Day Ninety - Four: Chopin, Gougeres, and Martinis

Last night, I went to a fantastic celebration of the 200th anniversary of Chopin's birth for Chopin Vodka at the Rose Bar at the Plaza Hotel. Walking into the Plaza, I felt transported back in time to an era of opulence and elegance, classic old world New York City at its finest -- such a treat!

Chopin vodka was flowing, little bites were circulating, candles were blown out in honor of Chopin's birth and lastly, the world's largest vodka bottle, at 200 liters, handblown in Prague, was on display -- a fun time was had by all.

I got to thinking, if I were to add an hors d'oeuvres, cheese specific to the mix, what would I add? They were offering sliders, smoked salmon, proscuitto & melon, and veggie samosas. The go-to easy, classically French route is gougeres which are basically light and airy balls or popovers infused with gruyere. Yummy savory and utterly delish, some of the best in town can be found at Artisanal, however they are easy to make at home. Here's a recipe to try for your next cocktail party:

4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
A pinch of nutmeg
A few sprigs of rosemary
A few sprigs of thyme
1 cup flour
1 cup grated gruyere
1 cup water
5 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup of Parmesan
1/4 cup finely chopped chives

To take these ingredients and make them into the delish cheese hors d'oeuvres, you first need to preheat your oven to 425. While the oven is heating up, you can combine the water, butter, olive oil, herbs, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a pan and allow it to boil over low heat. Once the butter has melted, add the flour to your pan and stir with a wooden spoon over low heat for two minutes, till it is nicely combined. Next up, mix in the cheese. Lastly, add one by one, four out of our five eggs, whisking away to combine each egg. Lastly use a tablespoon to plop your little bite sized gourgeres onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. To top of the gourgeres off, take that last egg and combine it with a half a tablespoon of water. Now brush each gourgere with your mixture. I like to make mine extra cheesy, straying a little bit from the classic recipe, and sprinkle a little parmesan and chives over the top of each after the egg mixture has been placed on top. Now bake for seventeen to twenty minutes or until they are golden brown. Take out of the oven and enjoy with your friends for hors d'oeuvres!