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September 2015

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Rachel Reviews – Domestic Chíc

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Kristin Sollenne’s first cookbook, Domestic Chíc: A Fashionably Fabulous Guide to Cooking & Entertaining by the Seasonsis a well laid out, beautifully photographed book. I made the mistake of flipping through it for the first time late at night when I was starving. I wanted to make everything!

What I Love About Domestic Chíc

 

It’s Laid Out Seasonally and It’s Heavy on the Fruits and Veggies

When I read that Kristin’s “main philosophy is farm-to-table with a focus on clean ingredients and keeping it simple”, it seemed like a book that was right up my alley. We eat seasonally, so I appreciate it when cookbooks are laid out that way (she’s even got a produce guide at the beginning of each season so we know what to expect at that time of year). It makes it a lot easier to figure out what to make with the fruits and veggies that we have on hand. We eat a lot of fresh produce, so it’s always great to have new ideas for how to use it. There are lots of creative options that aren’t just the same old same old dishes.

It’s Organized by Menu

We love to host dinner parties. So it’s great to have menu ideas right at my fingertips. They are listed by theme, but also by season. She’s got decor ideas and sometimes even a suggestion for the perfect type of music. I could totally identify with the California Dreamin’ menu – I grew up in Ontario, Canada and always wanted to live in California. I would have loved to have a dinner planned around this fabulous state.

The Photography

I’m a sucker for great photos of food. It’s inspiring to see food that’s styled well plus, I like to get a visual of what I’m making. I’m a lot less likely to try a recipe if there isn’t a photo. Thankfully, in Domestic Chíc there is a beautiful photo for each recipe.

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Some of the Recipes that I’ve Tried or Can’t Wait to Try

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Garlic Parmesan Olives

This recipe reminds me of the olives we would eat with a glass of wine while we waited for our food at the café around the corner from our flat when we visited Paris. And even if it didn’t, you can’t really go wrong with garlic, basil, olives, and Parmesan cheese. 😉

Cucumber Bisque

I’m always looking for creative ways to use cucumber.

Melted Brie with Fruits

Kristin, you had me at “melted brie”.

Spinach Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I love the simplicity of pasta, tomatoes, and garlic with a few extras like pine nuts, parsley, and good olive oil.

Prosciutto and Melon

I didn’t think I wanted to try melon with anything else, because it’s so good on its own. But this summer I’ve been convinced.

Chicken Piccata

Since we don’t eat a lot of meat, when we do I want it to taste incredible. This sounds like just the dish for our next chicken purchase.

Sollenne Family Rice Balls

I have a note in my phone to make these soon. They sound amazing!

Panelle

I love chickpeas, so the idea of using chickpea flour is intriguing. I can’t wait to see what this tastes like, and I especially like the suggestion to sandwich it between a baguette. I like almost nothing more than a good baguette with something delicious sandwiched inside.

Herb-Baked Cauliflower

Cauliflower is about to be in season. I can’t wait to try this.

French Onion Soup

Soups are my favorite food to make and eat. And French Onion Soup is one of my all-time favorites. When we visited Paris we made sure to try it as often as possible.

Warm Seasonal Vegetable Salad

Roasting veggies is my preferred way to eat them. They get a deep, rich flavor like nothing else. I could just eat roasted veggies for a meal and be perfectly content. I like that this recipe instructs you to boil the veggies first. Gives them a head start on the cooking (which is great for root veggies like beets).

Clam Chowder

We spent a week of our honeymoon on the coast. Ever since, Clam Chowder has been one of those nostalgic foods that I’ve always wanted to learn how to make. Now I can.

Festive Scones

I’m not much of a baker, but scones I can do. These sound like they will be perfect for a cold and cozy morning during the holidays. We’ll drink too much coffee and steam up the windows with the heat from the oven, and I’ll bet we won’t be able to resist a bite while they’re still hot from the oven.

French Toast Stuffed with Bananas and Blueberries

My first thought when I saw this was that Tim would love this. I just baked some bread and we have bananas. I have to try it.

Lemon Pancakes

Anything with lemon zest is a winner to me. And pancakes are one of my favorite breakfasts. I love to make a big batch on the weekend and then freeze them for the weekdays. They can be reheated in the toaster oven in no time.

Tenderloin with Peppercorn Butter

Steak and butter. The end.

And now I’m starving.

(A copy of Domestic Chíc: A Fashionably Fabulous Guide to Cooking & Entertaining by the Seasons was provided by the publisher for this review.)

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