Dorie Greenspan Archives - Page 2 of 5

Dorie Greenspan's French Carrot Salad

Dorie Greenspan’s My French Table offers this splendid recipe for a carrot salad.

Course Salad

Cuisine French

Ingredients

1 lb. carrots peeled and trimmed
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup mild oil such as canola
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Handful of dried cranberries/and or raisins
Walnuts or pecans coarsely chopped, optional
Fresh parsley chopped, optional

Instructions

Grate the carrots by hand, using the large holes of a box grater, or by pushbutton, using the grating blade of a food processor. Either way, if the grating causes the carrots to weep, press them between your palms to rid them of excess liquid before you toss them into a serving bowl.
If you’ve used a processor, make the dressing in it; if not, use a small jar. Put the mustard, honey, vinegar, and oil in the processor or jar, season with salt and pepper, and whir or shake until blended—you’ll have a thick, smooth vinaigrette. (Or whisk the dressing together in a small bowl.)
Toss carrots with the currants, and nuts, if you’re using them. Just before serving, pour over the dressing, toss well, and adjust the salt and pepper if needed. Add parsley, if desired. (Recipe slightly adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s My French Table.)

EVO (extra virgin oil) and Yogurt Cake is even better the next day and freezes well. It’s been described as a cross between pound cake and a sponge cake.

In House Resolve

During my interment, I’ve develop my 3-2-1 physical and mental survival routine. Each day I do at least 3 things I would ordinarily do (make my bed, put on makeup, do laundry, blog). Then I try to do 2 things I’m not that keen about doing (i.e., exercise, vacuum, grocery shopping online). And then I try to do one thing I’ve not done in awhile, like rearranging my sock drawer, bookshelves, file cabinet, or spice rack. I don’t do all this perfectly, but it’s something for which to strive.

Discovery!

This week I was clearing out some recipe files. (This would come under category 2 and 3—not keen on doing it and haven’t for a while.) We all have a collection of recipes, we’ve clipped or scribbled onto the back of envelopes over the years because . . . well because, they looked so good at the time. If I cooked one of those recipes in my collection each day for the next 5 years, I wouldn’t get through them all.

In the Kitchen with Dorie

While thumbing and tossing files, I came upon a recipe on which I’d scribbled “Really Easy!” and “Dorie Greenspan.” If that name rings a bell, you may recognize her as the dessert columnist for the NYT Magazine. She’s written 13 cookbooks and won five James Beard Awards. At Everyday Dorie, she blogs regularly about her kitchen escapades at her homes in Paris, Manhattan, and Westbrook CT.

Dorie describes this cake as baking “perfectly every time and tasting soooo good!”

Dorie is especially fond of rubbing the sugar and lemon zest together by hand to bring out the fruity flavor. It’s okay to substitute lime or orange zest.

Almost as Easy As a Cake Mix

In this recipe, Dorie raves about the speedy, moist cake, that includes two ingredients, that most European households keep on hand—olive oil and yogurt. She notes that in Paris, people seldom make their own desserts. Why should they? Bakeries are prolific, superb, and reasonable.

But when a French cook does open the oven door, it’s often to bake this simple cake, that can be served so many ways: with tea or coffee, ice cream, fruit, crème fraiche, or a glaze. Dorie admits to having eaten it for breakfast.

Don’t bother to get out the hand mixer. This cake takes just two bowls, a whisk, and a bread pan.

I used an 8×4-inch pan (slightly smaller than what Dorie calls for in her recipe), but I like the height the cake reached. BTW, I cut back slightly on the sugar, because I like cake less sweet.

When you’re needing a quickie dessert, that uses pantry Ingredients, this Olive Oil and Yogurt Crake is a winner!