Greetings, FoodFirst Community!

I love cooking in the fall (well, I love cooking in the winter, spring, and summer, too, but that’s beside the point); All the fall vegetables are just so marvelous, it’s impossible to resist them! All the different squashes and pumpkins, cabbages and brussels sprouts, eggplants and beans - I can’t get enough of them! 

One of my all-time favorites is roasted brussels sprouts which is a staple in our house throughout fall and winter. To roast brussels sprouts, all you need is a baking sheet. Slice them in half, coat lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and put in the oven on 425F on the lowest rack for about 20 minutes, flipping them midway through. There are many ways to serve them: just salt and black pepper is the simplest way, or you can add various toppings, for example: 

• Crumbled cooked bacon or ham; 

• Lemon zest and grated parmesan cheese; 

• Red pepper or aleppo pepper flakes; 

• Fresh minced thyme or parsley or dill; 

• Toasted walnuts or almonds and dried cranberries or cherries;

• Sautéed mushrooms; 

• Raw or sauteed apple slices.

I find that they also go well with sautéed bell peppers or roasted carrots for a beautiful side dish at a dinner party.

Chocolate is one of those things that instantly makes life better. For an easy chocolate dessert, try a chocolate soufflé!

To make a soufflé is really not as hard as the name makes it sound! Here is a super-easy and nearly fail-proof recipe (serves 4): 

• Prepare 4 ramekins by generously buttering them and coating them with sugar; shake out excess. Turn the oven on 400F to preheat, placing the rack  on the lowest level. 

• Prepare ingredients: 4 oz (113 g) bittersweet chocolate chips, 3 eggs, 3-4 tablespoons of butter (optional), 2-4 tablespoons of sugar, and vanilla. 

• First, melt the chocolate with butter, if using, in a double boiler or in the microwave. Microwave works just fine but you need to do it in 30 second increments and stir. 

• Second, separate eggs; set yolks aside to wait for the chocolate to cool off a bit. 

• Whip whites till soft peaks form (it helps to add a drizzle of lemon juice and to have them at room temperature). Continue whipping while adding sugar until they become glossy and form very stiff peaks. 

• By now the chocolate will cool off enough not to cook the egg yolks. Whisk the yolks into the chocolate, add ½ teaspoon of vanilla, and then fold the whipped whites, one quarter at a time, till just combined. Do not overmix.

• Spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins and place on the lowest rack in the oven. Lower the temperature to 375F and bake for 9 minutes. Do not open the door to check. 

They will rise beautifully but will start deflating as soon as you take them out, so it is best to serve at once. They are particularly delicious when served with whipped cream and some fresh raspberries. Enjoy, and let me know how they turn out! 

The fall classes are about to start! I still have a couple of spots left in the Cooking with Confidence course. There are two time slots: Tuesday evenings starting on 9/30 and Wednesday early afternoons starting on 10/8. Please spread the word to folks who might be interested! 40% off for all new students!

I also have two spots left in the Cooking French: The Art of Braising Master Chef class on 10/18 (Sat, 11:00 pm). It’s an awesome class where we will cover key techniques for cooking such classic French dishes as coq-au-vin, beuf bourgonion, and bouillabaisse.

You can reach me at info@food-first.com with any questions or comments.

If you are interested in taking a class or course but do not see it on the schedule, please email me your availability or fill out this form.  

Elena