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To a girl growing up in western North Carolina, gougeres might have sounded like something made in a fit of boredom with a sharp stick and winter gleanings.

Sheri Castle's culinary horizons have broadened considerably since her youth in Watauga County. The Chapel Hill writer and recipe developer is the author of more than a dozen cookbooks, several of them ghostwritten for well-known clients.

In one of her latest projects, she served as writer and recipe editor of Le Creuset: A Collection of Recipes from Our French Table (Le Creuset, $35).

The collection marks the first cookbook from the renowned maker of prestige cookware's U.S. subsidiary (pronounced "luh cru-say"), which is based in Charleston, S.C. Handsomely illustrated with images from award-winning food photographer Peter Frank Edwards, it includes 80 classic French recipes created by Le Creuset's culinary team to appeal to an American audience.

Castle promises that a platter of garlic and herb gougeres -- savory cheese puff nibbles -- will dazzle.

"If all you did for a party is hand someone a few gougeres and a glass of champagne," she says, "you'd make a magnificent party."

The hors d'oeuvres look hard to make but aren't, she adds. They can be served warm or at room temperature, and even can be prepped in advance and baked at the last minute. Master this and a few other clearly explained techniques, and you'll be well on your way to transforming your American kitchen into a Paris salon.

Food on 02/21/2018

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