When
I cook, “more is more” seems to be my style.
Is
this a general personality trait, you ask? I've thought about that,
and I suppose there's a strong “maybe”, when it comes to
shoes...and, well, okay, perhaps handbags, but otherwise, no.
It
only seems to be related to my adventures in the kitchen. It is not
with shame, but with wonder, that I can point to Asian-themed dinner
parties with not one, but five-too-many dishes. Weekend breakfasts
that find me simultaneously trying to keep an eye on the stove, the
toaster and the oven while squeezing fresh orange juice by
hand. Overly ambitious holiday baking lists that can only be
accomplished by late night baking sessions where I nap on the sofa
with a timer between batches of cookies.
On
one of our early dates, Steve invited me over for dinner at his
place. I stood at his door, knocking, bottle of wine in hand, for at
least five minutes with no response. Maybe I'd been stood up? But
no, there was too much clanging of pots and pans coming from inside.
The door swung open to reveal him standing there, wearing an oil
spattered rain coat (what??) and clutching a bloody paper towel to
his hand before motioning me to come in. He sent me into the living
room to wait and then disappeared into the kitchen. More banging of
pots and pans, some loud cursing and then a crash. I had to
investigate. Turns out he was trying to cook a mult-course meal from
a chinese cookbook and things were not going well. I was in love.
So,
maybe I'm some kind of kitchen adrenaline junkie.
But,
here's the thing...every so often, I experience a kind of epiphany
when serving up a single dish that deeply satisfies, and yet doesn't
involve a dozen ingredients, six different pots and pans or a kitchen
blowtorch. It feels like a new realization every time it happens.
I'll make something super simple, and it's delicious and everyone is
happy eating it. In this age of countless food shows, food blogs and
catalogues with a million different cooking tools and gadgets, it's
easy to forget that yes, less can be more.
Thanksgiving
last week was a simple affair for us and cliched as it maybe, it
reminded me how the meaning of sharing a meal with people you love
can get lost in the frenzied preparations for the big gatherings we
typically host.
Some
of my best memories are of humble meals with people who are very dear
to me. So, now that we're in this crazy rush through the December
holidays, I thought I'd share a simple dish I made last Christmas for
brunch.
It's
called strata and I promise you will be glad I introduced you.
Strata has a lot going for it. It's kind of like a savory, cheesy
bread pudding and it can be tailored to your tastes. Vegetarian?
Sure! Just use cheese and spinach. Prefer cheddar over swiss? Go
right ahead! You assemble the whole thing the night before, so its
true beauty is apparent as you relax in a comfy chair the next
morning, sipping coffee in your pj's and sniffing the delicious
aromas wafting through your home as it bakes. Simple is good.
I've
made it a number of times this past year, and each time I
marvel...easy, no stress cooking that's delicious and makes people
happy. How novel!
I'll
make it again this Christmas...but you know, I was kind of thinking
to whip up a little roasted pear compote, on the side...you know...to
serve with the smoked salmon blini and blood orange mimosas...
BREAKFAST
STRATA WITH SAUSAGE, SPINACH AND GRUYERE
NOTES:
I adapted this from Cooks Illustrated and adding the sausage was a
stroke of brilliance if I do say so.
This
doubles really easily so you can bump up from serving 6 to 12 by
going from an 8-inch pan to a larger rectangular baking dish.
INGREDIENTS:
12
slices supermarket french bread or italian bread (leave it out
overnight, or toast in a low—225 degree—oven)
5
tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4
medium shallots, minced (about ½ cup)
1
10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
½
lb. Bulk breakfast sausage
salt
and ground black pepper
½
cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc, OR vermouth is also
delicious here
6
ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (about 1 ½ cups)
6
large eggs
1
¾ cups half-and-half
1.
Butter
the sliced bread on one side with 2-3 tablespoons of butter and set
aside.
2.
Brown
the sausage in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and
set aside in a medium bowl.
3.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in same skillet over medium heat and saute
shallots until translucent; add spinach and salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to the bowl with the sausage.
4.
Add the wine to the skillet and
reduce to ¼ cup over high heat.
5.
Butter
8-inch square baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter; arrange
half the buttered bread slices, buttered side up in a singler layer
in the dish.
6.
Sprinkle half the spinach/sausage mixture, then ½ cup grated cheese
evenly over bread slices.
7.
Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over the cheese;
sprinkle remaining spinach/sausage mixture and another ½ cup cheese
evenly over bread.
8.
Whisk eggs in medium bowl until combined; whisk in reduced
wine/vermouth, half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
Pour this egg mixture evenly over bread layers; cover surface flush
with plastic wrap and weigh down. (I've used a heavy plate, or a
small box of brown or regular sugar.)
Refrigerate
overnight.
9.
Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand for 20 minutes at room
temp. Heat oven to 325 degrees and adjust oven rack to middle
position. Remove plastic wrap and sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese
evenly over the surface; bake until edges and center are puffed up,
50-55 minutes (more like an hour if you're doubling and using the
bigger baking dish). Cool on wire rack 5 minutes and serve.
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