“We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.” ~ William Gladstone (1809-1898, four times prime minister of Great Britain)
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
Our son and I went to St. Paul last Saturday to check out the No Kings event. We weren’t part of the official ‘march’… the streets were full so we parked in a pay lot at Grand and Victoria. My goal was to walk to the cathedral steps and get a birds eye view of the Capitol in the distance, expecting to see a long stream of people. Unfortunately, I forgot that the bridge from the cathedral to the capitol is closed for reconstruction, so no long stream of people to the capitol. We were able to get a clear view from the Minnesota History Center, even though it was on the other side of the freeway. There were supposedly about 100,000 people there, some sources even estimated up to 200,000. Regardless of the actual numbers it was a moving mass of humanity, and what struck me was the moving street of people coming back. We stopped at a restaurant on our way back to the car… even they had a sign in their window. We ended up walking about 7 miles that day.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
When I was planning the menu for this week, it struck me that it was Easter week… which called for au gratin potatoes! Gruyere cheese is the traditional cheese for au gratin potatoes, but I find it too rich for my taste. I found a recipe for Ruth’s Chris-style au gratin potatoes that was just right for me a mugmealmagic.com, modified it just a bit for our tastes… everybody loved it.
AU GRATIN POTATOES a la Ruth’s Chris
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and mandolin sliced 3/16″ thick
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 pint half and half (or 1 1/2 cups cream, 1/2 cup whole milk)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- About 1/2 pound block extra sharp white cheddar, shredded (I used Tilamook)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used BelGioioso)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease/spray 9 x 13 baking dish.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute to form a roux. Gradually whisk in half and half until smooth. Stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar and Parmesan.
Layer half the sliced potatoes in baking dish and pour over half the cheese sauce. Repeat with remaining potatoes and sauce. top with remaining cheddar.
Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 15-20 minutes more, until golden and bubbling.
Let rest about 10 minutes before serving.
