Remember that time I had a blog… I just did too! Hi, guys!

It’s been a crazy month! Moving in with the chap and the beast, traveling to the MIA, dealing with office renovations, and of course Bastille Day!

That’s right, Bastille Day is a favourite holiday, but let’s face it, all holidays are favourite holidays. There’s no cute French bistro in Raleigh, so I decided the day was a good excuse to don a long black dress and whip up a storm in the kitchen. The chap didn’t realise this was ‘a thing.’ He has lots to learn!

2015 Bastille Day Menu

David Lebovitz’s Friseé Salad

Bistrot Paul Bert’s Steak au Poivre

BLT Steak’s Popovers with Gruyere

Salted Carmel Chocolate Mousse topped with Carmel Corn

Dream meal? Very possibly. It was also the night we received a new dining table from the chap’s parents. How charming!

First up, popovers. OMG. I will share the recipe soon, I promise! They were delicious despite being needy betches for oven time and usage. I don’t have a popover pan, so I went with a mix of ramekin sizes for them to pop over. Bigger is better here. Will definitely make them again. They might have been even better the next day when I toasted them and we used them as vehicles for a cheese plate.

As for the friseè salad, I couldn’t find friseè. Merde! So I bought some other leaves claiming to be French. The salad features thick cut bacon, hard boiled egg, and some wicked croutons. It’s basically a meal in itself, but I didn’t stop there….

…I had to make the deliriously easy Bistrot Paul Bert’s Steak au Poivre. It was a bust to not be able to score a reservation there my last visit to Paris, despite making the call in French no less. Merde. This dish was so easy and delicious that I’m now glad to know at least I could cook there.

Here’s all you do. Buy some thick ass filets, sprinkle some crushed peppercorns on either side and let them hang out for 20 minutes. Heat a little oil and butter. Pan sear. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Then add 1/4 cup (or so)of cognac. You can get crazy and set the sauce on fire at this point or just cook it. I’d already dipped into the the wine a bit while cooking, so I went for the same route. Let the sauce bubble a couple minutes and voilà! A comfort food aphrodisiac. Yes, please! Rumour is fancy  upper class men brought their lady friends to Paul Bert’s for this dish late in the evening because all of the pepper (and booze?) supposedly had an aphrodisiac effect on the consumer. I won’t tell you if it did or not, but it was delicious!

Finally, dessert from David Lebovitz’s newest book! Pretty easy, but takes some time to make the Carmel and then chill. We were almost too stuffed to try it, but I made us preservere.