Today's News ~ Music 4 U & an excellent recipe 4 U to check out!

Greetings Foodies! I added a music option to this blog page (or, as Louie calls it.... my "blob") ~ Anyway, now you can enjoy Benise and other Spanish guitar selections on this cool live feed customized radio station. Simply click the play button (upper right of my page) and if you're not too excited about the song, click on the "next" button (to the right of the square "stop" button) to switch to the next track. Enjoy the music while you check out my stuff.

After working with some of these tantalizing images over and over, I felt the need to whip up another Jacques Pepin Cheese Souffle', a recipe that he learned from his "Maman". I am sharing this recipe with you today....... don't be intimidated! It's not a traditional/textbook cheese souffle' where you're required to seperate the eggs and beat the whites and all of that extra work........It's a pure pleasure to make and it is sure to make your house smell insanely delicious. I never want to leave home when the house smells this good!

Jacques Pepin's Maman's Cheese Souffle'

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter plus more to butter a 6 cup gratin dish

6 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cups cold whole milk

1/2 teaspoon each, salt & freshly ground black pepper

5 extra large eggs

2 1/2 cups of grated Swiss cheese (preferably Gruyere)

3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 6 cup gratin dish. Set aside. Melt the butter in the saucepan and then add the flour. Mix well with a whisk. Cook for 10 seconds. Add the milk in one stroke and whisk well. Keep cooking and whisking until the mixture thickens and comes to a strong boil (it takes about 2 minutes). It should be thick and smooth. Remove from heat. Add salt & pepper. Allow about 10 minutes for the white sauce to cool.

Meanwhile, crack eggs into a bowl. Beat well with a fork. Add the beaten eggs, the cheese and the chives to the cooled sauce. Mix well to combine. Pour into the buttered gratin dish and cook immediately or set aside until ready to cook ~ you can do this ahead! yippee!

Bake 30 to 40 minutes until the souffle' is puffy and well browned. (See my picture below)....Serve immediately. It will stay puffed for awhile but it's best when served right away. I love to serve this with a simple green salad, lardons (thin strips of crisp bacon), fresh french bread and a glass of champagne. That's tonight's menu. Bon Appetit' my friends!