Today I spent most of the morning sitting in traffic. This is not a remarkable thing in Mexico City, I know. But it doesn’t happen all that often to me, I try to stay away from known problem areas and rush hours. And yet today…the reason was so crazy that I shall let the pictures speak for themselves:

See that bus? It’s driver chose to go, all the way from the leftmost lane, to that side street. Which is under construction. Meaning about 1 car per hour goes through it. And so we waited, me thouroughly amused by the fact that these things actually happen in this city, for about 20 minutes (I am not exaggerating) until there was enough space on the side street for the bus to let us pass. But don’t think that was it! See that white building? That’s the way home. But as I pass the Oh-I-So-Not-Care bus and approach that glorious traffic-free path homeward…behold:

Oh yes. It’s stuck. And I’m behind it. This truck took about 10 minutes to get itself out of the jam it was in. And meanwhile, I have a huge line of cars behind me, honking, of course, because that apparently helps the truck slim down and fit better wherever it’s attempting to get itself into. Sigh. But all this chaos just gave me a horrible urge to get the groceries home and make something to eat with the homemade crackers I’d prepared yesterday. (Recipe in the next post, promise). So here it is; Red onion and blue cheese souffle!

Which together with a simple green and tomato salad totally made me forget I live in Mexico City.

On to the recipe?

Blue Cheese and Red Onion Soufflé
(Own recipe)

1 1/3 c. chopped red onion
1 finely chopped shallot
1/3 c. soft blue cheese of your choice
1 cup milk, room temp.
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
3 egg yolks
4 egg whites
Freshly ground white pepper
Salt

Directions
With 1 tbsp. butter, sautée the red onions and the shallot until tender and translucent. While this happens, whisk your egg yolks until they are whitish and you can form ribbons in them. Return to your onions and add the other tbsp. butter, wait until it’s fully melted and add the flour, using a whisk to mix it well.Turn the heat to the lowest and slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Wait for the mixture to slightly simmer, and pour in the egg yolks, all the time whisking to keep it from forming lumps. As soon as you see the first small bubble of a simmer, take off the heat and continue whisking, taking special care on the sides of the pan. (Where your egg yolks can cook) Keep whisking for a minute or two, until it has lightly cooled and there’s no more risk of egg-cooking. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a metal bowl to let cool completely.

-Before baking-
Preheat the oven to 390ºF. Whisk the egg white until they form very stiff peaks. (You should be able to “cut” into them with a knife). Add about a cup (Just grab some with your spatula) of the beaten whites and mix them well with the onion batter. Add the rest and fold them in carefully, taking care not to flatten the batter. Place in your dish or dishes (Fill them almost to the very top) And using your finger, trace all around the side to separate the batter from the dish. This will allow the souffle to grow upwards. Place immediately in the oven and bake until golden brown.