French Comfort Food by Hillary Davis

French Comfort Food by Hillary Davis is a beautiful book overflowing with French inspiration and comfort food.  

The recipes that I have marked to try include, but are not limited to (that phrase is leftover from my legal days), Caramelized Onion and Roquefort Clafoutis, Savory Tomato Basil Cake, Wicked Chocolate Omelet Flamed with Rum, Perigord Garlic and Chicken Soup, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Candied Chestnuts, Endives and Ham Gratin, Potato, Cheese and Wine Casserole, Very Lemon Tart in a Butter Cookie Crust, Rum Soaked Almond Cake from Nantes and Walnut Tart in Walnut Pastry

Last night I made Heavenly Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Melted Cheese and Succulent Roast Chicken with Oranges and Black Olives.  To say the chicken was flavorful would be like stating Las Vegas is warm in July.  The chicken was moist, tender and orangey perfection and the potatoes were creamy heaven (and I forgot that heaven was actually in the name of the recipe). 

My husband appreciates my cooking and there are some meals that earn the “thank you, that was so delicious” statement and last night was one of them (and my husband does not like mashed potatoes) – so score! I had doubled the recipes to share with my neighbor who is running herself ragged with her teenaged daughter who is undergoing some serious medical issues.  I got several Fox stars from the Fox family – not as noteworthy as the Michelin stars but still meaningful to me.

Hillary writes great instructive details — a novice or experienced cook could recreate any of the recipes in this beautiful book.  The ingredients should be easy to procure in any large supermarket.