“He has also taught me pride, discipline, respect, attitude, and efficiency. He expresses love through teaching things he admires. When you cook, you need all of those qualities plus a respect for yourself and your ingredients. That’s important to my mom as well.” Alix Daguin describing her grandpere. Daughter of Ariane Daguin’s (CEO of D’Artagnan.) Photo below.
While Juju was taking his afternoon nap, I curled up on my favorite blue love seat in the office and surfed the web. I was interested in learning about the dynamics between mothers and their children. By pure chance I ended up on the Traditional Home Magazine website and read about Ariane and Alix. Ironically and very much to my liking, these two have a ritual of cooking Sunday dinner together when Alix is home from college.
As I read about the pair and their philosophies on life and cooking I found myself thinking, “If I have a daughter, this sort of relationship would be nice.”
They nibble on chicken liver pate as they cook.
A spring dinner may be Duck Breast with Fava Beans.
or perhaps a Croque Monsieur au Jambon de Bayonne…I am making this the minute my fridge arrives!
Croque Monsieur Au Jambon De Bayonne
1 loaf baguette-style French bread
4 tablespoons butter or truffle butter, softened
8 ounces jambon de Bayonne or prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh arugula or spinach
4 ounces Comt or Gruyere cheese, sliced
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut baguette in 4 equal sections. Slice each section in half horizontally. Spread butter on cut sides of bread. Top bottoms of bread with jambon de Bayonne, arugula, and half the cheese. Top with top halves of bread. Top bread with remaining cheese. Place sandwiches on baking sheet; bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Makes 4 servings.
and then they may finish with this superb Cherry Clafouti….
Gascon Cherry Clafouti
2-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup corn flour or yellow cornmeal
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2?3     cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons orange extract
1-1/2 cups pitted fresh dark sweet cherries or frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed and drained
1/3 cup orange marmalade
In medium saucepan combine milk, flour, and corn flour. Whisk over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; cool 30 minutes.
In very large bowl stir together eggs, sugar, butter, and orange extract. Slowly whisk cooled milk mixture into egg mixture until combined. Sprinkle 1/3 of cherries evenly into greased 10-inch quiche dish. Pour batter over cherries. Top with remaining cherries.
Bake in 350 degrees F oven 45 to 50 minutes, or until center seems set when gently shaken. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
Meanwhile, in small saucepan heat marmalade just until melted. Lightly brush top of clafouti with warmed marmalade. Return to clafouti to oven; bake about 8 minutes until edges are nicely browned. Cool on wire rack at least 20 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings.
Read more here.