25 January 2011
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Brunch, Eggs, Weekends

Battle Soufflé


 

I get it.

Soufflés are scary.  They are.

Pop culture ruined the soufflé for us with images of deflated cooks serving deflated dishes to deflated guests. Well, I am here to change that. Contrary to public opinion, soufflés are easy, delicious, and do not need to be perfect. However, the world (and the French) have made us American home cooks believe that we are merely setting ourselves up for failure if we try to make a soufflé of any kind. Here’s the best advice I can give you on this matter:

1. Practice on your loved ones. The pizza delivery man is only a phone call away.

2. Follow a good recipe to a tee the first time (the Joy of Cooking has several). Once you are comfortable with the technique, add variations to your heart’s content.

3. All of the ingredients you put into the soufflé taste good together, so even if it isn’t perfectly beautiful, it will be delicious.

The pic above is a souffle I made with Gruyere cheese and frozen spinach, which turned out quite well, I must say, in spite of being a little overcooked. I find savory soufflés more appealing that sweet ones, but anyone who knows me will not be surprised by this. Try making one for a weekend lunch and serve it with a mixed green salad dressed with a simple vinaigrette. A chilled, crisp, un-oaked Chardonnay would be a most welcome accompaniment.

Feel free to post questions here before you start. Knowledge is power in battle soufflé.

20 October 2010
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Sammiches

Fancy Burgers


Okay, so they are not really that fancy.  They aren’t stuffed with fancy bleu cheese or made from home-ground sirloin steaks, and they are not topped with foie gras.  No, they are just really good burgers I bought at the store and topped with what I consider to be some good, pretty straightforward Italian ingredients.  The result is actually much better than I ever expected.  Something about the combination of the salty Asiago cheese, the fresh punch of pesto, and the smokiness of the roasted red pepper hits your palate in a shockingly savory way.  When I came up with this idea, I was expecting some mediocre results that would need to be improved upon.  Not so.  This one rocks, just the way it is.

I probably started thinking about these burgers because I had the weirdest craving that took me straight back to my childhood.  My mom would buy these pre-made burgers from the local butcher that they called “pizza burgers.”  They were somehow seasoned to taste distinctly “Italian” (probably just a lot of garlic powder and some Italian seasoning mix) and then my mother would top them with red sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.  I loved them.  I begged for them.  They were probably more expensive than what my mother usually bought, so they were a special treat, only purchased when we had a little extra grocery money lying around.  Anyway, I thought about those the other day and, as I do, wanted to recreate the concept using fresher, less processed ingredients.  This is the result of that effort.

Since this is just an assemblage, I won’t write out a full recipe.  Cook burgers according to your preferred method and cooking time (I used the cast iron skillet and cooked to medium-well), then top with slices of Asiago cheese (I used Boar’s Head) and cover to melt.  For serving, coat the bottom of a toasted bun with a generous amount of basil pesto (store bought or homemade), then top with the cheeseburger.  Top the burger with roasted red peppers (either homemade or from a jar) and finish with the top bun (you can add pesto to this, too, but it may be too salty).  Smash together and enjoy.  =)

18 October 2010
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Autumn, Basics, Curries, Dinner, Soups

Curried Lentil and Rice Stew


Since we are going headlong into soup season, I thought I would share this recipe for a quick-cooking supper, based on both my basic recipe for Indian curry dishes and on a soup that the Bun likes to get for lunch from one of the eateries near his office.  It may not look like much, but this dish, with its combination of brown rice, brown lentils, and red lentils, qualifies as a complete protein.  Where I am not exactly sure how the chemistry of this works, I do know that the combination of legumes and whole grains is not only good for you, it is delicious.  With the heat of the chilies and the depth of the curry powder, this stew will warm your belly and your soul, which is much needed in the forthcoming cold months.

If there is interest, I might start a “Meatless Mondays” regular post.  I read recently that this concept started during wartime, to save on resources and ease the pain of the pocketbook.  Seems like a good idea to me, and I love the challenge of creating a satisfying meal that does not focus on meat.
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