VEGAN OVERNIGHT OATS

Overnight oats - one of my favourite breakfasts! It's sattvic, light but really filling, quick, make-ahead, and if you put these in a jar with a lid, spill-free and portable. I also make these in my hotel room when I'm travelling, to have an energising breakfast before the activity of a construction site.

I seldom eat dairy products, but if you do, you can make these with milk if you want. Milk's not really necessary though... overnight the oats the mixture gets creamy and smooth just with water. I also don't use any processed milk like almond or soy. If you make homemade nut milk, by all means use that, it's delicious!

Also, since I don't use any dairy in these, I just leave them on the table. I find the chill of refrigerated breakfast too much of a shock early in the morning, even in the summer. But if you're using milk, do refrigerate!

Use any fruits and nuts you fancy. Bananas, berries, stone fruit like cherries and peaches, kiwi, mangoes, pineapple, passion fruit... they're all amazing with these oats.

Vegan Overnight Oats

makes: 1 serving

- 1/4 cup rolled oats (regular, not instant!)

- 1 tbsp. shredded coconut (optional)

- 1/3 cup water

- 1 cup champagne grapes (or halved regular grapes or any other cut fruit)

- 2 tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds, coarsely chopped (or any other nuts)

1. In a bowl, mix the oats, water, and coconut if using. Stir well and set aside for 10-15 minutes. Stir again, and if the oats seem dry, add a bit more water till you have a creamy mixture.
2. In a jar or glass, layer the oats, pumpkin seeds, grapes, repeat. End up with a top layer of grapes.
3. Leave overnight and enjoy a delicious start to your day!

MENDIANTS AU CHOCOLAT

Just thinking about mendiants au chocolat gets me excited! They're beautiful, smell heavenly, taste delicious, have a romantic side to them, and a plateful presents endless possibilities. Basically like a roomful of ideal men!

Mendiants au chocolat are a traditional southern French Christmas-time confection of chocolate discs topped with nuts and dry fruits. Mendiants - mendicants or beggars in English - refers to the four monastic orders in the Church: Dominican, Franciscan, Carmelite, and Augustinian. Each order is represented by a specific topping based on the colour of their robes: hazelnuts for the Augustinians, raisins for the Dominicans, figs for the Franciscans, and almonds for the Carmelites.

I really love this romantic way of commemorating the orders and thinking about them at an important time of the year for Catholics and others alike. I equally love the elegant simplicity of mendiants au chocolat. And the versatility of toppings that creates a variety of textures and flavours on the tongue. Like a party that lasts all night... and if you know me, you know how much I love a party!

I make them during the holiday season as one of my edible homemade gifts when I go to parties or have friends over, but I also make them throughout the year. I think they make a really lovely gift at any time. Get creative with toppings: nuts, dried fruits, bits of biscuits or pretzel sticks, fleur de sel or other coarse natural salt, candied flowers, candied ginger or other fruits, fruit peels, pumpkin seeds...

While you don't need to stick to the traditional toppings, be mindful to keep the mendiants bite sized and don't crowd the small discs of chocolate. You want the chocolate to come through as much as the toppings. So use the best quality milk or dark chocolate you can find, and a few excellent toppings.

Mendiants au Chocolat

makes: ~ 3 dozen

- 16 oz. Callebaut 60% or other top quality dark chocolate  - not couverture (I use Valrhona or Callebaut, but Scharffenberger or Ghirardelli will do)

- nuts (raw or roasted): cashews, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans...

- dried fruits

- candied ginger, orange peel, or candied flowers
- dried coconut flakes 

- dried herbs: rosemary, mint

- biscuits

- salt: fleur de sel, pink Himalayan, black Cyprus sea salt flakes

1. Line a few baking trays or other flat work surface with parchment paper.
2. Completely melt the chocolate in a double boiler (temper if you wish, but it's not necessary).
3. Using a 1/2 tsp. measure, drop the molten chocolate onto the prepared parchment paper. It will naturally form a circle - resist the temptation to spread the chocolate into a circle, let it form naturally.
4. Top with a combination of toppings and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate till the chocolate is hardened.
5. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

ENGUACATADAS: LIKE ENCHILADAS, FOR AVOCADOS

The recipe for this sauce is from my friend Oscar's mum. I got a whole new perspective on Mexican food after I met him. In fact, until I met him I had never heard of enguacatadas and enfrijoladas. Oscar and I both love food, drinks, and cooking, and when I lived in Chicago we were always up for trying a new restaurant or bar in town.

Enguacatadas - like enchiladas - are typically filled with cheese or chicken. But I create my own vegetarian fillings and they're still amazing thanks to the incredible flavour of the sauce itself. Go easy on the spice in the filling because you really want the sauce to overarch the flavour of the dish rather than the filling or the cheese on top. Serve sliced jalapeños on the side for added spice at the table.

Enguacatadas - unlike enchiladas - are not ubiquitous. You won't see them on a restaurant menu or on a website or online cookbook, I'm not sure why. But make this recipe and enjoy the velvety avocado sauce!

Enguacatadas: "Enchiladas" in an Avocado Sauce
Makes: 12 enguacatadas

Sauce:

- 3 ripe avocados, peeled and cut into chunks

- 3 jalapeños
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp. salt (use really good quality salt, as always)
- 1 tsp. avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1-2 limes, juiced
- 3 tomatillos, roasted (optional)

Filling:
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 medium zucchini, diced

- 1 cup peas, cooked (defrosted if using frozen cooked peas)

- 8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced (or any other kind of mushroom)

- 1 tsp. Mexican oregano (Italian or Greek will do in a pinch)
- 1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

- 1 tsp. cumin powder

- 1 tsp. salt

- 2 tbsp. avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 1 lime, juiced

Tortillas:
- 12 small corn tortillas (aka tortillas para enchiladas in some stores)

Topping (optional):
- 2 tbsp. black sesame seeds or

- 3/4 cup queso fresco, queso cotija, mild goat cheese, or shredded paneer (it's close to queso fresco)

1. Sauce: Roast the 3 jalapeños over a direct flame or in a pan without adding oil, until the skin is mostly black. Immediately put the hot jalapeños in a container and cover. Set aside for 10 minutes or so. After 10 minutes, remove the stem and peel the peppers - the skin should come right off. Give the roasted peppers a quick rinse to get rid of any loose skin. While rinsing, split them open and wash off the seeds. 
2. Blend the roasted jalapeños, avocados, garlic, salt, lime, tomatillos if using, and just enough water to make a sauce in which you can dip a tortilla. The sauce should be thin enough to dip a tortilla in, but thick enough to coat the tortilla well without running off.
3. Put the sauce in a pan with the oil and heat to a simmer - do not boil. Transfer the sauce into a shallow tray large enough to dip a tortilla in, and set aside while you make the filling.
4. Filling: In a pan, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, sauté till translucent and soft but not browned. Add the mushrooms and sauté till the mushrooms are soft. Add the zucchini and cook till just soft, not mushy. Add the cumin, oregano, salt, and peas and cook until the vegetables are heated through. Turn off the heat, stir in the lime juice and cilantro, and set the filling aside.
5. Tortillas: Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and very quickly heat a tortilla on both sides to make it soft and pliable so it doesn't break. Dip the hot tortilla very quickly in the avocado sauce. Put the dipped tortilla on a plate and put 1-2 tbsp. of the filling in the centre. Wrap the sides of the tortilla around the filling like in an enchilada. Put the filled tortilla (enguacatada by now) seam side down on a plate and sprinkle a pinch of sesame seeds or a scant 1 tbsp. cheese over it.
6. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and serve with extra sauce. Enguacatadas!

ONION AND HERB FOCACCIA

A bread by any other name... focaccia, fougasse, hogaza, schiacciata, pizza... all contain the same basic ingredients: high-gluten (strong) flour, salt, yeast/leavening, oil, water. Focaccia, the predecessor of pizza is thicker, whereas pizza is thin, almost like a flatbread. But both are great with a variety of toppings.

Focaccia is great as a snack on its own, sliced with a bit of meat, cheese, a fried egg, or vegetables inside, with soup, roasted vegetables, meats, cubed and toasted into croutons, in a breakfast strata... the ideas are endless.

The one difference between any focaccia-like bread and pizza is that focaccia has a distinct olive oil flavour thanks to the generously greased pan in which it's baked, and the drizzle of olive oil it gets before baking. Don't skimp on the quality or quantity of oil - in this recipe, I've already pared down the oil so definitely don't reduce the quantity of oil in any step otherwise you'll end up with a dry crust, bottom, and crumb - essentially a dry loaf. No fun.

 

Onion and Herb Focaccia
Makes: 1 loaf, 17 in. x 12 in.

Dough:
- 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour 
- 2-1/2 cups bread flour
- 2-1/2 tsp. active dry yeast (not Rapid Rise)
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for greasing the baking tray
- 2 cups warm water (not hot - or the yeast will die and the dough won't rise!)

Topping:
- 1 tbsp. fennel seeds
- 1-1/2 tbsp. rosemary leaves, fresh or dried
- 1 tbsp. thyme, fresh or dried
- 1 tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp. flaked or coarse salt

1. In a large bowl, make the yeast sponge: mix 1 cup warm water, 1 cup whole wheat flour, and yeast. Set aside for 15 minutes - after 15 minutes the mixture should look frothy and feel "spongy" when stirred with a spoon.
2. In a small bowl, mix the fennel seeds, rosemary, thyme, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and the 3 tbsp. olive oil. Set aside.
3. To the yeast sponge, add the rest of the whole wheat flour, bread flour, 2 tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Mix well - the dough will be dry and clumpy. Add 1/2 cup warm water and mix into a dough. If needed, add more warm water, 1/4 cup at a time, to bind the dough into a ball. Knead till smooth and supple, about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft but not wet and sticky. If it is, add flour 1 tbsp. at a time until the dough is soft but not wet or sticky.
4. Form the dough into a ball and put into a large bowl. Cover the bowl and put it in a warm, draft-free place until the dough has risen and doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
5. Generously grease a 17 in. x 12 in. rectangular jelly roll pan / metal baking tray with olive oil.
6. Gently push down the risen dough. Transfer to the greased pan and using your fingers, flatten the dough to fill the pan. The dough may spring back - let it rest for a minute and continue to flatten into an even layer.
7. Let the dough rise in the baking tray for 20 - 30 minutes.
8. Make sure there's a middle and lower rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 F / 220 C. Fill an oven-proof tray with 1 - 2 in. water.
9. Using your finger tips, make "dimples" all over the dough.
10. Brush on the olive oil and herb mixture all over the dough. Gently press the sliced onion and jalapeño on to the dough. Evenly sprinkle the salt, if using, on the dough.
11. Put the pan (with the dough) on the middle rack, and the tray with water on the lower rack.
12. Turn the temperature down to 400 F / 200 C and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until the focaccia is golden at the top and bottom (use a spatula to lift a corner and check).
13. Remove from the oven and cool for 3-5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the fridge for up to 2 days.

WAFFLES: EASY, NOT BOXED

Now that summer's here, it's time for waffles-and-summer-fruit weekends! The cornstarch gives these a crispy exterior and the egg whites beaten and folded in make a fluffy interior. If you don't want to bother with separating the eggs and all of that, lightly beat the eggs without separating and add to the dry ingredients when you add the wet ingredients.

According to my Vermont friends, the best maple syrup is Grade B, not Grade A. The consensus is that Grade A is too light and lacks the smoky maple flavour that the Grade B has. So they've advised me to focus on Grade B, and leave the Grade A to snooty New Yorkers. I have both grades at home so I tried them on these waffles and those pancakes, and I'm a convert to Grade B! That's also what I used in these almond and cashew butter fudge bites.

No maple syrup? Honey's just as great!

Waffles
Makes: 5 waffles

- 1 cup oat flour (grind 1 cup rolled oats in a blender till you have flour)

- 3/4 cup all-purpose (AP) flour (or bread flour)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch

- 2 eggs, yolks and whites separated

- 1-3/4 cups milk
- 1/4 cup oil (coconut, grape seed, olive, or any neutral oil)
- 4 tsp. baking powder

- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2-3 tsp. oil (to brush on the hot waffle iron)

1. In a medium bowl mix all the dry ingredients.
2. Make a well and add the wet ingredients except egg whites. Stir until you have a smooth mixture.
3. Beat the egg whites in another bowl till you have soft peaks. Fold into the smooth mixture and set aside. (If you don't want to bother with separating the eggs and all of that, lightly beat the eggs without separating and add to the dry ingredients when you add the wet ingredients.)
4. Preheat waffle iron.
5. Brush preheated waffle iron with a teaspoon of oil. Ladle about 1 cup batter onto the hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown.
6. Serve hot with butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruits.

CRÈME FRAÎCHE AND ONION DIP

This dip is so delicious that I cannot stop eating it. With everything. Roasted vegetables are way better than a spoon or fork to deliver food to your mouth anyway, so with those, or with chips, flatbreads, crackers, in a sandwich, over salmon, with boiled new potatoes, over poached eggs... the list is long!

And, it's fresh, herb-y, and takes no time to put together. It's based on a fantastic recipe my friend Kara sent me, but I made some changes based on what I had at home. I used crème fraîche, red onion, lemon, white pepper, less sugar, and added garlic.

Crème Fraîche and Onion Dip
Makes: 1-1/2 cups

- 1 cup crème fraîche, preferably home-made
- 2-1/2 tbsp. dill, finely minced
- 2 tbsp. red onion, finely diced
- 1 small clove garlic, smashed to a paste
- 1-1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1 tbsp. lemon zest
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp. salt, adjust to taste
- 1/2 tsp. sugar

1. Put the crème fraîche in a medium bowl.
2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and stir well to mix.
3. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, or serve immediately.

Notes:

1. Although you can serve it right away, the dip will taste better after a few hours or the next day.
2. The dip will thicken in the fridge but that's ok. Just stir and serve when you're ready.

"SKINNY" FRIES: SWEET POTATO AND POTATO OVEN-FRIES

I've posted a recipe before, on what is possibly the world's best way of making "fries" in the oven. Crispy on the outside, steamy on the inside, delicious all over! This time around I added sweet potatoes to the mix.

As I've said in the earlier fries recipe, you want to use starchy potatoes rather than waxy. But really, any potatoes will be great in this recipe. Make sure to soak the cut potatoes in cool water anywhere from 2 - 24 hours, and change the water every few hours if you're soaking them longer than 4 hours.

Sweet potato fries, whether oven-baked or deep fried, don't crisp up as much as potatoes do, because of the higher moisture content of sweet potatoes. But slicing them into thin sticks and baking at a high temperature will help crisp them up considerably. Also, spread the fries on greased baking trays in a single layer without crowding.

As all respectable fries are, these are great with ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard-mayo mixed, pesto, cilantro chutney, herb dips, cheese dips, or, as I served them, with a quick creamy dip. I mixed home-made crème fraîche with some home-made chili sauce and called it all done! 

Home-made crème fraîche is so much more delicious and cleaner than buying commercially made sour cream. Besides, you can season the crème fraîche with anything: lemon, salt, pepper, honey, chili sauce, or even mix a couple of tablespoons into pesto or tomato (pasta) sauce to make a creamy sauce for your pasta.

On to the potatoes... when I refer to potatoes here, I mean sweet potatoes and potatoes.

Sweet Potato and Potato Oven-Fries
Makes: 4 - 6 servings

- 2 large russet potatoes (or 4 medium potatoes of any type)
- 2 large sweet potatoes (or 4 medium)
- 3 tbsp. oil (peanut, sunflower, safflower, coconut, olive, grapeseed)
- pepper, to taste
- salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp. oil, for greasing the baking trays

1. Scrub any dirt or soil off the potatoes.
2. Cut into thin fries and soak in cool water for 2 - 24 hours, changing water every few hours if soaking longer than 4 hours.
3. Pre-heat oven to 425 F / 220 C and grease 1-2 large baking trays.
4. Drain the potatoes and pat dry. Toss with oil and pepper, mixing everything with your hands to get the oil and pepper on all the potatoes.
5. Put the potatoes on the baking trays in a single layer - don't pile them up on the trays otherwise some potatoes will be soft not crisp. Bake in batches if you need to.
6. Bake for 30 - 35 min. (bake for 5 - 7 min. longer if you want them crisper). Ovens vary in temperature, so check the fries after 25 min.!
7. Remove the fries from the oven and add salt and toss well to distribute the salt evenly.
8. Add more pepper if you want, and serve hot, plain or with a dip!

ENLIGHTENED: HOME-MADE CRÈME FRAÎCHE (OR CREMA MEXICANA)

I find crème fraîche (aka crema mexicana or table cream) much more subtle and delicious than sour cream. Find out more about the difference between crème fraîche and sour cream here. Although it's typically made with heavy cream, half-and-half (half cream, half milk) makes a delicious light crème fraîche with a luscious creamy consistency.

Crème fraîche is delicious in cream sauces, as a dip, or over fruit and savoury dishes, and it's so easy to make at home where you know exactly what goes into it. Commercial varieties in the US have unwarranted ingredients like guar gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum, whey, modified food starch, and potassium sorbate - a totally unnecessary preservative. Why bother with (and pay for) all that when you can have something that's fresh, clean, and healthy for less?!

Home-made Crème Fraîche (or Crema Mexicana)

Makes: 16 oz./2 cups

- 1 pint (16 oz./2 cups) half-and-half or cream, at room temperature

- 1/4 cup yogurt with live cultures (full fat, fat-free, or any fat content in between)

1. Pour the half-and-half into a clean, dry, glass or plastic container.
2. Whisk the yogurt till smooth, add to the half-and-half, stir well to mix.
3. Cover partially and let it stand in a warm place for 12 - 24 hours, or until it's a consistency you like.
4. Refrigerate for up to 10 days.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX: BEST PANCAKES, EVER.

Want to have pancakes for breakfast? Ditch the sad boxed pancake mixes travesties and do what I do: make them the old-fashioned, chemical-free way in a snap! These are not just quick and easy, they're also light and just the right thickness to really enjoy them without feeling too full too fast. I love them with just maple syrup and a bit of butter, but if you still feel a void, or want a more filling pancake experience, have them with fresh fruit. Sliced berries, mango, peach, banana, pear - they're all terrific on pancakes! Chopped walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, cashews are great too.

I do poached fruit like peaches or pears (shown in the first photo) on pancakes if I have them left over from something else, but I prefer raw fruit. The concentrated flavour of cooked fruits like berries overpowers the flavour of the maple syrup and there's no point in wasting perfectly great maple syrup. Honey is a much better alternative if you want to have your pancakes with macerated fruits, compotes, preserves, etc.

Best Pancakes, Ever.
Makes: 10 - 12 pancakes

- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I use unbleached AP flour)
- 3-1/2 tsp. baking powder (not baking soda)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. orange zest (optional)
- 1-1/4 cups milk, at least 2% or higher fat (or nut milk of choice - I don't eat soy but you can use soy milk if you want)
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp. butter, melted (coconut oil, or safflower/other neutral oil for dairy-free pancakes)

1. Put the oats in a blender and process into oat flour. 
2. Prep the dry ingredients: Mix together the oat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and orange zest in a large bowl. Make sure to mix everything well.
3. Prep the wet ingredients: Break the egg into the blender jar, add the milk and melted butter. Process until everything is just mixed. 
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until everything just comes together in a smooth batter. A few small lumps are ok, but don't overmix the batter.
5. Heat a lightly oiled skillet (or griddle or frying pan) over medium-high heat. Using a 1/4 cup measure or small ladle, pour the batter onto the hot skillet. The batter will spread to form a 6 - 7 in. pancake. After 30 - 40 seconds, flip the pancake and brown on the other side. Repeat to make more pancakes.
6. Stack 2 pancakes on a plate and serve hot with a pat of butter and/or maple syrup.

Notes:

1. The oat flour won't be as finely milled as the AP flour, but that's fine.
2. If the batter doesn't spread into a 6 - 7 in. pancake, add 1/8 - 1/4 cup milk to thin it.
3. This may be obvious but... if the first pancake is dark brown or burnt, lower the heat for the rest!
4. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat as needed.

AN EASY CLASSIC: CREME BRULEE

Does the creme really need to be brûlée? No. Because really, once you bake the custard in a bain marie, it's cooked, and perfectly edible. And of course there are plenty of baked custards that aren't made with a burnt sugar topping: flan or creme caramel, for example. But the crunch of the caramelised sugar with the silky custard underneath is just such an enjoyable sensation that the extra step to make the caramelised sugar layer is totally worth it.

Is the bain-marie essential? Yes, because it keeps the hot oven air moist for the top of the custard and also protects the delicate egg custards from curdling or breaking.

Flavour-wise, I find that the classic vanilla custard is best, perhaps with the addition of a complementary addition like citrus, almond, or hazelnut liqueur. If you must, serve berries or other accompaniments separately rather than adding into the custard. If you're adding solid flavourings like a scraped vanilla bean, citrus rind, nutmeg, etc. then certainly strain the custard before pouring into ramekins. Also strain if your egg yolk mixture wasn't properly tempered and has bits of curdled yolk - it happens sometimes, it won't affect the flavour of the custard so keep calm and strain on.

Also resist the temptation to make the caramelised sugar layer more than 5 minutes in advance of serving - the sugar will just melt into the custard and you won't have a crunchy layer anymore. When you caramelise the sugar, the chilled custard underneath quickly cools the caramel and hardens it, creating that crunchiness. But it has to be done *just* before serving.

Creme Brûlée 
Makes: 6 servings

Custard
- 6 large egg yolks
- 7 tablespoons sugar
- 2-1/4 cups whipping cream
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur (optional)

- 6-8 ceramic ramekins 

- 2 in. or deeper oven-safe pan large enough to hold the ramekins (if you don't have a pan large enough to hold all ramekins, bake the custard in batches)

Caramelised Sugar Crust

- 3-4 tbsp. sugar (I use turbinado or demerara sugar but white sugar will work)

- a working blow-torch to make the burnt sugar crust

1. Preheat oven to 325 F / 165 C.
2. Bring cream to simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and let it settle for 5 minutes.
3. Whisk egg yolks and 7 tbsp. sugar in a medium bowl until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes.
4. Temper the yolk mixture so it doesn't curdle and get lumpy:
1. Mix in 4 tbsp. (1/4 cup) hot cream into the yolk mixture. Repeat.
5. Whisk in the remaining hot cream into the yolk mixture. Whisk in Grand Marnier and vanilla. 
6. Divide custard among the ramekins. Arrange the ramekins in the oven-safe pan. Make a bain-marie to protect the custards while baking:
1. Pour hot water into the pan to be level with the custard inside the ramekins. The water will protect the custard from browning / burning.
7. Bake custards until gently set in center, 25 - 30 minutes.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the custards from the bain-marie. 
9. Cool custards completely and refrigerate uncovered until fully set and chilled, 3 - 24 hrs. 
10. Just before serving, make the burnt sugar crust:
1. Remove the custards from the fridge and sprinkle an even layer of 1/2 tbsp. sugar onto each.
2. Use the blow-torch per instructions to burn the sugar - you will see it melt. Let it sit for a minute or so and serve.

GOUGÈRES: BAKED CHEESE PUFFS

The French have done it again. They may have been fashionably late in nearly every one of the America's Cup races here in San Francisco, but they've been trailblazers when it comes to revolutions. I'm referring to revolutions of our taste buds, of course. Not any that were the consequence of inappropriately timed discussions on whether the members of the public ought to eat cake.

So back to the French and their food alchemy... take the gougère for example. Flour, eggs, cheese, salt, pepper. And sometimes herbs or other seasonings. All spooned onto a tray and baked for a bit. Et voila! Un amuse-bouche, comme il faut! Make them a bit large, make them quite small and bite-sized, serve as an amuse-bouche, or hors d'oeuvre. However you serve them, they're delicious. They're perfect even if you don't have company. On evenings when you're feeling peckish and want just wine, olives, nuts, crudités, and something just a bit more.

This is quite a versatile recipe. Usually I use Gruyère or Comté (the French version of Gruyère, and also called Gruyère de Comté) cheese and don't add much other than salt and pepper. But this time around I had the last bit of parsley and a serrano pepper that needed to be used, a lovely hunk of salty, grainy Pecorino Romano and a small bit of aged Gouda so I used those. The important thing is to use good quality cheese since you will definitely taste it. Also be careful when using soft wet cheeses like blue cheese or goat cheese because they can make the dough too wet, causing the gougères to deflate. They'll still taste fine, so if this happens, no need to panic.

Gougères will keep their shape even after cooled, so make them a few hours or even a day ahead of when you want to serve them. Rewarm in a 350 F / 180 C oven for 5-7 minutes or until warmed, and enjoy!

Gougères: Baked Cheese Puffs

Makes: approximately 30 gougères

- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp butter, salted or unsalted, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup minced parsley

- 1 serrano pepper, finely chopped 

- 3 ounces (approx. 3/4 cup) grated cheese, Pecorino Romano, Gruyère, Comté, or a combination of cheeses

- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional) - You won't need salt if you use salty cheese like Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, or Parmigiano Reggiano.

1. Preheat the oven to 425F / 220 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Heat the water, butter, and salt, if using, in a saucepan until the butter is melted.
3. Dump in the flour all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture pulls away from the sides into a smooth ball.
4. Remove from heat and let the dough rest for a couple of minutes - this is important!
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring quickly to make sure the eggs don’t ‘cook’. The batter will look a bit lumpy, but after a minute or so, as you stir it will smooth out. (You can do this step of mixing in the eggs in a food processor or electric mixer, but I've never needed to do that.)
6. Add the grated cheese, parsley, and chopped serrano, and stir everything until well-mixed.
7. Make small 1 in. balls from the dough and put on the baking tray. If your dough is wetter and can't be rolled into balls - sometimes mine is, depending on what cheese I use of how large the eggs are - use two spoons to mound the mixture on to the baking tray.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375 F / 190 C and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the gougères are completely golden brown.
9. Serve warm.

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN OR, HOW TO MAKE BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

Nothing fancy here, just a classic French homey gratin, and as much a comfort food of childhood as now. Gratin refers to the pan in which this is cooked, and so all things cooked in a gratin are gratin. :-) With a salad and perhaps bread, this is an easy dinner. It's a make-ahead kind of dish that can sit in the oven for as long as an hour without drying out thanks to the béchamel sauce.

It's also quite a versatile dish - if you want, add a cubed potato or two to the cauliflower. Traditionally, you rub the gratin pan with garlic but I add minced garlic to the béchamel. Sometimes I add a chopped shallot as well. Contrary to what some recipes say, the classic gratin does not require cream of any kind. Just milk - preferably whole, but at least 2%. Skim milk is a waste of time.

In this gratin the star of the show is the béchamel sauce - one of the mother sauces of French cuisine, best presented in Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire or his 800 page, 2000 recipe compendium Ma Cuisine. I bought a hardbound old copy of Ma Cuisine for $2 at a used book store in Half Moon Bay years ago. I have no idea why anyone would get rid of this book, but they did, and I scored! Anyway so béchamel is the base of other sauces such as Mornay and soubise. The quality of bechamel however, depends on the quality of the roux. Roux is nothing more than about equal parts of flour and butter - slightly more flour than butter - cooked together to form a binder for the other ingredients. There's brown roux, pale roux, and white roux. The color of the roux, logically, will determine the colour of your sauce.

Gratins such as potatoes dauphinoise, this cauliflower gratin, and other recipes where béchamel sauce is used, require a white roux which is used for white sauces. A brown roux is used for dishes that call for a brown sauce, and a pale roux is used for veloutés - velvety cream sauces.

Béchamel is really easy to make once you can make roux correctly. Cook the roux on a low-medium flame, never medium or high. You want to allow time for the starch cells in the flour to burst so that the butter combines with the starch without burning the starch (which high heat will do, and therefore require more roux in your béchamel which therefore will be really sludgy and overpower the other ingredients). You will see that as the starch and butter combine, the flour-butter mixture goes from the initial large clump to a soft, loose, stir-able mixture. And it will smell nutty. 

It's very important to keep an eye on the roux when it starts to smell nutty because then it will turn colour from white to brown - which we don't want for béchamel. So once it's loose and stir-able, cook for a minute or so and add the milk, salt, pepper, and whatever seasonings and spices you're using.

Cauliflower Gratin: Gratin de Chou-Fleur

Makes: 4 servings

- 1-1/2 lbs florets of white cauliflower

- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 tbsp all-purpose flour

- 3 cups milk, 2% or whole
- 1-1/2 tsp sea salt or any other good quality salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black or white pepper

- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

- 1 clove garlic, minced or chopped
- 3 cloves, whole (don't use powdered!)

- 1/4 cup shallot, finely chopped (optional)
- 1/2 cup grated Comté, Gruyere, Emmenthaler, or Pecorino Romano cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C.
2. Boil a generous amount of water - enough to completely submerge the cauliflower - in a large stainless steel pan and add the cauliflower florets. Bring everything to a boil, and cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Or you can steam the cauli for 5 minutes.
3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Don't let the mixture brown - it should be white, maybe very slightly off-white. 
4. When the flour-butter mixture feels and looks loose and smells nutty, add the milk and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning or sticking to the pan.
5. Simmer over low heat for 2 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic, and cloves if using. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
6. At this point you can remove the whole cloves if you want, but I always leave them in because they don't overpower the flavour and give the gratin a warm fragrance which I love.
7. Generously butter or oil a gratin dish. Put half of the cauliflower florets in the dish and evenly pour half of the béchamel over the florets.
8. If using shallots, sprinkle the chopped shallots over the béchamel, add the remaining cauliflower florets and evenly pour the remaining béchamel over the florets.
9. Sprinkle with the cheeses and bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. Pull the bubbling gratin out of the oven and let it stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.
11. Enjoy!