There’s nothing like the excitement of a new book, is there? Especially one that you’ve been anticipating for a long while. I finally got my hands on such a book on November 2nd, when I headed down to Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks to pick up my copy of Dorie Greenspan‘s eleventh cookbook, Baking Chez Moi.
Dorie was in Vancouver for the only Canadian stop on her book tour and I was lucky enough to be able to attend the taping of her interview with CBC’s North by Northwest Cooking Club. (Some even luckier folks got to have dinner with her later that evening.) She told stories about living and baking in Paris and shared tips and tricks while she demonstrated putting together her Pink Grapefruit Tart from the book. CBC has posted the interview now, which you can find here.
Meanwhile, the audience got to munch on miniature versions of the tart, while sipping Barbara-Jo’s signature tea blend. (If you think my idea of heaven would be listening to one of my culinary heroes, while munching on a delicious tart and sipping a cup of perfect tea, in a bookstore devoted to cookbooks – well, you’d be right.)
After the interview, she fielded questions from the audience and engaged in some banter with her husband, Michael, who is accompanying her on the tour. His version of the stories she shared were sometimes a little different from hers and he quite charmingly interjected when he thought it was necessary.
At the end, I introduced myself and Dorie gave me a big hug. It was lovely to finally meet her after cooking through Around My French Table with the French Fridays with Dorie group for the past four years.
Which brings us to the first entry in Tuesdays with Dorie‘s newest project – baking through Baking Chez Moi. We’ll be posting together twice a month as we work our way through the book and I’m quite excited to be joining in. Just browsing through my copy of this cookbook left it bristling with bookmarked recipes, so I’m glad that TwD is here to provide me with some structure. (I’ve joined in with Tuesdays with Dorie before, along with my nieces, over at The Family That Bakes Together for some Baking with Julia assignments.)
The recipe chosen to kick off the bake-a-long was Palets de Dames, Lille Style, a sweet, cake-y vanilla cookie topped with a shiny lemon glaze. I made these three weeks ago, when the French Fridays crew celebrated Dorie’s Birthday. I thought about making them again this week, but they are far too addictive. I will wait until I’m sure I have plenty of people to share them with.
I’m looking forward to reading through everyone’s posts and connecting with old friends and new through this new group. Our next assignment for Baking Chez Moi is in two weeks, when we tackle Dorie’s Cranberry Crackle Tart.
You can find the rest of the Tuesdays with Dorie crew’s entries on this week’s recipe here: Palets de Dames.
One Wet Foot 
Congratulations!! That is so exciting. Wow I’m so happy for you.
I just received my book in the mail today – so happy. Your cookies are cute!
I want to go to heaven. 🙂
If I can pull off the cranberry tart, nay – the tart crust – I know the rest of BCM will be a cinch, at least until we get to the layer cakes.
Sounds like my idea of heaven too 🙂 Lovely post and yay for baking along with us!
Such a lovely post, Teresa! Love all your pictures of your night with Dorie! I’m also looking forward to our new baking adventure! Here’s to new beginnings! Your cookies are absolutely lovely! Happy baking!
Oh yay! I was so happy to see you were able to meet up with Dorie. Michael & Dorie are both so nice – they really complement each other.
Your cookies are lovely – looking forward to extending our FFwD family longer over on this site!
First, your cookies look wonderful, I love that plate. Secondly, that was quite a night for you,
Dorie and Michael are wonderful people, we had a lot of fun meeting them in Seattle. Glad
we are all baking together.
You are so lucky to have met Dorie in Vancouver! With the demise of the Cookbook Store in Toronto, these fabulous authors aren’t coming here anymore to promote their books 😦 ! Your cookies look lovely (and I can’t wait to make that grapefruit tart!)
Lovely post Teresa! I’m so pleased that so many of the Doristas were able to meet Dorie on the tour. Your day sounds lovely. I agree, I would have loved that combination too!!
You are right, these cookies are addictive! Truth told, I put half of the dough in the freezer before and brought it out to bake them for this round. Shhhh…don’t tell anyone!!
Hope you have a delightful day!
Dorie is the sweetest. The new book is another labor of love and it’s wonderful that you got to see her in action – a most perfect evening indeed!
Hi Teresa, I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Dorie’s new book, sounds like your in a fun group. Your cookies look delicious!
Plenty of people to share with is a must! We shared some but I still ate far too many:) They’re just so darned good! It will be a pleasure to bake along with you on our newest Dorie project. I’m glad you got to meet her and Michael.
I am green with envy!!! I’d be tongue tied and in awe! Great post!
Hi, Teresa! Your adventure sounds like heaven to me! 🙂 I’m just sorry that I couldn’t make it to the Bay Area when Dorie was here. Your cookies look lovely and so is your new (to me) blog design. I am going to check out some of those books! XO
What a great story, so glad that you got to meet her. I have heard such wonderfully good things about Dorie on her tour. I am new to TWD and look forward to it.
Hi Teresa,
Nice post!
I’m so jealous that you get to meet with Dorie and a photo with her too!
Lovely cookies, and like you, I’ll wait for more people to share these with before making another batch.
Glad to be baking with TWD!
Wow, lucky you! I look forward to baking with you.
Wow! That sounds like a really fun night! I didn’t realize you had another blog. I just knew about the family one. 😛
I’m glad we are doing both BWJ and BCM, but yes, I agree, I hope to finish ALL of the BCM! 😀 Yay!
I will put this cookbook on my Christmas Wish List today. Sounds so good! Thanks for sharing.
Oh my goodness! What a wonderful post. How I’d love to meet Dorie one day.
Sounds like a perfect evening! My Mom got to meet Dorie in Seattle and she made it sound like such a fun event. Too bad my city is too small for a visit from her. I too am looking forward to baking from her new book with Tuesdays with Dorie!
Really interesting post, Teresa. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. My idea of a perfect day is also with one of my heroes, tea and a a delicious tart! 🙂
Such fun to see your Dorie experience! Thanks for sharing all that. Your cookies look lovely and I knew they would as I’ve baked/cooked with you before and things are always nice over here. Love the dish the cookies are resting upon, just a perfect choice.
sounds like a fun event! dorie is such a genuinely nice and charming person, it makes me even more excited to make her recipes.
I love that you got to meet Dorie! I’m hoping to see her at the local signing here on Wednesday. I made these cookies a few weeks ago when you did. I didn’t think to repost about them, so I’m waiting until the next recipe that appeals to me to jump into TWD/BCM with my other Dorista pals.
I’m glad you are going to be over at TwD, too!
I’m so glad you liked my Dorie’s apple cake post because through that I checked out this post. I am green with envy (in a good way) over your bookshop heaven experience. I am also interested in cooking along with the new book “Baking Chez Moi”- or maybe I need an excuse to justify buying it. On second thoughts my family loved her apple cake so they might just beg me to buy it and bake more! 😉
You should join! It’s a lovely group of people, including some Cottage Kitchen Club participants.
I am tempted… but my problem is eating all the yummy things I bake! I have looked for the book here in Abu Dhabi but it’s not out yet – I’ve been told December 1st. To buy it online and ship it is $52, yikes! In the meantime I’ll follow along until I can get my hands on the book. Happy baking!
Your idea of heaven could not be better! How fun to meet Dorie!! Your cookies look great. And I have to say, I love the little gremlin? pics of the commenters who don’t use a photo. Too cute!!! I want one!
Yes they are cute, aren’t they? It’s one of the options WordPress gives.