel.
Dorie at the counter, Beurre & Sel, her unique cookie shop in New York City
Photo: Travel & Leisure Magazine
We’ve never lost a beat, knocking off 52 recipes each year. (This is a 5-and-then-some-year project.)
These friends that I’ve met “in a 21-st century way” welcomed me with kindness and generosity and did put me back in the food business. Sometimes virtual becomes the real deal.
To see if my collegues liked the Normandy dish as well as I did, go here. If you would like to make this tasty entree, go here.
Oh, Mary, I love this post!!! You have definitely made some fine friends in this group…as have I. It has been my pleasure to share Fridays with you! We Doristas are blessed that you took the plunge and jumped right in without missing a beat…lights on, no brakes is the way to live life! xo
What a lovely post about amazing food and friends. I truly admire all of the members’ dedication. The dish looks amazing, as well as your lovely pastry adventure. You go girl, I am always looking forward to your posts. I decided to make eggnog panna cotta for Adriana’s party, a new adventure for me as well. I hope you are making the chocolate mousse since I did not have the chance to taste it when you made it earlier.
Thanks, Michelle. If you recall, you got me back into the food business also. We didn’t know each other very well. You were a new neighbor. And, you volunteered to come over a teach me to make gougeres. We became friends over pate a choux. Your honey vanilla panna cotta was delicious. On to eggnog. Yes, chocolate mousse.
Such a beautiful description of our loving and meaningful group! I didn’t get around to this week’s dish, but yours looks delish, Mary! 🙂
What a great post! So much has happened along the way and this card project has really been galvanizing hasn’t it? I did not yet get a chance to make this dish. . . I wasn’t sold on it but you have made sound pretty good…eh, beach season is still a bit off so why not?
Beautiful post! You brought a smile to my day. 🙂
This was such a fun post Mary! I love seeing all the cards – I guess I should take a pic of my card collection too. I tape them on a white door in my dining room and look at them every day. Funny I didn’t think this was a rich dish until you said so. Clearly I have been eating too much this holiday season. I’m so glad you joined this group (and that I did too!) because I have really enjoyed getting to know you!
I teared up a little while going through your recap of everything that has happened during this year for us FFwD members. Even though my posting has been uneven in the second half of the year I treasure the community and spirit of our group. Thank you for sharing my Facebook post! Save a little room in your mantle for my card.
A wonderful post! I want to try this week’s dish but just couldn’t squeeze it in but I will get to it eventually;-)
Love seeing all the cards, so fun to receive and display this time of year;-)
Love, Love, Love this post. And I agree with all your thoughts. While away taking care of “life” around here, I honestly missed you all. Cyber friends are real. The food brings us together on the web just as it brings my family here almost every day. ..it has been the conduit for new friendships. I know that if I had a bad week and wrote about it, I would find lots of honest comfort from my blogging friends. I feel like I know you. I kinda expect some of you to knock on my door and enjoy Christmas with us….and you will come into my home through these group experiences we share. I was away for 6 months, but I easily fit right back in…and I know that my friends are genuinely happy I’m back. Nice feelings. Merry Christmas!!!
This is the perfect end-of-the-year post Mary! How on earth do I have to wait I don´t know how long to finally meet you? Beautiful cards too! I didn´t join since I wasn´t sure about the deadline. This is one group where friendships and recipes are continually fighting side by side. The chicken was good by the way. A little kick of some sort would´ve been nice though. Have a great weekend!
What a lovely post Mary. It’s been SO fun making friends through this group. My favourite blogging group ever. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season. xo
Loved hearing about all the other bloggers in the Dorista world. As I found during my brief visit with the French Fridays with Dorie crowd this summer, it is an extraordinarily special blogging group. Congratulations to you all for your ongoing participation–not an easy task, as I discovered. And I encourage you all to Cook On!
Daughter Melissa of the Hot and Hunky Cucumbers’ fame.
This really is the sweetest post. It’s wonderful that the blogosphere can bring together people like this. It’s important to have these supportive relationships, especially in a world where people move a lot and lose touch with neighbors. The internet is such a great tool for maintaining connections. I feel truly lucky to have found such a great group of people and to have been welcomed as I have been. And, of course, the good food helps too!
Oh Mary, you brought a tear to my eye and a smile to my face with this post. I couldn’t agree more! I had no idea what I was signing up for when I joined FFwD. I thought that it would be a tasty distraction from some medical issues which I was going through at the time and it has turned out to be oh so much more. You perfectly summed up how I feel about all of you. Thank you.
How heart-warming! I wish I hadn’t missed this Christmas card exchange, but I loved reading your post! I know I keep saying this, but I hope to be back on track soon!
It’s hard to believe you haven’t beenwith the group since the beginning. We have all grown and learned so much from each other. Thanks for your support of Braveheart! Still waiting to hear from the vet.
Oh, Mary, my friend, what an amazing post. You summed it all up. What a group we have! It’s really made the world a much smaller place, forging friendships all over the world. I love catching up with everyone every week, and in between, when I can. I hope some of us can meet face-to-face and break bread together as travel allows. Have a wonderful week!
What a beautiful post, Mary. Thank you for taking us along on your trip down memory lane. I think that most of us thought that we were just joining an online cooking group, but didn’t realize that we would be developing meaningful friendships. It truly has been a godsend to me to be a part of FFwD. Have a great weekend!
I loved reading this post! It is so descriptive and heartfelt. Sadly, because of my busy autumn (my oldest daughter go married!), I logged on to the website just a bit too late to participate in the Christmas card exchange. 🙁 I hope to not see that happen next year!
What a beautiful post! I love our little online community and it’s true – we’re going to be sharing a big chunk of our lives before we make the last recipe.
Mary, this is the loveliest post! I am really honoured to have “met” all of you ladies and gents! I am very new to blogging and cooking with you every week, reading your posts, following your lives in this way has taught me so much and has given me the confidence to continue! I wish you the loveliest holiday season!!!
This is such a heartfelt post, I really enjoyed reading it. Makes me sad I haven’t been a more active participant in FFwD this year. Well, perhaps that will be a resolution?
Oh Mary…I’m so sorry for being one of the last to comment…life got in the way this week! This is such a wonderful post…I smiled as I read every line! It touched my heart! So many times friends have poo-pood my FFWD group and asked why I do it. This is the reason! I truly feel I have made wonderful friends through this group! I look so forward to reading all of their blogs…and love hearing from everyone on mine. When Elaine and Kris took a break, I was worried about them. I always equate virtual friends to pen pals….that’s what we are! I hear from some of you more than some of my family…lol!! One thing for sure…If we lived in the same area…we would be real life friends and not just virtual! I would love to cook dinner for any of you!!
You already know this chicken dish was not a hit for me…I think I have to give it another try, and add some more flavors to the mix! Everyone seems to have really enjoyed it!
Mary, this is such a touching and heart warming post – I admire your writing style every single time I read your posts! You summoned up the thoughts, feelings and events in such a unique way – I am left a bit speechlees…and your mantle looks so wonderful and Christmassy with all those lovely cards cards…and I am glad that you seem to have enjoyed the Norman chicken as much as we did…and, yes, to answer your question, we always have a “late lunch” whenever possible, usually school finishes around 1 – 1:30 p.m., so that`s when we eat our main meal of the day.
Thanks for a fabulous post! Have a great week (with many more cards)!
Cher – Your post was beautiful and spot on. Just a nice recap.
I love the memories certain recipes conjure up…this was a lovely post.
And, Happy New Year! I hope it brings everything you want it to.