Office Worker's Midday Lunch

20210108-2 A few years back, a book called Dictators' Dinners was published in the UK, profiling the dishes that won over the palates of dictators like Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong-il, and Stalin. Hitler, known as a vegetarian, apparently enjoyed things like 'in-season asparagus with Hollandaise sauce made from butter, egg yolk, and vinegar, vegetable soup, roasted salad, and vegetable stew.' Thanks to an unplanned day of working from home, I made asparagus gratin for lunch, and even without actual Hollandaise sauce, it somehow gave off the same vibe as what Hitler reportedly enjoyed — especially paired with the broccoli soup I'd had for breakfast. -Boil lasagna sheets in water, drain, and lay them on the bottom of the dish. (Really, I should have brushed them with olive oil first.) -Arrange the prettiest asparagus in the world neatly on top, then add cream sauce, chopped prosciutto, and Gruyère cheese. (Really, I should have used ham instead of prosciutto, and mixed Greek yogurt into the cream sauce.) -Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes, then pepper pepper pepper pepper pepper. *The cream sauce is made by melting butter in a pan, then whisking in flour and milk. Making it brought back memories of when I was devoted to baking, long ago — it's been over a decade. *I've been working my way through the recipes in #MyFrenchSalads and #MyFrenchOvenDishes, one at a time. It's a really good book.