some old favorites revisited

2 days until christmas and i have barely had time to think. work has seemed busy and there are several clients that have emerging issues. it has been stressful, it has been expected, and it is the main reason to keep going. i am having family diinner at my aunt and uncle's house in idaho springs. usually, i do most of the cooking, but since i have been working doubles so much, she has insisted on doing everything. the only thing she has asked me to do is my smoky scalloped potatoes.

now i got the idea to use smoked gouda indepently from a recipe. i thought it would add a layer of flavor that would be memorable. i was right, too, because almost everytime i make them, someone shrieks that they are the best scalloped potatoes they have ever had. i have been playing with the recipe now for about 2 years and it's been good. but this year i had decided to add gruyere to soften the texture of the dish once it has baked. but as i decided to share this delight here, i perused a few recipes and have decided to try this one this year. i will substitute gruyere for the jarlsberg, but have no doubt that they will play the same role in the ensemble.

sidenote: i had been give 2 sets of fransican "desert rose" dinnerware from a friend (who had inherited a set from each grandmother), when he downsized from a house to a condo. i re-gifted them to my aunt just before i moved to san francisco in '99. i have been back 6 years now, and have never seen them except in her cabinets. i asked my mom to see if my aunt would use them this year. my mother retorted with "i've asked her several times to use that, but she is not interested." so i asked her this year. she replied that she would love to do that. so i got 3 pink poinsettas for a centerpiece. when i told my mom, she indicated that mary would only do it because i asked. ---- i can handle that.

cider scalloped potatoes with smoked gouda (from delish)

2 tablespoon(s) unbleached all-purpose flour



1 cup(s) milk


1 cup(s) apple cider


1/2 cup(s) chicken broth


1/2 teaspoon(s) salt


1/4 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper


1/8 teaspoon(s) ground nutmeg


1/2 cup(s) (2 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda cheese


1/2 cup(s) (2 ounces) shredded Jarlsberg cheese


2 pound(s) Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1.Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly butter a 10- by 2-inch round baking dish or a 8- by 12-inch rectangular baking pan; set aside.

2.Place flour in a medium-heavy saucepan; gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Whisk in cider, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly. Cook for 1 minute more and remove saucepan from heat; set aside.

3.In a small bowl, combine Gouda and Jarlsberg cheeses. Arrange half of the sliced potatoes, slightly overlapping, in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheese mixture. Arrange remaining potatoes on top. Pour cider mixture over potatoes.

4.Bake 25 minutes. Remove baking dish from oven. Using a metal spatula, press down on potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture; return to oven. Bake until potatoes are fork-tender and the top is crusted and lightly browned -- about 20 minutes more. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.
 
today's sound choice is a clip from last year's saturday night live with justin timberlake. it still makes me smile. anyway, here is "my dick in a box"
 

 
 
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