Remember waaaaaaaaay back when I started writing these posts? One of the things I explained was that I'm not a professional photographer. This photo seems to be proof of that. As I look at the photo now I realize how much the picture didn't capture how yummy this really was. I promise I'll keep working on my photography skills but, as you can tell, they're a bit lowerr than my cooking skills. Hopefully my photography will continue to improve as well as my cooking skill! Please pardon the photo but trust me -- this was really tasty! Creamy spinach with the cheese melted in it and topped with a layer of cheese and bread crumbs. Yep, "Epinards Gratines Au Fromage" deserves the fancy sounding name because it is a tasty way to prepare spinach and is actually a pretty simple dish to prepare.
I typically write about the cooking skills I'm learning, and I'll mention some of that this time too, but what I thought I'd share first is some "Spinach Philosophy." As I was preparing this food I had a couple of moments of enlightenment regarding food in general. Here's what I learned...
It all started as I was chopping the braised spinach (first photo below). If you read my previous post about the other spinach dish (the canapes) you may recall that I'd been mowing our lawn before I came inside to prepare dinner. After I'd blanched a whole lot of spinach -- seemingly the equivalent of several bales of hay -- i followed Julia's instructions to take handfuls of the spinach and begin squeezing the water out of it. I couldn't help laughing as I did so because about an hour prior I'd been pulling handfuls of wet grass clippings out from under the lawn mower (note: the mower was not running at the time) and they had looked exactly like this spinach that I was squishing in my hand. As I began chopping on my cutting board with my trusty chef's knife, it really began to look like grass clippings. Hmmmmmm, I wonder if I should bag up the grass next time and try blanching it...?
My brain works in strange ways apparently because this squishing and chopping process got me thinking... Even though at the squishing/chopping process I end up with a big bowl of cooked spinach that looks very much like what I'd have after thawing out a box of frozen chopped spinach. So why bother with all the effort to blanch, squish, and chop? Good question, eh? As I continued to chop I kept thinking about why I was doing it and that's when it hit me! Well, nothing actually hit me this time since I was being careful to not injure myself. But I began to realize how much different the food seems to be when I am preparing it from scratch.
This wasn't just a block of "green ice" that came out of the freezer. Even though I didn't grow this spinach in my garden, it did start out as bags of fresh spinach that actually look like a plant. Recognizable crunchy leaves of spinach that I was personally transforming into something that was acquiring a bit more sophisticated flavor and taste. Not only was it turning into something that tasted better, but I was able to see each step of the process. Much different than just opening up a frozen dinner and putting it into the microwave.
Another thought that came to mind was whether it was worth the effort. I find that there's some satisfaction that comes from cooking for my family and friends. It is kind of like crafting a piece of furniture for a family member that they can put in their house and enjoy. Well, not exactly -- I'm an even worse woodworker than cook. That reminds me of what my grandfather used to say: "For every door that closes, another one opens." Grandpa was a great man but a terrible cabinetmaker. But I digress. As I was saying, there's a satisfaction that comes from making something for friends and family and seeing them enjoy trying new things (especially when no gagging or choking occurs).
Finally, there's a definite different taste to food made from fresh ingredients. Even the simple recipe preparations of done for things like carrots or green beans have produced dishes that taste so much better than simply opening a can and blasting it in the microwave.
So the three things I've learned today from spinach are:
1. Cooking from scratch gives me a personal connection to the food itself.
2. I like cooking for family and friends (I just don't know if they like waiting for a couple hours...)
3. Fresh food tastes really good!
Now don't get me wrong. Pre-prepared food and leftovers certainly have a place in my life, as does Chinese take-out and pizza delivery. Most days don't seem to provide enough time for me to spend a couple hours preparing food from scratch (yeah, I'm still really slow most of the time) and even though I'm getting faster and know I'll be able to do these things faster and faster with practice. That means there are still times when I like opening a can of chili, pouring it over Fritos, decorating with some shredded cheese and heating it in the microwave. If I have a few minutes I might even top it with sour cream and avocado!
Well, to get back to cooking the Epinards Gratines Au Fromage. The preparation was pretty simple -- blanched the spinach, squeezed out the water and chopped it, put the chopped spinach in a hot skillet for a couple minutes with a little butter to remove more moisture, and then mixed in some shredded gruyere swiss cheese. That was all then put into a small casserole dish and topped with a mixture of bread crumbs and shredded cheese. This was then baked at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes until the cheese was browned and it was ready to eat.
The last step was the best -- dish it out and eat! Elizabeth, Kathryn and I really enjoyed this and I'm sure you will too.
Bon Appetit!
What little leftovers there were, were MINE.