COLUMN: Alaskan soufflé, Italian pork chops for September

September is a prelude to the opening of autumn and the soon closing of summer; also, my favorite season is on the way. What’s not to like about fall? The colors, the smells, the-soon-to-be-cooler-and-crisp air.

I don’t even mind raking leaves. I didn’t say I rake them; I just said I don’t mind. I really would not want to deprive hubby of a job he likes to do. I do, however, help bag the leaves while resisting the urges to rake up a big pile and fall into them.

A funny thing happened to me a while ago. I had my column all typed up and was almost ready to push the send now button on my PC, and something happened — my work just disappeared off my monitor. Unfortunately, I had failed to print it out; I wanted to, but I do not have my printer hooked up correctly. As far as saving things in folders, I do, but then I can’t always find them.

I immediately call a tech at AOL. I was babbling, “Can you help me set my PC back to a former time so I might be able to save the column?” It was all so funny.

I was out of my depth, but she was patient and was sorry to tell me there was no such thing for the particular work I needed to retrieve. So, with a deadline to meet, I said thanks and goodbye.

I bet she said “Well, now I’ve heard everything!” The AOL people are the best, and over the past 12 years I am sure this writer has asked them some strange questions.  

Now what could I do? I could only remember some of my lost column, but a writer knows instinctively that if he or she sits down that the words will come, so let’s see what happens as I do a rewrite.

One thing about it — I do have a good proofreader and editor, so I rest my case and I see the humor in all this. Perhaps you will, also.

Soufflé from Alaska

I have a great recipe I got when we visited Ketchikan, Alaska, a few years ago. Here is one we have enjoyed, and I know you will, as well. This makes a great dinner and is a time saver, as you put it together the night before. This recipe should be placed in the refrigerator overnight to melt all the flavors. You are going to love this one.

Beat together 12 fresh eggs in a large mixing bowl along with two cups of half-and-half; add a pinch of red pepper flakes and set aside. Using a fresh loaf of Pepperidge Farm hearty white bread, remove the ends of the loaf and slice the crust from bread. Bag the crust and ends and freeze them for other recipes.

Cut the slices into cubes and sprinkle a cup of grated sharp cheese on the bottom of a nine-by-13-inch baking dish. Add the bread cubes as a layer over the cheese and then add another cup of grated cheddar cheese over the bread cubes. Use a very light sprinkle of salt as well as fresh grated black pepper to taste.

Pour the beaten eggs evenly over this. Now drizzle with six tablespoons of melted butter over the top. Then cover with clear wrap.

Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until puffed and golden.

This dish serves eight, and it is good the next day if you have leftovers.

You can serve this soufflé as a brunch with bacon and grits or as a late supper. You can serve it alone or dress it up with a good little green salad. By the way, if you serve this at brunch, you can have a warm dish of maple syrup on hand — really good to use a drizzle on top of this just before eating.

Fun-filled summer

We had a fun-filled happy summer mostly because of visits by the grandchildren. I was delighted to get so many great digital camera shots.

I love taking pictures and have since I was a girl of 12, when I was given a little Brownie camera. I have been snapping anything that moved ever since.

That’s good thing, because I would have had no pictures of my childhood had I not done so, kept them and took them with me from place to place as a young child, sharing them only with my sisters. I have more than 30 picture albums to leave my children. I hope they will treasure them as much as I have.

I also enjoy pictures on DVD, and the screen saver on my PC consists of shots of the grandchildren, ever in motion. On my computer screen, they are at play or reading or hanging out with Lucy.

The last time they were here, I took great shots of them in the Lake City Public Library as well as in the library brick garden, where they admired their personal bricks. Conor said, “Grandma, they got my name right,” and Eamon said, “Grandma, this will be here forever.”

The boys seemed very pleased to have their names on red bricks, a permanent part of the library’s beautiful brick garden. You as well can have a brick placed for your grandchild. Call the library and get your brick order in. I know your child or grandchild will be very proud to see his or her own personal brick in the brick garden.

This next recipe is just delicious — a different way to prepare pork chops, and everyone loves them. I know you will also.

Italian pork chops

You will need eight loin pork chops. Brown the chops well in a large skillet with olive oil, remove them from the skillet, and add a cup of chopped onions and one crushed garlic clove. Sauté until the onions are tender.

Add a can of Italian tomatoes, undrained, a half teaspoon of oregano leaves and a half teaspoon of basil leaves. Mash the tomatoes with a fork and place the chops on top of the tomatoes. Arrange a cut green pepper into strips over the chops, and simmer them for an hour while covered. Next, add a four-ounce can of mushrooms, drained, and simmer five minutes longer. Sprinkle with a big tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese just before serving.  

Serve with baked potatoes dressed in butter and sour cream as well as garlic toast. Have a chilled glass dish of chunky applesauce on the side. This is all you need.

Relish the month

I have enjoyed our September visit. I hope you will relish this lovely month. Do take a walk, watch a sunset and have a quiet time with your sweetheart, and I know you will hear, as I have, music on the wind. I call it September’s song.

— Cummins is a freelance writer working from her home office. She contributes articles on cooking and travel and writes book reviews for magazines and newspapers. She has been writing the Lake City Cookin’ column for the News & Post for more than 10 years. She can be reached via e-mail at irishsc1@aol.com.