À la Sandy

Many, many moons ago, I learned that our local community college was offering a night course called “Gourmet Cooking 101.”  I wondered, “could there be a better place to learn how to become a Gourmet Chef, than a community college night course?  I don’t think so.”  So I enrolled!

Hubby agreed to watch the kids on school nights and off I went!  Our first night of class, the teacher handed out our syllabus/cookbooks and explained that we’d be cooking most of the recipes contained inside, throughout the semester.  I still have the cookbook today, tattered, the cover missing, stained with spilled food on pages, barely hanging by the brads that hold it together!

I was so excited when I got home that first night!  I sat on the couch with my husband,  flipping through the pages of my new cookbook, pointing out all the “fancy” dishes I was going to learn to make for him (sigh).  It’s funny to look through the book now – it’s filled with “old school” recipes for things like “Crepes Suzette,” “Baked Alaska,” “Welsh Rarebit,” etc.  Classics – but not the kind of dishes that appear on modern day menus anymore.

While we were perusing the book, my husband saw a recipe under the “Appetizer” section for Paté, made with Farmer John Braunschweiger and cream cheese frosting.  He pointed to it and said “I want that, I LOVE braunschweiger! I had never tried liverwurst/braunschweiger before, never wanted to – the thought of it grossed me out!  But he urged me to make it for him, so I did!

I remember making the paté for the first time – combining the ingredients in a bowl, trying not to look at it and gagging occasionally.  I frosted it with the cream cheese and set it out for my family.  Hubby dove right in, the kids were a little leery at first, but they eventually ate it too – and loved it!  I, on the other hand wanted nothing to do with it!

After they devoured it, they requested I make one again, immediately!

I think  it was maybe the fourth or fifth time I made the paté, that I was persuaded to try a bite.  I only had the nerve to dip a cracker into the cream cheese frosting. Then one day, I dipped too far into the cream cheese and accidentally scooped some of the braunschweiger onto the cracker and ate it.  I didn’t gag.  It was really good. That was the day I learned to like braunschweiger paté.

I’ve made hundreds of these patés over the years.  They’re a staple at Holiday dinners.  If the kids arrived on Thanksgiving day and there wasn’t a paté on the table, with a basket of Wheat Thins, they’d probably bolt to the nearest Sizzler!  The dogs have even weighed in – they request them for all their birthdays!

So, if you like braunschweiger and/or paté, you might want to try this.  If you don’t like braunschweiger and/or paté, you still might want to try it – you never know.

Braunschweiger Paté

1 package Braunschweiger

1 pack Laura Scudder’s Green Onion Dip Mix

Allow the braunschweiger to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes and place in a food processor with the onion dip mix.  Mix until well blended.  Prepare mold by lining them with plastic wrap.  Fill the mold with the paté and fold the extra plastic wrap over to cover.  Place the mold in the freezer for 20 minutes, until firm.  Prepare the “frosting”

Garlic and Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package Philly Cream Cheese

1 Tablespoon garlic butter – strained

2-3 drops Tabasco sauce

Let the cream cheese soften to room temperature and place in mixing bowl.  Add the melted garlic butter and beat for 1 minute.

Remove the paté from the freezer, unwrap and frost it with the cream cheese.  Refrigerate.  When you’re ready to serve, let it rest at room temperature until softened, about 20 minutes.    Serve with crackers or toasted baguette slices.  Cheers!