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1. Cooking Class....Bechamél...Around the kitchen, we just call it Food Glue!

Don't let our little "nickname" fool you. This is the major sauce that forms the
base for your standard "cream sauce". Named after Louis de Bechameil who was a17th century financier and held the honorary post of chief steward of King Louis XIV's household. However, there are no historical records to verify that. Others say that the sauce was invented by Duke Philippe De Mornay, Governor of Saumur who is also credited with inventing several of the "small" sauces (more later) that are derived from Béchamel. It is probably most likely that Béchamel Sauce was invented by Chef Francois Pierre de La Varenne. He was a court chef during King Louis XIV's reign, during the same time that Bechameil was there. OK, it doesn't matter.

The point is, you know what this sauce is. It is the classic white sauce. This is the sauce that holds together your homemade tuna noodle casserole, Greek Moussaka, the reason classic Lobster Newburg exists and the white sauce layer in "white lasagna". So, how do you make it....get it smooth (without all those lumps), and are you sure you can do this? Of course!

First the Recipe:

Béchamel Sauce
Yield: 2 cups

4 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup onion, diced fine
4 T. Flour, all purpose
2 cups milk
salt & pepper to taste
Directions: Melt butter in sauce pan. Do not brown. Sauté onions until limp. Add flour and blend to form roux. Cook roux on low heat for no more than 2 minutes. Slowly add milk and blend well. Bring to a low boil to thicken; whipping constantly. Remove from heat and add salt & pepper to taste. Strain through a fine sieve. See, that wasn't so hard!

Let's do some why's and why nots....

****Don't use an aluminum pan......Use stainless, corning, non stick...whatever. If you use aluminum, your sauce will turn gray.********

First: Don't brown the butter. This is a white sauce.

Second: Make sure you sauté the onions until they are limp. Remember the last class. You want to change the starch in the onion to a sugar so they will be sweet, not bitter.

Third: Cook the roux, but don't let it brown. That's the reason for the low heat. Remember...white sauce.

Fourth: Keep whipping. Use a whip, not a spoon. If you use a spoon, you are asking for trouble. However, make sure you use either a wooden spoon or wooden fork to "run around the bottom" of the pot so that you make sure you got all the roux.

Fifth: Don't let it come to a rolling boil. If you boil the milk, you will change the consistency of it....and not for the better.

Sixth: Strain the sauce. You no longer need the onions and how do you think we are going to get all those lumps out. I don't care how much experience you have, lumps happen! They may be small because you are a great cook, but they are still there. Strain your sauces and you will keep them wondering.

Now, what do you do with this glue....sorry....sauce!

Try a couple of these recipes that require a béchamel:

Tuna-Noodle Casserole
Chicken & Artichokes
White Pizza with Mushrooms

2. Now, What was that Small Sauce thing?

Small sauces are the sauces that are derived from one of the 5 major or Mother Sauces. In this case, from Béchamel we can make literally hundreds of sauces. However, we are only going to stick to a couple. Basic cheese sauce is probably the best know...after that maybe Mornay, which also has cheese; however, Mornay has a special purpose. Mornay not only has cheese, but also egg. The egg adds richness and color. Mornay was intended as a "finish". To be used as a topping and then put under a broiler to brown. Regular old cheese sauce is what we like to toss with macaroni. And, as luck would have it, I couldn't find a "real" example of Mornay sauce anywhere except in a good old "non virtual" textbook. Mornay is probably rolling over in his grave as we speak. Here's the recipe:

Make one recipe of the Béchamel sauce above. To this sauce add 3/4 cup grated Gruyére cheese and stir until all the cheese has melted. Remove the sauce from the heat and add 2 egg yolks beaten with 1 T. milk. The easiest way to do this is by the performance of a liaison. ( Put a little of the hot sauce into the egg yolk and whip...then add the mixture back into the Béchamel). Use to top chicken, fish, or vegetables. Put under a broiler for a few seconds to brown. A good recipe to try this out on is a stuffed swordfish at:

Jeannie Briggs at Rockford Squire
Click on "What's Cooking"

Most of us have made cheese sauce. Can be a problem. It is basically, cheese melted into a béchamel. Of course, we all add our little touches. I like paprika for color, dry mustard, Worcestershire and dry sherry for flavor.

Chef Tip: The cheese can be just about anything, but if you want your life to run smoothly, think "cheap & American". Examples: American slices, Cooper, American-Cheddar (which really isn't cheddar, but does it really matter?) Velveta...boy does that bring back memories of childhood. These products are all "processed"....so there is a good chance they will not "break". Don't say I didn't warn you. The next time you make fondue and it turns into a "gloppy" mess, you will remember my words!

Classically, the difference is the stock or in the case of Béchamel, the lack of it. As soon as you add stock to a béchamel, you no longer have a bechamel....you have created a veloute. You know how much we like to "make things better". So when you come across a recipe that is labeled a béchamel/mornay and has a poultry, vegetable or fish/seafood stock added to it....it is no longer a bechamel....you have created velouté. Take a look at the following recipe to get an idea of what I'm talking about. Enjoy.

Creole Mornay

This has been a great mushroom season. Can't explain it and it doesn't matter. Just know that if you are a mushroom fan you want to go straight to the morels.

The morel mushroom season varys across regions of the US. It arrives in spring, but ground temperature and rain levels control the growing cycle and the amount of the crop. Mushroom hunters have all kinds of stories of how and why morels grow in certain area. Affectionately referred to as "SWATS" (Scientific Wild Ass Theories). What is sure is that they typically grow in moist areas around dying or deal elm, ash & sycamore trees. I've seen them in apple orchards also. If you have never gone mushroom hunting (my father took us when we were kids), go with someone that has some idea what they are looking for. There are some bad mushrooms out there.....so be careful! Here are some helpful sites:

Identifying Morels and False Morels

The Morel Mushroom Hunting Club

Czech Cabbage Soup w/Smoked Ham
from SoupSong.com

Asparagus is a hardy perennial. It is the only common vegetable that grows wild along roadsides and railroad tracks over a large part of the country. Although establishing a good asparagus bed requires considerable work, your efforts will be rewarded. A well-planned bed can last from 20-30 years. For this reason, asparagus should be planted at the side or end of the garden, where it will not be disturbed by normal garden work. It is one of the first vegetables ready to harvest in the spring. Native to the Mediterranean and was eaten by the ancient Greeks.

Asparagus plants are either male or female. The female plants develop more spears or stems than the male, but the stems are smaller in diameter. Gardeners plant both male and female plants. After the first year, small red berries form on the female plants in late summer. These then fall to the ground, sprouting plants that essentially become perennial weeds in the asparagus bed.

Asparagus can be harvested the third year after planting crowns, but for no more than one month the first season. The plant is still expanding its root storage system and excessive removal of spears weakens the plants. During the fourth year and thereafter, the spears may be harvested from their first appearance in the spring through May or June (as long as 8 to 10 weeks).

If you're like me, you are going to the store for your asparagus; however, I did receive some home-grown asparagus from a student this year. Have to admit...it was the best I've ever had.

For more info on asparagus, check out the following:

Asparagus for Kids

Asparagus from A to Z