Thanksgiving is gone, and it's got me thinking about all the fun I had with food and family this year. I REDISCOVERED IT. After having no appetite whatsoever for almost three years, enjoying food again was like--oh, I don't know what--coming up for air after being held underwater for way too long. I've come up gasping with joy! Here's a peek at what it looks like to breathe food and cooking again:
If you're lactose intolerant do not, I repeat DO NOT look at this picture. This is from our family's homecoming party for Dwight, who was in France for two years.
This is the Ispahan flavored cake I made for him. What is Ispahan, pray tell? Oh my word, you HAVE to taste it. Pierre Hermé, the famous pastry maker (or patissier one might say in a very French accent) made a wonderful discovery for the tongue when he combined rose water, lychee fruit and raspberries together. Those are the flavors I put in this cake. I surrounded it with whipped cream flavored with rose water, and piped on with a ziplock baggie that I cut the corner off of.
Have you ever eaten warm clouds that go poof when you oh-so-gently place your lips around them? Then welcome to the world of Gougères. All they are is cream puffs that you add a cup of Gruyère cheese to, and sprinkle more on top before you bake them for 17 minutes.
This is the recipe I use:
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. water
1 stick unsalted butter (OK, if you only have salted butter that's fine, too)
1 cup white flour
4 eggs
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese, plus extra for sprinkling on top of each little puff
Turn on your oven to 400 degrees. Grease two baking pans.
Bring the milk, water, and butter to a slow simmer on low heat. Add the nutmeg and a pinch of salt to the flour. Take off the heat and plop the flour mixture in one motion into the pan, stirring until it pulls away from the sides and becomes one familial clump. Add the eggs, ONE AT A TIME, stirring each egg into the flour mixture until it's completely blended in. Once all the eggs are added, stir in the grated cheese. It's so glossy and pretty you might find yourself calling the neighbors to come have a look.
Now, pull out a quart sized or gallon size ziploc bag. Spoon the dough into the bag. It's easier if you but the bag in a bowl or really wide cup and fold the edges of the bag down so they're out of the way. When it's full, twist the top closed and make sure all the air is out of the bag. Cut a thumbnail's width slice off one corner so you can pipe the dough onto the pan. Keeping the opening of the baggie close to the pan (about an inch above it) squeeze out a golf-ball size amount of dough. More or less. Keep them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden brown. Devour.
I joined my sister's family for Sunday dinner a few weeks ago when my husband was out of town. I made these and everyone oohed and aahed. And they were a fun change from rolls or biscuits to go with the roast beef. I piped the last little bit of dough into everyone's initials:
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