Before I begin to talk about Food Revolution Day 2013 and Dorie’s delicious Salted Butter Break-Ups, you must understand that when my friend, Donna, and I geared up for this Revolution, we built in some primping-for-photos time to our schedule. That was forgotten as we took this year’s theme, “Cook it. Share it.” to the max, creating four new recipes for our French Friday with Dorie dinner this week. My hair might have lost its curl and Donna forgot to lose her apron but our dinner was spectacular. Priorities, you know.
Enjoying Dorie’s Salted Butter Break-Ups with the last of the Matchbook Syrah.
Food Revolution Day on May 17th, is an opportunity for people all over the world to come together and stand up for good food and essential cooking skills. We are congregating in homes, schools, workplaces and communities to cook and share kitchen skills, food knowledge and resources. FRD is a global day of action to raise awareness about the importance of good food and better food education for everyone. All of us here at FFWD are already passionate about these issues so this week we stand tall in revolt, honoring this effort.
BEFORE.
AFTER.
For this special May 17th Post, Donna, her husband, Bernie, and I decided to spend an evening cooking together, celebrating our many years of friendship with good food and wine. Bernie wanted to grill spatchcock chicken, Donna had bookmarked two recipes from Ottolenghi & Tamimi’s Jerusalem cookbook and I planned to bake Dorie’s Salted Butter Break-Ups, a cookie to bring to the table whole. A Cook it, Share it, revolutionary evening.
Prepping the onions for the Mejadra.
Crisping the onions for the Mejadra.
Nothing I could write would convey this night of joyful celebration as we worked our way through Ottolenghi’s complex recipes and oo’d and ah’d when Bernie’s chicken laid flat on the grill – a perfect spatchcock. We also put Bernie, a wine connoisseur, in charge of lubrication. He overachieved.
Taking the Salted Butter Break-Ups out of the oven.
The entire menu, starting with Pierre Herme’s Olive Sablés and Ottolenghi’s Baby spinach with dates and almonds salad; then, Bernie’s spatchcock chicken (the rub was citrus/savory) paired with Mejadra, another Jerusalem recipe, and ending with Dorie’s crisp, crunchy cookie monster, was wonderfully flavorful, delicious and worthy of any Revolution.
Saluting Food Revolution Day 2013
Thank you, Donna and Bernie, for sharing this very special evening with me. If you want to see how my other FFWD colleagues honored this revolt, go here.
What a fun evening!! How did the mejadra turn out? That’s one of the recipes in Jerusalem that I can’t wrap my head around, somehow. I don’t really know why. I love this week’s challenge b/c it’s reminding me of all these great recipes that I should make again. I lo-oved the salted butter breakups. It was like a cookie version ofpie crust. YUM. Looks like you had a great time.
“Nothing I could write would convey this night of joyful celebration”. I wrote something similar in an email to the parents and helpers who attended my parent-child cooking class for 60 last night. Cooking and sharing is such a special thing. Thank you for taking part in FRD2013 – I guess my invite got lost in the mail? 😉 Have a wonderful time in Paris!
Mary that whole meal is fantastic! I can understand why you had a great time, well `lubricated´ too, jaja. That monster cookie was the best idea! Exactly what this day is all about, sharing. Perfect.
What a feast!!! I need to start cooking with friends…it looks like a blast! xo
Mary, Looks like you had a marvelous evening with friends and food. Funny that you served Mejadra…a dish I grew up on. True comfort food. I have never crisped up the onions for mine…sounds like a great way to serve it. My grandmother used to make this every friday as part of our meatless meal.
I also love your salted butter break-ups…one of my favorite recipes in Dorie’s book. Happy Food Revolution Day and Happy Friday!!
this reply is from THE DONNA….anyway
for Kathy…the frying the onions per Ottollenghi’s Mejadra recipe was wonderful.
For EI…I wanted to make it because it was comfort food that was incredibly interesting and I am glad I made it. I will be making it again on Sat for friends.
For Mary…thanks so much for the blog which I have to now share with my ‘fans’ it was a great evening and a little bon voyage party for you. You are a force in the kitchen and I am happy to share my kitchen with you anytime.
Be safe and have a great trip. Donna
What a great evening!! I actually debated about baking that cookie again… love, love it and have made and shared it a number of times. Your “action” photos are terrific. What a post!!
I’m afraid that often when I’m cooking with/for friends, I forget the camera – good work!
What a lovely meal & celebration, Mary!
I hope you have a lovely time in Paris! If you like museums, I recommend the Museum of the Middle Ages where they have a room devoted to the unicorn tapestries. They are just amazing.
Looking forward to living vicariously through you! xoxo
Absolutely lovely celebration of both food and friends… your efforts were coordinated so well. When I’ve tried to cook with friends we’ve ended up with tacos with meatloaf and sausage and peppers… craziness. This does seem to be a well lubricated revolution… Cheers, chin-chin!
What a perfect way to celebrate Food Revolution Day. There’s nothing better than making and sharing food with friends. The salted butter break ups are a favourite in my family – so much so that one of my nieces has taken to making them for her friends, too. Yours turned out perfectly.
Your whole menu sounds absolutely excellent! I really the mejadara recipe in Jerusalem. Your post and Dorie’s are making me want to make the salted butter break-ups again. They really were excellent.
I just saw on Facebook that Dorie made Salted Butter Startups also. How exciting.
How fun! Pairing Jerusalem and AMFT, now that’s genius. I should really give the salted butter break up cookies a try now.
What a FABULOUS looking meal! It looks like you are all having a wonderful time. Perfect for a revolution. I love those salted butter breakups. I’m going to have to revisit that one. Bon voyage and safe travels, my friend!
Mary, now it is your turn to teach me something! I had never heard of Mejadra before seeing this post. After looking it up, I have to make it now. Cooking with friends is definitely a joy – thanks for sharing your wonderful evening with us.
And LOL about the primping! I’m guilty about that too, although you definitely put yourself out there more than what I do on the blog.
OMG, do I look that bad?????
Dorie herself made the breakups for the day! How fun. Did you feel her? 🙂 Its funny, but its been a long time since I shared the kitchen with someone for a day to cook a feast. I think that is probably one of the funnest things to do ever. And a good way to celebrate a revolution if you ask me.
Mary, it looks like you had so much fun. That salad is one of my favorites, but then so is everything in that Jerusalem book! What a great thing to celebrate! Oh, and I think your hair looks quite stylish!
Oh Mary, I always enjoy your posts so much – esp for the fact that you often share photos of friends enjoying your meals. That is what makes it all so special -the blog and life 🙂 This was a lovely looking night that is obvious from the photos and your writing cinched it. Anyone who reads this wishes they could sit down at that table and join you (and those plates looked amazing). You and Donna looked fabulous too – no primping needed ! Enjoy your time in Paris, but of course you will 🙂 Nana and I always love to pick up Mustard at the Maille store near the Madeliene (there is a Laduree right there too). And don’t overlook the Monoprix dept store’s food dept- esp for salts. Cheap and awesome. Enjoy !!!!
Good food. Good friends. Good drink!
What could be better?
Have an amazing trip!
How fabulous that you all cooked together – you really did share it. Marvellous photos!
OMG I now have an ambition to spatchcock a chicken on the grill!! The husband is giong to LOVE that idea! I still have to make the salted butter break-ups! How lovely that you AND Dorie made the same recipe for FRD! 🙂