Elisa #4

about me

Hello,

I am an American from ND that has been living off and on in France (the south) for the last 20 years. The produce and meat and dairy here are amazing but I do come back from home with suitcases of American goodies.

I like to read and cook and try to impress French people with my dishes (and so far so good .

I work at home doing translations, web site pages for International companies.

My passions are : my beautiful 14 year old daughter, my beloved guinea pig Daisy, reading detective novels written by women, cook books and cooking. I also have a huge collection of Fine Cooking, Gourmet and Bon Appetit!

My favorite cookbooks are OLD! I have a 1948 Farm Journal Homemade Cookies that is priceless, the BEST brownies in the world and so far, the world has voted yes! I have a Fanny Farmer from 1964, my mom's Joy of Cooking from 1967. I have lots of new ones but they just get a bit fancy for me.

My pet peeves? Stale cookies, crackers and chips, food that is cold when it's supposed to be hot and visa versa! People who are late and don't call!

Favorite Foods:

I get a lot of feedback for my chicken tetrazzini and my lasagne (both have taken years to perfect!) but so much work! My mini-sweet potato muffins and my stuffing; my mom's beef stroganoff...oh!!The French LOVE my pecan maple pie!

I have really been enjoying making my pizza - I use marscapone and sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts and lots of buffla moz and fresh oregano from my garden. The secret is confit onion. I make it a lot!

Currently my favorite restaurant is right down the block from me; it's Sicilian and they do make the best pizza, veal in cream sauce, "moules frites"...My girlfriends from NY and Minneapolis and Maine just adore it! They fly in from the US just to eat there when they could go eat somewhere very fancy! The wine and ambiance is fun fun fun!

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