Barefoot Bloggers – Blue Cheese Soufflé

I’m a bad blogger…..I’m several days late posting this for the second October installment of Barefoot Bloggers.  This week’s recipe was chosen by Summer of Sexy Apartment.  She chose Ina’s Blue Cheese Soufflé.  I like blue cheese, but I’ve never made a traditional soufflé, so this was a new experience for me.  I decided to halve the recipe knowing I’d probably be the only one eating it.  That probably would’ve worked out ok had I used a slightly smaller container to bake the soufflé in.  It didn’t poof up as nicely as some of the other Barefoot Blogger’s soufflés.  It browned well, though, and in all was quite easy to prepare.  It did taste good, but I’m not sure I’ll be making it again anytime soon.  Please visit other Barefoot Bloggers to view their (much nicer) creations!

Blue Cheese Soufflé (Courtesy of Ina and Food Network)

Ingredients

• 3 T unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
• 1/4 c finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 1 c scalded milk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• 4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 3 ounces good Roquefort cheese, chopped (I used gorgonzola.)
• 5 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/8 t cream of tartar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Butter the inside of an 8-cup soufflé dish (7 1/2 inches in diameter and 3 1/4 inches deep) and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the hot milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the cayenne, and nutmeg. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, until smooth and thick.
4. Off the heat, while still hot, whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the Roquefort and the 1/4 cup of Parmesan and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
5. Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, on medium speed for 1 minute, then finally on high speed until they form firm, glossy peaks.
6. Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the cheese sauce to lighten and then fold in the rest. Pour into the soufflé dish, then smooth the top. Draw a large circle on top with the spatula to help the soufflé rise evenly, and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (don’t peek!) until puffed and brown. Serve immediately.

Barefoot Bloggers – Cheddar Corn Chowder

This is my first post for the Barefoot Bloggers.  The Barefoot Bloggers are a group of blogging cooks and bakers who test Ina Garten’s (The Barefoot Contessa) recipes as a group and blog about them twice a month.  My blogger buddy, Cassie, is a member of this group and told me it was a lot of fun.  I love Ina Garten and have most of her cookbooks, so I figured this would be a good way for me to try her delicious recipes.  The recipe for this week was chosen by Jill of My Next Life.  She picked Ina’s Cheddar Corn Chowder.  It was delicious!  I prepared it over the weekend when we were having cool, fall-like weather, so it was a perfect time for it.  This recipe makes A LOT of soup, so you might want to consider halving the recipe if you aren’t feeding many people or don’t want a lot of leftovers.  Please visit the Barefoot Bloggers site to see everyone’s creations.

Ina’s Cheddar Corn Chowder (Courtesy of Ina and Food Network)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bacon, chopped (I used a full pound of bacon.  Why not? he he he)
• 1/4 c good olive oil (I omitted this since I used more bacon)
• 6 c chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
• 4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 c flour
• 2 t kosher salt
• 1 t freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 t ground turmeric
• 12 c chicken stock
• 6 c medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
• 10 c corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
• 2 c half-and-half
• 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

1. In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
2. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.