Cheese

These falafel patties are actually made with pinto beans and include jack cheese and cumin. They're easy to make and delicious. We loved the avocado spread, too - we served them up with leftover soup from last night. The patties would be great homemade veggie burgers, served on a whole wheat bun. Just before dinner I whipped up these shortbread, which are thin and crisp and contain ground rolled oats. They're really tasty - they remind us of an oat topping on a fruit crisp. I added a note to this entry on the cheese we had before dinner, because it's really nice.

• Arina Goat Cheese Gouda
• Southwestern Falafel with Avocado Spread (Cooking Light, August 2005)
• Scottish Shortbread (King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking, p. 332)

Wine: Chumeia 2003 Dante Dusi Zinfandel (Paso Robles, California). Still good, with lots of fruit.

Jay came for dinner tonight, and I made a menu from an older issue of Fine Cooking. Larry picked the article out, and I thought it sounded really good. We were looking for something a bit extravagant, since Larry and I both ran a half-marathon today.

The menu has a timeline, and much of the work can be done ahead of time. The only thing I did ahead (last night) was make the Butterscotch Custard. I used mixed greens instead of curly endive in the salad. Larry and Jay really liked the sauce for the tenderloin - it would make a really nice pan sauce.

The Butterscotch Custard was really good, but rich. Both Larry and Jay say it's a make-again. It was pretty easy to make. Next time, I'll definitely use smaller ramekins. Also, I had some problems with the condensation from the foil dripping on to the custards when I checked them for doneness. It made some of the custards looks kind of lumpy but didn't affect flavor.

• Endive Salad with Blue Cheese, Pears & Spice-Candied Walnuts (Fine Cooking #53, November 2002, p. 70)
• Filet of Beef Wrapped in Bacon with Wild Mushroom & Rosemary Sauce (Fine Cooking #53, November 2002, p. 71)
• Celery Root & Apple Purée (Fine Cooking #53, November 2002, p. 72)
• Butterscotch Custard (Fine Cooking #53, November 2002, p. 72)

Wine: Pine Ridge 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, California). This wine was a gift, and a nice one at that. Soft tannins and very drinkable. Perfect match with the tenderloin.

I'm in Austin visiting Amy for a long weekend, and one of our favorite traditions is to make a batch of fondue together and eat it for lunch. We went back to the original recipe we used for our first fondue. Amy bought good cheese (Guryere, Appenzeller and Emmentaler) so it was especially tasty. We also made homemade Ciabatta, which turned out excellent - perfect texture, with big holes for the cheese to hide in. We made a whole recipe, and had leftovers, but half would have been fine.

Classic Swiss Three-Cheese Fondue

1 garlic clove, peeled
1 Cup dry white wine
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
8 oz Guyére chees, rind trimed and discarded, and shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
8 oz Emmentaller cheese, rind trimed and discarded, and shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 oz Appenzeller cheese, cut into small cubes (about 1/2 cup)
4 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp kirsch
A few gratings fresh nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Rub the inside of a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan with the garlic; discard the garlic. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring it to a bare simmer over medium heat.

In a medium bowl, toss the Gruyére, Emmentaler, and Appenzeller cheeses with the cornstarch. A handful at a time, stir the cheese mixture into the wine, stirring the first batch until it is almost completely melted before adding another. The fondue can bubble gently, but do not boil. Stir in the kirsch and season with the nutmeg and pepper.

Transfer to a cheese fondue pot and keep warm over a fondue burner. Serve immediately, with dipping ingredients of your choice.

What to dip:
- Crusty mixed grain bread, French or Italian bread, cut into bite-sized cubes (leave a piece of crust on each cube)
- Cooked chicken breast, skin and bone removed, cut into bite-sized cubes
- Cooked garlic sausage or knockwurst, cut into bite-sized wedges
- Boiled new potatoes
- Asparagus spears, broccoli florets, or cauliflower florets, prepared for dipping

Variations:
French Gruyére Fondue: Substitute an additional 11 ounces Guryére cheese, rind trimmed and removed and shredded (about 3 1/4 cup) for the Emmentaler and Appenzeller cheeses, and Cognac or brandy for the kirsch.

Fondue Dionnaise: Stir 1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard into the fondue. Substitute COgnac or brandy for the kirsch.

American Swiss Cheese Fondue: Domestic Swiss cheese is not as fully matured as imported Swiss cheese, but it can make a fine fondue. Substitute 1 pound domestic Swiss cheese, cut into tiny cubes, finely shredded, for the Gruyére, Emmentaler, and Appenzeller cheeses.

Wine Free Fondue: Substitute 1/2 cub chicken stock, preferrably homemade, and 1/2 cup milk for the wine. Do not add the lemon juice until the chicken stock and milk have come to a simmer.

Serves: 4-6

• Classic Swiss Three-Cheese Fondue (Fondue, Rick Rodgers, p. 18)
• Ciabatta (No Need to Knead, p. 49)

Larry and I had this cheese tonight at Parcel 104 in Santa Clara. It was delicious - served as part of the chef's tasting menu. It's a sheep's milk cheese made in Wisconsin, and the rind is coated with cinnamon.

I've been wanting to make this ever since I read about it on 101 Cookbooks. After I read another article on homemade ricotta in a spring issue of Cooking Light, I decided to finally make a batch. I followed the directions in Casual Cooking rather than Cooking Light. The main deviation in Cooking Light is the ingredients: the addition of salt, the use of 2% milk, and a higher ratio of milk to buttermilk. Casual Cooking uses whole milk, but I decided to use 2%.

This couldn't be easier. I had some question about whether or not I stopped stirring soon enough. I'm pretty sure I didn't, because I ended up with some curds that didn't float to the top. I drained the ricotta minimally, and ended up with a soft, creamy texture. And really, really yummy. I could have sat there and eaten the whole thing with a spoon.

The only downside to making this is that there's a lot of wasted product - a gallon of milk and a quart of buttermilk ends up making 3-4 cups of ricotta.

• Homemade Ricotta (Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking, p. 39)

Amy and I made ourselves a big pot of fondue for dinner tonight. The only time I make fondue is when she and I get together. We used a different recipe than last time. Tonight we chose a recipe from a cookbook we both own, using the variation listed (Gruyére, Emmentaler, and Appenzell). It was so good! We used a very inexpensive cast iron saucepan that we found today, and just cooked it over the stove. It formed a lovely crust at the end, which we peeled up from the bottom of the pan and promptly ate. I can't think of a nicer way to spend my Friday night here in Austin.

• Cheese Fondue (The Cheese Lover's Cookbook & Guide, Paula Lambert, p. 233)

Steve came for dinner tonight. We started off with wine and some of the cheese we got during our last trip to the Cheese Board Collective: Baita Fruili, and Istara. Larry thought he liked the Istara a little better.

- I started the roast chicken following the instructions in Fine Cooking, which were very similar to the preparations for the Zuni Cafe roast chicken. I decided to cook the chicken using the Zuni method - higher heat, no roasting rack, hot skillet, and turning the chicken twice during cooking. Perfect.
- I almost didn't make the Brussels sprouts, since I was already making potatoes. I consulted Amy, and she thought it was too much food. Well, Larry overruled and we had them anyway. And they were good! Roasting is a good way to make them - not like the hated Brussels sprouts of my childhood. I wouldn't mind roasting them without the potatoes next time.
- Larry and I both liked these potatoes. I really liked that they had no cream or butter, just olive oil and some parmesan. I went easy on the parmesan. The recipe says it serves four, but we could have served a lot more people, even without all the other side dishes.
- Larry said he really liked this spinach salad, and I did too. It was different enough to stand out. I can't stop eating the candied walnuts.
- Neither of us were happy with this dessert. Steve said he liked it, but in my opinion, way too lemon-y. And although I cooked it just until the spongy top left a slight indentation, the custard part was too liquid still. I won't make these again.

• CheeseL Baita Fruili, Istara
• Roast Chicken (Fine Cooking #70, March 2005, p. 42)
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Potatoes and Bacon (Fine Cooking #70, March 2005, p. 47)
• Smashed Red Potatoes with Basil and Parmesan Fine Cooking #70, March 2005, p. 51)
• Spinach & Basil Salad with Tomatoes, Candied Walnuts & Warm Bacon Dressing (Fine Cooking #70, March 2005, p. 55)
• Lemon Pudding Cakes Fine Cooking #70, March 2005, p. 62)

Wine: Storrs 1999 Sunnyknoll Ranch Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains, CA). Very nice, earthy with cherry and well-balanced.

Larry and I went to The Cheese Board Collective today, and found a new, interesting cheese called Istara. It's a French sheep's milk cheese, dense, semi-firm and buttery. Really nice. We also picked up some more Baita Friuli.

I needed to make an easy appetizer for a ZAP volunteer luncheon tomorrow. This was super easy, and a great way to use leftover cheese. I used all sorts of leftover cheese: sharp white cheddar, fontina, gruyere, asiago, parmesan and aged mimolette. I added a little extra wine to get the texture just right. Larry said it was okay, but "too cheesy". I wasn't surprised. I like cheese a lot more than he does. I think the spread would be good on a grilled sandwich.

This is the second time I've made these sandwiches, and they're excellent. Everything can be made ahead and assembled just before grilling. They turn out beautifully in my panini machine. The article that these came from has a bunch of other yummy-sounding sandwiches, but I keep wanting to make this one instead.

• Fromage Fort (Good Eats, Say Cheese!)
• Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches with Fontina Cheese (Cooking Light, June 2004)

Jay was here for dinner tonight. I needed to make something that could come together in an hour or so. I used some small red fingerling potatoes for the Potatoes Fondantes. Before dinner, we had some cheese that we picked up yesterday at The Cheese Board Collective in Berkeley. Extra Aged Gouda, Aged Manchego, and a very excellent Italian cheese called Baita Friuli.

The chicken was good, but not as good as the first time. Some things I did different:
- I used regular whipping cream this time instead of heavy whipping cream. The sauce could have been thicker - I probably should have added some flour.
- Last time, I browned the chicken, then moved it to a plate (tented with foil) before making the sauce. Once the sauce was about done, I added the chicken back in. I think this method is better than making the sauce with the chicken in the pan, as the recipe suggests.

• Chicken with Rosemary Sauce (The Best of Cooking Light, Quick and Easy Around the Clock, p. 78)
• Potatoes Fondantes (Fine Cooking #64, May 2004, p. 59)
• Roast Cauliflower with Shallots, Tarragon and Lemon (Fine Cooking #50, May 2002, p. 52)

Amy and I made dinner for Jay, Larry and Fiyaz tonight. We wanted to do something simple, because we made fondue for our lunch.

- We made a classic fondue. It was excellent. We learned that we're supposed to dip the bread in a figure eight motion to keep the cheese stirred.
- The cream sauce for the steaks calls for a jar of Il Trullo Funghi Porcini in Olive Oil. We were irritated that Food & Wine would require an ingredient that was impossible to find - we looked at the specialty Italian store as well as the local gourmet market. In addition, the bottle retails for fifteen dollars. We used a mixture of cremini mushrooms and King Oyster mushrooms instead of the jarred mushrooms. The sauce turned out really well.

• Classic Swiss Three-Cheese Fondue (Fondue, Rick Rodgers, p. 18) with cubed sourdough bread
• Smoked Trout Rillettes (Fine Cooking #42, January 2001, p. 44)
• Seared Steaks with Porcini Mushroom Cream Sauce (Food & Wine, March 2004, p. 173)
• Stuffed Baked Potatoes (Knudsen Cooking For Compliments, p. 89)
• Arugula Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

Wine: A. Rafanelli 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon. We have one more bottle of this... it's still very good. It's softened quite a bit over the past few years.

We bought a cheese at The Pasta Shop in Berkeley a few weeks ago. Larry really likes it. I think they serve it at the David Bruce Cellar Club tastings.

Saenkanter; an aged Gouda.