This weekend Jess and I hosted a baby shower for some good friends of ours. It was a relatively simple affair with a surprisingly large crowd of individuals and couples. I don’t know if Jess and I are missing a memo but it seems as though everyone we know is having a baby this year. I guess we are just getting to be the age where most people begin to feel the need to expand their families and begin this new chapter in their lives.

Everyone at the party seemed to be having a good time. Our friend Shanna wanted this to be a couples shower which to me was something I hadn’t heard of before. I was a bit apprehensive at first as not all of the guys who were invited were with someone but think that in the end it was a pretty neat idea. Even the single guys had fun especially when we broke out the string to guess how big her waist had gotten. While most people made a guess from their own waist however, these enterprising individuals thought the measurement of a bust line from one of our particularly busty single female guests was a better guess. Interestingly enough, they were the ones who came closest. Maybe they were onto something and I should have paid more attention?!

Since the shower we were hosting was for some really close friends of ours we wanted to make a cake for them that would be really special. We made this two tiered cake and separated each layer with a layer with vanilla buttercream frosting and strawberries. It was fantastically delicious! I also think that for amateur cake decorators we did a pretty darn good job with the fondant. It was a homemade fondant recipe that tasted way better then the stuff you pick up at the store! Tons cheaper too! I plan on sharing the recipe with yall once we master the art of decorating which I hope will be soon. The only thing that really disappointed me about the cake was that we didn’t make the royal icing stiff enough for the dirty icing, or we filled the layers with too much frosting which allowed the split layers to sag a little bit when the cake warmed up causing a little indentation. Other than that we were really pleased with how it turned out. But that’s one of the things I really enjoy about baking, sometimes you make mistakes and you learn from those mistakes allowing you to do better on the next one.

We also had the pleasure of making quite a few of the appetizers for this event as well. While all of the other appetizers we made were delicious I was particularly surprised and pleased with the recipe we used from the Taste of Home magazine that we had picked up the other month. I really love this magazine as they do a great job of putting together beautiful mouth watering pictures coupled with recipes that really taste great! Their recipe for Potato Salad Bites was fantastic. Submitted by Stephanie Sheridan, of Plainfield, Vermont, the potato salad bites were quick and easy to make and packed some really great flavor that basically made these reminiscent of deviled eggs only with baby red potatoes. This has definitely been cataloged for future reference!

Potato Salad Bites
Taste of Home Magazine
Stephanie Sheridan, Plainfield, Vermont

Ingredients:
10 small red potatoes
¼ cup chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped onion
½ cup mayonnaise
1 ¾ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
Paprika
Parsley sprigs, optional

Directions:

1.Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 12-15 minutes or until tender. Drain and immediately place potatoes in ice water; drain and pat dry.
2. Peel two potatoes; finely dice and place in a small bowl. Cut the remaining potatoes in half. With a melon baller, scoop out the pulp, leaving a 3/8 in. shell; set shells aside. Dice pulp and add to the bowl. Stir in the olives, parsley and onion,. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard and pepper; gently stir into potato mixture.
3. Sprinkle potato shells with salt; stuff with potato salad. Sprinkle with paprika. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with parsley in desired.

I am always looking for new and innovative Hor D’oeuvres for my dinner parties. Constantly scouring my cook books and surfing the net to find a Hor D’oeuvre that looks as though they were really hard to execute but were in fact really quite easy to execute.

I have found some really great recipes in the past such as Prosciutto and Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms, Cheddar Cheese Straws and Lemon Garlic Olives to name a few. Many of these are products of The Gourmet Cook Book and I must confess that this recipe originates from this source as well. What can I say? It’s probably the best cook book out there!

Maybe it’s just me but for some odd reason no matter how hard I try, whenever we are having guests over for a dinner party I always seems to be running way behind. This is why quick and easy Hor D’oeuvres are so important to me. Nothing will ease your mind more then knowing you have little to nothing to do to prepare a starter for your meal yet you know your guests won’t have a clue as to how easy they were to whip together.

Not only does this allow you to keep hungry guests at bay while you are finishing cooking the main course, it also buys you valuable time to put out any hypothetical fires you might be having in your kitchen!

Baked Cheddar Olives are just that. Quick and easy to prepare, yet look exquisite when presented with a dip and not to mention tasty too!

Begin your baked cheddar olives by grating one of the stars of this Hor D’oeuvre; the cheddar cheese.

Next add a half cup of flour.

Followed by ¼ teaspoon cayenne, the original recipe calls for 1/8 teaspoon however, I feel that these babies can take a little more heat!

Now stir these ingredients together softly as to avoid forming clumps as this will make the next step a little more difficult.

Soften 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in the microwave and blend it into the cheese mixture with your fingertips until a dough begins to form. Then take approximately a tablespoon of dough and wrap it around each olive to form a small ball and place them on a baking sheet with wax paper. The recipe says this dough should cover about 20 olives, however, I have found that it really makes about 12 if you use a tablespoon. I would suggest doubling the ingredient to get 20 Hor D’oeuvres and plan on having 3 for each guest attending as they will definitely go fast! Pop them in the oven for 15 minutes and bake until golden and serve warm.

If you really want to make these delicious I suggest adding something for them to be dipped in. I love to make a Onion Chive Sour Cream Dip to go with these as they add another layer of complexity to them and your guests will agree!

Baked Cheddar Olives
Recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 cup coarsely grated sharp cheddar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
20 small pimiento-stuffed green olives (from a 3 ounce jar), drained and patted dry

Directions:

Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Stir together cheese, flour and cayenne in a bowl.
Blend in butter with your fingertips until a dough forms.
Drop tablespoons of dough onto a sheet of wax paper and place 1 olive on each piece of dough.
Lightly flour your hands and wrap dough around olives, enclosing each one completely.
Transfer olives to a baking sheet with sides and bake until pastry is golden, about 15 minutes. Serve Warm.

Look out chips there’s a new sheriff in town!

I don’t know what it is but there is something I find classic and classy about cheddar cheese straws. They are thin and elegant, and one should feel as though they too are thin and elegant when nibbling on them.

Chips have nothing on these cheese straws. Chips are messy, greasy, and make you feel heavy when you are finished. Cheddar cheese straws on the other hand are light, crispy, and delicious and will make you feel as though you are light as a feather even after devouring the whole batch as I may or may not have just done….

Cheddar cheese straws are so quick and easy to make you may just find yourself refusing to allow anyone in the house to bring home chips ever again and the best part is you probably have the ingredients to make these already in your home!

To make your very own batch of cheddar cheese straws you will need to begin by thawing out a sheet of puff pastry. When your puff pastry has thawed, place it on a lightly floured surface. Cut your pastry in half using a sharp knife or pastry wheel. Bring out your egg wash and lightly coat each strip with your wash.

Add a light layer of cheddar cheese. Now this is where your cheddar cheese straws become all that much cooler. Cheddar cheese can be substituted with any other cheese or added seasoning you can think of. Toss the cheese with a little cayenne pepper to spice things up. Use Parmigiano-Reggiano and dill for a flavor that is truly unique! You are only limited by your taste buds and imagination!

Fold your pastries over and press down firmly to remove the air bubbles by hand. Then using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the pastry lightly to adhere the layers.

Cut your straws in ½ in strips for regular cheddar cheese straws or you could cut them in ¼ inch strips for thinner and crispier cheese straws.

When your cheese straws have been cut brush the top layer again with a light egg wash. Add your finishing salt, a coarse salt works best as the flavor of the salt is a little more pronounced and will preserve well when baked. However, if you are looking for a lighter salt flavor I suggest using fleur de sel in its place. Again cheddar cheese straws are only limited by your imagination!

Holding one end of each straw gently twist two to three times and place on a well buttered cookie sheet. Be careful to no over twist or you risk breaking your pastry, the down side of this is you will have a smaller straw, the up side however, you now have two rather then one (I’m a glass half full kind of guy)!

Bake your cheese straws for about 10 to 12 minutes or golden brown. Thinner and crisper straws should be baked from 8-10 minutes. Place the freshly baked straws on a cooling rack to cool. Pour a tall glass of beer or your favorite soda and you are ready for an afternoon snack or have an elegant creation for your next party. These are best served warm and will last a couple of days. Simply drop them in a microwave and heat up for 5 to 10 seconds just before you eat them!

Cheddar Cheese Straws

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pasty (thawed)
1 large egg lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water (egg wash)
½ cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
Tablespoon coarse salt or fleur de sel

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place thawed pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut in half.
3. Lightly brush egg wash over both strips of pastry.
4. Evenly spread cheese over 1 strip.
5. Fold non cheese strip over top of cheese strip and press down firmly to remove air bubbles. Roll gently with a lightly floured rolling pin to adhere the layers.
6. Cut 12 to 14 ½ inch strips using a sharp knife or pastry wheel.
7. Lightly brush egg wash over freshly cut strips and sprinkle salt evenly over top.
8. Gently twist each strip and place on a well buttered baking sheet. Place strips approximately 1 inch apart.
9. Bake in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and place strips on cooling rack for 10 minutes to cool. Serve immediately or warm them in the microwave just before use.

What’s the best way to bake a potato you ask?

Well personally I think that this is dependent upon your time. There are three widely accepted methods of cooking a “baked” potato, each with it’s own advantages and disadvantages.

Method 1: Baking it in the oven.

What I love about baking a potato in the oven is that it seems to have a little more taste then that of a potato prepared by other methods. This is probably because it gets a nice crispy texture without getting too mushy. The downside of this method you ask? Well it can take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the spud!

Method 2: Microwave!

The advent of the microwave has greatly reduced the amount of time required to cook up many a things. There are both good sides and bad. The good is that a baked potato can be heated up in just 15 minutes. The downsides here come in the form of overcooked ends that become hardened in a hurry and no one wants that!

Method 3: Boiling – The choice of most restaurants.

While boiling a potato takes a little longer than that of it’s microwaved cousin it can cut down overall cooking time by 15 to 20 minutes when compared to the oven baking method. One other nice point is the addition of water to the cooking process allows for potatoes that are softer and because of the salt added sometimes a little more flavorful.

For me the best way to bake a potato really depends on the time in which I have. If I have all the time in the world I bake them in an oven. If I’m pressed for time the microwave or boiling methods work great! I do however; feel that the way in which you bake your potato doesn’t matter as much as how you plan on topping it.

Yesterday I started a series of posts about some of America’s greatest ball park foods. Coming in at my second favorite little league game favorite is the Barbecue Baked Potato! This portable potato is not only quick and easy to prepare its probably the best way to top a potato ever invented.

To begin our barbecue baked potatoes cook your “baked” potato using the method of your choice. Pull it out of the oven/microwave/pot and cut it open. Then using a fork, press the softened potato into a small bowl like so.

Once you have your bowl it’s time to fill it! Put your barbecue flavored pulled pork into the center. Now, if you have all the time in the world you can make this from scratch. Or if you’re looking to save some time I find that Lloyds makes a great BBQ pulled pork that can be heated up in the microwave in 2 minutes flat.

Once you have your barbecue goodness on the potato it’s time to add some cheese.

Now add some freshly cut chives!

Finally, no baked potato is complete without a dollop of sour cream! One thing I like to do is keep it in the tin foil used to bake it with (this is provided you don’t use the microwave or boiling options) to create a little portable dish. If you do choose another method there’s nothing stopping you from putting this innovative plate idea to use once your tater is cooked. See you at the game!

One more look at this bad boy….. Oh yeah!

Barbecue baked potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 large baked potatoes
• 16 oz pulled pork (preferably Lloyds)
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup fresh minced chives
• 2 oz sour cream

Directions:

1. Bake your potato using method of your choice. Using a fork create a bowl within the baked potato.
2. Warm pulled pork according to directions and fill the bowl created in the baked potato.
3. Top pulled pork with cheese, chives, and sour cream.

As summer swings into full gear one thing I love to look back on are summers of my youth where sunny days meant waking up early to have a water fight, bike around the neighborhood with some friends, all to be followed by a late afternoon ball game. Little league baseball, to me, was the greatest! I have tons of fond memories of a time in which I believed one day I would be good enough to play with the pros and everyday would be like those of my childhood summers.

While that may not have exactly happened I still love to visit the ball parks to catch a game and will sometimes catch myself imagining (like I did when I was younger) what it would be like to be out on that field. Maybe this is why one of America’s greatest pastimes is baseball; but on my last couple of trips to the park I began to think maybe there is another great reason to visit the games. Ball park food! There has been a revolution in the vending world of many of America’s greatest ball parks as they try to provide larger and tastier treats to keep patrons coming back for more!

A couple of days ago I caught this article about some of the greatest ball park food and wanted to share how quick and easy many of these recipes would be to make and take to your next little league game. What better way to make your little leaguer to feel even more like he or she is playing in the big leagues then some great ball park treats after the game?! Throughout the week I plan on sharing 3 of America’s greatest ball park food creations so make sure to check back with me!

While many may argue that the greatest ball park food would be the hot dog or hamburger I would beg to differ. Hot dogs and hamburgers are rarely different from that you make at your own home. The French fries however, can be a whole different story! This is why I wanted to focus on the side that sometimes gets overlooked.

These homemade garlic fries are so full of flavor I doubt you will ever make another plain old French fry ever again. These are so simple to make that you will begin to wonder why it is you ever put up with “original” flavor to begin with.

To begin our garlic French fries we need to mince the star of our show – GARLIC! Take three garlic cloves and finely mince them. You want a really fine mince because they will top your fries once they have been cooked!

Once you have your minced garlic combine it with 2 tablespoons canola oil in a pan. Allow this to steep for 2 minutes at medium heat.

Now that your oil has been infused with the deliciousness that is garlic use a fine mesh strainer to separate the oil and the minced garlic. Set the minced garlic aside as you will need this later on.

Now it’s time to cut the fries. Cut 3 large potatoes into ¼ inch French fries. The trick here is to make sure you have a sharp knife!

When your French fries have been cut combine them with the garlic infused canola oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Place the coated French fries on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for about 35 minutes or golden brown. Pull them out of the oven and toss them again in your big bowl with the minced garlic and some parsley. You’re now ready for your next big game!

Garlic Fries
Recipe from Food Networks Ellie Krieger

Ingredients
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 large baking potatoes, 12 ounces each
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Heat the garlic and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Strain the garlic from the oil with a small mesh strainer. Set both garlic and oil aside.
Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks. In a large bowl, toss the oil, potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the potatoes onto it in a single layer. Bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes.

Remove potatoes from the tray with a metal spatula. Toss with parsley, reserved garlic, and additional salt, to taste. Serve immediately.

For years now I have loved going to the farmers market. I find that it is a relaxing experience as you take a moment in life to step outside and enjoy the beauty that is around you. I also find it a great way to stay current with what fruits and vegetables are in season in your area.

This weekend I found one of my favorite in season treasures; watermelon. Watermelon to me is one of those fruits that you can enjoy year round without too much disappointment but once a year this refreshing treat really hits its stride as it becomes juicier and sweeter then ever. I also feel that watermelon is definitely a summer must have! What kid doesn’t remember seeing who could spit the seeds furthest?

My intentions for this watermelon, however, went beyond that of a seed spitting contest (especially because I picked up the seedless variety) and into something a little spicier….

Seeing as how this watermelon was born and raised in Texas I felt that it deserved to be turned into something that is purely Texas at heart, a salsa. Not just any salsa my friends; no, this watermelon was predestined to become one of our family’s favorite Texas traditions. Watermelon Salsa!

Watermelon salsa is not only sweet and refreshing but spicy as well! It’s the best of both worlds! Trust me once you make this you won’t be able to stop eating it. Our family tends to run out of chips quickly once this Texas masterpiece has been created.

To begin your watermelon salsa, combine the lime juice and sugar in a bowl. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved. This is part of that sweet and refreshing feel.

Now… you can use the lime juice from the bottle if you want to save time, as it doesn’t really change the flavor all that much. However, the fresher the ingredients the fresher the taste.

Next add your chopped watermelon. I like to chop this somewhat fine but you will want to still have it be a little bit chunky as this will give your salsa some crunchiness. Running this through a blender will totally make a runny soupy salsa and no one in Texas likes that!

Add some chopped onion.

Then some chopped mint, cilantro, and your jalapeño. Make sure to only use the mint leaves and not the stems (Unless you want an “earthy” flavor to your salsa).

Also, when chopping the jalapeño be sure to mince this well. It will keep the flavor of your salsa even. Large chunks can cause one bite to be sweet and the next to be nothing but hot!! This is also your heat control switch for your salsa. If you like things hot go ahead and use the whole jalapeño. If you’d like to keep your taste buds for a few more years and like your salsa a little milder, then only use 1 tablespoon instead.

Now it’s time for the final ingredient; chopped cucumber. Once all of your ingredients are combined gently toss the salsa until everything has been combined. This will taste great right out of the box; but if you want to really get a great tasting salsa (and I mean GREAT TASTING SALSA), let it sit in the fridge overnight.

Bring out the Margaritas and now you’re ready to party Texas style!

This is a little bit of Texas from me to you. I hope you enjoy it!

Watermelon Salsa Recipe

Ingredients:
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons browns sugar
• 3 cups chopped watermelon (about ½ full sized watermelon)
• ½ cup minced red onion
• ¼ cup mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced jalapenos (about ½ jalapeño)
• 1/3 cup cilantro
• ½ cucumber
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Whisk the limejuice and sugar until sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients in a medium size bowl. Toss gently. Refrigerate overnight.

So this month Artichokes are in season. I personally have a love hate relationship with artichokes. I love how easy they are to prepare. However, their flavor by themselves has little to be desired as they tend to be pretty bland to the pallet. The thing I think redeems artichokes, beside the fact that it’s fun to peel back the leaves, is that they make awesome dipping vessels. The artichoke is nature’s natural scoop, perfect for shoveling massive amounts of whatever dip or sauce you have made to go with them without altering the flavor all that much.

When I was dating my wife (what seems like forever ago) her family introduced me to the pairing of the artichoke and hollandaise sauce. Ever since then I have not been able to find a better dip or sauce to replace it! The sweet and tangy flavor of the hollandaise sauce melds perfectly with the slightly bland nutty flavor of the artichoke.

A classic hollandaise sauce is a rich egg yolk based sauce that is flavored with lemon or vinegar or in my case both. Hollandaise sauce is typically served with vegetables fish or eggs (it’s the secret ingredient in Eggs Benedict). This sauce seems as though it should be pretty simple and straight forward to make. Simply use a double boiler to thicken the egg yolks as you add water, butter, vinegar, lemon juice and salt. But don’t be deceived! These pretty simple directions cause one to believe that hollandaise sauce can be prepared without much thought. However, if you let the water begin to boil or add the ingredients too quickly you can easily end up with a curdled or separated mess!

Allowing the water to boil in your double boiler (I know that pretty much defeats the purpose) will cause your sauce to curdle (don’t you love that about eggs?). If you add the ingredients too quick your sauce begins to separate leaving you with an oily slop resembling that of oil on water (if you have ever prepared this sauce before chances are you know what I am talking about)! Well fear hollandaise sauce no more! I’m here today to alleviate all of your hollandaise sauce nightmares.

Now, for the good news; if your sauce has begun to separate or curdle you can still save it! What? That’s impossible you say? Well you’re partially right. If your sauce has begun to curdle your options are pretty limited. You can start over (which I guess would probably ruin your day), or you can use a short cut and use a blender to blend it. Now the texture will be a little bit different depending now how curdled you let it get but this way but you can still salvage your sanity.

The real saver is what to do if your sauce begins to separate. You can salvage this mess and no one will be the wiser! Simply add 1 or 2 tablespoons of whipping cream and beat the sauce with a whisk until it becomes smooth again. You will have saved the day and feel like a superhero when you are done! Well at least that’s how I felt.

Classic Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons boiling water
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in the microwave and keep it warm.
2. In a separate bowl heat the vinegar and lemon juice until just warmed.
3. In a small saucepan boil water.
4. Using a double boiler whisk together the egg yolks begin to thicken. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of the boiling water and beat constantly until sauce beings to thicken. Repeat this process until 4 tablespoons of water have been added.
5. Slowly add the warmed vinegar and lemon juice and briskly beat with a whisk. Remove the double boiler from the water and continue to beat the mixture as you slowly pour in the melted butter. Finish by adding the salt again beating the sauce until it is thick.

When the rain falls it pours here in Texas. During the rainy season I love nothing more then to peruse my cook books for a recipe that I have yet to make! I haven’t been able to make sense of it just yet, but there is just something I love about cooking while it is all doom and gloom outside.

Today’s recipe comes straight out of one of my favorite cook books; The Gourmet Cookbook by Ruth Reichl. Smorrebrod is Denmark’s famous open-faced sandwich on buttered dark rye bread and is typically eaten with a knife and fork. While the traditional Smorrebrod is topped with sild (pickled herrings); there are a number of combinations that have been created over time, including this one, which I feel has more of an American twist. It’s just what this rainy day called for! They look like they are not filling, but don’t be mistaken, these two little sandwiches kept me full until dinner. They would also make for a great appetizer at your next party!

Smoked Salmon Smorrebrod

Ingredients:

For Scrambled Eggs:

• 10 large eggs
• 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces and softened
• Salt and white pepper
• 3tablespoons unsalted butter

For Assembling Sandwiches:

• ½ stick unsalted butter, softened
• 3 slices rye bread
• 2 cups thinly sliced seedless cucumber (usually plastic wrapped)
• ¾ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 pound thinly sliced smoked salmon
• 8 thin lemon slices

Directions:

Making the Scrambled Eggs:
Whisk together eggs, cream cheese, and salt and white pepper to taste in a bowl until cream cheese breaks up into very small pieces. Heat butter in a non stick pan over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add eggs and cook, stirring constantly, until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cool.

Making the Sandwiches:
Spread butter on bread and arrange cucumber slices, overlapping slightly, on top. Spoon eggs over cucumber and top with bell pepper, salmon, and lemon slices.

I know, I know, this is cupcake month and that should mean that only cupcake recipes make it into the You Should Try This! Recipe Food Fight this month…. but I created this last night and I just couldn’t wait. So I was rummaging through the refridgerator trying to figure out what to make for dinner when I stumbled upon some mozzarella, and prosciutto that I discovered needed to be consumed soon – Yeah – that means it was hitting the shelf life window. Well for some reason a light went off in my head reminding me that I recently picked up a bottle of Acetaia Leonardi 5 Year Balsamic Vinegar. What a perfect combination I thought. The sweetness of the balsamic with the sharp contrast of the salty goodness that is prosciutto could combine to create a flavor that is both complex and delicious! Man was I right! This is the perfect appetizer for any party! Why this combination was not discovered years ago remains a mystery to me. I have definitely taken this recipe and placed it in my must make at the next party recipe box! Not only is it delicious it’s easy too!

Prosciutto Kissed Antipasto

Ingredients:

1 block Mozzarella cheese sliced thick

1 Roma Tomato sliced thick

6 slices of prosciutto

25ml Acetaia Leonardi 5 Year Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

Place the sliced mozzarella on a serving dish, then top with Roma tomato. Place rolled prosciutto slices on top and drizzle Acetaia Leonardi Balsamic Vinegar on top! Place a toothpick in the center to make the perfect party appetizer!

One of my all time favorite cook books is Ruth Reichl’s The Gourmet Cookbook. Filled with over 1,000 gourmet recipes the gourmet cookbook is any aspiring gourmet chefs must have. One of my favorite recipes of all times was pulled from this book. Combining the great flavors of prosciutto and mushrooms gives these quick and easy appetizers a flavor that is both sophisticated and delicious. Not only are they full of flavor they are quick and easy to make. You can put together all of the ingredients together and refrigerate them until you need to put them in the oven just before your event. This way they come out hot and mouth-watering just in time for your guests. I make these little gems at every party we have and they seem to disappear faster then we can make them.

Prosciutto and Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 24 Hors D’oeuvres

Ingredients:

• 24 Large (1 1/2 to 2 inch wide) mushrooms
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped prosciutto (3 oz)
• 1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3/4 cup finely grated parmigiano- reggiano
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Put a rack in the middle oven and preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a shallow baking dish large enough to hold mushroom caps in one layer.
To remove stems from mushrooms, hold each mushroom stem side up in palm of one hand and use other hand to push stem gently sideways until it pops out. If any stem remains in cap, gently scoop it out with a small spoon. Trim off and discard bottoms of stems and finely chop stems.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10 to 12 inch heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add mushroom stems, garlic, and onion and cook, stirring, until stems are very tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl , add prosciutto, bread crumbs parsley, 1/2 cup parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine well.
Divide filling among mushroom caps, mounding it slightly, and arrange in one layer in greased baking dish. Sprinkle mushrooms with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Bake until mushroom caps are tender, about 20 minutes.