New Year Doubts
Happy New Year 2012!
Lately, I’ve been debating about whether to continue with my blog. On the one hand, I love to cook and eat. Having my blog as an outlet to share my successes and failures and other discoveries makes me happy. On the other hand, I feel more and more like I’m not putting enough time into it and that it’s hard to make more time. I’ve been pretty reliable about keeping up with the on-line cooking group I joined (French Fridays with Dorie), but I feel it’s somewhat at the expense of blogging about my other kitchen adventures. I have them, but then I forget to take a picture or two. Or I’m busy and after a few days, it seems like I’ve lost the momentum to write about that particular topic. Or I can’t think of something to write about.
I don’t believe in making New Year’s resolutions, but I thought I’d set some blogging goals for myself in 2012. Last week, I told Howard my goal was to write something every day. It didn’t have to be long, or well illustrated, or even about food, but I would put something out there every day. Well, you can see how well I’m doing with that. It’s January 4th, and this is my first post. Maybe I’d be better off with a more realistic goal for frequency.
As far as content, I’ve seen some bloggers have different themes for different days of the week. That idea is appealing. Fridays can continue to be French Fridays, but then other days could have different themes, depending on which days I end blogging. And because I don’t have a strong allegiance to resolutions, if I feel inspired to change the rules, I can.
If you’re a blogger, why do you blog? Where do you get your inspiration? Do you feel a need to post with a certain frequency or just when the mood strikes you? I’m curious about what you think.
French Fridays with Dorie: Cauliflower-Bacon Gratin
The last French Fridays with Dorie recipe for 2011 was a clear winner at our house: Cauliflower-Bacon Gratin. I got a new oven earlier this week, and this was the inaugural dish baked in the oven.
I struggle to like both cauliflower and broccoli, but I’m getting there. This dish definitely paves the way. What’s not to like about anything cooked with bacon and custard and cheese?
The gratin is sort of like a crustless quiche, but a little more substantial.
The cauliflower is meltingly tender.
The bacon is smoky.
The custard that holds it all together is creamy, and I love Gruyere cheese.
Dorie suggested the gratin could be served as a main dish or a side. I opted to serve it as an entrée with a green salad on the side. It warmed our insides and filled our bellies. I agree it would be a nice complement to a simple preparation of meat or chicken. Leftovers held up well too.
When I was making this, I was a little frustrated because it called for a cauliflower, but there was no guidance about its recommended weight. Also, it called for the cauliflower to be broken into florets, but not their size. I had two different cauliflowers in the refrigerator, one twice as big as the other. I used the bigger one, but some of the florets were huge. I ended up quartering the giant ones. In the end, I realized that none of my anxiety mattered. I know it would have worked out fine with a bigger or smaller cauliflower and a bigger or smaller florets. The gratin is quite forgiving.
I can’t wait to read about the other Dorista’s gratins. That’s what I’ll spend the rest of the evening doing, while I enjoy the last crème brulée from last week — now successfully torched with turbinado sugar, rather than brownulated, on top. (Thanks Elaine!)
You can read about their gratins too by following the links on the FFwD site. We are asked not to post the recipes, but I found it posted here on Leite’s Culinaria. That doesn’t mean that if you find Dorie’s recipes appealing, you shouldn’t get yourself a copy of Around My French Table.
Happy New Year 2012 to all my cooking friends! It’s been a great year getting to know you all and sharing a passion for the kitchen with you.
A Plateful of Happiness 