It’s December 1st. For Cream Puff, that means Christmas is here.
Christmas in all its glory, all its baking, all its music, all its cheer and all its splendor!
I. LOVE. CHRISTMAS.
Last year, come December, I had so many cookbooks to tell people about that I decided to talk about twelve of them in twelve days and it was a tremendous success.
So this year, I’m doing it again. If you’re looking for the perfect gift to share with the cooking enthusiast in your life, stay tuned to the next twelve days!
On Day 1, I start with a book that has spent the past few months holding the place of honour on my night table: Dorie Greenspan‘s Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours
The sweetness of her cookbooks is matched only by the sweetness of her person! I had the pleasure of meeting Dorie several years ago and I can tell you that she is a doll. Her latest cookbook is a warm and affectionate look at the delicious French dishes that grace her table.
I’m sure it’s been said many times before by many other people but Dorie’s cookbooks are impeccable and this one is no different.
While it may not exactly fit in a Christmas stocking, it should definitely make an appearance under the tree for the cook in your life!
When I first leafed through the book, the recipe that immediately caught my eye was a recipe for “Anne Leblanc’s Pistachio Avocado”. What caught my eye was the mention of the luxurious oils sold at Huilerie J. Leblanc. When I was in Paris in June, I spent a lovely hour in that story drooling over all the incredible oils. As luck would have it, I came home with a precious bottle of pistachio oil, which just happens to be the star of this dish.
Essentially this is half an avocado sprinkled with lemon juice and sea salt. What makes this dish superb, is the touch of avocado oil that nestles in the avocado cavity.
So simple and so unbelievabley glorious! I think I’ve made this about ten times since receiving the book.
The pistachio oil and the texture and taste of the avocado marry in a way that is sublime.
Try it!
See you tomorrow for Day 2 …
Ciao!
5 comments
naila
hi Ivonne,
i just wana tell u that ur blog is amazing . i made bostini for a school friends getogether and it came out so heavenly. and my friends r still praising me for the hevenly sensuous dessert. thanx to u . i came across ur blog where uv used lemon to make desserts. im gona try those next. i have a request plz. could u kindly make and share the HONEYCOMB MOLD made by Lori. il be grateful . thanx and keep the good work going. May all ur dreams come true.
Liana @ femme fraiche
I am a firm believer that pistachio makes everything better (especially ice cream)! I’ve been hearing so much about Dorie lately I think I might just have to add this to my x-mas wish list:)
dorie
Bonjour sweet Yvonne,
I’m so happy that you’re enjoying my book and really, really pleased that you’ve made the avocado and pistachio oil so many time. As I wrote in Around My French Table, I was hesitant to include the recipe because … well … it’s hardly a recipe, but it’s just so delicious that I couldn’t imagine leaving it out. Thank you for agreeing!
Happy Holidays – xoDorie
HappyWhenNotHungry
What a wonderful idea!!! I love pistachios, but have never had pistachio oil. It looks heavenly!
Claudia
Wait – I’m still carrying the list from last year (seriously)!I love Dorie’s new book and plan on reviewing it when I cook some more from it. Lucky you and the pistachio oil score!Looks simply grand!
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