Gateau Basque (French Pastry Cream Version)

Per Pierre-Yves Chupin in *French Bistro and Cafe Cooking* , “There are 2 versions of *Basque Cake* , 1 based on cherry preserves & another on pastry cream (creme patissiere) that is always very popular.” A RZ search yielded several recipes for cherry preserves versions & none for the latter that I could find, so I am entering it here as he opted to do in his cookbook. (Time does not include time for dough to rise). *Enjoy* ! — *Edited to Add* — Despite extraordinary efforts to verify & correct this recipe + 2 tries at making it by Buddha, it appears the recipe may be faulted in some way. Details + photos of the recipe from the cookbook can be found at http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=261947&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30. If anyone can shed light on this prob, it would be welcomed. Until that happens, I plan to try to email the author & publisher to register a complaint. If they respond, that answer will be posted in this thread at that time. 🙁

Kiwifruit Tart

This is from The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m typing it up for ZWT II. “This delicious French Tart can also be made with halved stoneless Angelina or dark red plums.”

Tartiflette – Alpine Melted Cheese, Bacon and Potato Gratin

Fast becoming a classic, Tartiflette is the perfect palliative supper dish for chilly autumn and winter evenings. This delicious, rich and hearty dish hails from the Alpine Haute Savoie region of France. For authenticity’s sake, try to get hold of a whole Reblochon cheese. Reminiscent of Camembert or Brie in flavour, texture and shape, Reblochon has the perfect melting quality for Tartiflette. In addition, as this dish can be prepared a day or so ahead, it could make the ultimate Bonfire Night or Halloween centrepiece! This is a truly indulgent dish, which is best appreciated after a strenuous morning on the ski-slopes — or at least a brisk winter’s morning walk. It is important to use a ripe Reblochon, preferably bought a few days in advance and left to reach maturity out of the fridge. For this to happen, it should be uncategorised. Of course, if you have a good cheese monger you will be able to buy one ripe and ready to eat. Serve the Tartiflette hot and straight from the gratin dish with fresh salad, crusty bread and assorted pickles. Edited to add: One reviewer made a comment that you should fry the bacon and discard the fat – it IS stated in the main instructions to do just that! Also, if your potatoes are not cooked after 15 minutes plus 25 minutes in the oven, you have not cut them thin enough – try to cut them quite thinly, as shown in all the photos. Reblochon cheese is a very STRONG cheese – do not try this recipe if you are not a lover of strong cheese! Merci:-)

Savoury French toast

Bread dipped in egg and fried is a winner any which way, and this is a little bit different from its sweet counterparts. This is a great one to have in the freezer, for those days when you don’t have time to think about what to make for lunch. You can just pop them in the oven to reheat while you’re getting on with other things.

Provençal picnic sandwich (Pan bagnat)

This is a speciality of Nice and is filled with Niçoise salad ingredients. A great way to use up slightly stale bread, the recipe contains tuna and anchovies but if you are vegetarian, you could substitute with cheese (such as mozzarella or slices of goats’ cheese) or roasted peppers, aubergines, courgettes and mushrooms. Make this a day ahead and keep weighted down in the fridge so all the juices seep into the bread.

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