GCC: Menu 16 - Profiteroles

I cheated on this week’s Gutsy Cook menu. 

It called for us making a Hungarian Goulash Soup, Potato & Parmesan Cakes and Profiteroles. 

I made one of the three choices and I totally revamped the whole recipe to suit my needs.  I was totally fearless this week.

We had a dinner party for eight over the weekend and I was without an appetizer or dessert idea.  I was serving a pretty heavy main course and I knew I wanted a light appetizer and dessert.  I also did not want to be running around cooking all day the day of the party, so I wanted something that I could make ahead of time and then finish off during the meal.

For the appetizer I figure a nice salad, and decided on the always sure hit of Caprese salad. Tomatoes, basil with mozzarella and a good dash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar was sure to hit the spot and to make it even easier to eat once I turn it into a quick bruschetta with a crusty toasty piece of bread.

Done, appetizer decision over.

Read More

Asparagus Tart with creamy Ricotta puree and Soppressata

Ok, I know that I’m not re-inventing the wheel here.  If you Google Asparagus tart, you will probably get a gazillion hits on recipes – because there is A LOT of ways to eat asparagus.

So, why not contribute one more to the bunch.

I came up with this recipe by opening the refrigerator and taking stuff out on the fly.  Let me show you a bit of my internal though process during the twenty minutes my refrigerator was open:

Read More

HCB: The Bostini

Internet, after months and months, and plenty of baking from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes, and as my fellow baker, Mendy, dully noted on last week comments: “The Bostini has landed”.

This dessert has been patiently waiting in the wings for quite some time now. Even while some of the Heavenly Cake Bakers venture off the path and made it during the free choice week and gave the rest of us a small peak of what this dessert could be.

And what could it be?

Dear heaven above - THIS IS GOOD.

Ok, good is not a worthy word to describe this.  Maybe excellent? Nah, not good enough… How about first-class? Nope, does not do it justice.  Superior? Outstanding? Tremendous? Or maybe we can just call it simply brilliant.

Yep, that is it – BRILLIANT.

Because, this little cup has a whole lot to make it brilliant.

Read More