Hellllooo, Winter! Brussels sprouts and cauliflower star in this cheesy, creamy seasonal dish. Mine is a somewhat lighter version of the Epicurious recipe, taking copious hints from comments mentioning how heavy the original felt. Already crisp panko breadcrumbs gave me a head-start, so I didn’t need to fry the topping. I also added cornstarch to [...]
Tag Archives: cheese
Zucchini & rice gratin
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
The annual zucchini inundation has been going on since last month. Usually we chop then dry-sautée three or four of them in olive oil, and serve as a side dish. But if we skip cooking zucchini for a week, we accumulate a bagful which sits forlornly in the fridge. So what do you do with [...]
Two winter gratins: squash and leek, cauliflower and fennel
Sunday, 15 March 2009
[I nearly forgot about this article, so with winter is coming to a close here in California...] Gratins are an excellent merging of comfort food and decadence. I mean, what do you do with leftover winter squash or root vegetables? Add cheese! Add cream! Bake until bubbly! Members of the onion family, such as leeks [...]
Pizza with chicken, cheese & chutney
Monday, 21 April 2008
Here’s an example of my being a food mutant: I don’t like pizza. To clarify: I don’t like deep dish pizzas, which are far too soggy. Thin crusts tend to change my mind. I don’t like tomato sauces —oh, I love tomatoes, sauces and tomato sauces, but on pizzas the gloppiness issue crops up again. [...]
I made more cheese.
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Chemistry makes everything better! Adding a bit of acid, i.e., vinegar, made a lot more curds form. Really, dramatically more. More than twice as many curds as last time. This cheese was somewhat firmer and more squeaky. I was relieved that it didn’t taste or smell vinegary at all; its flavor was only slightly tarter [...]
Macaroni and cheese: simplified (somewhat)
Monday, 28 January 2008
The search for the ultimate macaroni and cheese never ends. That’s a good thing, too, because it’s fun to try out and taste more dishes made of pasta and cheese. Tonight’s version was based on the creamy baked mac-and-cheese by Deb of Smitten Kitchen. The main draw was the avoidance of both pre-cooked pasta and [...]
I made cheese.
Monday, 28 January 2008
I always thought cheesemaking was out of reach for a plebe(*) such as myself. Then I saw recipes by Mercedes of Desert Candy and Heidi of 101 Cookbooks, and thought, “Hey, that looks easy.” (*)Here defined as someone who has only purchased cheese, never made it. Not meant as derogatory, just as an observation. Well, [...]
Baked macaroni and cheese
Sunday, 21 January 2007
I have this fond memory of the cheesy, creamy goodness of the baked macaroni and cheese from the Netscape cafeteria. That memory cropped up recently, along with the thought, “Hm, it’s been a while since I’ve made or eaten mac-n-cheese.” This recipe is influenced, of course, by others: The one from The Joy of Cooking [...]
Chocolate Chestnut Torte
Sunday, 15 October 2006
Recently updated on 10 December 2011. This newer version does away with having to separate the eggs. This is my variation of Sunset’s Italian Chocolate-Chestnut Torte. I’ve used sweetened chestnut vanilla purée instead of marrons glacées: either the Minerve or Clément Faugier’s brands could be found in European specialty shops, as well as at Whole [...]
Vegetarian Carbonara Pasta
Thursday, 24 August 2006
The combination of a strong flavored cheese and egg is mighty delish. Smoked gouda, or a mix of sharp cheddar with Parmesan Reggiano, works quite well. But one the most memorable variations was using the alder-smoked goat cheese from Elk Creamery. This recipe would serve two people. Boiled peas, or sautéed zucchini, nicely complements this [...]
