RMRF 12: I GET IN TOUCH WITH MY INNER JULIA CHILD

So, James (my husband, for the uninitiated) was pretty much a bad boy as a teenager, but I think one of the things that kept him out of serious trouble was a religious devotion to watching Julia Child on PBS. He’s therefore now a valued member of society and an accomplished chef. I, on the other hand, spent my teen years riding horses, eating too much sugar and being dramatic.

Tonight, however (with him safely out of the house and still at work), I attempted my first soufflé: SAVORY WINTER SQUASH SOUFFLE. It definitely did not match up to his SPINACH AND CHEESE SOUFFLE, but Morgan said it was “pretty good” with an upbeat inflection and Audrey ate what we call “the crusties” – the brown parts on the outside and top where the butter and cheese brown up. It was not fluffy and beautiful like James’, but it was “pretty good”, a very pretty orange color and I’ll definitely try it again. I'm enclosing his recipe, too, though I confess I've never tried it, Morgan could probably make it she has helped him so many times.

(James just came home and said that he adds 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar to the egg whites just as they are starting to froth - this helps the souffle stay puffed. That's why Morgan said to me, as she was beating those eggs for me, "Something else is supposed to go in here." I suppose one should listen to 8 year olds on occasion. Hope yours is puffy!)

I’m also enclosing a recipe for PARSNIP SPICE CAKE WITH GINGER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING. Audrey said “this is the best cake I’ve ever had”! (Every time we see a movie she says, “This is the best movie I’ve ever seen! – she didn't do that after seeing “Mall Cop", though -- anyway, when something’s good she is enthusiastic). They even liked the ginger in the frosting, which I was worried about. The spiciness was just right. I'm going to eat some more in a minute.

I’m also including WINTER VEGETABLES WITH BULGUR, with the caveat that I got it from my CSA, which often has recipes that are very simple and taste like they’re good for you, but not much else. I added the feta, which I think helped. The kids HATED it, but I had it several times for lunch this week and it’s growing on me. It's kind of like a winter tabouli salad.