Chèvre, l’autre facon – Chèvre pané et sauce aux poivrons grillés, miel et balsamique

Have you ever felt like a goat cheese appetizer but not on a salad or on toasts? This warm goat cheese appetizer has been one of my favorites, and makes such an elegant small dish with simple and down to earth flavors.

It’s one of those appetizers, that you make regularly because it’s so good and so quick to prepare, you can prepare the red pepper salsa in advance which can be appreciable when you have guests and many courses, then you don’t have to stay in the kitchen while your guest are having a good time in the living room. Since I love to have everything ready when guest arrive and not drink my glass of wine by myself with my vegetables, I had to find recipes that would allow me to do that.

For a long time, goat cheese was not one of my favorites, I thought it was too strong and smelled like a real goat (the same smell you can encounter at the gym, when people don’t use deodorant and have been working out in dirty clothes). I got to appreciate it more while living in Paris, sometimes during the weekend, all you want to do is get out of the crowded city and explore the countryside, see some greenery and breathe fresh air.

During our weekend getaways, we discovered a few goat farms where they raised goats to produce cheeses. Yes, when you enter the farm the goat smell is hard on your nostrils, much worse than cows or horses, and when you leave, you smell like a goat too, but c’est la nature!!..little by little, I somehow got to appreciate the diversity of goat cheeses and their flavors, and now it’s an ingredient I adore.

Ingredients for 4

• 8 slices of goat cheese (1.5 cm thick)
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1.5 tsp honey
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbs parsley, chopped
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs sunflower oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Cut the cheese in 1/2 inch thick slices. Whisk egg and dip cheese slices in it, then coat with bread crumbs. Set aside.

Broil red pepper under broiler on all sides until the skin grills and turns dark. Remove from the oven, let it cool and remove the skin and the seeds. Cut in small strips, then in small dices. Set aside.

In a pan, heat olive oil and add shallots, brown the shallots, then add garlic. Cook for another few minutes to get the flavors out. Add honey, cook for a few minutes, then add balsamic vinegar, let it reduce. Add red peppers, stir well and coat peppers with mixture. Add parsley. Remove from heat.

In a pan, heat sunflower oil, brown the breaded goat cheese slices on both sides. When golden brown, remove from heat.

Place 2 slices of goat cheese in a plate and divide the red pepper salsa around them.

Appetizers Appetizer, balsamic vinegar, chevre, goat cheese, honey, red bell pepper

Petit plat mais grandes saveurs – Oeufs cocotte, crème de courgette, tomates séchées et artichauts

Oeufs cocotte can be simple, refined, original, creative, or whatever you want them to be. No one can resist the charm of those more contemporary “oeufs cocotte“. The traditional oeufs cocotte were more sober and simple, but we have reinvented them with new ingredients. There so many ways to prepare those unctuous little eggs, this is one version among so many others. They make great appetizers when you have some guests who most of the time enjoy their little individual pot, they’re fun to make, to serve and to eat. So the fun is tripled.

Oeufs cocotte are very easy to prepare, you can prepare the ingredients in advance and assemble them at the last minute. The most difficult trick is the perfect cooking of the eggs. Some rules will allow you to master the technique of a perfect oeuf cocotte. Prepare a double boiler (bain marie) in a pre-heated oven so that when you place the eggs, the water will be slightly boiling. The cooking time of oeufs cocotte can vary, depending on the oven and the size of the eggs. Don’t wait to remove the eggs until the whites are cooked, remove them when they’re still runny. If you take them out when they’re just perfect, they will harden after being served.

In French cocotte means “hen“in slang, and is sometimes used as a endearing word for kids, allez ma cocotte viens voir mamie.

The cream of zucchini and artichokes combine two great textures and flavors together, the sundried tomatoes give it a pleasant Italian twist. Don’t forget the “mouillettes” with your oeuf cocotte, mouillettes are little sticks of bread to dip in the yolk! You cannot have oeuf cocotte sans mouillettes!

Ingredients for 4

• 4 zucchini, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tbs fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• about 16-20 baby artichokes
• 4 eggs
• 4 sundried tomatoes, diced
• 2 tbs white wine
• juice of one lemon
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Pre-heat oven at 375F. Place a double boiler (bain-marie) in the oven and let the water slightly boil.

In a pan, heat olive oil, add onions, let them brown. Add zucchini and thyme. Cover with lid and cook at medium heat until tender, add salt and pepper. Let it cool and blend in a mixer to obtain a purée. Set aside.

Start trimming artichokes. Remove the hard leaves outside, then trim to top with a knife cutting the green and hard part of the leaves. Fill a large bowl with water and lemon juice and place artichokes in it. The lemon juice will prevent artichokes from darkening.

In a pan, heat olive oil, add garlic and let it cook for a few seconds stirring. Drain artichokes and add to the pan, stir a one minute or so, then add white wine. Cover and cook at low heat until artichokes are tender, adjust with salt and pepper.

In a small ramequin, add cream of zucchini, then artichokes, sundried tomatoes, and top with an egg. Add fresh ground pepper.

Place the ramequins in the double boiler (bain-marie) and cook until the eggs whites are slightly runny, you will have to check occasionnally. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley and serve with mouillettes (country bread taosted and cut in sticks). As an appetizer, it’s perfect with a small salad on the side.

Appetizers, Vegetarian - dairy artichokes, french, oeuf cocotte, sundried tomatoes, zucchini

Canapés inattendus – Canapés au chèvre et champignons, miel et sel de lavande

I made a pizza a few nights ago, something I don’t do as much as I used to, and I had leftover dough I didn’t want to through away. I just hate to throw away food and more so doughs that can be used in so many different ways. I have been thinking to combine goat cheese and lavender on some sort of a tart or small bites, voilà, c’est fait en un tour de main (it’s done in a hand twist if you have dough of course). Those canapés are tiny, about 2 inches in diameter, even though they seem a lot bigger by looking at the picture.

As much as I dislike lavender as a scent, I would never buy lavender soaps or fragrances, but I adore lavender in food, it feels like Provence with its warm and sunny days, vibrant colors and flower fragrances. Lavender is like vanilla for me, the smell in fragrances makes me cringe but I love cooking with it.

The particularity of pizza dough, is that it needs to cook fast at high temperature, to get a crisp bottom and not chewy. Usually I bake it in a very hot oven, at high temperature and the dough is always perfect. Well, it’s perfect for me, since I like it crunchy and not soft and chewy.

I used large oyster mushrooms, but any mushrooms such as cremini, would work fine. You could also use eggplants, that makes a great combination with goat cheese.

Never throw away leftover dough of any kind, you can always use it, it makes beautiful bites so when unexpected guest show up, they come in handy.

For about 12 canapés

• pizza dough or pate brisée
• 1/3 lb mushrooms
• 12 slices goat cheese
• honey
• lavender salt
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Sauté mushrooms, in olive oil, add salt and pepper and let cook until the water evaporates.

Roll dough very thinly, about 2 mm thick. Cut 2 inches circles with a cookie ring. Place some mushrooms, top it with goat cheese. Sprinkle with lavender salt and honey.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 400F for about 10 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and cheese has melted.

Serve hot.

Appetizers Appetizers, bites, canapes, chevre, goat cheese, honey, lavender, mushrooms, pizza dough

A la pêche aux moules….- Moules et praires aux poireaux, bière, piment et herbes

A la pêche aux moules, moules, moules, je ne veux plus y aller maman, les gens de la ville, ville, ville, m’ont pris mon panier… despite mon panier, I still want to go mussel fishing!

I am afraid I cannot stop eating seafood, it’s becoming an obsessive compulsive thing, I somehow realized the more you do something, the more you want to keep doing it…and right now I am dealing with eating mussels or anything that looks like a mussel (so clams are included in it). I promise this will be the last seafood dish for a little while, unless I am unable to control my seafood compulsion and if I come to that point, I think I will have to start doing yoga or meditation.

I have been to my favorite store this weekend to the other side of the Bay and loaded my cart with so many wonderful goodies I thought I would never find. I think the day I will leave the Bay Area, I will miss this store so much, because at this point I have not seen something that amazing and exciting anywhere else, not even in any European city…just Berkeley, California. Berkeley I salute you.

Mussels are so popular in Mediterranean cuisine, and moules marinières, probably the most common way to prepare mussels in Belgium (and in France too), and are on every menu of any French restaurant in the US. So enough of moules marinières, and let’s add un “petit piment” in our mussels. Dans la vie, il faut du piment!, we need some spice in your life, don’t we?

Leeks and mussels go so well together, and here the broth is enhanced by lemon juice and chili, with a dash of beer, what a flavorful combination. I usually count 2 lbs of mussels per person, depending if you serve mussels as an appetizer or main course and the appetite of your guests.

Ingredients for 2

• 2 lbs mussels
• 1 lb clams
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 leek, chopped
• chili flakes
• juice of one lemon
• a dash of beer (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 tbs parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp basil, chopped
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation

In a large pot, heat 1 tbs olive oil. Add shallots and garlic, stir and let it brown for a few minutes. Add leeks and cook until tender, then add chili flakes.  Add mussels and clams to the pot. Stir well, adjust with salt and pepper.

After the mussels and clams are half open, add beer. Mix well. Cover and let the mussels cook until they open completely. Add lemon juice and 1 tbs olive oil, stir and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, at the end at parsley and basil.

Appetizers, Express - Less than 30 minutes, Fish/Seafood Appetizer, beer, chili, french, leeks, moules, mussels, seafood

La ricetta segreta di Nonna ‘Nita – Crescia di patate con verdura, e tante altre cose

My grandma used to make this crescia when we were kids (my cousins and I) since we were all living together as in a traditional Italian family, and we were just going crazy for it, it was called la crescia colle patate (in dialect it’s more like la crescia col patet). I remember her bending and in sweat, flipping the crescia back and forth on top of the grill on burning coals, she was already old but working so hard to make us happy. We had a fireplace in the attic we would use to grill meat, roast chestnuts, and grill crescia, when my grandma was in the mood for it. The wooden flavor would make anything taste wonderful.

Crescia is a word used in my parents region to call some types of focaccia or piadine, it’s basically a local word. Piadine are from Romagna region and are famous all over Italy, and of course in most of all in the neighboring regions of Romagna. They’re flat types of bread very thin and that are stuffed with various cheeses, greens such as spinach or kale, prosciutto, lonza or any other local product.

I don’t want to confuse you between a crescia and a piadina, but they’re two cousins, and if you ever end up in Romagna you might run into piadina and a meet a crescia if you arrive in Urbino, la città di Raffaello. In Romagna, piadina is a street food, and you can find many restaurants where they’re served with so many side dishes that you can stuff your own piadina with whatever you want.

Crescie on the other hand are usually grilled and originated in Marche and Umbria regions. There are different recipes for crescia, most of them do not have potatoes in the dough, but mainly flour, eggs, lard, water, salt and pepper. My grandma version has potatoes and no lard.

My grandma made this crescia with a potato base and made it a little thicker than regular piadina, and it was our treat. It is hard to translate something so typical and precise into another language, most of the time there is no translation for it because it does not exist anywhere else. I was trying to find some equivalent in English and could not find it.

When the crescia gets cold, it gets a little rubbery, so you need to eat it hot. The base is somehow a gnocchi dough base with a little more flour. Since I don’t have a fireplace, I cooked this in a skillet and it worked quite well.

I used dandelions in this recipe, my grandma used white cabbage, you can also use spinach or any green you like and any Italian cheese such as pecorino, or any sharp cheese. If you have a wood fire place where you can grill food, please try to make a crescia, it’s heavenly.

Ingredients for 6 crescie

• 4 large potatoes, boiled
• 2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 mozzarelle di bufala (or pecorino, etc…), sliced
• Prosciutto or any other cold cuts (optional)
• salt
• olive oil

For the greens

• 1 bunch dandelions or any other greens
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 rosemary sprig, roughly cut
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation

For the greens

If using dandelions, previously cook in salted water for about 5-7 minutes, than drain, let it cool and squeeze excess water. Heat olive oil in a pan, add garlic and rosemary, stir to get the flavors out without burning the garlic. Add the greens and saute for a while. Adjust with salt and pepper.

For the crescia

Boil potatoes in water until cooked allt he way through. Let them cool and peel.

In a bowl, mash potatoes into a thin purée, add egg and flour and mix to form a smooth and solid dough.

In a wooden working surface, divide the dough in 6 equal portions and roll each of them into a round flat circles about 3 mm thick.

Heat a large non stick pan or a grill, then cook crescia until both sides are golden brown, maybe a few minutes, depending on how think your dough is.

Remove from grill, drizzle with olive oil, coarse salt and stuff with greens, cheese and prosciutto.

Appetizers, Breads Appetizer, crescia, italian, Italian street food, marche, mozzarella, piadina, potatoes, romagna, snack

Une cuillère pour moi, et deux pour toi – Cuillères de St Jacques à la vinaigrette de mangue et orange sanguine

I bought so many different kinds of those cuillères (spoons) while in France, which was not really a necessity since they are also available in the US, but my mom shoved them in my suitcase because she said her house is filled with stuff I buy and then I leave at her house, so the closet in my bedroom is filled with kitchen utensils and all kinds of gadgets that I have been accumulated over the years. I am a real pack rat. I still have my own bedroom with clothes and a few teddy bears since my parents still live in the house where I was born and raised (well I was born at the maternity to be clear not in the house), so I guess the “pack-ratting” activity is inevitable.

Today I finally decided to use those cuillères. In France, apéro à la cuillère (spoon apéritifs) is quite in fashion and most home cooks and restaurants use them as their favorite ways to serve hors d’oeuvres. Besides I think they’re really elegant on a table, and easy to prepare. They’re seriously ready in a blink of an eye.

Enough of savory muffins, quiches, etc… and all those heavy appetizers that make you feel already stuffed before dinner. Those are so quick to make, that it’s not even funny…and incredibly delicious, fresh, zesty and so light. I think you know by now that light is a key word for me, as long as a dish is light and flavorful, send it my way.

I bought some mangoes because my new little parrotlet Lilou loves mango, I am trying to discover what fruits and vegetables he likes, and it seems like mangoes, carrots and kale are on the list (wondering if it has to do with the color), so I bought a lot of mangoes, as if he will eat two pounds of mango in a few days. I guess I will have to help him out, and more mango recipes are coming shortly.

I am not really a huge fan of mixing sweet and salty flavors together, it’s not too common in French or Italian cuisine and it took me a while to combine them together. Some fruits are used like orange, apples, plums, etc…in game meat but it’s not too common. The mixture of scallops and mangoes has been something I have been thinking about for a while. I made grilled halibut with mango and red bell pepper salsa that I really enjoyed, so I thought sea scallops would work as well, but I didn’t want to bury the natural scallop’s sweet flavor and add too many ingredients like red bell pepper, red onion, etc…

You can either grill the scallops or sauté them in a pan with a little butter and If you don’t have those spoons, no worries, you can serve two or three scallops in a small plate. Et voilà, aucun problème!

Ingredients for about 10 spoons

• 10 medium sized scallops (they need to fit in the spoon)
• 1 mango, not too ripe (2/3 diced in small cubes, 1/3 grated)
• 1 blood orange, half peeled in quarters and cubed, the other half juiced
• 1 tsp chives, chopped
• cayenne pepper
• 1.5 tbs olive oil
• 2 tsp orange champagne vinegar (or raspberry vinegar)
• salt and pepper

Preparation

First peel mango, cut 2/3 of the mango in small cubes 1/3 inch thick. Place in a bowl.

Peel orange, separate the quarters and remove the membrane. Cut a few quarters in small pieces and add to the mango.

In another bowl, grate the rest of the mango, add olive oil, vinegar, juice of 1/2 blood orange, orange pieces, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Grill or saute scallops in a pan until browned on both sides.

Place a few mango dices and orange pieces in each spoon, add a litte vinaigrette. Add scallops on top, and spoon additional vinaigrette on top.

Appetizers, Fish/Seafood Appetizer, blood orange, chives, hors d'oeuvres, mango, scallops, seafood, small bites

Gratin fantaisie et pas Dauphinois! – Gratin de pommes de terre, courgettes et roquefort

There is the traditional gratin Dauphinois (from the Dauphiné region) where the potatoes are cooked in milk, then placed in the oven with butter (NO cheese) the real gratin Dauphinois has no cheese! Even though most people add cheese, the purists will scream and pull their hair when hearing a gratin Dauphinois recipe with cheese, then you have to remove the “dauphinois” in front of the “gratin” to be accurate. I tend to be lenient as far as cuisine is concerned but I really don’t like to give a inaccurate name to a recipe. It’s like people calling me Cynthia instead of Silvia (which they often do).

Then you have less traditional gratins like this one, very delicious but with Roquefort cheese and other additions of vegetables such as mushrooms, etc… This is a one meal dish and perfect with a green salad but I would not call it a light dish due to the potato-cheese content. It should probably be listed on the category “comfort food” to use the American terminology, even though I don’t like the idea that food can be comforting, I would prefer to use the word “simple” instead. I would call a friend “comforting” but not food. Eating too much heavy food, does not leave me comforted, rather the opposite.

You need to slice the potatoes very thin with a mandoline otherwise it takes a little too long to cook them especially if you are using a large dish instead of small individual ramequins. You could also avoid the pre-cooking process of the potatoes, then the cooking time needs to be increased at low temperature. When pre-cooking the potatoes in milk, make sure not to overcook them, and you need a kind that will remain firm, otherwise the potatoes will break and become mushy.

Ingredients for 4

• 2 large potatoes OR 14.10 oz (400 g) of potatoes, sliced thin
• 2 zucchini, sliced thin
• 4 tbs Roquefort cheese, crumbled
• 2 tbs crème fraîche
• 2 tbs Greek yogurt
• about 2 cups milk
• thyme
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Add potatoes in a pot and pour enough milk to cover the potatoes, let cook for about 5 minutes but still need to be firm. Add zucchini and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from stove and drain. Place potatoes/zucchini in a deep dish and add salt and pepper.

In a bowl combine Roquefort cheese, yogurt and cream, thyme. Adjust with salt and pepper. Roquefort is somehow salty, taste the mixture before add extra salt.

In ramequins place some potatoes/zucchini, then add 1 tbs of Roquefort/cream mixture, proceed with another layer of potatoes and top with Roquefort mixture.

Cook in a pre-heated oven at 375F for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and potatoes cooked all the way through.

Appetizers, Side Dish, Vegetarian - dairy Appetizer, blue cheese, gratin, potatoes, roquefort, Side Dish, vegetarian, zucchini

Un cake déjà vu – Cake traditionnel au gruyère, olives et jambon

Savory cakes are very popular in France, everyone has its own version and makes them for appetizers with drinks when you have a guests over. You cut them in small bites and pass them along with drinks. Usually, I don’t like to post too many traditional French or Italian dishes, I somehow love to explore new ideas, flavors and shapes but once in a while, it makes me feel closer to home like with this cake salé. You can flavor it with what you like, such as feta, mint and zucchini, or sundried tomatoes and thyme, or just use your creativity. You only need the basic proportions of flour, olive oil or butter, and eggs, then the rest is up to you.

Nothing too fancy or original in this post, just maybe the most traditional cake salé that every French person who cooks and entertains, knows how to make, it’s a great one, always appreciated and quite delicious combining three main ingredients. Usually savory cakes contain butter, but I like to use olive oil, it gives it a really fruity and fragrant flavor.

Savory cakes are another one of those things I don’t make very often, I tried a few with shrimps, and other ingredients but as far as entertaining menu is concerned, I tend to make other types of snacks or canapés. This is a great item when you have guests pour l’apéro, a lot quicker to make than a savory tart or quiche. Tonight I have a little time to cook, so cake is on the menu among other little bites. It’s healthier than serving chips and other pre-packed junk food. Even though I love thick and salty potato chips! One of those items I cannot have in the house, or I will just not stop thinking about them until I ate them all.

Ingredients for about 6 people

• 6.34 oz (or 180 g) unbleached flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 3 fl oz (or 90 ml) olive oil
• 3.38 oz (or 100 ml) milk
• 7 oz (or 200 g) ham, cut in cubes
• 5.64 oz (or 160 g) gruyère cheese or cantal grated
• 3.5 oz (or 100 g) green olives, roughly chopped
• a pinch of salt and pepper

Preparation

In a mixing container, mix flour and baking powder. In another container, mix eggs, milk, olive oil. Mix well and add to the four/baking powder mixture. Add salt and pepper. Add ham, gruyère and olives. Mix carefully.

Bake in a non-stick loaf pan in a 370F pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes.

Appetizers, Breads cake sale, gruyere cheese, ham, olives, savory cake

Un crumble qui sent bon la Provence – Crumble aux tomates, aubergines, basilic et chèvre

It seems like the traditional British dessert arrived in France and turned savory. Crumbles are becoming very trendy in France and quite popular, I can understand why, they’re just really delicious. So, yes, we stole it from the British and somehow made some transformations to it. I don’t know much about British cuisine, but I know crumble comes straight from the other side of the Channel.

This is my third post featuring a savory crumble, and I will continue to explore them. Crumbles are so good, most of all very easy to make, and certainly always appreciated among guests. They make wonderful appetizers. I just love to nibble on the crust and dig to get what’s underneath. The goat cheese has melted and infused with the garlicky tomato and eggplant, so you can dip some toasted walnut bread in the juices.

I had taken tons of photos yesterday and for whatever strange reason, when I downloaded them on my computer, they had disappeared from the memory card, and by that time my meal was long gone and digested. I was really disappointed – I still don’t know where the problem came, either from the card or the camera. I Certainly did not want to eat the same dish today and honestly, I am a little tired of carbs, on arrête les féculents, let’s stop the carbs before I turn into a giant noodle!!! I have been eating more pasta and rice than usual, so I figured this crumble would fit perfectly my nutritional needs.

Ingredients for 3-4 individual crumbles

• 5 medium size tomatoes, peeled and seedless, cut in quarters
• 1 small eggplant, sliced crosswise
• 4 tbs goat cheese, crumble
• 2 tbs basil, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper

For the crumble topping

• 4 tbs white flour
• 5 tbs plain bread crumbs
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence
• 1 1/2 tbs almond meal
• 1 tbs parmesan, grated
• 2 oz (or 50 g) butter
• a little salt and pepper

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a pan, add 1 garlic clove chopped, then add tomatoes, cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes are starting to become soft but not mushy. In a grill pan, grill eggplant on both sides. You can also sprinkle them with olive oil, salt and pepper and broil them under broiler.

Start making crumble topping. In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together, then add butter and mix from tip of the fingers to make a crumbly dough.

In individual molds, add tomaotes, eggplant and basil. Top with goat cheese and crumble topping.

Cook in a pre-heated oven at 370F for about 30 minutes or until the top has turned golden.

Serve hot with a green salad.

Appetizers, Vegetarian - dairy basil, eggplant, goat cheese, savory crumble, tomato

Attention ca retombe vite! – Soufflé aux carottes, courge et taleggio au lait de chêvre

I cannot tell you for how long I wanted to make this soufflé with goat milk. I made a vegetable gratin with goat milk that was delicious so I wanted to use this delicate milk in a soufflé and see what would come out. I really loved it’s lightness and subtle flavor. I think from now on, I will use goat milk instead in such dishes. Goat milk is whiter than cow milk and is lighter, has a softer and more subtle flavor. It also has more calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin A. In France it’s even recommended for kids around one year of age who tend to be allergic to cow milk, since goat milk is closer to maternal milk. So it’s a milk full of great nutrients.

Soufflé is a typical French dish, it’s cheap and quick, so should be appealing to many people. The combination of carrots and squash adds a very unique and pleasant sweetness to this dish. The nutty flavor of Taleggio leaves a wonderful after taste. Taleggio is an Italian cheese that I use quite often in my dishes, it melts beautifully and has a very distinct flavor, Sometimes I substitute it to Gruyère cheese, it melts as nicely and has more flavor.

For soufflé, you need to make a thick béchamel base and beat the whites quite stiffly. It’s very easy to make, then you enter the infinite world of soufflé, and can make as many kinds than your imagination lets you. The individual vegetable or seafood soufflés are perfect as an appetizer with a salad.

Watch out it, soufflé rises, then falls quite quickly, so you need to serve it right away.

Ingredients for 4

• 8.8 oz (or 250 g) carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
• 8.8 oz (or 250 g) squash, peeled and cut
• 0.88 oz (or 25 g) butter
• 0.88 oz (or 25 g) flour
• 6.76 fl oz (or 200 ml) goat milk (I used low fat)
• 3 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
• 2 tbs Taleggio, diced
• salt and pepper

Preparation

First steam carrots and squash. When well cooked, mash with a potato masher and reduce in a purée. Set aside.

Start making the béchamel. Melt butter in a pan, add flour, stir well then add milk gradually. Adjust with salt and pepper.

Add carrots/squash purée to the béchamel and mix well, let it cool down and add yolks. Mix well. Add Taleggio, and stir to get a smooth mixture.

Beat whites into a stiff consistency, and carfelly add to the béchamel mixture.

Fill buttered ramequins to the 3/4 and cook in a pre-heated oven at 375 until the soufflé rises and turns golden on top.

Serve immediately.

Appetizers acorn squash, Appetizer, carrots, goat milk, souffle, tallegio