“All that mankind has done, thought or been: it is in magic preservation, in the pages of books.”  – Thomas Carlyle

 

 

Many thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on my last post, “Watcha Reading?”  I enjoyed reading the wide variety of book titles which were submitted and thought you may enjoy them, too. Therefore, I have listed them below. If you missed the earlier post and would like to comment, or add a favorite book to the list, please do so at the end of this post. 

1984, George Orwell

A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman

A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving

A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth Ozeki

Alas, Babylon, Pat Frank

All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr

Before We Were Yours, Lisa Wingate

Bright Flows the River, Taylor Caldwell

Cry, The Beloved Country, Alan Paton

Go Set A Watchman, Harper Lee

Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell

Great Small Things, Jodi Picoult

I Am Malala, Malala Yousafzai, Christina Lamb, Patricia McCormick

Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly

Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, Mitch Albom

Miss Julia Books, Ann B. Ross

Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, Isabella Beeton

Nightingale, Kristin Hannah

Orpahn Train, Christina Baker Kline

Poldark Novel Series, Winston Graham

Ruth’s Journey, Donald McCaig

Secrets of the Cross Trilogy, Elizabeth Musser

Silent Spring, Rachel Carson

The Alice Network, Kate Quinn

The All Girls Filling Station’s Last Reunion, Fannie Flagg

The Bright Hour, Nina Riggs

The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd

The Keeper of Lost Things, Ruth Hogan

The Red Tent, Anita Diamant

The School of Essential Ingredients, Erica Bauermeister

The Sense of Wonder, Rachel Carson

The Shack, William P. Young

The Swan House, Elizabeth Musser

Through The Brown Mountain Lights, C. C. Tillery, Christy French, Cynthia Tillery Hodges

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

 

 

And, just in time for the weekend, I am sending you two easy recipes.  These recipes will bring you rave reviews, and look quite impressive at the table.  I serve the soufflé with a garden salad, and a crusty bread.  Bon Appetit !

Gruyere Cheese Souffle

3 Tbls. butter, plus more for greasing dish

2 Tbls. freshly grataed Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

3 1/2 Tbls. all purpose flour

1 cup cold whole milk

5 large eggs, separated

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

3 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded (1 cup)

2 Tbls. chopped chives

Preheat the oven to 400.  Grease a 1-quart gratin dish with butter and dust with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; refrigerate.  In a large saucepan, melt 3 Tbls. butter over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute.  Whisk in the milk, bring to a boil and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat, then whisk in 4 egg yolks along with the salt and pepper.  Discard remaining yolk or use for another purpose.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until firm peaks form.  Whisk 1/3 of the whites into the sauce, then fold in the remaining beaten whites.  Fold in the Gruyère cheese, scrape into prepared dish.  Bake for 25 minutes until puffed and golden.  Serve.  Note:  It is important to use a large saucepan.  If you don’t, you will not have room to incorporate the egg whites into the sauce.

Vanilla Bean Custard with Chambord and Berries

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

1 vanilla bean

3 cups whole milk

3 large egg yolks

1 Tbls. butter

3 Tbls. Chambord raspberry liqueur, divided

1/1/2 cups fresh strawberries or raspberries

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan, whisking to blend.  Scrape vanilla bean; add seeds and bean to the pan.  Add milk, bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened.  Remove vanilla bean.

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks until light in color.  To temper egg yolks, slowly add 1/3 milk mixture from saucepan to yolks, whisking constantly.  Add yolk mixture back to milk mixture in saucepan.  Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in butter and 2 Tbls. Chambord.

Pour mixture in to serving cups.  Chill for 4 hours or overnight.  Combine remaining 1 Tbls. Chambord to your choice of berries.  Toss well – top custard with berries just before serving.  Note:  Taste the berries before adding liqueur.  If they are too tart for your taste, add 1-2 Tbls. sugar, then add the liqueur.

Thanks for visiting.  Enjoy these fleeting days of summer !

Au Revoir,

Sandra

 

Photo:  Pinterest