The TV Zone

Mascarpone. Mas-car-ponay. This creamy fresh Italian cheese is not pronounced, pace Sara and C.J., MaRs-ca-pone.

What can I say? It was a boring episode. Anthony Bourdain’s blog is, again, far more entertaining and informative than the show was.

I was initially confused as to Jimmy Canora’s membership in the Continental Congress of Chefs. Were there chefs at that convocation in Philadelphia that gave us the Declaration of Independence? If so, that would make Canora, what, 250 years old at the youngest?

A little research revealed that Canora’s group is, according to Continental’s web site, “a carefully chosen group of culinary experts who continually evaluate the ever-changing trends and popular flavors of food.” Though it turns out that six of the Congress’ chefs are employed by Continental, and eight represent the airline’s vendors, such as that gourmet powerhouse, Gate Gourmet.

Hung’s decision to cook Chilean sea bass proves once again that this fish’s chief attribute is its near indestructibility. Its appearance on a restaurant menu is usually an indication that the chef has no particular interest in nor talent for fish.

Nor was I surprised that Casey’s cauliflower gratin helped her win the elimination challenge. Something magical happens to cauliflower when combined with béchamel (i.e. white) sauce and lots of cheese. I have made the following recipe, from James Peterson’s “Vegetables” (Morrow, $25), many times. It is always a big hit, even among the cruciferous-averse.

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN

2 tablespoons salt (for pre-cooking cauliflower)
1 head cauliflower (about 1½ pounds)
2 cups béchamel sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup (about 3 ounces) finely grated Swiss Gruyere cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup (about 1 ounce) finely grated Parmesan cheese, or addition Gruyere
2 tablespoons bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring 3 quarts of water to a rapid boil with the 2 tablespoons of salt. Cut the cauliflower into 1-inch wide florets. Boil the florets for 4 minutes, drain without rinsing, and spread the cauliflower in a buttered, medium (about 8-cup) oval gratin dish or baking dish just large enough to hold it in a single layer.

2. If the béchamel sauce is cold, bring it to a simmer on the stove while whisking. Stir in the Gruyere cheese into the hot béchamel and adjust the salt and pepper.

3. Spoon the sauce over the cauliflower and sprinkle everything with the Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Bake until the gratin is bubbling and lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 side-dish servings.

BECHAMEL SAUCE

2 tablespoons butter
2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 bay leaf, broken in two
Salt and pepper
1 very small pinch of ground nutmeg

1. Place the butter in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. As soon as it has melted, add the flour and continue to cook, while stirring with a wooden spoon, until the flour smells toasty, about 5minutes.

2. Pour in half the milk and bring to a simmer while whisking. When the milk has reached a boil and the sauce is smooth, add the rest of the milk, the nutmeg and the bay leaf, and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and strain. Makes 2 cups.