FFWD - Celebration Week #4: Grand Finale - Stuff on Toast

Well folks, this is it - this is our last French Fridays with Dorie post, ever.  After nearly five years, it is hard to believe that we are finished cooking our way through Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan, as well as four subsequent weeks of revisiting the highlights.  To put it in perspective, there are five years of high school, and it took five years to complete my double degrees - hence completion of our AMFT journey is a significant feat.

I originally had reservations about joining this group, which sprung from Tuesdays with Dorie.  I had nearly finished baking through Baking - From My Home to Yours with that group (although I came in late), so I wasn't sure if I wanted to commit to another group. Another reservation about joining was that baking, not cooking, is my passion. 

However, when I decided to dip my toes in the water and try out FFwD, it ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made.  Through FFwD, I have met an amazing group of people who also undertook this project, and with whom I hope to keep in touch now that it is complete.  Also, unexpectedly, I learned a whole lot about cooking that I didn't know before.  I learned to cook mussels, scallops, salmon and duck.  I discovered some great new dishes, like Chicken B'stilla and  Gougeres, and amazing new flavour combinations, my favourite being the many meat and fruit dishes in AMFT.  I found that chopped liver and sardines actually taste good, and are not the foods to be feared that popular television would have you believe. I also made some not so pleasant discoveries - hello caviar in aspic.  I am going to miss this group very much, for many reasons.

There are way too many highlights of FFwD to recount in this post, but here are a few of them.  Cher taught us all to be fearless in our substitutions.  Don't like it, or don't have it - substitute!  I have always been in this camp of cooking, but Cher raised the flag and flew it triumphantly.  I was endlessly entertained by the reactions of Dorista spouses (cue Bill, Bill, Neil and Howard) and the dual perspectives of Tricia and Nana, and inspired by Mary's adventures and enthusiasm for life.  I have loved taking a trip around the world each week (US, Germany, Canada, Greece, Malaysia, Italy, Japan) and learning about regional differences in availability and seasonality of produce (not to mention the weather!).   I was as excited as a child in anticipation during the Christmas and Valentines card exchanges arranged by Alice.  I have had the pleasure of meeting Patty, Kathy, Cher and Betsy. And every week, I have delighted in looking at the LYL posts of all the other Doristas to compare notes and thoughts on each week's recipe,  and receiving words of warmth and encouragement from my fellow Doristas.  Who doesn't like to be told that they did a good job, or wished a good weekend or happy holidays?  There are many other things that I could write here, but so that you don't fall asleep, I will leave it at that.

Special thanks goes to Betsy and Mary for organising our recipe roster and keeping us on track as we made our way through Around My French Table. 

For this, our final FFwD post, we have been asked to  share an original recipe that was inspired by an AMFT recipe or do a recipe that you would like to make-up or just make again.  One of my enduring memories of FFwD will be Trevor's haiku and  Stuff on Toast.  When I think of Stuff on Toast, it always makes me smile - because that's exactly what it is.  No pretentious tartines in my house - from now on, it will be Stuff on Toast.  Accordingly, for my final post, I have made two variations of Stuff on Toast inspired by "recipes" from AMFT.

My first stuff on toast dish, featured at the top of this post, is inspired by Dorie's Goat Cheese and Strawberry Tartine. Instead of goats cheese, I used cottage cheese, and subbed in peaches for strawberries, all atop a piece of crusty white bread.  This makes a fabulous breakfast dish, and is a regular in my house.

My second stuff on toast dish is inspired by Dorie's Nutella Tartine.  This time, instead of nutella with marmalade and hazelnuts, my tartine featured Nutella with raspberry jam and almonds:

Though this alternative combination was nice enough, I  don't think it was a patch on the original.  The marmalade in the original balances out the sweetness of the Nutella, while the raspberry jam enhances it.  Accordingly, in this case, there is much to be said by not messing with the classics.

To all my fellow Doristas - I have enjoyed taking this journey with you very much.  I hope that we can keep in touch as a group, and maybe start a new project in the future.  As the saying goes, don't be dismayed at goodbyes, a farewell is necessary before you can meet again.

As a fitting finale, I leave you with an AMFT haiku:

Cooking with Dorie -

It has been an adventure,

French food and friendships

 

Finis.