The Cake Slice: Cinnamon Pudding Cake

Once again it is time for cake!  This month's selection for the Cake Slice Bakers was a cinnamon pudding cake, and while I can not say that I was extremely excited about making it, I did think that the cinnamon flavor would be fitting for fall. There seems to be a slight problem, however, because even though I made this cake days ago, I am here posting at the last minute.  This is partly due to starting a new job, but the bigger issue is that I was just not inspired by this cake.  I baked it and we have been eating it over the past few days, but I can't really imagine making it again.

French Fridays with Dorie: Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Flans

Since I first saw the list of October recipes for French Fridays with Dorie, I have been eagerly anticipating the day when I would make these pumpkin and Gorgonzola flans.  I love pumpkin (especially in savory dishes) and over the past few months I have developed a blue cheese obsession, so this seemed like an ideal dish.  Unfortunately, these flans seem to have suffered from my own overblown expectations because I just did not love them.  The Gorgonzola and walnuts were delicious, but the pumpkin custard was overly eggy and, for me, it lacked flavor.  

French Fridays with Dorie: Potato Gratin

When it came time to vote for the November dishes for French Fridays with Dorie, there was one recipe on the list that I absolutely did not want to make: the potato gratin.  It was not because I dislike potatoes (I adore them), or because the picture in Around my French Table is not appetizing (in fact, it is positively mouthwatering).  No, I wanted to avoid this recipe because it looked too good, and I could not stop imagining myself shoveling spoonfuls of cream-bathed potato slices into my mouth.

French Fridays with Dorie: Roast Chicken for les Paresseux

This month for French Fridays with Dorie, we are doing something a little different.  We voted for our four November recipes (I have almost stopped pouting about the fact that only half my choices made the cut), but we can prepare them in any order that we choose.  This week I chose the Roast Chicken for les Paresseux.  After last weekend's candy and cupcake filled Halloween festivities, I wanted something a little more earnest, so a roast chicken fit the bill perfectly.  I made a slight miscalculation, however, because I was not anticipating the deliciousness of a white wine and chicken dripping-laced pan sauce, or the irresistibility of sopping it up with chunks of crusty bread.

French Fridays with Dorie: Marie-Helene's Apple Cake

This week's post for French Fridays with Dorie is going to be short and sweet.  Short because I am rushing around trying to finish preparations (and a massive amount of cooking) for our Halloween party, and sweet because it is cake!  I considered skipping this week's recipe, Marie-Helene's Apple Cake, but the recipe seemed so easy (and, hello, cake), that I decided to give it a go yesterday.

French Fridays with Dorie: Hachis Parmentier

When I first saw the list of October recipes for French Fridays with Dorie, this Hachis Parmentier was the dish I was most excited to make.  The photo in Dorie Greenspan's book is just mouthwatering.  Hachis Parmentier is basically a French shepherd's pie, and, as I discovered when I made this for dinner, it is wonderfully warm and comforting.

The Cake Slice: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

I was looking through my blog last night, and I realized that I haven't posted a dessert since last September.  Also, my last three dishes have been noodle-centric.  I need to switch it up here, people! Well, I am happy to report that I have joined the Cake Slice Bakers, so I will be posting at least one dessert recipe every month.  The Cake Slice is a group of bloggers that bake the same cake each month and post about it on the same day. I wanted to join this group because I love baking and talking about recipes, and because it gives me an excuse to make cake (the whole "buying a new cookbook thing" didn't hurt, either).  Yum, cake!