Croque Madame -Guest Beth Barany

It's Too Yummy Tuesday!

On select Tuesdays I share delicious recipes either inspired by my books or that are just plain delicious! Today I'm happy to have special guest Beth Barany, author of  Touchstone of Love. She's here sharing her recipe for Croque Madame. Take it away, Beth!

CROQUE MADAME

I love France and have lived there twice. No wonder I set one of my stories there. (And more to come!) I love much of the food you can get in the lovely cafes in big cities and small. One thing I enjoyed when I lived in France was the croque-madame, a sandwich, usually with eggs, cheese, and ham. It’s a variation of the croquet-monsieur, a ham and cheese sandwich, without the egg.

Origin of the name “croque madame”: “croquet” is from the French verb “croquer” which means “to crunch,” since the dish is fried. I’ve read that the “madame” comes from the fact that the egg on top of the sandwich looks like an old woman. (Thank you Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croque-monsieur.)

Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 thick slices white bread

2 slices ham

1 egg

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ready in 15 minutes

Directions

      Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the cheese once the butter has melted. Dip each slice of bread into the melted cheese, coating both sides.

     Heat another skillet over medium heat. Place one slice of bread into the skillet and top it with 2 slices of ham. Place the second piece of bread on top. Fry until golden on each side, then remove from the skillet and set aside.

      Fry the egg in the hot skillet to your liking: easy, medium, or well done. Place the fried egg on top of the sandwich and serve. Salt and pepper to taste.

Notes: I prefer French bread. A sweet baguette tastes best and mimics what you’d get in France. If you want to use cheese that the French typically use, try Emmental or Gruyère cheese. Lastly, since I now eat gluten-free, I make this with tortillas.

Thanks to http://allrecipes.com/recipe/croque-madame/ for the recipe.

Enjoy!

Touchstone of Love

by Beth Barany

Buy Now

When a thunderstorm transports software expert Rose Waldman to thirteenth century France, she meets hunky stonemason Julien, who is secretly creating a gargoyle in defiance of his master mason. Can independent gadget loving Rose trust her life and heart to Julien, and can she really never go home again?

About the Author

Beth Barany writes magical tales of romance and adventure to transport readers to new worlds where anything is possible. Her favorite city is Paris in the summer.

In her off hours, Beth enjoys capoeira, traveling, and watching movies with her husband, bestselling author Ezra Barany, and playing with their two cats, Kitty and Leo.

Beth’s online home:

http://author.bethbarany.com/

You can also connect with her on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethbarany

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/beth_barany

Review snippets for TOUCHSTONE OF LOVE

“…a unique take on gargoyles which I thoroughly enjoyed. I highly recommend!” — Karysa Faire

“…The story was really romantic and the two of them together are just pure magic. It is rare that I find a couple rather than a single character really making a story worth while, but this one does just that.” — Kathy Horseman

“… recommend this novella to anyone who is looking for an entertaining read for the night or weekend.” — Lisa