Have you ever wanted to pack up your life, your pug, and your reality and start over in Paris? Well, cher amis I have! But until that time, the closest I have come to fair París is reading all about it by people who are actually walking the walk.

The author, Elizabeth Bard does live in Paris. She is a transplanted American expatriate taking you through how exactly she came to be a Parisian {it all comes down to love}. She is a self-deprecating, honest, open and  a perfectly charming writer who easily takes you through her story – peppering in recipes for good measure. Elizabeth is someone I would chose as a friend, which is probably why I enjoyed reading the book.

Friends, this book is definitely worth reading, buying, and placing in the kitchen for future use. Throughout the entire book she must share about 50 recipes, but the recipe I most wanted to make: the homemade mayonnaise! No joke. I love mayo. I put it on everything – to the chagrin of my blood pressure and my husband. So, in the spirit of Elizabeth this is going to be a lit review with a recipe how-to.

INGREDIENTS:

1 egg yolk {freshest possible since you will be eating it raw}
1/4 teaspoon course sea salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup mild vegetable oil

Combine the egg yolk, mustard and salt. Use an electric eggbeater to beat the mixture while simultaneously adding a few drops of oil. When the mixture shows signs of thickening, pour the remainder of the oil in a thin, steady stream. The mayonnaise will begin to puff up within a few minutes of mixing. This recipe makes about 1/2 a cup.

{Recipe found in Elizabeth’s novel on page 57 & 58}

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If you do have the ‘bravoure’, collect a buddy because you will need help. First things first, collect your adorable little fan tin and your ingredients, namely: 3 large eggs; 2/3 cup granulated sugar; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1 1/4 cup flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional); zest of one small lemon; 9 tablespoons unsalted butter.

Please remember that there is nothing low-fat about Madeleines.  Sorry.

Prepare for a work-out, because you need to fold the ingredients in slowly and your arms will get tired.

And leave your self plenty of time. Madeleines need to sit in the fridge and chill for at least an hour. I can tell you, Frank was not too happy with the wait.

We waited …

… and waited …

… and napped. And waited …

Now, once they are cold enough to drop into the pan do not put too much! My first batch were slightly obese Madeleines, and thus they did not cook all the way through. {I still ate them, though!}

Now, you may love a plain Madeleine, but I like to dress mine up with a little shimmer – so, I covered my little lovelies with a lemon glaze comprising of:  3/4 cup (150g) powdered sugar; 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice; 2 tablespoons water. Yum yum in my tum tum!

Not easy – but totally worth the work. Totally. Just follow the recipe CLOSELY!

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1. Brush the indentations of a madeleine mold with melted butter. Dust with flour, tap off any excess, and place in the fridge or freezer.

2. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, whip the eggs, granulated sugar, and salt for 5 minutes until frothy and thickened.

3. Spoon the flour and baking powder, if using, into a sifter or mesh strainer and use a spatula to fold in the flour as you sift it over the batter. (Rest the bowl on a damp towel to help steady it for you.)

4. Add the lemon zest to the cooled butter, then dribble the butter into the batter, a few spoonfuls at a time, while simultaneously folding to incorporate the butter. Fold just until all the butter is incorporated.

5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Batter can be chilled for up to 12 hours.)

6. To bake the madeleines, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

8. Plop enough batter in the center of each indentation with enough batter which you think will fill it by 3/4′s (you’ll have to eyeball it, but it’s not brain-surgery so don’t worry if you’re not exact.) Do not spread it.

10. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the cakes just feel set. While the cakes are baking, make a glaze in a small mixing bowl by stirring together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water until smooth.

11. Remove from the oven and tilt the madeleines out onto a cooling rack. The moment they’re cool enough to handle, dip each cake in the glaze, turning them over to make sure both sides are coated and scrape off any excess with a dull knife. After dipping, rest each one back on the cooking rack, scalloped side up, until the cakes are cool and the glaze has firmed up.

WONDERPUG RATING: 5 sporks. Delicious but not a recipe for beginners.

STEP 1: Tell husband you feel sick. Ask for soup. Expect canned chicken noodle … gasp in shock and love as he makes preparations for homemade French Onion Soup.

STEP 2: Collect all your recipe item needs, the most important being your husband {since he does most/all of the actual cooking}. Put on your flirty apron because if you can’t be helpful in the kitchen, you can at least look cute for your handsome, chef-of-a-husband.

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup olive oil
6-7 large onions
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
Sea salt
Black pepper
Crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons flour
8 cups low sodium beef broth
1/3 cup rose wine
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
French loaf
Gruyere
Smoked Mozzarella

STEP 3: Normally, when it comes to Frank, I believe sharing is caring … HOWEVER, do not share onions with your puggy precious {or any doggie pal for that matter}! Onions are bad. BAD. Deadly. BAD. No onions for Frankers. So instead, let’s include Frank in other ways, i.e. dressing him up in our adorable little apron. Then share a safe treat like carrots.

STEP 4: Assist husband in everything. Smile. Take deep breaths and inhale the yummy cooking goodness.

STEP 5: Eat, savor, sip … feel better. Feel the yummy soup make your throat feel better. Curl up on the couch with M, Frank, NCIS and the soup. Oh, yumm-o.

RECIPE: Heat oil medium-low in a large bottomed stock pot. Slice onions and add to oil and crushed garlic. Stir occasionally until onions soften. (Be careful not to fry the onions allowing them to crisp or burn.) Add salt, fresh ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Stir; mixing the spices evenly throughout the onions and garlic. Add flour and stir; cook an additional 2 minutes. Add beef broth, wine, and Worcestershire sauce. Raise heat to medium-high until soup boils. Add water, thyme, oregano, and bay leaf; reduce heat to low. Cover and allow to simmer for 30-35 minutes. In bowls, place toasted French bread topped with a mixture of shredded Gruyere and smoked Mozzarella. Add onion soup and top with additional cheese if desired. {Serves 10} {PS>Created by my husband/Enjoy!!}

{Apron gift of Flirty Apron/OpenSky}