Russ Parsons's Cauliflower and Potato Gratin

Well. Let me tell you one thing. Berlin? Is cold. Very, very cold. There's this Arctic wind blowing down on us from the north, apparently, and it's not going to stop anytime soon. Did you know that Berlin is on the same latitude as Labrador? New York, in case you're wondering, is on the same latitude as Rome. That might help put the proximity of that Arctic wind in perspective for you. It is awfully, bone-chillingly close.

Then, the snow. The city has been blanketed in white since I arrived here almost three weeks ago. At first it was festive and clean! Now, I sort of want to kick all that snow in the teeth. I've been wearing the same waterproof, wool-lined hiking boots for weeks. Doesn't the weather know that a woman's happiness is bound up in her ability to alternate footwear at least once or twice a week? Or at least change out of the heavy duty socks purchased on one trip to the Rocky Mountains a few years ago.

Anyway, all of this complaining is actually to explain why on earth, after the absolute gluttony of the holidays, I made a cheese sauce-cloaked potato and cauliflower dish on New Year's Day. Delicate salads and gossamer soups, take your pretty little selves to warmer climes. Here in Berlin, I'm turning on the oven as often as I can. The more burners I can use, the better! And I need butterfat to help the cause.

Russ Parsons meant for this dish to be served as a side for a Christmas feast, but there was no such restraint in my kitchen. Between two mouths at dinner, one admittedly a little larger than the other, the whole thing was polished off in no time. Okay, fine, with a salad. And it was delicious. Honestly, I don't know that I'd ever serve this as a side dish - I need those usually to be simpler and plainer. But it is perfect as a vegetarian main course. Just right.

The Gruyère was restrained, the cauliflower practically sweet, the potatoes creamily yielding. Russ has you make a leek-studded, cheese-scented béchamel that would make a lovely blanket for any number of vegetables (endives! leeks! white asparagus!). It gets poured over and under a pile of boiled, cubed potatoes and cauliflower and then stuck in a hot oven for bubbling, crisping action. The gratin must be eaten straight out of the oven, never mind about your burned tongue. Hot, hot, hot, it does a wondrous job filling bellies and warming cold bodies. (Thank you, Russ!)

In other news, I have one small victory to report: I have a working cell phone! With a German number! It only took me three weeks, three missed delivery attempts, some minor computer hacking and a few chewed cuticles to get here. And it feels glorious. Like the first piece of my everyday life just shifted into place. Next up, an apartment of my own, pretty please.

I'm camping at my mother's apartment while I look for my own place. It's not half-bad, living rent-free, and in a gorgeous, art-filled, turn-of-the-century apartment with a lovely kitchen (the counter space! the dishwasher!) to boot. Cooking in her kitchen is a little weird - like walking in a pair of shoes that's a size too small or eating dinner at a table that's about 5 inches too high. You know what I mean? It's doable but feels a little off. Though the measuring cups and spoons that I brought with me from Queens are making me feel a little more settled.

Anyway, I'm still getting used to the light here, so please forgive the strange quality of the photos in my posts for now - they're all a little wonky. On the whole, though, I have to say, it is so nice to be here. Cold weather, weird lighting, longing for a space of my own, I can take it all. It's good to be home.

Cauliflower and Potato Gratin
Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish

1 (1 1/4-pound) head of cauliflower
1/2 pound small boiling potatoes
Salt
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup butter
1 leek, white part only, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons crème fraiche or sour cream
3/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese, divided (about 1 1/2 ounces)
Freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the dried base and green leaves from the cauliflower and discard them. Separate the head into florets about the size of walnuts and chop the stem into similar size pieces. Cut the potatoes into similar-size pieces as well.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high head and salt liberally. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and the cauliflower and potatoes (the vinegar will help keep the cauliflower white). Cook until the cauliflower pieces are tender enough to be easily cut with a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. While the cauliflower is cooking, make a cheese sauce. In a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and stir in the leeks. Cook until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and whisk to make a smooth paste. Add the milk a little at a time, cooking until it thickens. When all the milk has been added, reduce the heat and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the crème fraîche, then one-half cup of the Gruyère, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous grating of nutmeg (a little less than one-quarter teaspoon). Whisk until smooth, then taste and add more salt or nutmeg if necessary.

5. Butter a 6-cup gratin dish and spread a thin layer of the sauce evenly over the bottom. Arrange the cooked cauliflower and potatoes in an even layer over the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. It should come about three-quarters of the way up the vegetables.

6. Scatter bread crumbs evenly over top and then scatter the remaining one-quarter cup Gruyère over that. Bake until the gratin is bubbling and the top is browned, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

Comments

[Luisa]

Francesca - thank you! I'm so glad you like it.

Claire - I agree that plain white sauce can be sort of boring, but this one has leeks, crème fraîche and nutmeg to flavor it up. Delicious! Can't believe you guys are in full summer! :)

Dani - thank you!!

[Anna@BakingSimplicity]

So glad to hear that you're starting to settle into your new life. Good luck with apartment hunting and keep warm!

[Penny]

What a warming dish. I too love your blog and your talent. I look forward to your adventures in 2010.

[Patrice]

So happy you have landed, Luisa. This gratin looks devine. Thank you.
Such a beautiful photo of you...you look quite content. Wish you the best.

[Andrea]

Lovely pics -- both you and the gratin!

[dervla]

awwww so good to see a photo of you. Makes me miss you more!

[rach]

I never knew New York was the same latitude as Rome....I do now. Rome is cold and swinging erractically between crisp and soggy.

Lovely recipe, most certainly a dish in it's own right, green salad for company.

I like the cherries at the top.

[Shirin]

I really love your blog and think you have such a unique and funny style. I used to live in Berlin, and would always get really exited when you would post from there, so you can imagine the little yelp I exclaimed when you posted that you were moving back.

I send a solemn nod of sympathy with regards to the German Bureaucratic system. And I hope you had a wonderful Sylvester and survive the cold winter to appreciate the glory of Berlin when the weather is warm. I look forward to reading about it!

[Pam]

I just received BAKED and saw that you were the editor. What a beautiful book it is! I can't wait to read YOUR book. Best wishes on your new ventures!

[Veronique]

I made my first jams in your mother's kitchen in the summer of 2006: it is a great place to get cooking although the height of counters was also an issue (I am fast 6")!

I gathered all the berries I could carry from the Winterfeldtplatzmarkt and made the most luscious, fruit heavy jam I have made as yet!

I am still in Berlin and "Radiogourmet" and I would love to have you over for dinner. Let us know when!

[cookeaze]

Pretty presentation and love the look of it.Great snaps and always your recipes are best to me.Happy new year and thanks for your talent..

[healthy kitchen]

Very nice indeed.. I'm hungry right now..

[amelia]

and what's better to feel home than a comfy, homey gratin??? :)

[Lisa (dinner party)]

Beautiful pic. I'm glad you're staying warm and doing fine. Keep the posts coming!

[jocelyn]

lovely photo! - and the recipe looked good might just try it! We are holed up in surrey too - we are getting your cold weather and the whole of england is white! martin and I pottering.

[Molly]

Ah ha, I KNEW there was a reason we were hit with six inches of white. Obviously, to eat warm, bubbling, cauliflower-studded cheese. Welcome home. Molly

[tara]

Cheese and cauliflower, potatoes too. Oh and there's crème fraîche? Sign me up immediately. In these snowy days we need to shore up our energy reserves and do what we can to keep warm. The thermometer justifies the indulgence, or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

You're looking lovely.

[KitchenPickersMakeBiggerKnickers]

I'm drooling just reading about the gratin....I'll be awash by the time i come to make it. Thanks for another great recipe!

[anna]

oh, that looks heartwarmingly delicious. congratulations on your move back to berlin. i am a new yorker who lived four years in berlin, and then five years again in ny, and am moving back to berlin in a few months w/ the whole family, this time for an indefinite time! i love reading your blog and look forward to reading about what you might make after a trip to the markthalle or lpg or mitte meer, lindenberg, etc...

[Michelle]

Okay, so yes, the gratin looks delicious, just perfect for a cold winter's night...
but what I really want
is that gorgeous red hutch in the last photo!

Glad to hear you're settling in; such an exciting time!

[june2]

Check this out - it may be your answer to the cold! I'm having my mother make one for me out of polar fleece, and I think it will be just the thing!

http://blue_moon.typepad.com/blue_lotus/2006/02/post_3.html

[umm food]

This is something I think my family will love and appreciate. Thanks for sharing

[DJ]

I've never commented either, but I love your blog, will definitely be trying this recipe, and am entirely enchanted by the beautiful dish in which your gratin was baked. Must be one of your mother's treasures.

[John Gutekanst]

Oh Man, I'm gonna tackle that recipe for sure-it looks fab!
Every week when cauliflower is "poppin'" at our farmers market, I make a long pizza al taglio with cauliflower and gruyere that is heavenly above a curried bechemel with carmelized onions, ricotta and parmesan.Its not much to look at but sells like crazy.
Thanks for your blog.

[Kelsey/TheNaptimeChef]

I read about the weather in Europe - sounds a lot like upstate NY. Stay warm! Love the gratin dish, perfect sophisticated comfort food.

[Chad]

What a wonderful cold weather dish to try! Sunday dinner tomorrow will feature this.

But what poor meterological understanding. Don't get fooled by latitudes as a way of matching temperate zones. It doesn't apply. We know that New York and Rome vary greatly in average temperature. The warm Mediterranean keeps Rome balmy while New York freezes. Berlin and Labrador don't have the same weather either. Different weather patterns and prevailing winds, the Gulf Stream's warming waters, local bodies of water -- all affect the meteorological conditions. Statistics show Berlin and NY almost identical in average temps, though Berlin lies 12 degrees further north in latitude!
I remember the chill in Berlin thanks to mediocre heating, not to mention the walking and walking outdoors instead of jumping in the car.
The cold isn't only in Europe. It's been a very cold winter in the northeast this year. According to google, right now it's 7 degrees in Chappaqua NY and 28 degrees in Berlin.

[Froode]

I feel EXACTLY the way you do regarding the camping socks and winter boots. But, its a reason to buy another cute pair of winter boots! Love Berlin - used to live in P-berg and had an amazing life there. My heart's still in Berlin :-)

[Orlando wedding photographers]

awesome recipe, really different

[Luisa]

Shirin - thank you!

Anna - welcome back, how exciting! And tell me more about these things I'm supposed to be checking out?? :)

DJ - isn't it beautiful? I found it in one of her cabinets... lucky woman!

Chad - all I was trying to say was that Berlin is closer to the Arctic than New York is, with my tongue planted firmly in my cheek, by the way. Of course it can be just as cold in New York, if not colder.

[Laura in PA]

Oh my gosh! I made this for dinner last night and I can't stop thinking about how good it was. I had to really force myself not to just finish the whole thing. The perfect winter food. Thanks for sharing it!

[frombatoparis]

Hello,

It is very cold too here in Paris, but the worst thing is the absolute lack of light...I am also taking very "sad" photos of my dishes...
Let's hope the sun comes back!!!! Great recipes! Felicitaciones !!!

[Tracy (Amuse-bouche for Two)]

Just the dish to be eaten in Berlin during this achingly cold winter months. We have a similar recipe in our box. It's lovely. This calls for crusty baguette and full glass of cabernet. Don't forget to stand with your back to the oven while it's baking. It's the best way to stay warm...that an a homemade scarf wrapped around your neck.

[Catherine]

I made this for my family, and it made us so warm and sleepy that we were all passed out by 10:00, even my brothers who usually go for seconds or thirds. Fantastic stuff. This could make Americans actually start getting more sleep. =p

[Suz]

Such a lovely read. The gratin looks fabulous!

I've enjoyed reading your blog for a while now, so I've listed your blog as one of my favourites on one of those food blog award pass-along thingjobs. Feel free to ignore, or pass along or whatever you like. :)

[Rebecca]

That Gratin looks warming, indeed! We've had an unusually snowy winter in Colorado, too--this might be just the ticket on our next snow day! Thanks for the lovely post.

[Melanie]

Luisa,
You look so beautiful and relaxed. I'm glad the pieces are coming together for you. Congratulations on the cell phone.

[Erin]

I made this. it.was.amazing. I think next time I'm going to use brussels instead of potatoes, just to mix it up.
seriously. AMAZING.

[rebecca]

You look gorgeous! I am thrilled to have your blog back and I know you'll warm up with the oven turned up and the warmth of the dishes to come. Very excited for you...
xox

[Thomas Andrew]

That recipe looks and sounds amazing. I love cauliflower and can't wait to give this recipe a try. You have a very nice collection of recipes on your blog. :-)

[Victoria]

Luisa,

Somehow I completely missed this post on my Google Reader, which is completely ridiculous because I ALWAYS look for your posts, and I LOVE cauliflower and potatoes - so the thought of cauliflower AND potatoes makes me hungry at 8:00 a.m. However, I think I will serve it as a side dish with a new roast pork with juniper berries recipe I have been making lately.

It's good to see your picture - smiling and happy and at home. Enjoy being there while you apartment hunt. You will find the right one, so enjoy this "respite." But please keep cooking and writing and smiling.

So glad to have you back on a regular basis.

[Victoria]

P.S. I like your new banner.

[Shirley]

I love your blog and loved making the cauliflower gratin. It was simple and decadent and delicious. Thanks!

[Agnes]

I am going to make this gratin tonight :-)

And by the way, I heartily second the Kellerrestaurant in the Brecht Haus - so yummy!

[oneshotbeyond]

now this is a must try for me. It's my 1st time visiting your site and wow am I impressed! :-)

[wix]

Argh! Wish I'd had this recipe 2 hours earlier!

I made dinner for sister- and brother-in-law tonight, and improvised a weird potato casserole... "improvised" because a lifetime on the East Coast does not teach a body how casseroles are supposed to work.

It all turned out okay, but what I really could have used was this gratin :)

Stay warm, over there!

[Frog]

I made this recipe the other night and you are right. It's hard not to eat the entire thing all in one greedy spoonful.

[Su Chin Kim]

dear luisa,

being one more anonymous admirer of your blog i am thrilled to see, that we are now living in the same town! i heard that statistically it's the worst winter since 30 years, so it might be slightly bad timing. hopefully you can still enjoy discovery tours and if ever you need a guidance through the magnificent "winskiez" of prenzlauer berg or the art objects in the bundestag, i would be honoured! grüße su chin

btw: my culinary advices are "herr rossi" and "sorsi e morsi"

[jenn]

looks awesome, something different for a change

[Allie]

I know it's a little late in the season to be making a recipe like this, but I just made it yesterday for Easter Dinner (since ham and cheesy anything are a good combination in my eyes). It turned out GREAT! I had to cook it a little longer and at a lower temperature because I had ham in the oven too, but it still worked out and tasted awesome. Thanks for the recipe!

-Allie

[Allie]

So I know I'm a bit late, but I decided to make this recipe for Easter dinner. It went GREAT with the ham and was a HUGE hit with my Gruyere-loving boyfriend. I shared the recipe with several friends, and everyone who's tried it has been VERY happy.

Thanks for finding, trying and sharing yet another stellar recipe!!! :)