Cauliflower Souffle... Cooking with Madame E. Sant Ange

Well I told you I would be back with some inspiration from my new book La Bonne Cuisine De Madame E. Sant Ange...The Original Companion for French Home Cooking. Jessica's Biscuit offered this book a incredible sale price of $9.00. Its worth far more.Flicking through I see this book is not for the novice, or one who wants a recipe all spelled out for them. First published in 1927 by the folks who also published Laurousse Gastronomique, its been a indispensable guide to the common home cook and the great cooks and chefs like Madeline Kamman and our American Julia Child.Paul Aratow lovingly took on the task of translating this resource in the voice of Madame. Paul Aratow was one of the original founders of Chez Panisse along with Alice Waters, and used this book as his kitchen guide!So you are reading a cookbook for readers at the time of early twentieth century. Don't expect to find modern equipment mentioned, cooking temperatures, etc. Madame can go on about technique, exact measurements, equipment, utensils, and 'science' but this book calls on you to use your prior experience and basically figure it out. So don't expect a lot of exact instructions. I rather like this way of learning as its more challenging and in the end I learn more.
So today I chose something with cauliflower. I have an abundance of it . Certain Someone loves it , and I find it OK. Bland but OK. I'm challenged finding new ways to cook it.The book describes this vegetable as a basic one found mostly in home cooking. Not glamorous at all. Looking at this I had most of the ingredients and changed some others( which the Madame strongly cautions against). The components of the souffle called for a Bechamel, mashed cauliflower, egg whites, yolks,Parmesan,and butter. I didn't have Parmesan so I substituted a Colby( talk about Americanization!). Now I thought I knew Bechamel . I don't know Bechamel. I had to refer to her sauce chapter to find this classic component of a lot of meat free cooking. I went with the Bechamel Maigre( lean Bechamel) because it only requires milk, not heavy cream. It also requires a Mirepoix( carrots, onion, celery finely diced). I never knew. But I never claimed to to be a pro. I didn't have carrots or celery. I did have leeks, mace for nutmeg, and mushrooms. Some Becahmels can use the whites of leeks, mushroom trimmings, and even ham in the Mirepoix. So I used leek whites and mushrooms to give that Aromatic dimension to this white sauce. After slowly cooking the roux, milk, added sauteed mirepoix, you gently strain out the solids. I got what looked like a cream of mushroom soup with out the mushrooms bits. Nevertheless a good flavor for my souffle. The short recipe calls for you to combine the 87/8 OZ od mashed cauliflower , with 3/4 cup of Becahmel. Add 3 yolks, a walnut sized piece of butter,grated parmesan,fold into 4 whites that have been tuned into 'SNOW'. Cook for 20 -25 minutes.


Most Souffles I have made had a choux sort of base with flour. This didn't. I should have baked it in smaller dishes, It rose , but didn't rise past the top of my larger souffles dish. Nevertheless the outcome was good. A light nice lunch to serve alongside a salad. Great for your non meat eater friends. Is it outstanding. I wouldn't say that but a great recipe for when your perplexed as to what to do with that head if cauliflower. There are way more better and interesting recipes in this book. I'm just starting with with what I have on hand. That's what makes you a better cook Ne C'est Pas?

I will be announcing a Giveaway shortly related to an upcoming book review. Stay Tuned!

Update

I have been awfully quiet this week. So many things are happening right now. Certain Someone returned Friday for a meeting on Saturday. He then flew back this afternoon to Sweden for work. Over 3 weeks he has been away! This weekend we were so exhausted as I had a major event to work , a funeral,and he was in his meeting.
I woke Saturday to attend my Aunt "B's" funeral. I think we all have an Aunt B in our family tree. Not to speak ill of the dead, but a somewhat lovable, gossipy, recluse who lives with family members for all her life.Her obituary summed up her life in her devotion to her nieces and nephews as she was childless. Aunt B was something in her day and I heard many a hair raising tale.One of those old southern African American belles that was so fair she could be mistaken for white. Get the picture?Well anyway the funeral was almost comical as there were some family feuds brewing ,as is common when sides divide over care of an elderly Alzheimer stricken relative. The trouble makers who did absolutely nothing in regards to care showed up very late and combative.The following scenes played out like the final scene in the movie". Imitation of Life". Fannie Hurst could not have written it better. Picture the long lost favored niece arriving and throwing herself on the coffin begging for forgiveness as she just didn't have it in her to be there for her. I felt very uncomfortable and knowing the niece as I do ,had to look into my purse to avoid laughing as she started reciting Aunt B -isms to the amazed crowd.She missed her calling for sure. The minister saved the day as he definitely picking up on the weird vibes.I have been going to way to many funerals lately but Aunt B had a very long life. If only I live so long!
I then went to work at the society event of the year in Chicago. A wedding for a heiress whose families products would be something indispensable to most Americans. To rich to comphrehend!Anyway it was spectacular all day affair I witnessed from the service side.Talk about long night. When I got home at 3pm Certain Someone was "up" on Swedish time. It didn't make sense to adjust as he was turning right back around. Sunday we were just slugs to exhausted to move. I attempted to cook , but it wasn't my finest hour.My marinade on the skirt steak was a little to tangy from to much lime. I didn't even take a picture.
I just got a great new cookbook that I promise to cook from to get motivated again. La Bonne Cusine ,The Original Companion to French Home Cooking by Madame St Ange( translated by Paul Aratow). This was the book that Julia Child leaned on and was originally published in 1927. So bear with me readers.