Cheese Souffle May 30, 2007

Thanks goes to Julia Child for this recipe. I made a few revisions from the original recipe.

4 Tablespoons softened butter
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 Tablespoons flour
1 cup hot whole milk
pinch nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 egg yolks
5 egg whites
1 cup coarsely grated cheese (Monteray Jack or a sharp white cheddar)
Preheat 400F. Butter an 8-cup souffle dish with 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter. Dust interior of dish with Parmesan and knock out excess. In large saucepan, melt the remaining butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the butter and flour foam and froth. Remove from heat and beat in the hot milk, then simmer over medium heat and stir slowly until thick, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in seasonings, then the egg yolks, 1 by 1. Whip the egg whites to stiff, shining peaks, then whisk 1/4 of them into the sauce to lighten it. Delicately fold the remaining egg whites into the sauce, alternating with the cheese. Turn the souffle mixture into the prepared dish and set in oven. Reduce heat to 375F and bake until souffle has puffed 1 to 2 inches above the rim and has browned on top, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yogurt Cornmeal Cake May 14, 2007

A beautiful, crumbly Italian cake that is perfect for a mid-afternoon bite.

butter, for greasing
3/4 cup superfine sugar (pulse granulated sugar in food processor until fine)
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups organic cornmeal (I used Arrowhead Mills brand)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
5 Tablespoons canola oil
powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Preheat 350F. Grease and flour a 9″ round cake pan with butter. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, yogurt, sugar, oil, and a pinch of salt and stir well. Place the mixture (it will be thick) into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Make sure you do not open the oven door for at least the first 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Feta cheese and green onion dip with olive oil and lemon May 10, 2007

This is one of Bobby Flay’s great recipes.

12 green onions, green part only, grilled and chopped
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 t finely chopped lemon zest
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
8 pocketless pitas

Place grilled green onions, oil, lemon juice and zest in a food processor and process until smooth. Add feta and garlic and process until combined and smooth. Scrape mixture into a bowl and garnish with additional sliced green onions, if desired. Heat grill to high. Brush pitas with the remaining oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill for 1 minute per side or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the grill and cut each pita into 1/8ths. Serve with feta dip.

Baked Brie May 10, 2007

From Morton’s Bistro in Salem, Oregon.

1 wedge of Brie, 2 to 3 ounces
1 T simple syrup (see below)
1 to 2 T brown sugar
1 to 2 T chopped nuts (roasted hazelnuts, almonds, or pecans)
1 to 2 T dried or fresh fruit (raspberries, blueberries, cranberries)

Place Brie in a small baking dish. Sprinkle simple syrup, brown sugar, nuts, and fruit over Brie. Bake at 375F for 8 to 10 min. Serve at once with sliced baguette.

Simple syrup: Heat equal amounts of water and sugar over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Cool. For a variation, use Amaretto instead of simple syrup.

Lemon Sour Cream Pie May 10, 2007

From Lord Bennett’s Restaurant in Bandon, Oregon.

1 c sugar
3 1/2 T cornstarch
1 T lemon rind, grated
1/2 c fresh lemon juice
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 c milk
1/4 c butter
1 c cultured sour cream
1 baked 9-inch pie shell
1 c heavy whipping cream, whipped
lemon twist for garnish

Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon rind, lemon juice, egg yolks and milk in heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat until thick. Stir in butter and cool mixture to room temperature. Stir in sour cream and pour filling into pie shell. Cover with whipped cream and garnish with lemon twists. Store in refrigerator.