Tasting of hazelnuts with a hint of tang, creme fraiche is France's favorite form of cream for cooking. With more body and complex flavors than fresh sweet cream, creme fraiche is a thick, rich, custard of a cream. It thickens without curdling, a little goes a long way in fast pan sauces, and blended with fresh herbs and a dash of fresh lemon, creme fraiche is splendid over seafoods and poultry. Dollop it over fresh fruit, or whip and lightly sweeten to frost or fill cakes. This is a home version that comes close to the real thing.
Another dish from our first evening together in Saint Louis. With this one, Fernando needed no coaxing. In fact, when he had finished he asked if he might have "un altra goccia di salsa, another drop of sauce." I set a little dish of it before him, and he proceeded to spread it on crusts of bread, eating the little tidbits between sips of red wine. I tried it that way, too, and ever since, we always make extra sauce, keeping it on hand for other uses. See suggestions below.
Besides using this sauce in casseroles and pot pies, spoon it over sliced turkey for a hot turkey sandwich.
Two kinds of chocolate, dark cocoa, intense vanilla and coffee, and a crunch of almond turn a fine chocolate cake into an opulent one.