"Tres magnifique! My gal & I bought a big bag of French beans 4 days ago, made this as a side each of the past 3 nights. Goes with anything or by itself. Very simple, very good. A shake of Herbes de Provence gives this dish a little...I don't know what...but the salt and pepper are just fine. C'est parfait! "

"Yow! Sublime!
Melts in your mouth good. Had no fennel, but celery and a splash of Pernod was just dandy. Even without Pernod, the roasty ground fennel seeds alone are enough. Also: decided to use country style ribs and it all worked out fine. The spaetzle was great on the side. Our colander's holes were too small for the batter, but dropping little chunks of batter into the water did it. Ms. Burrell sure knows her way around a kitchen...and she looks mighty fine doing it!

"Dear Junk in Crystal Lake: just fry up the bacon first, chop, then cover with the cheese.