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Sabor de soledad, reminiscing about Pastis edition with open-face croque monsieurs.
by
Elizabeth Schreiter
Calificación: 4.0
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%20While%20it%20helped%20that%20there%20always%20seemed%20to%20be%20a%20preponderance%20of%20European%20tourists%20eating%20there%20at%20all%20times%20of%20the%20day,%20you%20really%20did%20feel%20like%20you%20were%20being%20swept%20into%20a%20bustling%20bistro%20in%20a%20hip%20Parisian%20neighborhood%20and%20the%20only%20thing%20missing%20was%20being%20able%20to%20light%20up%20a%20cigarette%20or%20two%20while%20you%20lingered%20over%20French%2075s%20and%20omelettes.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ERIP%20Pastis%E2%80%A6%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThis%20is%20not%20the%20first%20time%20I%E2%80%99ve%20felt%20this%20craving:%20a%20while%20ago%20now%20I%20was%20searching%20the%20internet%20for%20any%20recipes%20from%20Pastis,%20and%20lo%20and%20behold%20Williams%20Sonoma%20had%20posted%20a%20few%20that%20came%20directly%20from%20the%20restaurant%20itself.%20The%20link%20has%20since%20been%20removed,%20but%20thanks%20to%20the%20powers%20of%20the%20Internet%20Wayback%20Machine%20I%20was%20at%20least%20able%20to%20find%20the%20recipe%20I%20had%20bookmarked%20ages%20ago%20to%20make%20one%20time%20when%20Michael%20was%20traveling,%20and%20so%20when%20he%20flew%20to%20Kansas%20City%20a%20few%20weeks%20ago%20I%20felt%20that%20there%20was%20no%20time%20like%20the%20present%20to%20finally%20give%20their%20croque%20monsieur%20the%20old%20college%20try.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThere%20really%20isn%E2%80%99t%20much%20to%20this%20dish:%20it%E2%80%99s%20bread%20and%20cheese%20and%20ham%20and%20a%20b%C3%A9chamel%20sauce,%20but%20the%20sum%20far%20exceeds%20its%20components.%20The%20original%20recipe%20calls%20for%20slices%20of%20country%20bread,%20but%20that%20only%20works%20if%20you%E2%80%99re%20cooking%20for%20a%20crowd;%20personally,%20part%20of%20a%20nice%20baguette%20does%20very%20nicely%20if%20you%E2%80%99re%20cooking%20for%20one%20or%20two%20and%20you%20can%20always%20turn%20any%20leftover%20bread%20into%20homemade%20breadcrumbs.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhat%20really%20drove%20me%20to%20finally%20make%20this%20was%20to%20get%20another%20shot%20at%20making%20a%20b%C3%A9chamel%20sauce.%20The%20last%20time%20I%20made%20one%20was%20in%20New%20York%20for%20the%20canelons%20de%20festa%20during%20another%20sabor%20de%20soledad,%20and%20at%20the%20time%20the%20first%20attempt%20did%20not%20come%20out%20well.%20I%E2%80%99ve%20been%20able%20to%20get%20quite%20a%20lot%20of%20cooking%20experience%20under%20my%20belt%20since%20then,%20of%20course,%20but%20not%20so%20much%20in%20the%20realm%20of%20creamy%20sauce-making,%20so%20I%20felt%20it%20was%20a%2050-50%20shot%20that%20this%20sauce%20would%20come%20out%20well%20on%20the%20first%20attempt.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMaybe%20it%20was%20because%20the%20recipe%20was%20better,%20or%20that%20I%20paid%20more%20attention%20this%20time%20around%20because%20I%20didn%E2%80%99t%20have%20a%20million%20other%20components%20to%20make,%20but%20holy%20hell,%20this%20b%C3%A9chamel%20was%20fantastic.%20It%20took%20a%20ton%20of%20willpower%20not%20to%20stand%20there%20and%20drink%20it%20out%20of%20the%20saucepan,%20but%20I%20definitely%20helped%20myself%20to%20several%20spoonfuls%20to%20make%20sure%20it%20passed%20muster%20while%20cooking.%20The%20other%20thing%20I%20think%20that%20really%20helped%20was%20the%20usage%20of%20freshly%20grated%20nutmeg%E2%80%93we%20picked%20some%20up%20while%20we%20were%20down%20the%20shore%20over%20the%20summer%20at%20this%20cute%20little%20spice%20shop%20off%20the%20boardwalk%20in%20Rehoboth,%20and%20you%20really%20can%20smell%20and%20taste%20the%20difference%20between%20that%20and%20the%20ground%20stuff.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EServed%20with%20a%20simple%20arugula%20salad%20I%20first%20had%20at%20Pastis%20years%20ago%20now,%20this%20makes%20for%20a%20very%20simple,%20very%20elegant%20little%20dinner%20for%20one%20along%20with%20a%20nice%20glass%20of%20white%20wine.%20No,%20you%E2%80%99re%20not%20in%20New%20York%20and%20there%20isn%E2%80%99t%20an%20extremely%20attractive%20waiter%20bringing%20you%20your%20food,%20but%20it%20still%20goes%20a%20long%20way%20to%20brighten%20up%20a%20dreary%20and%20dark%20late%20autumn%20or%20winter%20evening.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOpen-Face%20Croque%20Monsieur%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAdapted%20from%20Williams-Sonoma%20from%20Pastis%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFor%20the%20b%C3%A9chamel:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPreheat%20the%20oven%20to%20450%20degrees%20and%20install%20a%20rack%20in%20the%20lower%20third%20of%20the%20oven.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFor%20the%20b%C3%A9chamel,%20melt%20the%20butter%20in%20a%20small%20saucepan%20over%20low%20heat.%20Whisk%20in%20the%20flour%20and%20cook%20until%20there%20is%20a%20nice%20nutty%20fragrance,%20about%20one%20minute%20or%20so.%20Slowly%20add%20the%20milk%20(a%20quick%20turn%20in%20the%20microwave%20did%20a%20good%20job%20of%20heating%20this%20up%20for%20me)%20and%20whisk,%20whisk,%20whisk%20until%20the%20mixture%20is%20lump-free.%20Season%20with%20salt,%20pepper,%20and%20nutmeg,%20increase%20the%20heat%20to%20medium%20and%20then%20simmer%20for%20about%20five%20minutes%20until%20the%20sauce%20has%20reduced%20and%20becom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