Fresh Tart

Perhaps it's cliche that I read MFK Fisher's The Gastronomical Me and wanted to immerse myself in the world of food, but that's OK. Who wouldn't want to do exactly that after reading that sexy, scrumptious book? My goodness that woman could write, my mouth waters (and my heart swoons) just thinking about it.

There's one passage in particular that has had me making simple cauliflower gratins for years. I purposely don't look back at the specifics, I just count on how incredible she made cauliflower roasted with cream and Gruyere sound, swiped through with crusty bread and enjoyed with cold wine.

Lord.

So here's my version, so simple, so completely gluten-free, so much better than the pasta dish I served to Nathan and John tonight (in my opinion). I threw in some arugula leaves this evening because I had them, but you wouldn't need to include them.

Cauliflower Gratin
Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main course

1 Tbsp. soft butter
1 head cauliflower, cored, separated into 1-inch florets
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. heavy cream
fresh whole nutmeg
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 c. freshly grated Gruyere, Parmesan, or other favorite cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Smear soft butter into a tart pan. Sprinkle minced garlic across the bottom of the pan.

Bring a large pot of nicely salted water to boil. Add the cauliflower and boil for 3-5 minutes, until cauliflower is tender-crisp. Drain thoroughly in a colander, then transfer cauliflower to tart pan, distributing evenly.

Pour cream over cauliflower. Grate a bit of fresh nutmeg over the cauliflower, then sprinkle lightly with a little salt and several grinds of black pepper. Top with cheese.

Bake gratin for 40-45 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

I am obsessed with food writer MFK Fisher (1908-1992).

No one writes about food more sensually, with as much humor, and common sense, all together, and I can't get enough. I took her book With Bold Knife and Fork, published in 1969, with me on vacation last week and was highlighting so many passages on the plane that my husband suggested I perhaps highlight the parts I wasn't interested in.

One whole page I highlighted includes the recipe below and the following introduction to it: "For fun, here is another way to serve a more impressive buffet, either stand up or with small tables where people can sit with their plates and/or mugs. A good white wine is fine with it, and a fruit compote afterward - cookies with that, and coffee, and of course crusty bread or crisp buttered toast with the soup.

This is a fairly easy and entertaining meal to assemble. It tastes fresh and tempting, and seems to please people. It can be developed, up or down, but for myself I like it to remain simple, with things hot and well seasoned, or chilled, according to their natures."

I made a double-batch of chicken stock on Sunday, then served the soup on Monday night to my dear and marvelously food-loving friends Ana Scofield, Rudy Maxa, Debbie Williams, and Stuart Williams. A couple of years ago I spent three days making cassoulet for them and I think they enjoyed this meal just as much if not more than the cassoulet (which was good). It might have been the ridiculous number of bottles of wine we opened, but I don't think so.

Don't skip the "flavored lightly with curry if wished." I actually added a particularly nutmeg-y garam masala to Cedar Summit Cream and it basically made the whole dish (nutmeg, cream, and chicken are delicious together). And no surprise here, but the chicken broth needs to be the real deal, rich and salty, without too much of its fat skimmed away. Make a double batch, like I did, then use some of it to cook the rice. Freeze any extra for a future quick dinner.

MFK Fisher's recipe for A Chicken Soup Supper at Twin Cities Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

I don't drive all that much, so rising gas prices - while a shocker - aren't outright killing me. However, I do eat all that much, and YOWZA am I getting socked at the grocery checkout! I'll admit, morel mushrooms and fresh fish are never bargains, but man, just the usual fruits, veggies, bread, and dairy are really adding up. Ouch! I obv didn't live through WWII, and we're hardly experiencing WWII levels of deprivation, but if you're looking for a little scrimping inspiration - not to mention one of the best food books/writers ever- check out MFK Fisher's How to Cook a Wolf. What a book, in fact, just thinking about it makes me want to reread it immediately. She makes even a tin of bouillon sound utterly sublime. Read all of her books - I started with the The Gastronomical Me and it changed me forever (seriously - Consider the Oyster, Serve it Forth - it's all fabulous, whether you love food or not, what a writer). And talk about sensual... Rarrr, rarrr, roar...!

Luckily, I completely enjoy some of the less expensive (yet more flavorful) cuts of meat - tonight, for instance, I braised beef short ribs, which John and I ate alongside my version of thin pasta with spring vegetables (artichokes, fava beans, morels), with pan juices from the short ribs spooned over the lot. With a nice Pinot Noir to sip alongside, it was quite lovely and suddenly, look at that, it's bedtime. Good night!

Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly. - MFK Fisher