Oh Mandoline - where have you been all my life?

The object of my affection: my new mandoline.

Jessica Webster | AnnArbor.com

My obsession with the perfect au gratin potato recipe started this summer. The Next Food Network Star winner Melissa d'Arabian sealed the deal on her win this season with a simple 5-Minute Individual Potato Gratin recipe. I had (shamefully) never attempted a potato gratin that didn't come in a box, but Melissa's recipe seemed so fun and easy! Just layer potatoes, chopped green onions and cheese in muffin tins, top with some heavy cream, bake...and voila! Obsessive kitchen geek that I am, though, I couldn't stop there. I had to look up the origins of the dish, the difference between scalloped potatoes, potatoes au gratin, and gratin dauphinois (there really isn't one, or at least no one can agree on one). I needed to know Julia Child's thoughts on them (she calls them gratin dauphinois and uses milk instead of cream). And I needed to experiment until I found the perfect recipe.

After a couple of weeks, the occupants in my house began to complain about both the increased calorie and fat consumption I was inflicting upon them, and my use of the oven several times a week during the hot August weather. Besides, my tomatoes were finally turning red and I needed to get back to perfecting my marinara and bolognese sauces. Potatoes went on the back burner (heh) until this week and the arrival of my incredible wonderful amazing birthday gift: my first mandoline.

I didn't even know what a mandoline was. Until recently I'd tell you that you were spelling it wrong and give you directions to Herb David Guitar Studio. When composing my birthday wish list, I believe the google search terms I used were: "French+slicing+kitchen tool". But after my gratin trials of August, I decided that this mysterious French slicy thingy was exactly what I needed to improve the quality of my life, and it went straight to the top of my birthday wish list. And I was right - my shiny new red mandoline (made by the de Buyer company in France) has been a source of great joy. Since it arrived in my life on Saturday morning, I've made two pans of au gratin potatoes. But it doesn't end there. I now walk through the market looking for foods that might be fun to slice. It even makes salads more fun. My radish and carrot slices are now delectably - and uniformly - thin. I'm even starting to eye that wedge of gouda in my fridge.

But back to the potatoes. I'm not done experimenting, but for now I have a working recipe that has earned raves (and pleas of "please stop making these because I can't stop eating them!!"). It's certainly not low-fat, but like my hero Julia Child said, "We need to get over this irrational fear of things that give us pleasure. All things in moderation."

Michigan potatoes, waiting to be enjoyed.

Jessica Webster | AnnArbor.com

It starts with the potato, of course. I've been using the white potatoes from Frog Holler's booth at the Farmers Market with great success - about a pound and a half to two pounds should do the trick. Three or four of your basic Idaho russets also fits the bill. After going back and forth on it, I've decided to peel the potatoes, mostly for texture issues. When you're slicing the potatoes thinly, the little bits of orphan peel you find in a mouthful can be disconcerting. I've also settled on boiling the potatoes before assembling the casserole, since the amount of time it takes to thoroughly cook the potatoes in the oven sometimes had an adverse effect on the cheese in the dish.

Ingredients 1 1/2 to 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and sliced to 1/8 inch thick 1 1/2 to 2 cups heavy cream or half and half 4 green onions, sliced 1/2 lb Gruyere or Comté cheese, grated 1/2 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, grated 1 cup fresh bread crumbs 2 tbsp butter Salt and white pepper to taste

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400Ëš 2. Set a pan of water on the stovetop to boil. 3. Once the water reaches a boil, drop your sliced potatoes in and cook for 15 minutes. 4. While your potatoes boil, grease a 9 by 13 baking dish and spread a half cup of the mixture of gruyere and cheddar cheese on the bottom. 5. When you're done boiling the potatoes, drain them and arrange them in your baking dish. You can arrange them in a scalloped pattern, but since the potatoes are difficult to handle once they're somewhat soft and hot, I don't bother. You don't see the potatoes once you layer on the cheese. 6. Spread the sliced green onions over the potatoes. 7. Pour the cream or half and half over the assembled potatoes and onions. 8. Salt and pepper the dish to your taste. 9. Spread the remaining cheese over the top of your casserole. 10. In a saucepan, melt the butter and toss with breadcrumbs, then spread the buttered breadcrumbs over the top of the potato casserole. 11. Bake at 400Ëš for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the casserole starts to bubble. 12. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving, and then enjoy!

This recipe pairs very well with Peggy Lampman's roasted Brussels sprouts with Parmesan and Mark Bittman's Simplest Whole Roast Chicken for a tasty fall meal.

Jessica Webster is on the Community team at AnnArbor.com. She recruits contributors for the site and leads the Food & Drink and Books sections. You can reach her at JessicaWebster@AnnArbor.com or 734-623-2574.