The homely russet potato is not much to look at — especially when you compare it to the swirling architectural beauty of a head of Romanesco broccoli, or the seductive lipstick-red of a radish. But the russet’s allure lies beneath its skin: a creamy, unblemished flesh so versatile, it can transform into a bevy of appetizing eats using just about any cooking method invented.

Yes, these grubby little tubers clean up real nice.

One of my favorite russet makeovers is the galette, where potatoes take a cue from the Romanesco’s structural swirl. To make a galette, potatoes are cut into thin slices, then arranged in an overlapping spiral to form a circular tart. Between potato layers, you can use your imagination to add aromatics, herbs and cheese to flavor. I love the combination of onions, garlic and rosemary — it’s a fragrant classic that never disappoints in a potato dish. This combo also works well if you plan to serve the galette with meaty main courses like beef and lamb.

Now, it’s true that traditional galettes are prepared with a pastry crust, but this isn’t necessary when you’re using russet potatoes. When the galette is baked, the potato slices act as both crust and filling — the top and bottom layers crisp and brown into a crust all its own, while the galette’s center remains pillowy and light. After baking, the galette is inverted to showcase a smooth, even surface of golden potato goodness. (And I promise, inverting it is a lot easier than you may think.)

There are a few methods for making a potato galette, but the breeziest is baking with a nonstick cookie sheet. The sheet acts as a blank, wide canvas for you to create your masterpiece, and the Teflon coating keeps individual potato slices from sticking to the sheet when you eventually flip the galette over onto a serving plate.

This is also a recipe where you can brush up your knife skills. Making thin, wispy potato slices may take a bit of patience if you’re a newbie, but the end result is well worth it. And don’t worry if your slices are uneven or slivered. You can arrange slices to mask these imperfections – but only if you want. In my experience, the flawed, rustic galettes are the best ones.

ROSEMARY POTATO GALETTE
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

• 3 pounds Russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Rosemary

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrub and peel the potatoes, then pat them dry with a paper towel. Slice the potatoes crosswise into super-thin slices, no thicker than 1/8-inch thick (the thinner, the better). Don’t worry if slices aren’t uniform – you can still use them.
2. Place potato slices into a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss with your hands to coat.
3. Starting in the middle of your nonstick cookie sheet, arrange potato slices into a circle, spiraling and overlapping potatoes until you have a circle about 10 inches in diameter.
4. Top this circle with half of the onion, garlic, Parmesan cheese and rosemary. Repeat Step 2, making another spiraling potato mass over the first one. Top with remaining onion, garlic, Parmesan cheese and rosemary.
5. Continue to add layers of spiraling potato slices until you have none left. Press down on the galette to help the potatoes settle into place. If you need to, you can tidy up here by removing slices or tucking some slices under others.
6. Bake galette for 45 minutes, or until the top is crispy and has a rich, golden brown color. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
7. When ready to serve, take a large plate and place it over the top of the galette. With one hand on the base of the plate and one hand on the underside of the cookie sheet, flip galette over, so that the cookie sheet is now on top. Remove the cookie sheet to reveal a uniform, golden spiral of potatoes. Cut the galette into wedges. You can serve it as-is, or as a side dish to a meaty main course.

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Every now and then I wish I could poke little children with spoons. Why? Because there are few things in this world that we like to see inflated. A soufflé is one of them. A bratty little puffy-cheeked child is not.

Somewhere in time, children learned that the way to personal satisfaction was to fold one’s arms, inflate your cheeks and take as deep a breath as your little lungs will allow. You’d hold your breath until you got your way, no matter what kaleidoscope color action was happening on your face. Often, there would be a pleading parent in the immediate vicinity. This is called the Face-Off, and it ends horribly each time — with either a passed-out toddler or a bruised adult ego.

Ego-wounded adults, this is where spoons come in. We know that poking any soufflé with a spoon results with its collapse almost upon contact. My clever mother knew that the only way to deflate me during these patience-trying times was to poke me — lightly, but firm — with a spoon (or a pointer finger, if a spoon was not available). This resulted in giggles, which signaled that I had started breathing again. Mom, 1, me, 0. The experiment concluded with positive results every single time.

Children and souffles weren’t meant to remain inflated for long periods of time; they have to depuff at some point. With both subjects,  a little prodding allows the depuffication to happen sooner rather than later. I hope this information is helpful to the moms and dads who suffer through the public tantrums of their children (like the family I ran into at the supermarket a few months ago).

(Click “Read the rest of this entry” for recipe)

This soufflé is made in a ramekin built for two (about 16 ounces), to be shared between a wary adult and his/her beloved enfant terrible. If you’d like to keep your spoon to yourself, bake the soufflé in two smaller ramekins. (Just cut baking time in half and keep a watchful eye to make sure eggs don’t overcook. You’d be missing out on a creamy center surrounded by fluffy goodness.) For a vegetarian version, omit bacon.

EGG SOUFFLE WITH BACON AND ASPARAGUS
Yield: 2 servings

3 strips thick cut bacon
1/2 cup onion, minced
6 asparagus stalks, tips reserved and stalks cut into coins
4 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 16-ounce ramekin or two 8-ounce ramekins.
2. In a nonstick frying pan, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Place bacon strips on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. When bacon is cooled, cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
3. Drain all but 2 teaspoons of bacon fat from pan. Add minced onion and sweat for 3 to 4 minutes, until onions are almost translucent. Add asparagus and cook for about a minute more. Remove pan from heat.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, Parmesan, salt and pepper, until ingredients are incorporated. Stir in onions and asparagus.
5. Line bottom of ramekin(s) with bacon pieces. Pour egg mixture over bacon. Arrange reserved asparagus tips on top of the egg mixture and place ramekin on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until center slightly jiggles and top of soufflé is somewhat browned. Serve immediately, before it falls!

Optional: You can sprinkle a tiny bit of shredded Parmesan over the top of the soufflé before baking, if desired.

– Cynthia Furey

Being in a sour mood doesn’t always have to mean that you want to plant crossed arms in front of your chest or scrunch up your face and hold it there for as long as you can. Being in a sour mood can be a good thing.

Like when you’re in the mood for something sour, for example.

I for one am a big advocate for putting sour cream in quick breads like muffins, pancakes and coffee cake. Sour cream adds a moistness (fat! Yes!) and tang without even a mutter of its presence. If it’s added in the right quantity, you won’t even know it’s there. It’s ummph, and just because it’s pucker-worthy doesn’t mean it’s having a bad day.

(Click “Read the rest of this entry” for recipe)

I tweaked this Epicurious recipe for sour cream coffee cake just a bit to use some leftover toffee chips and chocolate chips. For the original recipe (which includes a glaze), click here. The batter will look flat and barely cover the pan, but it puffs up really nicely while baking.

SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE AND TOFFEE CHIPS

Yield: 10-inch round coffeecake
Adapted from Epicurious

• Streusel Topping:
• 1/2 cup granulated or brown sugar, or 1/4 cup each
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or cloves (optional)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• 34 cup toffee chips
• Batter:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated or brown sugar or 1/2 cup each
• 4 large egg yolks, or 3 large eggs
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray one 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment or waxed paper, spray with cooking spray again, and dust with flour.

2. To make the streusel: Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg if using. Using a fork, cut in the butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Stir in toffee chips.

3. To make the batter: Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, beat the butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Blend in the sour cream and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture, and fold in chocolate chips.

4. Layer your ingredients: Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Carefully cover with the remaining batter and sprinkle with the remaining streusel.

5. Bake until the cake is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 50 minutes. Cook in pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Wrap it in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

– Cynthia Furey

Hey all! Here’s my latest Food 101 column, published in The Orange County Register’s print edition today. It’s not on the OCR site, so I’ve placed it here. Enjoy!

Go for croque
By CYNTHIA FUREY
Special to the Register

Not many can resist the call of buttery, crunchy sandwiches oozing with Gruyère and piled with lacy slices of Black Forest ham – especially the ones that require a knife and fork. These lunchtime and brunch-time French staples, called croque-madame and croque-monsieur, are simple ham and cheese sandwiches with toppings to dress them up. A bonus: The sandwiches can easily be prepared at home, usually for a fraction of the cost that a single croque would fetch at any restaurant.

Croque-madame and croque-monsieur are toasted in the oven so the ham heats through and the cheese melts into a blanket of gooey bliss. Croque-madame has an egg on top, its yolk serving as a sauce. Ditch the egg and ladle on some Mornay sauce, and you have a croque-monsieur. Because there is little preparation time, you can make both croque versions without spending all afternoon over your stove.

Traditionally, croque-madame’s egg is served sunny side up, but an egg cooked over easy works just as nicely. Part of the fun of eating a croque-madame is piercing the yolk with a fork and watching it dribble over the sandwich and rest in a puddle underneath. The other fun part is sopping up the puddle with the sandwich bread.

For the croque-monsieur, you will be making a Mornay sauce, which is essentially a béchamel sauce with cheese added. A béchamel is a milk- or cream-based sauce. It’s considered one of the five classical “mother sauces” – the others are Espagnole, made with brown stock; velouté, white stock; hollandaise, butter; and tomato sauce. With the addition of other ingredients, hundreds of sauces are derived from these five.

Start the béchamel by making a blond roux, made of equal parts butter and flour. Heat this mixture until the flour’s starchy flavor cooks away, leaving behind a nutty smell and flavor and an ivory or off-white mixture. The roux will help thicken the sauce once the milk is added, and the little bit of Gruyère added at the end will transform the béchamel into a Mornay. Once the sauce is ladled onto the sandwich, an additional bit of cheese goes on top to give that gorgeous, bubbly look when the sandwich is heated under the broiler.

You can serve these sandwiches with a spring salad, with french fries or as appetizers: Cut the sandwiches into smaller servings, skewer with a toothpick or wooden skewer and place on a tray. (Click on “Read the rest of this entry” for recipe.)

CROQUE- MADAME/MONSIEUR

• Yield: 4 servings
• For sandwich:
• 8 slices French bread, about 3/4 inch thick (loaf size, not baguette)
• 2 1/4 cups Gruyère cheese, grated and divided
• 1/2 pound Black Forest ham, sliced
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 4 eggs (for Croque-Madame only)

• For béchamel sauce (For Croque-Monsieur only):
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons Gruyère cheese, grated

Procedure:

For Croque-Monsieur:

1. In a small pot over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add flour and make roux, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes or until it turns a very light yellow and has a nutty smell.

2. Add milk, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for about 6 to 7 minutes, until sauce is smooth and nappe (thinly coats the back of a spoon). Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and Gruyère. Remove from heat and stir until cheese is melted. Season to taste. Cover surface of béchamel with plastic wrap until needed. Turn oven broiler on.

3. Lightly toast French bread slices in toaster or oven and place toasted slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of slices with melted butter.

4. Spoon 1 tablespoon of béchamel sauce over each slice of toast. Layer 1/4 cup of cheese, and ham slices over sauce. Assemble into four sandwiches and top with two tablespoons of sauce and 1/4 cup Gruyère cheese. Place sandwiches under broiler for 10 minutes or until sauce on top is bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve immediately with remaining sauce on the side.

For Croque-Madame:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of bread slices with melted butter and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.

2. Layer cheese and ham over bread slices. Assemble into four sandwiches and top with remaining grated cheese.

3. Place in oven and toast for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. While sandwiches are toasting, fry eggs sunny side up in a nonstick frying pan.

4. Remove sandwiches from oven and place an egg on top of each. Serve immediately.

– Cynthia Furey

Side note: March madness is a month-long challenge in which I will post Monday through Friday for the entire month. Thank you for reading!

In high school, an old boyfriend took me to a tiny, fancypants French restaurant in a neighboring beach city, named after a wine we couldn’t pronounce. Based on that fact alone, we knew it was going to be a worthy (and expensive) place to spend our first anniversary.

The two of us were completely out of place in this cramped dining room, tucked away from view in a corner nearest the bathroom. Other diners were either yuppies discussing business deals over elegantly plated dishes, or the retired crowd, with men in khaki pants and women dripping in jewelry. All of them carried on their conversations looking completely at ease, as if they knew the scene in the dining room was built for them to be part of it. I looked at my beau, who upon being seated, had immediately buried his face in his leatherbound menu. Though I sensed he was also uncomfortable, he said not a word about it.

It’s funny how totally unrelated things can trigger a memory. If you can believe it, that awkward memory surfaced after I sat through an IHOP commercial. The ad is for the restaurant’s all-you-can-eat pancake promotion where a man eats a stack that magically regenerates right before his eyes (see clip). He’s got this baffled look on his face that I’m sure I had when I was stumbling through those French words all those years ago.

The pancake guy’s good fortune stuck with me throughout the week. Who doesn’t have a meal they would love to eat all over again, either because of the food or company? I’d pay to relive the first date I had with my current boyfriend, where we wolfed down wood-fired hot dogs with bacon and mushrooms. Or when I sat down to a chicken roulade meal in my best friend’s new home with her new husband, an ocean away from where we met. Or even that awkward meal I had at that now-shuttered French restaurant, just so I could choose a dish based on something I liked, rather than through a meticulous system of tallying how many ingredients we recognized in each description. I bet that regenerating-pancake guy doesn’t know how good he has it. (Click on “Read the rest of this entry” for recipe)

Some cook’s notes:
This recipe is partly inspired by IHOP’s “Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity” breakfast. It’s made of poached eggs, brown sugar bacon with a bit of heat and some pancakes, all fashioned into a sandwich that you need to eat with a fork.

I originally added cheese to this dish, but found it better without. If you’d still like to include cheese, pick a mild one. The milder the cheese, the better.

While you are poaching eggs, place sausage, pancakes and compote into the oven to keep warm with its residual heat before you assemble the sandwich.

IHOP’S ROOTY, MY WAY

• Yield: 2 servings (can be doubled)
• 4 thick-cut bacon strips
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Alton Brown’s Instant Pancake Mix (or your own recipe)
• 6 ounces blueberries, picked, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
• 2 to 4 pork sausage links or patties
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bacon strips in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and cayenne pepper.
2. Place in oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until browned and crispy. Remove from baking sheet and place on a plate.
3. Prepare pancakes according to directions. Place in oven to keep warm.
4. Place blueberries, sugar and salt into a saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to medium and cook until blueberry compote is reduced and thickened, about 10 5o 15 minutes. Place in oven (turned off) to keep warm.
5. Cook sausages according to package directions. Place in oven to keep warm.
6. Crack one egg into a measuring cup or small bowl. Fill a small pot with water, add vinegar and bring water to a simmer. Using a wooden spoon, swirl water in pot until a whirlpool is created. Drop egg into center of whirlpool and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove egg from pot using a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. Repeat with second egg.
7. To assemble: Slice one pancake in half. Top one half with sausage, poached egg and bacon. Sandwich with second pancake half. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with a side of blueberry compote.

– Cynthia Furey