General John Stark Vodka

Saw this vodka mentioned over on You Who? I never knew that "Live Free or Die" was a part of a toast!! Here's the full toast, which was given by General John Stark:

Live free or die; death is not the worst of evils

Cool! I love that it's made in NH and honors the man who coined our motto. I'll definitely have to pick up a bottle when I'm home for Christmas!

Comfort Food Season

So the weather is definitely changing here in Seattle. A little cooler, a little wetter. I'm still in denial about the end of summer, but my tummy is saying "Bring on the comfort foods of winter!" So last night it was Potato Souffle (thanks to Food & Wine Magazine and to Kathleen who gave me the gift subscription). So it's basically mashed potatoes with a bunch of Guyere cheese and then whipped egg whites folded in and baked. Easy, right? Just make sure you have a handheld mixer. I'm still in my Frenchy yet vegetarian experiments and this one was perfect

2 large potatoes, peeled, and boiled.
2 Tablespoons butter.
Mash these up with a potato masher. Add salt and pepper.
Add 1/2 cup cream or milk. Mix.

Add 2 cups shredded Gruyere Cheese.
Plus Oregano, Thyme, Parsley, Black Pepper, and any other seasonings you like (I love 21 Season Salute from Trader Joe's). Cayenne might be good too if you like spicy.
Add in 5 egg yokes and mix.
Transfer all to a large bowl.

Whip 7 egg whites until a finger check shows large peaks (adding 1/2 teaspoon of creme of tartar or corn starch helps).

Slowly fold the egg whites into the potato mixture with a rubber spatula.
Pour into a buttered casserole dish.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Broccoli Au Gratin

So I've just read Appetite for Life, about Julia Child. It was a little dense, but it was good to read about someone so inspiring and such a cultural icon. She really changed the world, and deserves every ounce of her reputation. Kathleen read the other one, My Life in France, which might be a funner read, but this one is very comprehensive. Then I rented The French Chef on Netflix to watch her in action. She is hilarious. It's gotten me back into cooking a lot. I'm not about to try Beef Bourguignon or Coq au Vin (me not being into cooking meat, let alone eating it), bit it's STILL inspiring. I did try her simple bread recipe, and was very happy with it. This leads me to my discovery of a veggie/french recipe: Broccoli Au Gratin (Sadly, I found this recipe on emeril.com, who, by the way, stole a lot of his antics from Julia. But who is original anymore anyway, right?) Good stuff.

1 12 oz bag of broccoli and cauliflower from Trader Joe's
6 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups milk
6 oz cheddar cheese
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon Creole seasoning
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt

Preheat oven to 375.
Cook the broccoli & cauliflower in boiling water - 5 min. Drain.
Butter a casserole dish. Arrange the veggies in it.
Melt butter, add flour and whisk. Add salt & cayenne.
Gradually whisk in the milk and cook for 4 min or until thick.
Whisk in cheese.
Pour cheese sauce over veggies.
Combine bread crumbes, olive oil, and Creole seasoning.
Spoon over the dish.
Back for 30 min.