– by Neil White (on my Kindle) – a really, really interesting book. It’s a memoir about the year the author spent in prison in Louisiana. About his sanctimonious attitude when he arrived there (he was convicted of kiting checks trying to keep his publishing business afloat) and what he learns during his year. But as much as it’s about his life as a prisoner, it’s more about the other residents of the prison – the last remaining lepers (Hansen’s Disease) who are provided for in the facility. Neil White is quite a character and I wondered more than once if he was ever going to “get it,” that he was greedy and egotistical. The book wasn’t published for about 10 years after his release, so at least he didn’t profit immediately by telling tales. The epilogue was so sad – listing the deaths of many of the leprosy patients and some of the inmates he came to call friends. One person at amazon commented that it was not worth reading because the author profited from his incarceration, and that he didn’t appear to have redeemed himself. I disagree – I think he did. If he didn’t, then he knows how to spin a good yarn. I choose to believe he learned a whole lot about himself and where his life took a (wrong) left turn, and that he’s trying to atone for his failings by publishing the book. You decide.
- by P.D. James (on my Kindle) – if I hadn’t read about this book in the Los Angeles Times a week or so ago I’d never have pursued this book. It’s nothing even close to her wealth of books of the mystery genre. But yes, it IS a mystery (not something I normally read) but it takes place about 5 years after Pride and Prejudice leaves off. That was the hook for me. An entertaining read and a way to keep in touch with all the lovable (and not-so) characters from Jane Austen’s classic. It’s not a page-turner in the true mystery-murder style, but it’s fun to read.
– by Judith Ryan Hendricks – I picked up this book at a lending library I use now and then. I have to laugh, though – the collection of books (probably numbering about 350 or so) is divided by paperback and hardback. And then by color. COLOR? I find that so ludicrous. But anyway, the title caught my eye. It’s definitely a novel, about a youngish woman who’s been a baker and a chef, but who is suddenly single. It’s about her struggle to find herself, to find a new rhythm of life. In the telling of the journey some recipes are included (baked goods, including bread-bread), which are available on the 
– by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman) – most everyone who reads blogs knows about Ree – the Pioneer Woman, from Pawhuska, Oklahoma. She’s always entertaining, whimsical and enjoyable to read. A couple of years ago she wrote a memoir of her romance with Ladd, her now husband. I can’t count how many times, as I was reading this, that I was LOLing (Laughing Out Loud). She is such a witty writer and knows how to tell a story. Even though I know she married Ladd and has since had 4 children, I was caught up in her story from the first page. I wrote it up in more detail on
– (on my Kindle) Michael Tucker (from L.A. Law some years ago) and his wife, on a whim almost, buy a home in Umbria. An old, old, old house with two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, I think, and a nice terrace (where a lot of living goes on in Italian homes and families). It’s the story of the purchase itself, the friends they meet, the neighbors, how Michael finds the best butcher(s), bakers and candlestick makers. It made me long for another trip to Italy, actually. They enlarge the home, although they’re not there for most of the construction. It’s a similar tale to Frances Mayes’ books and Peter Mayle’s books too, but it’s different. Tucker is a TV star; his wife’s a stage actress. They live on some higher plane than I do, for sure, with lots of friends with connections. But it’s a cute story and I enjoyed it clear to the end.
(Stacy Schiff); 
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This was SO good. And it looked like more work than I’d ordinarily want to do. I didn’t make this myself, but it was served to me at a recent cooking class. A class with nothing but Julia Child recipes. Phillis Carey taught the class, and made only a couple of tiny changes to Julia’s recipes, but this was just delish. It’s ideal for a sit-down lunch, if you do such things, or probably a brunch would be perfect. Could be done for a dinner, but it’s rich and filling, so you wouldn’t want anything else very substantial in addition to this. My friend Cherrie and I talked about doing it for a brunch, but it would be best if somebody else could/would help you with some of the work. Either with the soufflé, or with the other parts of the meal, like the fruit plate you might want to have, or the champagne cocktails. How’s that sound?
So what’s a fallen soufflé? Nothing but a soufflé that’s allowed to fall, which it will do all by itself if you just leave it alone. You do do the whipped egg whites folded into your egg mixture, it’s baked flat on a large baking sheet, turned out of the pan onto a flat surface. In that short time, the soufflé falls some – not so flat as scrambled egg-like, but it’s not as high as it is when it first exits the oven. Once briefly cooled, it’s stuffed with a Béchamel-rich spinach sauce (a Béchamel sauce is really just a cream sauce) and rolled. Then cut and served immediately, while it’s hot. In the photo above, there is an egg part underneath the spinach, it’s just that there was so much spinach it kind of rolled out the side. Notice how nice and fluffy the egg layer is.
If the meal didn’t require too much other work (like maybe a green salad and bread) this could be accomplished easily enough. The spinach and sauce can both be made ahead of time and reheated. It’s the soufflé part that can’t be even mixed ahead. Eggs are temperamental things – once they’re puffed up with air, they need to be cooked right away. Everything could be mis en place (ingredients put together on a tray, all ready). The baking sheet, buttered, parchment papered and buttered, all the whisks, whips bowls and mixers ready.
The Béchamel sauce is thicker than usual – in order to hold together the filling. Half of it goes into the soufflé, and the other half is used for the spinach filling. So there’s really only one sauce to make. The filling is not all that difficult – it uses frozen spinach, and you buy the Black Forest ham and cube it up quite small. So this dish is really do-able as long as you plan the menu accordingly.
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Cheese Souffle Roll with Spinach & Ham
Recipe By: A Julia Child recipe, from one of her cookbooks
Serving Size: 5
NOTES: Separate the eggs when they’re cold – they separate more easily. Adding the cheese at the very end of the preparation means the cheese doesn’t completely dissipate throughout, so you still will see and taste the cheese.
THICK BÉCHAMEL SAUCE:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup flour
3 cups whole milk — heated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg
SOUFFLE:
1/2 of the above Béchamel Sauce
6 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup Gruyere cheese — grated [or Emmentaler]
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs — coarsely crushed [divided use]
SPINACH FILLING:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons shallots — minced
20 ounces frozen spinach — chopped, thawed, squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups Black Forest ham slices — cut in tiny cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 of the Béchamel Sauce above
3 tablespoons milk — (approximate) to thin the sauce
1/4 cup Gruyere cheese — grated
1. BÉCHAMEL SAUCE: Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook over medium heat until bubbly, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in hot milk (must be hot milk) until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, as the sauce returns to a boil. Sauce will be very thick. Beat in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Divide sauce in half.
2. SOUFFLE: Preheat oven to 425.
3. Butter a 12×17 inch jelly roll pan (with sides) and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang of paper at each end. Butter the parchment (yes, you must do this) and dust with flour. Melt 1 T. butter in a small skillet and add the bread crumbs. Toss over medium heat until toasted. Set aside to cool.
4. Place HALF the Béchamel in a bowl. Whisk in one egg yolk at a time (or you can temper the egg yolks with some of the hot Béchamel sauce).
5. Beat the egg whites until smooth peaks form. Ideally start the whites at a low speed, then increase as they become thicker. Don’t overbeat the whites – they should not be “dry.” When the eggs are still frothy add the cream of tartar and salt. Once stiff peaks form, fold about 1/4 of the egg whites into the Béchamel to lighten up the mixture. Add the remaining whites and gently fold and turn the bowl until there are no more streaks of egg white. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the cheese.
6. Pour souffle mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula, clear into the corners. Bake for 12-15 minutes (12 if using pure convection, 15 if conventional oven) or just until the souffle has puffed and top feels slightly springy.
7. SPINACH FILLING: While souffle bakes prepare the spinach filling. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the shallots. Cook for one minute. Stir in the tiny cubes of ham and toss for one minute. Stir in the spinach (squeezed VERY dry) and Béchamel, adding more milk if necessary to thin out the sauce. The mixture should be spreadable but not too thin. Stir in the cheese and taste for seasoning.
8. SOUFFLE: Remove souffle from oven and sprinkle top with half of the toasted breadcrumbs. Use a spatula all around the edge of the souffle so it’s not sticking to the edges anywhere. Lay a piece of parchment paper over the top of the souffle and carefully turn the pan over onto a bread board or countertop. Let rest 5 minutes, remove pan, then carefully peel off the paper.
9. Spread the hot spinach filling over the warm souffle, leaving a 1-inch border along one long side, the side farthest from you. Fold back the bottom parchment paper partially (about an inch), and roll up the souffle, using the parchment paper to help. As you do this have a hot serving plate/platter next to the far edge and gently roll the souffle onto the platter, making sure the open edge is on the bottom side. Sprinkle with the remaining toasted bread crumbs and serve immediately. Serving Ideas : Ideally serve this at a sit-down brunch, or a more formal luncheon. The souffle cannot be made ahead of time, but everything else can be. Would be nice served with a lightly dressed green salad and some bread.
Per Serving: 752 Calories; 53g Fat (63.3% calories from fat); 41g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 429mg Cholesterol; 1213mg Sodium.
A year ago: Goat Cheese Potato Gratin
Toffeeapple
said on November 3rd, 2009:
Gosh, even though I’m not fond of cheese I’m pretty sure I’d like that; the textures look wonderful.
The cheese is not all that prominent. There certainly IS some in there, but the spinach is what you taste, and the egg. . . carolyn t
Ninette
said on November 3rd, 2009:
Looks delish!