Dorie Greenspan taught me to bake. No, not in my kitchen, nor in hers, but she promised that even I, an extremely reluctant baker, could replicate her recipes in Baking: From My Home to Yours. She was right. I can now crank out (with confidence) several remarkable desserts. Baking, however, is not really my thing, I’m just as happy to pick up a linzer torte at Dagmar’s. But I do love to cook, especially big pots of things on Sunday that feed my family through Tuesday dinner. My copy of Dorie’s new book,  Around My French Table arrived Friday and I immediately got to it: family and houseguests alike loved the Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes, a savory/sweet, impossibly simple one-pot meal. For breakfast we had Dorie’s version of Basque Potato Tortilla, an egg, onion and potato frittata that’s a great nosh to have around for lunch or cocktails, too. I even attempted dessert: Salted Butter Break-ups, because I can’t resist a sweet/salty treat and I happened to have all the ingredients on hand (and so will you: flour, butter, sugar and salt). Delish! The book addresses the way the French cook now: uncomplicated food with global influences. But here’s why I love to cook with Dorie: you can’t go wrong. Each recipe includes tips on serving, storing and making ahead and her books are almost more fun to read than to cook from.

p.s. Dorie devotees: join French Fridays With Dorie, an online bookclub, and cook your way through Around My French Table.