Gourmet Cheeseburger Amuse Bouche

An amuse bouche is typically a one-bite wonder prepared by a chef to showcase his or her talents. Not listed on the menu, it's a little extra something that is not listed on the menu served before the meal to help whet the appetite. These did just that; my kids asked for far more than I had made.

These use Etorki sheeps' milk cheese, one of the delicious pressed French cheeses offered by Ile de France. The flavor is very reminiscent of a sharp white New York cheddar, but a bit milder and very creamy, not dry as sharp cheddar's tend to be. I thought the flavor was deeper than most French cheeses, which tend to be milder overall, and we really like this one.



Gourmet Cheeseburger Amuse Bouche
Makes 24

6 slices bread
1 pound ground beef (80/20 is best for burgers)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 garlic clove - minced
24 roasted red pepper strips
1/4 pound Etorki sheep's milk cheese
fresh basil chiffonade

Toast bread, remove crusts and cut each slice into 4 squares.
Combine ground beef, Worcestershire, pepper, garlic and salt and mix well. Shape beef into 24 small patties and broil or pan fry until done - this takes only a few minutes to do. Drain on paper toweling.
Place a patty on each toast square and top with red pepper and cheese. Microwave or broil for a few seconds, just until cheese melts. Top with basil chiffonade and serve.

Grandma's 'Sketti

This is another of my grandmother's recipes that was never written down and never submitted to a church cookbook. She made it very often when we were younger and it was such a favorite of ours that when she didn't make it one of my brothers would get upset about the missing 'sketti.

This is a true comfort food to me. Each time I make it I'm transported to Grandma's summertime kitchen. The chef in me wants to embellish it; add garlic and Parmesan. If I did that, though, the flavor would change enough that it wouldn't be Grandma's and the comforting effect would be lost.

This was beef-a-roni way before it was ever a boxed or canned mainstream product.

Grandma's 'Sketti

1 small onion - chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 can (46 ounces) tomato juice (Grandma always used sodium-free because of dietary restrictions, I use the real deal)
2 cups uncooked macaroni (elbows) If you want specifics, Grandma used Mueller's.
salt and pepper to taste

Cook onion and beef together until beef is well browned. Drain any fat. Add tomato juice and macaroni. Cook over low heat, covered, until macaroni is tender about 10-12 minutes or so.

Serve with buttered bread and love.

R,S,C #30 Recipes

I guess that title should read "Recipe". This is what I came up with for those three seemingly incompatible ingredients:



I don't really have a recipe for this. I basically used my favorite meatball recipe spiked with a couple tablespoons of soy sauce (the brewed kind really does taste different) and tucked a chunk of pineapple inside each one. I added sliced black olives to a standard marinara and put everything on top of penne. It turned out well and 5 of us had it for dinner last night (some kids just couldn't get past the pineapple part) and even had seconds.

*On a side note~I'm looking into revamping the way R,S,C is done weekly since I have some other obligations that are taking up my time. Keep your eyes open for an update.

Ready, Set, Cook! #30

Click on the button above for complete rules of play.

Free reign on types and amounts with today's three:

ground beef
black olives
pineapple

"See" you Thursday with the recipes!