A Dorie Greenspan Update: The New Book's Out + More Cookies For The Holidays

Imagine our surprise when -- unlike many new restaurants, and dinner dates -- the book showed up even earlier than promised. (Thanks to @ruhlman, who spends more time online than we do, for the heads up.) So we thought we'd take the opportunity to ask Greenspan a few more questions. It's kind of an occupational hazard.

Squid Ink: So are you happy with the new book?

Dorie Greenspan: I'm thrilled with the new book! In some ways I feel like it completes a story. Baking From My Home to Yours was a personal record of 30 years of baking at home. With Around My French Table I not only get to prove to people that I was a responsible wife, mother and friend and fed everyone 'real' food before I brought out dessert, I get to write about my longstanding love affair with the food, people and culture of France. Together, I think these two books might be my culinary autobiography.

In addition, I was very lucky to work with the same team that made Baking From My Home to Yours so beautiful -- Alan Richardson, Karen Tack and Deb Donohue -- and I think they outdid themselves (no easy thing) here. We did a bunch of the pictures in my kitchen in Connecticut - which is where all of the recipes were tested - and it was tremendous fun. It was like a big grown-up pajama party with a lot of great food. I loved when we had Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good for an afternoon snack. Not that we needed a snack after breakfasting on Cheez-it-ish Crackers and lunching on Moules Mariniere, Chicken-in-a-Pot (the cover recipe) and a lot of Slow-Roasted Tomatoes.

SI: What's your favorite recipe from the book?

DG: You know that's an impossible question to answer. I know you do. I'm not even sure I can narrow it down to five favorites. I love the food in the book! I love it because there are wonderful old recipes (like Beef on a String, which is my traditional New Year's Eve party dish), surprising new dishes (like Coconut-Lemongrass Braised Pork) and so many recipes that are both easy-peasy and chic (like Anne LeBlanc's Avocado and Pistachio Nut Oil - the title and the ingredient list are almost the same).

Since I can't choose a single favorite, here are just a few of the recipes I make over and over: Gougeres; Salmon Rillettes; Cheese-Topped Onion Soup; Salmon and Potatoes in a Jar; Tuna, Mozzarella and Basil Pizzas; Lamb and Dried Apricot Tagine; Café Salle Pleyel Hamburgers (leave it to the French to teach us something about our national icon); Endives, Apples and Grapes (another dish that's easy and chic); Marie-Helene's Apple Cake; the Sable Breton Galette. I'll stop. Can you tell I love this food?

SI: What have you been doing this summer?

DG: I spent the last part of the summer in Paris, where I worked with the terrific filmmaker, David Turecamo, on two videos, one in which Yves Camdeborde, chef-owner of the really, really popular Le Comptoir, and I make his Tuna-Mozzarella Pizza in his kitchen, and the other in which the adorable Alice Vasseur and I work together in my kitchen to make her Sweet Cheesecake Tart, a recipe she learned when she was 7 years old and going to Le Cordon Bleu. Stay tuned!

SI: Any more cookie pop-ups in the works?

DG: Stay tuned here as well. My son and CookieBar partner, Joshua, and I are baking up something special for the holidays.