Bacon, Leek & Potato Gratin

This month’s issue of Fine Cooking has a fabulous article about Potato Gratin. It’s essentially a blueprint for building great gratins, one layer at a time. I chose to go with a Bacon, Leek & Potato version with Gruyere cheese and a bread crumb topping. The best thing about this recipe is it’s versatility – you can change it up to suit your tastes. Swap out broccoli for the flavor layer and use cheddar instead of Gruyere. Or layer in Bacon & Mushrooms and top with Fontina cheese. The possibilities are as deep as your imagination – or your well-stocked refrigerator. That said, I’m partial to this version. My husband and I ate nearly three-quarters of it the first time I made it! It’s that good...

Housekeeping note: this will be my last post until the week of October 13. Husband and I are going on our delayed honeymoon in heavenly Hawaii. Aloha!

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Bacon, Leek & Potato Gratin

BLT Sandwiches with Homemade Basil Mayonnaise

As many of you already know, I love bacon. Most people I know love bacon*. When my friend Diana was in town visiting from San Francisco, we decided to make t-shirts that declared our love for bacon. Here’s a picture of Diana wearing one of our awesome t-shirts:

And now that we’ve reached the time of year when tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes, BLT sandwiches are at their peak. With the addition of homemade basil mayonnaise – which is really simple and easy to make if you have a food processor – your standard BLT gets kicked up a notch, as Emeril would say.

*Even vegetarians can enjoy bacon and BLTs by substituting “facon” (fake, soy-based bacon) for the real deal.

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Homemade Basil Mayonnaise
Adapted from
Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook
by Martha Stewart