Testing and Trying... Food

My little repertoire is getting boring.  I have to spruce it up with new, different recipes. I'm talking appetizers, main dishes, side dishes...  I have purchased several old cookbooks reputed to be excellent sources for French cooking but I have a hankering to try other people's favorite best recipes.  No need to be French, just a winner. Can you help?

In the meantime, here a a few delightful and delicious discoveries I have made over the last weeks.

St-Germain liqueur.  It is made with elderberry flowers and is a surprising, fruity-candy taste for grownups.  It's light and perfect for an after dinner treat.  It can be served as a cocktail when mixed with champagne or white wine.  I have yet to try this but sense that the combo with champagne will be a winner.The bottle is gorgeous, I am going to use mine as a dish soap dispenser when it's empty and it won't be long now.  This, I know, will be a holiday favorite with my family.  V. and D. have already stamped their approval and T., when he gets home December 20th is going to taste it and see if he joins the ranks of the sold on this solid gold liqueur...

If you live in the Edmonton area, we have two lovely French bakeries:  Duchess Bakery and Dauphine Bistro and Bakery.   When I have people over for dinner, I am not averse to purchasing a dessert and Duchess has been my usual choice for something luscious like Duchess cake or lemon tart but recently, having been to Dauphine and spoken to the owner, the former «Queen of Tarts»I will have to try their Buche de Noel for my Christmas eve dinner this year.

Dauphine is also offering French pastry classes every Sunday in January.  Wouldn't that make a great «With Love From Me to Me» Christmas present?

Bonne journée,

Stella