It wasn't a surprise, given that I was in last place (although there was an exciting moment when I was second to last), not to win 2006 Food Blog Award for Best Writing, but isn't it kind of amazing I was nominated in the first place?
We're back on our diet, piglets, back on track for the new year. Remember the diet we all started in the fall? It fell by the wayside somehow, derailed by cranberries and eggnog and pumpkin pie. I don't know how I allowed it to occur but that is the past, friends, and we don't live there. Nor do we live in the future perfect; it's all present tense from now on. We're going back to basics and again, I'll test out recipes from some of the most popular diet books and share the best of the bunch with all of you. The Washington Post had exactly the same idea yesterday, though a little smaller in scale--isn't amazing how great minds think alike?
Before we launch the great diet experiment, we need to have a little bit of a blow-out first. One of the best new dishes I made this fall was a savory bread pudding from November's Bon Appetit. Although I served it as a side, it really makes a fantastic vegetarian entree you can make ahead of time for either brunch or dinner. I said "ahead of time," piglets, and those are three little words that enable me to find the courage to invite others over and socialize a little in my own home. I've almost recovered from my Christmas party, and I think it might be time for both you and me to start to consider finding some convivial, low-maintenance, easily impressed company with which to raise a fork, so that these long dark nights of winter might pass a little more pleasantly.
Recipe after the jump . . .
1 (1-pound) loaf crusty country-style white bread (roasted garlic is best, if available)
1/4 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 large garlic clove, minced
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (such as crimini, button, portobello, and stemmed shiitake), thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
8 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Cut bottom crust and short ends off bread and discard (they're very good with butter, however). Cut remaining bread with crust into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups loosely packed). Place cubes in very large bowl. Add oil, thyme, and garlic; toss to coat. Spread cubes out on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and slightly crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Return toasted bread cubes to same very large bowl.
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and celery. Sauté until soft and juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add sautéed vegetables and parsley to bread cubes.
Whisk heavy cream, eggs, salt, and ground pepper in large bowl. Mix custard into bread and vegetables. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Sprinkle cheese over. DO AHEAD: Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake stuffing uncovered until set and top is golden, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes.
Makes 10 to 12 servings (diet tip: wrap up those leftovers and send it all home with your guests)
*my only modifications were to use a roasted garlic artisan loaf and to eliminate the inherently nasty green pepper someone at the magazine must have thrown in when no one was looking
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