visiting: brooklyn

For this post, we spent a day together and shared a meal in Brooklyn. Read about our day and the ensuing deliciousness below.

(Above photos l to r: Kate and Branden's table; A sweet message in Brooklyn)


kate (brooklyn)

Spring was finally on its way. Time to put away those heavy coats and bulky sweaters and pull out the sunglasses and lighter colors. At least I thought that 'til last week when the coats came back out of the closet and our heat finally started coming on full-blast in our apartment for the first time since we moved in. March really couldn't make up its mind whether to be a lion or a lamb.

Kristen and PJ drove down to Brooklyn from Beacon on a warm and glorious 70-degree middle-of-March day. Unlike the unending rain and thunderstorms that took over the day/night of our last dinner party, the sky was clear and the sun was quite warm. I got up early that morning and had a chance to run into the city to get some last minute things at the Union Square Greenmarket and Fishs Eddy (upon realizing we didn't have enough plates or bowls to serve our guests). Seeing a glimpse of colorful flowers under the tents in the market gave me a burst of energy: Winter was finally over and warm weather would save us all.

I wanted to spend as much time with my guests as possible on Saturday afternoon, so I cooked the main meal, a Spring vegetable stew, the night before. Soup always tastes better the second day, and it would be something quite easy to heat up and serve to a crowd of 6. I couldn't find every ingredient I needed for the soup, but luckily the recipe was very forgiving (as you'll see below) and allows for a lot of creativity.

Everything seemed to be going well, until I made the hot pink cupcakes. Or, perhaps, I should refer to them as the hot pink mess. Everything was pretty much a disaster: the cake part tasted weird and spongy and the icing was so bright and tasted like an over-sugared Easter bunny toothpaste. Luckily, my friends, Jannine and Nathan, came to the rescue and brought delicious cookies from the East Village. Branden came up with some amazing appetizers: sweet pea guacamole, Jerusalem artichokes, and hummus. Kristen and PJ topped off the meal with some great wine from the Hudson Valley. One of my favorite things about the night was how we all contributed a bit to the meal in our own way, and it seemed the perfect way to celebrate a first glimpse of Spring.

I didn't even realize that the main course was from the Hudson Valley Mediterranean cookbook, which focuses on seasonal ingredients and highlights farms and small businesses in the Hudson Valley. I wonder if Kris and PJ will make some Brooklyn-ish for us when we come up to Beacon to visit them... ?

spring vegetable soup
adapted from Hudson Valley Mediterranean
Makes: 6 servings

This classic summer vegetable stew is referred to as "ratatouille." What could be better than cooked down tomatoes, summer squash, eggplant, onions, garlic, and herbs? With its many delicate flavors, this Spring stew eases us away from the root vegetables of Fall and Winter and toward a Summer with bold flavors.

2 large lemons, halved
4 medium artichokes * (I used canned artichokes and you could also substitute frozen for fresh ones)
2 shallots, thinly sliced
9 small red potatoes (1 to 2 inches in diameter), quartered
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock or reduced sodium broth
12 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal into 3/4-inch pieces
1 cup fresh or frozen peeled fava beans (I substituted edamame)
1 cup shelled peas (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup snipped chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (you may also substitute basil or tarragon)
3 tablespoons finely grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Shaved Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese, for garnish

* (If you decide, like me, to work with frozen or canned artichokes, begin reading at 3rd paragraph)

Fill a large bowl with 1 quart of water, and squeeze two lemon halves into it. Add the squeezed lemon halves to the water.

Working with one artichoke at a time, bend back the outer leaves close to the base until they snap off where they break naturally. Discard the layers until the exposed leaves are pale green at the top and pale yellow at the base. Using a small sharp knife, trim the stem and the base until it is smooth and no dark green areas remain. Trim the leaves. Rub the base with the remaining lemon halves. Cut the artichoke lengthwise into 4 wedges. Using a small knife, cut out the choke and the small purple-tipped leaves, then halve again for a total of 8 wedges. Place the artichoke wedges in the lemon water.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. While the shallots are cooking, drain and rinse the artichokes. Add the artichokes and the potatoes to the skillet and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Pour the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced to a few spoonfuls, about 6 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add half of the asparagus, fava beans, peas, cover the skillet, and simmer the stew for 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining asparagus, fava beans and peas, 2 tablespoons of the chives, and 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Let the mixture simmer, partially covered, for about 4 minutes, or until the potatoes and artichokes are tender. Stir in the remaining herbs and the grated Grana Padano, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with shaved Grana Padano.

(Variations: Serve the soup over orzo or with your favorite pasta, or add chicken or sausage. I added green chorizo from The Meat Hook... yum!)

jerusalem artichokes appetizer
adapted by Branden from his friend, Neil

The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), also called the sunroot, earth apple or topinambur, is a species of sunflower native to the eastern United States, from Maine west to North Dakota, and south to northern Florida and Texas. It is also cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable. (Source: Wikipedia)

4 fresh artichokes or 1 can full
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parsley
Parmesan cheese

Leaving skin on, slice artichokes thinly. Add oil, pepper and salt. Thinly sliced fennel is also nice to add to each slice. Put a sprig of fresh parsley on each slice and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

sweet pea guacamole
adapted from Hudson Valley Mediterranean
Makes: 6-8 servings

2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups shelled fresh peas (or frozen peas, thawed)
1 tablespoon fresh mint
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Season the water with the sugar and salt, then add the peas. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes, untol the peas are tender and bright green (if using frozen peas, cook for only 1 minute).

Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by filling a medium bowl 3/4 full with ice cubes and water.

Drain the peas, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Transfer the peas to the ice bath and let them cool completely. Then drain the peas and add them to a food processor along with 1/3 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and the mint. Pulse to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all of the peas hit the blade. Turn the motor on and add more of the cooking liquid, a little at a time, through the feed tube to work the peas into a thick puree with the consistency of guacamole. With the motor still running, drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube. Adjust the seasoning with more salt, if necessary, and pepper, and transfer the guacamole to a serving bowl. Serve with pita, crostini, or crackers.

(Above photos l to r: Colors along a walk in Greenpoint; The Brooklyn Standard)

kristen (beacon)

Brooklyn is a magical place.

Its energy is palpable. The colorful graffit at every turn, the easy pace of Greenpoint, the volume of Williamsburg, the Italian food in Bay Ridge, the Chinese food in Sunset Park, the majestic homes of Dyker Heights, the hot dogs and rollercoasters in Coney Island, matzo ball soup in Borough Park, the cobbled and cavernous streets in DUMBO, the borscht in Brighton Beach, the beer gardens in Red Hook, the young families in Park Slope, and Prospect Park. Who could forget Prospect Park?

Beacon reminds me of Brooklyn. A tiny cross-section of it, dropped right into the middle of the scenic Hudson Valley. Perhaps that's why I love it so much.

When Kate and Branden invited me and PJ to Brooklyn for a meal, we could not refuse. They recently relocated from Williamsburg to Greenpoint, and we were anxious to see their new neighborhood and apartment, and were even more anxious to share a meal with them there.

Just like the two of them, their apartment is warm, easygoing, and splashed all over with color and life. They make such a good team, and their home is a true reflection of that. While Branden worked on making the appetizers, Kate took us on a walking tour (a.k.a. quest for ingredeitns) of Greenpoint and parts of neighboring North Williamsburg. After stops at The Met grocery store, The Brooklyn Standard, The Brooklyn Kitchen /The Meat Hook, and Settepani, we arrived back to the apartment with a fresh loaf of filone (which we learned is half white/half wheat bread), a bunch of kale, a new cutting board (for us), aromatic sausage, kombucha (Kate's favorite), and a really strange bag of Asian cracker mix that tasted a bit too much like teriyaki chicken. We also walked through the gorgeous and historic McGolrick Park, which lies just around the corner from Kate's apartment. In the center of the park stands a majestic pavilion that was built in 1910 and looks as if it's barely been touched by the effects of time. Daffodils and crocuses were popping out everywhere and kids were skateboarding and playing spirited games of baseball on the concrete.

For dinner, we were joined by Jannine and Nathan, two lovely folks who enjoy good food as much as we do. We all dove (literally, almost) into Branden's homemade kale chips (which were perfection) and sweet pea dip (which was fresh and green and delicious). Then, we gorged ourselves on a healthy and hearty Spring vegetable soup over orzo. Coincidentally, the dip and soup recipes came from one of our favorite go-to local cookbooks, Hudson Valley Mediterranean. For dessert, we had Kate's vanilla-and-hot-pink cupcakes (which were delicious no matter what she says) and a box of just-baked cookies that Jannine and Nathan brought from Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakery in the East Village.

Dinner (and the entire day) was refreshing, creative and easygoing. Just like Kate and Branden. Just like Brooklyn.

(Above photos l to r: Cow statue at The Meat Hook; Fresh filone from Settepani)

View more of our Brooklyn photos on Flickr.

grandmothers

Our grandmothers are very dear to both of us, and have played pivotal roles in our lives. When we decided to start this blog, we knew immediately that one of our first posts should honor those two very special women. We asked them what they loved to cook, and then we tried to recreate the magic.

(Above photos l to r: Kate's grandparents; Kristen's grandparents)

kate (brooklyn)

“So, what was your absolute favorite dish to make for your family?” I was sitting in the living room of my aunt’s house in February with my grandmother ready to learn a little bit about my family’s past and what kind of challenge I would be facing in the future. After a minute of thinking she responded with “A standing rib roast.”

Hmm... I was not surprised that my grandmother (who I will fondly refer to as “Nan” for the rest of my story) responded with a meat dish. But a standing rib roast? What exactly was that? It seemed like something quite large – along the scale of a Thanksgiving turkey. Would it fit in our tiny oven? Hmm... meat is always a staple at Nan’s house but I was expecting something like turkey tetrazzini or meatloaf.

“Now,” Nan said, “It was a little on the expensive side. Food wasn’t as outrageous back then (we’re talking late 1950s) as it is now. A standing rib roast would cost about $35.” “Maybe before we proceed I should call our butcher and see how much this costs now,” I said. And as it turned out the amount I would need (to feed 4-6 people) would cost over $150. Yikes.

“Okay,” I said, crossing out my notes. “So, what was your second favorite thing to cook? “A flank steak. Steak is a meal that people love and it is not labor intensive.” (I jotted that down in the back of my brain... I was not sure this would be true for me.) “It’s elegant and cost effective.” My grandmother did have seven children. However, a flank steak would be served at dinner parties, which were held quite often at my grandparents’ house in Oakland, Pittsburgh. The children would eat and then be sent to bed while the adults gathered around the dining room table.

I decided to do the same. We invited 4 good friends of ours. As it turned out, two of them were actually vegetarians. I already knew about one of them (he insisted that it would be okay because he loves the smell of steak), but I didn't find out about the other until 30 minutes before they were due to arrive.

I went out Saturday morning to a butcher shop that recently opened in Williamsburg called The Meat Hook. I asked the butcher for a flank steak and unfortunately he had sold the last one the day before. He asked me what it was for and I told him I was making my grandmother’s recipe. (How many times has he heard that?) After a moment of thinking, he told me to hang on and went back into the freezer and pulled out a huge piece of long, thin meat.

“This is what we call a faux hanger steak,” he said. What exactly was that? According to Tasting Table, this particular cut of meat is “also known as the sirloin and is a skinny steak that dangles off the loin. Seared hard on all sides to give it a nice crust, this cut's texture is similar to the one-per-cow hanger steak, a butcher's favorite.”

I watched as he gently pounded and trimmed some of the meat. I really didn’t want to spend the day wandering around the city in search of the perfect flank steak. This would do! It was a good deal: $12 per pound, and The Meat Hook’s products come from trusted farmers who raise animals in a sustainable way. I brought the meat back, as well as some fresh herbs, and manned the deck (or chopping block). Branden showed me how to sharpen our largest knife (which was pretty awkward to do…I guess I need to get more accustomed to doing this on a regular basis). But having a sharp knife sure does help. We also served twice-baked potatoes with basil and kale (as per Nan’s recommendation to serve potatoes and something green.)

There was a horrible thunderstorm that evening (the last couple arrived around 9:00 due to being stuck in the subway for over an hour). We were all starving and as soon as the meat came out of the oven we served it and for the first and only time in the evening there was dead silence. I think that was a good sign.

nan’s flank or “faux hanger" steak

2 pounds flank steak (easily feeds 4 people, you figure 1/2 pound per person)
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Rosemary
Salt & pepper
Ziploc bag

The night before or a few hours before you’re about to cook, unroll the steak and diagonally slash both sides. Pour olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette over each side. Rub with salt, pepper and rosemary. Put the steak in a Ziploc bag and let it marinate.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450-475 degrees. The meat needs to sit on a pan that has holes in it. You can use the pan in your broiler. Ours was missing, however, so I used a non-stick grill grid and placed a baking pan underneath it.

Broil 4-5 minutes on each side. The cut should be rare. As Nan told me, “Time will have to learn by doing.”

Once cooked, cut steak by slashing thin slices against the grain. Pour gravy that has collected in the pan underneath on top.

(Above photos l to r: Kate's grandfather and grandmother; Steak dinner with friends)

kristen (beacon)

“Now Kris, men don’t like things that dribble down their ties.”

This is one of many reasons my grandmother has been making her famous spicy cheese straws since 1955, after coaxing the recipe from her dear friend Betty Boswell. She told me that men love them, that they’re perfect with sweet tea or Coca-Cola and that they’re a big hit at just about any function. No matter what, they are meant to be shared.

My grandmother, Edwina (lovingly nicknamed “Bo”), is the picture of Southern hospitality. All of 5 feet 2 inches, she’s a bundle of hey-y’all’s and hugs. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, her warm smile, big heart, and cheery “yoo-hoo!” can charm just about anyone. Her cooking is no different: approachable, generous, steeped in Southern flavors. She swears by White Lily flour and would never dream of using anything other than real, honest-to-goodness butter. When I told her the idea for this post and asked for her favorite thing to make, her spicy cheese straws were her first choice.

Bo’s cheese straws, served with ice-cold Coca-Cola in glass bottles, are my most vivid taste memories of childhood visits to Birmingham. As reliable as a Summer afternoon rainstorm down South, the delightful little treats were always tucked neatly into a decorative tin and sitting on my grandmother’s counter, waiting to be devoured. And devoured, they were. Within minutes of arrival, my brother and I would be hovering over the tin, popping them one after another after another into our mouths.

Bo, still using the reliable metal cookie press the she bought sometime around 1958, makes her cheese straws a few times a year for special occasions (and when hungry and home-cooked-meal-deprived granddaughters would call from college to beg for a batch). Since I don’t own a cookie press, I was a little worried about recreating these at home, but she assured me that they could be made without using a press, and then she sweetly mailed hers to me for the occasion. I was so excited to open the package and see that gorgeous press that has been so lovingly used and cared for over the years. It felt like Bo was right there with me in Beacon.

White Lily flour is next to impossible to find north of the Mason-Dixon line, but I forged on with my beloved Yankee brand, King Arthur. I also decided to use white cheddar instead of yellow and I’m pretty sure I doubled the amount of cayenne pepper Bo recommended (you can’t ever have too much, right?). They were a cinch to make! Easy as 1-2-3, really. In less than an hour, I was packing up a batch for my friend Charlotte (who exclaimed “THESE ARE SO ADDICTIVE!” and noted that they’re excellent with beer) and a tin full for me and PJ, but not before enjoying a few myself with an ice-cold Coca-Cola. The cookie press requires a fair amount of elbow grease to maneuver, so the straws came out looking a bit like “eel bones” (according to PJ), but oh man, they were as delicious as I remember. Savory. Sharp. “Short” (as Bo calls them, referring to their flakiness akin to shortbread). And with just the right amount of peppery kick.

Heaven.

(Today is my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. Happy anniversary, you two! Here's to many more years of love and deliciousness!)

bo's spicy cheese straws

1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups White Lily all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur, which also works beautifully)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated sharp yellow cheddar cheese (I used white)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used a full teaspoon)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with un-greased parchment paper (I used a Silpat baking mat).

Mix the flour, salt and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.

Cream the butter and cheese together with your hands (I used a stand mixer instead) for a few minutes until fluffy.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter and cheese mixture until well-blended (but not over-blended).

If you have a cookie press: Press dough into press in small batches, then press straws onto the baking sheet until each is about as long as your index finger. If you don't have a cookie press: Roll dough into a log and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate log for 30 minutes, then slice dough into thin rounds then arrange on baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes or so, until the straws (or rounds) are just slightly golden brown. Cool them for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to racks to cool completely.

Pack into tins with layers separated by parchment or wax paper, and share!

(Above photos l to r: Bo in the 1940s; Kristen's cheese straws and an ice-cold Coca-Cola)

View more of our grandmother photos on Flickr.

at the farmers market: winter

Welcome to the first post of our quarterly "At the Farmers Market" series. Once every season, we’ll explore our local farmers markets to see what we can find and what deliciousness we can make of it. Our Winter farmers market adventures begin below.

(Photos above l to r: Madura Farms mushrooms in Brooklyn; A basket full of treats in Beacon)

kate (brooklyn)

I love the idea of going to the grocery store and seeing what inspires me (without a recipe in mind.) So I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into by planning a meal around our local farmers market availability towards the end of February.

I headed over to the Greenpoint/McCarren Park Greenmarket and was surprised to see many things that I didn’t expect: apples, seafood, sausage, and mushrooms! I headed over to the Madura Farms (Goshen, NY) table and looked at all of the odd shapes and sizes of mushrooms – objects that looked like little ocean creatures. I decided to go with the portobellos and grabbed three. Keep it simple. I collected some challah rolls from the Baker’s Bounty, (Linden, New Jersey) and purple Peruvian potatoes (what a surprise to see such a beautiful color when they're sliced!) and an onion from Healthway Farms (Ulster County, NY). My menu was almost complete.

Later that evening, I stopped at Urban Rustic, a small grocery store (across from the farmers market) that sells mostly local and organic produce and has a great selection of local craft beer. The guy behind the counter let me have a taste of a new beer on tap from Brooklyn that I’d never heard of and it immediately warmed me up. I chose Kelso’s Recessionator beer and carried home my liter-sized growler, hungry and ready to get to work.

I made portobello mushroom sandwiches and purple potato fries. It was the perfect meal for a cold, windy night. There's also not a lot of prep involved and it doesn't take too long to cook.

portobello mushroom sandwiches

Portobello mushrooms (1 for each sandwich)
Buns or bread
Olive oil
Extras: (I added cheese, arugula, sauteed red peppers, and spicy mustard)

Rinse and dry portobello mushrooms.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan (size depending on how many mushrooms you plan to make at once) and turn on medium heat.

Place mushrooms in pan and cover with a lid. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. You don't want the mushroom to get too mushy.

You can also toast the buns in the oven for a minute if you're making the fries at the same time.

Add toppings to the buns and place the mushrooms on last. Enjoy!

peruvian potato fries

Peruvian purple potatoes
Olive oil
Seat salt
Herbs or spice of your choosing (optional)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Wash and thinly slice the potatoes (1/4 inch wide) and place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle some olive oil and sea salt on top.

Pop in the oven for about 10-15 minutes (depending on how crispy you like them). They are also delicious with curry or other another spice or herb of your choosing.

(Above photos l to r: Madura Farms table at the Greenpoint/McCarren Park Greenmarket; Portobello mushroom sandwiches, ready to eat)

kristen (beacon)

Whoever said you can’t eat fresh local food in the dead of Winter was very, very wrong.

I was one of those people, until I visited the Beacon Farmers Market in February. I didn’t go shopping with a plan, because I had no idea what I would find, if anything. What could possibly be fresh in the gloomiest part of Winter? Wasn’t the farmers market only awesome in Spring, Summer and Fall? I was skeptical. But amidst the happy, humming crowds on that clear Sunday afternoon inside the Beacon Sloop Club, gorgeous food awaited me.

As soon as I walked in, Petra from Honey Locust Farm House welcomed me with a smile. A jar of their sweet, thick unfiltered honey practically jumped into my basket, and I knew I had found my first ingredient for dinner. Fishkill Farms brought bushels of their beautiful Red Delicious apples and I couldn’t resist taking a few of those home with me, as well.

Have you ever heard of pea shoots? I certainly hadn’t, until Jim from Winter Sun Farms (a local Winter CSA) offered a bite of freshly-picked ones from Little Seed Gardens. They were crisp, earthy, slightly sweet, and tasted and looked just like Spring. Those pretty little shoots, I decided, would have to be part of dinner, too.

I also left with a wedge of velvety Ouray cheese from Sprout Creek Farm, a loaf of aromatic seeded rye bread from Rock & Roll Artisan Bakery, and a carton of sweet cream butter from Ronnybrook Farm Dairy. I also ran into about a half a dozen people I hadn’t seen in months and everyone seemed so happy to be out of their houses for a little respite from cabin fever. Seeing them all in one small room, laughing and chatting and supporting the local farmers and artisans reminded me how much I love this town.

Dinner was simple and fresh, perfect for an early Sunday evening: pea shoot salad with apple, honey and shallot vinaigrette; sliced rye bread with Ouray cheese, honey, and sweet cream butter; apple pudding from Christopher Kimball’s The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook.

I am skeptical no more.

apple pudding
adapted from The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook's Master Recipe for Fruit Pudding
Makes: 6 to 8 servings

3 cups mixed apples (washed, peeled, cored, and cut into bite-size pieces)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla zest

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow casserole or oval baking dish (the sides should be short and the pan should be wide – an 8 X 12-inch pa is about the right size). Toss the fruit with the lemon juice and zest and pour into the baking dish.

Whisk together the flour, salt, nutmeg, and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour to the milk mixture and stir very gently with a whisk just until smooth. Do no overbeat. Pour over fruit.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until custard sets. The center 2 inches should still be wet and custardy. It will finish baking out of the oven. Remove from oven and serve warm, not hot, but no longer than 1 hour after baking.

(Above photos l to r: Pea shoot salad; Apples and lemon zest)

View more of our farmers market photos on Flickr.

"do we need a blow torch for this?"

For our first official "challenge," we decided to make something new and, well, challenging. So why not a cheese soufflé? It’s French, and if Julie and Julia taught us anything, it’s that everything is harder in French. Mark Bittman provided the recipe. Read his recipe and and our interpretations of it below.

cheese soufflé
from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Time: About 1 hour

An easy but impressive and delicious dish. Make one large soufflé or or make 4 to 6 individual soufflés in 1 1/2- to 2-cup ramekins; the cooking time may be reduced by as much as half with the smaller dishes.

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk, warmed to the touch (about a minute in an average microwave)
6 eggs, separated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dash cayenne or 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated or crumbled cheddar, Jack, Roquefort, Emmental, and/or other cheese

Use a bit of the butter to grease a 2-quart soufflé or other deep baking dish. (Hold off on this step if you're going to delay baking the soufflés until later.)

Put the remaining butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When the foam subsides, stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and and whisk in the milk, a bit at a time, until the mixture is thick. Let cool for a few minutes, then beat in the egg yolks, salt, pepper, cayenne and cheeses. (You can prepare this base a few hours in advance of cooking; cover tightly and refrigerate; bring back to room temperature before continuing.)

About an hour before you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375°F. Use an electric or hand mixer or a whisk to beat the egg whites until fairly stiff. Stir about a third into the base to lighten it, then gently - and not overthoroughly - fold in the remaining whites, using a rubber spatula or your hand. Transfer to the prepared dish and bake until the top is brown, the sides are firm, and the center is still quite moist, about 30 minutes. Use a thin skewer to check the interior; if it is still quite wet, bake for another 5 minutes. If it is just a bit moist, the soufflé is done. Serve immediately.

(Above photos l to r: Kate's first soufflé; Kristen's first soufflé)

kate (brooklyn)

"Do you need a blowtorch for that?" Yes, those words were part of the phone conversation I had with Kristen last weekend in regards to this post.

A soufflé. Two things come to my mind when I hear that word: French and puffy. I don’t usually bake things that have anything to do with those words. Cooking French food intimates me and the last puffy thing I made was a microwave s'more in the teachers lounge at the school where I work. I put the chocolate and marshmallow on a graham cracker and watched the marshmallow expand to about ten times its normal size and then become as hard as a rock. I figured that was about as close to a soufflé as I’ve ever been.

So when Kristen suggested that we try a soufflé, I was all for it. It was something new and challenging. As far as the blowtorch comment, I saw one advertised online at Crate and Barrel in my search for a soufflé dish in that little "you might also like..." box at the bottom. Luckily, we didn’t need one – however I do have a little bit of welding experience and would’ve felt comfortable making a puffy cheese sculpture with one.

I had no problem finding a soufflé dish. There are two great kitchen stores in my neighborhood like The Brooklyn Kitchen and Whisk as well as many chain stores in the city like Crate and Barrel and Sur la Table. I ended up meeting my friend, Abby, in SoHo one night after work last week at C & B, where we found the soufflé dish and then, realizing how all this food talk was making us hungry, proceeded to get margaritas and dinner at Spring Street Natural.

Saturday rolled around. I had a few of the ingredients in the fridge, but needed a couple more things. We also did not have much else to eat in our place, so I talked my husband into going to Trader Joe’s in Union Square to do the rest of the shopping for the week. Trader Joe’s seems to have the best prices when it comes down to buying a lot of food at once. Unfortunately, I think most of New York City has also realized this by now, as well.

We arrived at Trader Joe’s around 11 am and already the line was stretched around the store (at least there wasn’t a line to get into the store – I’ve never gone in when that happens). Branden and I usually tag-team our shopping experience there: one of us will wait in line and grab things on the edge of the store while the other will go up and down the aisles. I think we were in line for at least 45 minutes, which is probably the longest I’ve ever waited there.

The store was also missing a lot of items – about 90 percent of the bread was gone. I got into a conversation with the couple behind me who wanted to know if the store was closing, as it looked like a clearance sale had happened on some of the shelves. I remarked that maybe everyone was stocking up for the big blizzard headed our way (which only left a dusting).

Anyway, we made it around the store, past the greens, the empty bread shelves, the meat, and finally the dairy. Even got a snack cup from the sample table filled with TJ’s trail mix about half-way – I thought it was pretty thoughtful of them to help keep our energy up while we waited. We paid and hauled 4 big, heavy bags out of the store, got on the L, and headed home. It takes us about 10-15 minutes to walk home from the train. I don’t mind the walk, except during times like this where I’m carrying (what feels like) close to my body-weight in groceries.

I prepped everything ahead of time and made sure the recipe was posted in a place where I could see. (I don’t have the cookbook we used for this recipe – Kristen was nice to scan it for me). I have to admit, though, I think if I ever write a cookbook I would make the font a lot bigger and have more visuals.

Everything seemed to go well (I did drop the butter on the floor and after trying to cut off the fuzz and gross-ness from the floor I gave up and just put out the other half) up to the part where the egg whites are beaten. I also (like Kristen) was worried about over-beating them and don’t think they were as stiff as they should have been.

I put the soufflé in the oven, poured myself a glass of wine, and waited for half and hour. It had definitely risen, but the center was still wet. Branden joined me in the kitchen and we waited together. After about 3 more 5-minute intervals, the soufflé was done in the center and had risen a little above the dish. I considered it a success for a first soufflé.

We carried it to the table and I took some photos, as it slowly sank. We cut and served and ate. It was really good and had the right balance of cheese and herbs (chives and thyme). Who knows how high a soufflé is actually supposed to rise; what matters most to me is the way it tastes.

(Kate's photos above l to r: Reading the recipe; Branden and thyme)

kristen (beacon)

The whole idea of the soufflé has forever intimidated me. I’m not exactly sure why: The shi shi French name? The very specific ceramic dish? The oh so important rise? Who knows? What I do know is that I have avoided them like the plague, but if I wanted to broaden my culinary horizons, I knew I had to try making one.

When Kate and I decided to start this blog, I knew immediately that the basic cheese soufflé should be our first challenge. A risky adventure like that was sure to bring some interesting results to compare. And what an adventure it was.

First thing I learned: Soufflé dishes are nearly impossible to find in the Hudson Valley. Considering that we are so close to the Culinary Institute of America, you’d think our kitchen stores would be better stocked. But half a dozen stores later, all I had found were a bunch of blank stares. (More than once I pointed to a ramekin and explained, “It’s like that, but bigger.”) Finally, PJ reminded me of a new gourmet kitchen store in Rhinebeck, Blue Cashew, which is about an hour north of Beacon. Sure enough, they were well stocked and happily claimed to “have a lot of things you can’t find anywhere else in the Valley.” Whew, thank goodness.

Soufflé dish in tow, I shopped for the rest of my ingredients at Adam’s Fairacre Farms in Newburgh. Adam’s is a mini-chain in the Hudson Valley that is chock full of local and hard-to-find ingredients. We still don’t have Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, but thanks to Adams we can almost always find what we need. I stocked up on Ronnybrook Farm Creamline Milk (Ronnybrook is located just north of Beacon in Ancramdale), Gruyere and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses (ok, not exactly local), and thyme (not fresh, but heck, it’s the middle of February). Tim Heuer, the head farmer at our CSA (Common Ground Farm) had given us a dozen fresh eggs from his chickens earlier in the week, and I thought they would also be perfect.

I was so nervous about making the soufflé that I procrastinated as much as possible. I carefully laid out and rearranged my ingredients several times. I watched a video of Julia Child making a soufflé to see if I could pick up any last-minute tricks that Mark Bittman may have left out (like the “foil collar” and lining the buttered dish with leftover cheese for a crispy, savory crust). Finally, I took a deep breath and dove in.

The béchamel base turned out well enough, but I think my first misstep was with the egg whites. I was so terrified of overbeating that I think I may have actually underbeat them. Mark Bittman suggests using one hand to fold the whites into the béchamel, but I may have done this too vigorously. Finally, I think I may have adhered the foil collar too high on the dish.

The result? A soufflé that didn’t even rise over the top of the dish, and wasn’t the least bit pretty.

But then I remembered we still got to eat it! I kept my fingers crossed that it would be delicious. And it was. Gloriously, it was. Light and airy (for the most part), savory, and as PJ remarked, “It’s like eating a warm, cheesy cloud.” Oh la la.

I still don’t know exactly why the soufflé didn’t rise as much as it should have, but I look forward to making many more in the future to improve my technique. Besides, since I clearly own one of the only soufflé dishes in the Hudson Valley, I owe it to my hometown to crank out as many of these as possible. I’m sure that’s what Mark and Julia would have wanted.

(Kristen's photos above l to r: The ingredients; The first bite)

View more of our soufflé photos on Flickr.