Reader, I was sad

[kaberett]

... which means that dinner was: roast potatoes with thyme, lightly steamed broccoli and green beans, stewed red cabbage, and CHEESE SOUFFLE. MY FIRST EVER SOUFFLE. THEY WORKED. I WAS SO PROUD OF MYSELF.

Followed, natch, by profiteroles, which: also not something I had ever made before. THEY WORKED, give or take slightly burning the first batch (but not the second!); topped off with melted dark chocolate and filled with plum-brandy-and-vanilla-sugar-whipped-cream.

So pleased with myself. Two foodstuffs I'd worked myself up into being intimidated by, and they both just worked. :-)

Comments

[angelofthenorth]

*Grins* My experience of them is that they work first time and fourth, and if you get to fifth they carry on working, but 2nd and 3rd are the tricky ones...

[kaberett]

Hee, I'm fairly confident with the choux at this point but will have to make sure I continue being careful with souffle if I try them again. :-) OTOH I can manage Apfelstrudel, so! (Which has a pastry that you prepare by, um, stretching it out. by hand. until it's translucent. and then you cover it in filling, and then you roll it up WITHOUT BREAKING IT, and then you bake it.)

[milkymoon]

Profiteroles! I've never tried making them because they just look massively complicated but the ones you've just made sound lovely. ♥ Well done~

[kaberett]

It turns out they're really straightforward! Recipe I used linked above. Basically you have to be willing to stir stuff - the pastry is the difficult bit and if you're reasonably comfortable making bechamel (white) sauce you won't have any problems. The construction part is easy - you take them out the oven, wait for them to cool a bit, break them open (they are mostly a big pastry bubble at this stage), dollop in some cream, then drizzle melted chocolate over the top.

[nanila]

I AM IMPRESSED. I have not tried making these foodstuffs and I'm scared. Glad your efforts turned out tasty!

[kaberett]

They are honestly really well behaved! I took the Graun's recommendation for cheese souffle and Delia's choux (which tells you everything you need to know about me, alas), and they behaved beautifully. Caveats: I am extremely comfortable making bechamel, and I really hate folding in beaten egg whites, but it still worked!

[syntaxofthings]

I think you must be a chef or something. I'd like food please!

[kaberett]

I am always happy to feed people! Should we end up in the same place at any point...

[birke]

Congratulations. I am also afraid to try souffles.

[kaberett]

It turns out that if you are comfortable making bechamel their difficulty is wildly overrated! Recipe I used linked above. ♥

[birke]

Bechamel is my favourite!

[worlds_of_smoke]

Wow, I'm impressed. But I totally know the feeling when you make something difficult for the first time. I made peanut butter fudge the other day (AND IT WORKED) and cannot stop grinning. XD

[dreamfracture.insanejournal.com]

I can confirm all of this was absolutely delicious, and I am extremely lucky to be so thoroughly spoilt.

[shadowspar]

OMG! Well done in tackling two canonically-hard dishes—one sweet, one savoury, no less—and having them turn out to boot. ^_^

[silveradept]

Yay! Hooray! So glad everything worked for you - that's always satisfying.