Snow Days are for Baking

If you are being pelted with snow today, and find more time on your hands than usual, and if you tend to keep flour, sugar, butter, and chocolate chips on your hands, you too, can make The Barefoot Contessa’s chocolate chunk blondies.

They are embarrassingly easy to throw together and perfect for snacking while you catch up on whatever Netflix show in which you are currently engrossed.

To make a 9 x 13 pan, you will need:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 C light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 C granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 C all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate chunks (This is the stuff dreams are made of; more than one bag of chocolate chips in one recipe!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high for 3 minutes, till light and fluffy.  Add vanilla, and eggs, one at a time, with mixer on low.  Mix well, and scrape down bowl as necessary.  In small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Slowly add flour mixture, with mixer on slow.  Fold in walnuts and chocolate chunks with rubber spatula.

Spread batter into prepared pan, and smooth top.  Bake 30 minutes, or till a toothpick comes out (mostly) clean.  It will likely also be coated in melted chocolate, and that’s a great sign.  Let cool and cut into 12 ginormous bars.

Traditions

My ex once pointed out to me that it’s likely your life changes more between the ages of 20 and 30 than at any other point in your life.  So far, that’s been true for me.  There have been bumps in the road for sure, but I’ve learned a lot too.

Like you get to make your own traditions.

You can take whatever your family did when you were growing up, and put a twist on it that makes it your own.

Take birthdays for example.  We were not a go out to dinner family.  No, no, no.  On birthdays in my family, the birthday person got to pick what was for dinner.  Year in and year out, my choices were spaghetti pie, broccoli, and Grandma Glass of Milk’s lemon cake.

When my big day rolls around this year, however, I’m going to have to make a choice.  Do I play it safe, and stick with tradition?  Or do I start a new birthday tradition now that I’m out on my own.  Fried chicken birthdays?  Could those be a thing?

My husband’s birthday was earlier in December, and his dinner of choice was fried chicken.  A friend of ours is famous the world over for her fried chicken.  After hearing about it for years, we finally got to enjoy some for ourselves the evening before Thanksgiving.  This particular friend happens to be a Barefoot Contessa fan as well, and one bite into the chicken, I knew that’s whose recipe it had to be.  Because this is comfort food done right.

The skin is so crispy you can hear the crunch from across the room.  But the meat is just as juicy as if you roasted it in the oven.  Which, actually, you did.  Because we’re talking about Ina.  And it’s not an Ina recipe if it doesn’t get roasted in the oven.  If you think you don’t like fried chicken, you do, you just haven’t had homemade fried chicken yet.  This is not fast food.  In fact, it’s the opposite, as it takes a bit of time and effort to put on the table.  That’s how you’ll show the people you make it for that you love them.  Upon first bite, you will close your eyes.  They may even roll back into your head a bit.  You will sigh.  And you will proclaim this the best fried chicken you have ever sunk your teeth into.  Then you know you’re a convert.

You will lick your spicy fingers, swab at your napkin, and go back for bite number 2.  And numbers 3, 4, 5…

To make fried chicken for 6, you will need:

A candy thermometer.  Don’t fry without one.  You need to know when the oil has reached a certain temperature, and then keep it there throughout the process.

• 2 chickens, cut into 8 pieces (Butchering skills leave a lot to be desired? Grab 4 or 5 pounds of bone-in, skin-on, chicken pieces at the store)
• 1 qt. buttermilk
• 2 C flour
• 1 T kosher salt
• 1 T black pepper
• 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• vegetable oil or shortening

The night before you want to make the chicken, place the pieces in a large bowl and pour buttermilk over top.  Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Combine flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne in bowl.  Remove chicken pieces from buttermilk, and dredge in flour mixture, till well coated.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour oil in large, heavy-bottomed skillet, to a depth of one inch.  Use candy thermometer to monitor oil temperature.  Heat oil till it’s 360 degrees.  Then, carefully place chicken, one piece at a time, in the oil.  Don’t crowd the pan.  Cook chicken for three minutes on each side, then transfer to a cookie sheet with a baking rack set inside.  When all the chicken has been fried, and set on the rack, transfer to oven, and bake for 30 – 40 minutes.  Serve hot.

The Cupcakes that Started It All

One might argue that the real cupcakes that started it all were the ones my mom and I would make for my birthday when I was a kid.  We mixed up Betty Crocker’s finest yellow cake box mix, and then got to work dying a tub of frosting with different colors.

I’ve come so far.

While making cupcakes with Wooden Nickels was a great start, I grew up and grew out of the baking aisle.  At least, out of the part with the prefab boxes of cake mix.  In what will forevermore be known as The Day That Changed My Life, I buckled and purchased The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.  The world rejoiced.  The angels sang.  I had just added so much flavor to my life, and for only $35.00.  How easy was that?

See what I did there?

One of the first recipes I made was coconut cupcakes.  I know coconut is a polarizing addition to a baked good, but I love the stuff.  Ina’s cupcakes are filled with about as much as you can add without having to call these macaroons.  I’ve been making these at least once a year, for ten years.  For someone who doesn’t often repeat recipes, that means these have been on repeat more than almost anything else I bake.  And thus, a love of baking cupcakes was born.  Or reborn.

But I haven’t blogged about them yet.  Who am I?  Here’s the recipe, with a couple minor tweaks I’ve come to love.

To make 30 cupcakes, you will need:

• 2 sticks butter at room temperature (do it!)
• 2 C sugar
• 5 extra large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 C flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 C buttermilk
• 7 oz. shredded coconut (1/2 of a 14 oz. bag)

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Stop to scrape down the bowl as necessary.  With the mixer running on low, add the eggs, one at a time.  Add the vanilla extract and mix till combined.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.  In three parts, alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry.  Mix till just cominbed.  Fold in coconut.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.  These cupcakes don’t rise very much, so I fill them almost to the top.  Bake 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  Let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

• 1 lb. cream cheese (2, 8 oz. packages), at room temperature
• 3 sticks unsalted butter (yes! more!) at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 lbs. confectioners’ sugar, sifted (do it–no lumps allowed)

Mix all ingredients together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment till completely smooth.  Frost cupcakes.  If you’re going for a swirly look, there’s probably enough icing to pipe on.  But I’ve always gone the coconut-dunked route.

For the topping:

• 14 oz. shredded coconut

Immediately after frosting, dunk cupcake in bowl of coconut.  It will stick like glue.  If you’re feeling blingy, dunk half of the cupcakes in clear sanding sugar.

Once cupcakes

Wooden Nickels Was Here

As evidenced by this little vignette.

That’s coffee, which she drinks by the gallon, and those are homemade nonpareils.  I made them because Wooden Nickels loves them, and also because I wanted to make my own, instead of paying too much for the Trader Joe’s ones that SCL introduced me to.  Wooden Nickels was very serious about getting all possible sprinkles onto her spoon.  She was in town because I have some time off of work, and she likes me.  We visited Grandma Glass of Milk, got our nails done, ate food at a girly French bistro, and annoyed each other.

Wooden Nickels is a vegetarian, so I always have to think carefully about what we’re going to have for dinner when she comes over.  This time around, inspiration came from the Barefoot Contessa.  Shocker.  I honestly don’t even know what to say about Ina anymore.  Her recipes are the best.  The best.  She gets the classics exactly right, every time.  And even her mushroom lasagna, which takes a bit more effort to make, is nothing a home cook can’t master.

What an elegant meal to serve vegetarians and omnivores alike.  It’s perfectly filling without being heavy, which I think comes from the *gasp* noticeable lack of cheese.  As I was putting this together, I started second guessing Ina, thinking that surely I should be adding Fontina, the cheese that pairs so well with woody mushrooms and melts into the nooks and crannies of any good casserole once it’s baking.  Jennie, you fool.  You know Ina knows what she’s doing.  Despite the bechamel sauce this is not a macaroni and cheese.  It doesn’t need a punch from something pungent, just the hint of something extra you get from Parmesan (or Parmesan and Pecorino Romano, which is what I used).

One bite into our lasagna and Wooden Nickels shouted to the heavens, “It’s like 5 pounds of salt and some cheese!”  She later added she meant it as a compliment.  “That’s what makes it so good.”  She exclaimed.  I’m inclined to believe her, as she went up for seconds, and left with two more brick-sized leftover portions.

I tweaked Ina’s recipe by cutting back on some of the richer ingredients, though I doubt anyone would ever guess.  I also tweaked the process a bit so I wouldn’t have to wash as many dishes.

To make mushroom lasagna for 8, you will need:

• 1 lb. lasagna noodles
• Kosher salt
• olive oil
• 4 C 2% milk
• 4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 C all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (I used 1 lb. cremini and 1/2 lb. portobellos), sliced
• 1/2 C Pecorino Romano
• 1/2 C Parmesan cheese

Boil lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted water.  Drain and run under cold water.  This will prevent the noodles from drying out while you work on the rest of the lasagna.  You can check on the noodles every now and again and run some more water over them if they look like they’re getting crunchy.

Once the pot is empty, throw it back on the burner, and melt the butter in the bottom.  Add flour, and stir constantly 2-3 minutes, to take off that raw-flour edge.  Pour in milk, and add nutmeg, pepper, and 1 tsp. Kosher salt.  Stir till thickened, about 10 minutes.  Don’t call it done till you can run your finger along the back of a spoon and see the trail it left.  I recently learned that this is called nappe (pronounced nappay).  It sounds so pretentious and French.  Try it out on your friends.  Take the bechamel you just made (oooh, another new French word) and set it aside.

In a large saute pan, heat some olive oil and throw in as many mushrooms as will fit (I did mine in 3 batches).  Saute, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are brown, about 5-7 minutes.

Now it’s all about assembly.  Layer some bechamel in the bottom of your favorite casserole dish (mine is pretty close to 9 x 12).  Then set a layer of noodles on top of that.  Spread more cheese on top, and sprinkle 1/3 mushrooms over.  Sprinkle with 1/4 C of one of the cheese.  Then repeat: noodles, sauce, mushrooms, 1/4 C of the other cheese.  Repeat again.  Then top with one more layer of noodles, sauce, and cheese.

At this point, you can let the casserole sit and cool off a bit, cover it with foil, and pop it in the fridge or freezer.  Alternatively, pop it in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, until sauce bubbles and the stick-out noodle edges are crunchy.

Eat, Memory

*Title stolen from this great book.

What I like most about food is the way one bite can bring back a memory long-since forgotten. More often than not, dinner is more than dinner.  It’s a journal of every evening meal you’ve eaten from your single to your dating to your married (with children) years.  It’s the casseroles you bring to others to let them know you’re there.  It’s what you want when you need comforting, or when you’re surrounded by friends.

The other day, I played Ina and made fancy sandwiches for dinner.

Sunday dinner, to be exact, so they were already special.

Then I sat down to dinner on Monday.  It was a much more impromptu affair, in which my husband and I ended up eating sandwiches outside at one of our favorite local haunts.  Sandwiches for dinner, two nights in a row.  Hmmmmm.

Sandwiches for dinner two nights in a row sent my brain whirling.  Because all of a sudden, I remembered that Pops and Wooden Nickels loved eating baguettes outside on the deck for dinner when the weather started warming up.  This memory was not a particularly strong one because I never touched them.  Mom and Dad put bean sprouts and healthy things in those baguettes.  I probably ate a hot dog. That’s why it didn’t occur to me right away.

But sure enough, the weather is warmer now, and my husband and I are doing exactly what my parents did while I was growing up.

That’s why I love food.

We both loved Ina’s Truffled Filet of Beef Sandwiches, which for us were simply Filet of Beef Sandwiches.  Truffle butter isn’t something I keep on hand at this stage of my life.  These sandwiches are exactly the way one might want to usher in the warmer temperatures.  They’re filling, without being heavy at all.  And they’re that rare kind of dish for which a handful of top-notch ingredients equates to a stellar meal.  Make sure you enjoy them al fresco, with a beverage in hand.

To make sandwiches for 6, you will need:

• a 1.5-2 lb. hunk of filet (I tied mine so it cooked evenly)
• 4 T butter, at room temperature
• salt
• pepper
• arugula
• a hunk of Parmesan cheese
• baguette

Preheat the oven to 500, yes, 500 degrees.  While that’s cranking, slather the beef with 1 T butter, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Place the filet on a baking tray and cook 22 minutes for rare, 25 minutes for medium-rare.  Remove from oven, cover tightly with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Assemble baguette.  Slice lengthwise, but not all the way through, and spread remaining 3 T butter on one side.  Place layer of arugula along bottom of baguette, and top with Parmesan shavings.  When beef has rested, slice thinly and layer on baguette.  Slice baguette on a diagonal into individual sandwiches, and serve immediately.  Like you could wait anyway.

Sometimes, You Just Know

I swore I would never be the girl who couldn’t live without her smartphone, but late Tuesday evening, while strolling the aisles of Whole Foods, she was me.  I knew that meatball week meant Ina’s Italian Wedding Soup was on the menu, but I didn’t have the list of ingredients for the recipe with me.  iPhone to the rescue.  I pulled up the recipe, threw everything in my cart, and saved myself from yet another weeknight trip to the grocery store.

Which means I never opened the cookbook with the recipe until the night I made the soup.  I jot notes in the margins of all my cookbooks, and the first time I made this dish (February 3, 2009), I wrote the following, “Would be perfect if you’re sick.”

What do you know?  The night I made this, I was sick with a rotten cold that left me chugging orange juice as if my life depended on it.  Sometimes, you just know that the dish you make is going to turn out exactly the way you needed it to.

With all that green, it’s not too bad for you either.

I’ve made this soup several times, and like almost all of Ina’s dishes, there are plenty of substitutes you can make here.  I’m not the biggest fan of sausage, unless it’s top notch.  If you don’t have something great at your disposal, only use ground chicken.  No Romano cheese?  Up the Parmesan.  And any grain you can name will work just fine in this soup.  Small pasta, rice, bown rice, Israeli couscous, you name it.  Sick of adding spinach to everything you make?  Shake this up with some kale instead.  Personalize this however you see fit.

To make Ina’s Italian Wedding Soup for 8, you will need:

• 3/4 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
• 2/3 C bread crumbs (I use Italian seasoned)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 T chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 C grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 T milk
• 1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
• Kosher salt
• pepper
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 10 C chicken stock
• 1/2 C dry white wine
• 1 C small pasta (but rice would work too)
• 12 oz. baby spinach leaves

To make the meatballs, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment.  Mix first 9 ingredients, plus 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a bowl with your hands.  Form small (1 inch) meatballs and place them on baking sheet.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in bottom of large stock pot.  Saute onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add wine to deglaze the pan, and chicken stock.  Bring to boil.  Add pasta and cook 5-6 minutes (if you use rice, you’ll need to cook it longer).  Add meatballs to soup and cook 1 minute.  Add spinach and cook one more minute till wilted.  Serve hot in large bowls.

 

Winter Food

Now that the temperatures have finally dropped, and ballet flats without socks will not suffice as I hurry out the door each morning, I always turn to comfort food for dinners.  I’ve made chicken spaghetti, chicken and dumplings, and chicken noodle soup, all right around the holidays.  Isn’t it strange how certain times of year always make us hungry for the same kind of food?

Here are all those same ingredients, remixed.  Dear readers, I present Ina’s chicken stew with biscuits.

I followed Ina’s recipe, and as usual, she came through for me. This dish is exactly the type Ina was born to make.  She nails American classics, usually by finding simple ways to enhance the flavors.  There is nothing fancy about chicken stew with biscuits, but the way Ina’s turns out makes you want to invite all your friends for Sunday dinner and serve this for company.  No one would complain.

*A note: I put about 3/4 of the casserole in this here 9 x 13 pan, and froze a smaller casserole (biscuit dough frozen separately) to bake off later.  While we were rushing around prepping for international travel, that little freezer casserole served us well.

 

Detox

Tell the truth, how much did you indulge yesterday?  Even if yesterday only meant Chinese food and a movie to you, you might still be in need of a reprieve from your beef with broccoli and orange chicken binge.  At least, I would be.  Cue the Barefoot Contessa.

I know, it sounds impossible.

Ina, queen of all things Gruyere and puff pastry, has some healthy options, if you know where to look.  But you might not, because Moroccan couscous, from her Barefoot in Paris cookbook, is elusive.  Google it and you’ll find this recipe, which I’ve made out of her Back to Basics cookbook.

Did that even make sense?

Moroccan couscous is in one cookbook, and I can’t find the recipe anywhere else.  Good thing you stopped by today.

Because Moroccan couscous is a beautiful lunch.  It would make a beautiful dinner too, as long as you don’t cook for a man who requires meat in almost everything put in front of him.  And if that applies to you, sear off some beef and put it atop the plate.  Or lamb if you’re going traditional.  Just cross off all that stuff at the top I said about this dish being healthy.

It’s a million times more than couscous with roasted vegetables because of a mere quarter teaspoon of cumin.  It warms the whole dish right up, and it becomes some seriously comforting fare.

Truth be told, I’m not crazy about butternut squash.  I don’t know if you’re allowed to have a food blog if you don’t like butternut squash.  If you’re not, apologies.  Because here I am, and I don’t appear to be going anywhere.  It’s never been my favorite seasonal veggie.  But when butternut squash is roasted to the point that the skin is crispy and caramelized, and the inside is squishy and rich, and when it’s served with the sharp flavor of onions, the familiar fresh taste of carrots, and mixed with scallions and toasted almonds, that’s when butternut squash shines.  It’s a beautiful thing.

To make Moroccan couscous for 4, you will need:

• 2 C diced butternut squash
• 2 C chopped yellow onions (2 small/medium onions)
• 1 1/2 C chopped carrots (about 4)
• 1 1/2 C chopped zucchini (2 medium)
• 2 T olive oil
• Kosher salt
• pepper
• 1 1/2 C chicken broth (veggie if you must)
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 saffron (so says Ina, but I never have it)
• 1 1/2 C couscous
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 1/2 C sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place onions and vegetables on baking sheet.  Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast for 35 minutes, until vegetables are tender, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil and turn off heat.  Add butter, 1/2 tsp. pepper, cumin, and saffron, and allow to steep for 15 minutes.

Bring chick stock just back to boil.  Place couscous and vegetables in a large bowl and pour hot chicken stock over them. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let stand for 15 minutes.  Add scallions and almonds, fluff couscous and vegetables and serve warm or at room temperature.

p.s.  OMG quinoa.  Swap it for the couscous if it’s your jam.  I cook mine separately, and toss with the cooked vegetables, instead of pouring hot broth over both.  But it works.  Oh, it works.

Giving In

I’m completely giving in to any sense of balance that was present in my diet leading up to this point in December.

I’ve been to Starbucks almost every single morning last week and there’s no going back.

I’ll have a grande 450 calories, please.  Have you seen that yogurt commercial?  I love it.  It’s so true.  Except for the part where the lady swaps out yogurt for her drink.  As if.

I bought 3 pounds of butter and several more pounds of chocolate chips at the grocery store on Tuesday.

This time of year, you can run, but you can’t hide from the baked goods.

And really, why would you want to?  They’ll be gone in a couple of weeks anyway, gobbled up, or thrown out like stale fruitcake.

I’m declaring this week baked goods week.  We’ll start with pie.  Lazy-man’s pie.  Crostata.

This is the only shot I snapped before it was all gone.  The crust is flaky, the fruit is tart, and the sugary topping melts in your mouth.  What’s more, when making a crostata, you’re going for rustic.  So there’s no need to bother fluting the edges of a crust, cutting into a deep pie dish, or otherwise messing about in the name of making things look perfect.  Besides, I’ve found perfection to be highly overrated (see above comments on my eating habits lately).  Put this on a holiday eve table when you’re looking for low-key homemade.

To make a crostata that serves a hungry 6, you will need:

• 1 C flour
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 stick butter, cold, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 2 T ice water

For the crust.

• 3 large apples (something sweet and not too soft)
• 1/4 tsp. orange zest
• 1/4 C flour
• 1/8 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 stick butter, cold, diced

For the filling.

To make the crust, combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add the butter and pulse till the pieces of butter are the size of small peas.  While motor runs, add ice water, and continue pulsing till a dough forms.  Stop immediately and turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and pat into a disk.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.

When dough is chilled, preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Roll dough into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.  Transfer it to a baking sheet.  I cannot emphasize the importance of this step enough.  I didn’t do this, and had to scoop a thin dough, laden with 1.5 pounds of apples, onto a baking sheet.  It wasn’t pretty.  Expletives were wildly thrown about.

For filling, peel, core and slice apples into eighths.  Cut each wedge into 3 slices.  Toss slices with orange zest.  Dump apples on crust, leaving 1 1/2 inch border around.

Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl, and use your fingers to blend ingredients.  You want to create a crumbly mixture.  Sprinkle evenly over the apples.  Gently fold dough border over apple mixture, pleating as you go.

Bake 20-25 minuntes, until crust is golden and apples are tender.  Allow to cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  And don’t forget the vanilla ice cream.

Is This Just a High Maintenance Grilled Cheese?

Well, yes.

Because a regular grilled cheese does not leave your countered completely covered with ingredients.

Nor does it require so many dishes.

And, you guessed it, you don’t need the broiler for a regular grilled cheese.

So in that regard, croque monsieurs are high maintenance grilled cheese sandwiches.

But they’re so much more!  They’re an entire sandwich on their own.  They’re the marriage of my two favorite foods:  grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese.  Because croque monsieurs are grilled cheeses that take a bechamel bath before they hit your mouth.  For those of you not as well versed in the French language, this means that should you choose to make these sandwiches, there would be a buttery, creamy, cheesy sauce involved in your lunch.

My introduction to these savory beauties was at a local restaurant in the French countryside, after a visit here.  I know, right?  I continued to hunt these sandwiches down for the remainder of my visit, and not just because in a foreign land at the tender age of 20, my palate still bordered on discerning picky.  Also because I can’t say no to Gruyere.

And dear readers, I’m going to do that thing bloggers do sometimes where they tell you that one bite of xyz dish took them right back to that moment in that foreign land that they long to be in again.  Because one bite into this sandwich in my little DC kitchen and I was transported.  I was sitting outdoors with Wooden Nickels, my aunt and uncle, at a glass table, under an umbrella, in a little French town.  These are the real deal.

To make 2 croque monsiuers, you will need:

• 4 slices French bread, the best you can find
• 1 T butter
• 1 T flour
• 2/3 C milk (skim isn’t ideal, but it will do in a pinch)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• pinch nutmeg
• 3 oz. Gruyere (I’ve mixed in Cheddar, which I always have on hand, when I don’t have the full 3 oz.)
• small handful (less than 1/4 C) grated Parmesan
• 3 slices ham
• Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toast the bread lightly in toaster or toaster oven.

Melt butter over medium-low heat in small saucepan.  Stir in flour, and whisk till incorporated.  Cook, stirring constantly, 1-2 minutes, to allow flour flavor to cook off.  Stir in milk, and cook mixture, stirring constantly, till it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Off heat, stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg, and half the Gruyere till melted.

Spread mustard on two slices of bread.  Put 1 1/2 slices ham on top of each piece.  Sprinkle half the remaining cheese over ham.  Place plain slices of bread on top.  Slather the top with cheese sauce, and sprinkle with the rest of cheese.

Bake for 5 minutes at 400, then turn on broiler and cook about 3 more minutes, until cheese is bubbling and starting to brown.

*recipe loosely adapted from Ina.