My French Food experiment (Part 3): Along with “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”

I made it through breakfast I have to admit, with quite a few dishes that needed to be dealt with but was not deterred since I was on a mission and rather excited to tackle my first soufflé.

A VERY French Lunch:Soufflé Au Fromage (Cheese Soufflé)

Mr. B. was very surprised when I told him I was quite nervous about this soufflé, he was shocked to hear that I had never made a soufflé before, sweet or savory. I always take risks when I entertain, trying new recipes on old and new friends, and I never really worry about things. In my house, there is always a frozen pizza in case of emergencies. I have never had an emergency but there have been many recipes I would never do again. The soufflé just seemed so intimidating-the falling, the egg whites, the last minute prep, etc. When I entertain I like to do a lot of prep ahead of time. Soufflés always seemed so last minute to me but the book notes many steps that can be done ahead of time. Actually the entire soufflé can be made ahead of time and just covered with a large pot for up to an hour!

The book illustrates what a soufflé pan should look like but as noted most American soufflé pans are not high enough. I looked around and I did have one that looked high enough but it was too small. I did not want to alter the recipe. I opted for my round Corning ware white set. I arranged parchment paper around the perimeter and tied it with a string. This took 15 minutes! Not sure if I am just THAT uncoordinated but I have just added a proper French soufflé pan to my birthday list. Since I KNOW I will be making soufflés on a regular basis. Out of the three meals of the day this was by far the easiest. I chose the basic Cheese soufflé because I wanted to try it in its unadulterated glory. I am not at all a fan of omelets. I am not sure if it's a texture thing or what but I would never choose to have my eggs that way. A soufflé is a whole different egg-sperience (sorry I had to get at least one in there, I am done now J). The book suggested you butter and sprinkle the dish with grated Parmesan cheese. This created a crispy crust all around. I am thrilled that I used the paper collar because the soufflé rose almost to the top of the collar. It was perfectly browned and yes it did fall fast. The saying that "you wait for the soufflé it doesn't wait for you" is right on spot. The only laborious part was the egg whites which went fast with the stand mixer.

Because we were eating so much in one day I did not serve it with anything but for guests for a lunch course a nice green salad would be perfect. The soufflé is for 4-6 people (which is what is suggested) and it came out amazing! It was so tender with the cheese sprinkled throughout. Perfectly seasoned. WOW! The next time I would like to try the spinach soufflé or maybe even chocolate! I obviously had leftovers and the next day I heated it up on the stove and served it over a piece of baguette (think Hayes Street Grill Stand at the Farmers Mkt on a Saturday).

I can now say I have achieved a perfect soufflé, not so sure I have "mastered" it but I am looking forward to my next one that's for sure!

Five recipes and 2 meals down!

Jusqu'à ce Soir…Until tomorrow…

Easy Granola

I first started thinking about doing my own granola a couple of years back for a brunch I was throwing for about 15 ladies. Traditionally (back on the east coast) my brunches were served with lots of bacon, waffles, maybe a mac and cheese, you get the idea…well I was not going to get away with that kind of a menu with these woman, I needed to provide a healthy alternative. It was also an item that I could do ahead of time, which makes it a fantastic brunch addition.


Homemade granola is incredibly easy and so so good! There are so many different variations that you can do with the base recipe. You can then divide it up at the end and add in each person's favorites if you wish. I like to keep mine somewhat healthy so I keep to the dried fruits but my husband likes chocolate chips in his. I usually eat this for breakfast or snack with milk, kind of like a cereal. It's great over yogurt with fresh fruit and makes a fantastic hostess gift. It keeps well for a few weeks in an airtight container.


I always have some in the house and it's always on my table if I am serving breakfast or brunch. I am not going to lie this is not cheap to make which is why it's pretty expensive pre-made. BUT there are no preservatives and you can put in only what you like.


The "add ins" are endless. I checked out a website that allows you to customize your granola and they were a great source for looking for yummy items to add to my homemade granola.


What is your favorite "add ins" and how do YOU eat your granola??

Granola
Yields: 30 servings

8 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups wheat germ
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
1 cup vegetable or coconut oil
1 T ground cinnamon
1 T vanilla extract
2 cups sweetened dried cranberries
1 ½ Cups unsweetened coconut


DIRECTIONS:
1.    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil.
2.    Combine the oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts in a large bowl. (I use my nonstick roasting pan)
3.    Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. (I put on rubber gloves and get in there so I can make sure its all coated evenly)
4.    Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets.
5.    Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes.
6.    Stir once halfway through and add coconut if you want it toasted.
7.    Cool, then stir in the cranberries before storing in an airtight container.


Note: this makes A LOT of granola. I would suggest cutting the recipe in half first. I also use coconut oil which I keep in my fridge. You can nuke it easily since its hard to work with in its solid state. If you have a Trader Joes near you I would suggest getting all the ingredients there, I found it much cheaper than the regular supermarket. I LOVE cinnamon so I usually double the amount. IF you like large chunks of granola don't stir it so much half way through and let it cool completely in the pan before breaking up.