..the No Guilt (Cook) book club does "The Fig".

Hard to believe a month has gone by since we sat down and indulged with Miss Julie Child, but here we are sitting down to another afternoon of "please pass the cream and butter". This month was my pick, and I choose Sondra Bernsteins' labor of love...The Girl and the Fig. I was asked why this particular cookbook? The answer was simple... ever since a dear friend introduced me to Sondra's Sonoma restaurant of the same name, I was hooked. I had first tried her Pearl Couscous and French Olives at the Annual Sonoma Olive Festival, and as I do with all dishes that I love, I tried to figure out how to recreate it at home. On a whim I sent off an email asking if she would divulge her recipe(pre-cookbook). Never expecting to hear back, what a surprise it was the next day to find it in my inbox. What graciousness! I have since, over the years, spent many a special occasion in this gem of a wine country bistro, have never been disappointed, and have re-created at home some of my favorites from the pages of her cookbook with a gastronomic passion.
It is with that passion that we all sat down to:
Cauliflower & Gruyere Soup
Endive Salad with Pears and Blue Cheese and Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Grilled Salmon with Lavender Beurre Rouge
Apple-Yam Gratin (I'm eating the leftovers as I type this)
Vanilla Ice Cream with Wildflower Honey and Biscotti
We managed, once again to create an amazing afternoon feast with little consultation. It really is a wonderful way to try new dishes and compare notes. We left the table filled with butter, cream, and wine, promising in the spring to break bread at the actual the girl and the Fig restaurant.
I love field trips!
Next month we will be stirring our way through the pages of the Barefoot Contessa...do I see a trip to the Hamptons in store?