58 Cook Books

I am a bit embarrassed to admit that yesterday, I counted 58 cook books in my book case and a five year supply of Delicious Magazines. 

I bought my first cook book in Vauxhall Bridge Road Market, London many years ago. It cost me 10 shillings and 6d. Which is the equivalent of $15 in today's money. It seemed like a lot at the time. I remember flicking from page to page looking at the glossy pictures of things that I would love too learn how to cook. The book is called " GoodHousekeeping Easy Stages Cook Book".     

If you saw the book now you would wonder why the stained and dog eared pages are so close to my heart. Well, this is the book that launched my journey into food and got me experimenting with flavours and ingredients my family had never heard of. For all its sentimental value the only recipe I can actually recall cooking from this book is on page 211 and it is a Cheese Souffle. 

My husband cooked this souffle, from this book for dinner this evening! So even after many years I can still recall the page number and the ingredients and I am willing to share this with you now. It is a quick, easy souffle which never fails. 

So if you have always been too shy to try a souffle, this is the one to break your fear.

Cheese Souffle

This recipe is suppose to serve 2 - 3, but we have no problem eating it between two of us.

Ingredients

3 eggs separated
115g Cheddar Cheese grated
15g Plain Flour
1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
150 ml Milk
30g Butter
Salt and pepper
Italian parsley chopped

• Grease a souffle dish - the one I use is a 4 cup capacity Maxwell & Williams 
• Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour, mustard and cook 2 minutes on low.
• Gradually stir in milk and cook for 3 minutes
• Take off the heat, beat egg yolks into the sauce and stir in the cheese and parsley, salt and pepper
• Stiffly beat the egg whites and fold carefully into the sauce mixture
• Turn mixture into souffle dish and bake in centre of oven for about 30 minutes at 170 degrees fan forced until well risen and golden.

I have recently made these in small ramekins and the mixture made six.
You can make it 1 hr before cooking if it is covered with foil and kept in the fridge and it will still rise and be nice and fluffy.

In this recipe I folded into the mixture some chopped blanched asparagus  just before I added the egg whites. The photo shows an asparagus spear sticking out of the top but this isn't at all necessary!