Brie Mousse Cakes with Tomato Jam

This little delight is sure to impress at any party.  The process can be a little daunting; however it is well worth the time invested.

INGREDIENTS

Small roll type buns, 3 to 4 tomatoes, 1 shallot, clove of garlic, 3 bay leaves, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, olive oil, sugar, balsamic vinegar, reduction of balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, heavy cream, vegetable stock, Parmesan cheese, brie, Portobello mushroom caps, baby arugula, spinach, Maldon flake salt.

First off, begin by blanching the tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes, and then transfer the tomatoes into cold water.  Once the tomatoes have cooled, remove the skins, cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds. Then, dice the tomatoes and place in saucepan; add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, finely chopped shallots, and finely chopped garlic.  Cook for a few minutes, then add the bay leaves and sprigs of thyme; reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Then remove the bay leaves and thyme; add 2 to 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and let the jam cool completely.

Next, slice the Portobello caps ultra-thin, place the sliced mushrooms into a frying pan with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 finely chopped clove of garlic. Sauté the mushrooms and garlic until tender; and then add salt and pepper to taste.  Then set aside.

To make the brie mousse, combine 5 to 6 oz of heavy cream, about a half small can of vegetable stock, 4 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese, 1 cup of diced brie, and a teaspoon of salt, in a sauce pan.  Cook until temperature of mixture hits about 215 degrees Fahrenheit.  Then, transfer mixture to a finely meshed strainer into a bowl that is set into another bowl filled with ice.  Cool mixture completely.  Meanwhile, whip additional heavy cream until firm.  Once the mixture is completely cooled off, fold in the whipped cream.

Cut off the tops of the small buns and scoop out center (think bread bowl).  Then, line the inside of the bun with spinach leaves, add the brie mousse to the bun, garnish with a bit of tomato jam, sautéed mushrooms, baby arugula, drizzle with reduction of balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with Maldon salt flakes.

Truffle Fries

I stumbled upon this tasty arch nemesis of my waistline a few years ago at a lovely french restaurant; it was exactly at first taste that I fell in love with all things truffle.  Simply put, truffle french fries is hands down one of my favorite things to eat.

Ingredients

Potatoes (amount depends on how much you want to make), grape seed oil (vegetable oil is a more cost conscious choice), freshly grated Parmesan cheese, parsley, fine salt, truffle oil.

First, cut the potatoes however you desire; then fry the potatoes in the grape seed oil (I do this on the stove top).  Once cooked, promptly remove the potatoes and pat dry in a paper towel.  Then place the fries on a separate plate and drizzle the fries with the truffle oil; use a micro grater to grate the Parmesan cheese over the fries, sprinkle with fine salt, and sprinkle the fries with small flakes of parsley. Simply Delicious

Truffle Mushroom Pizza

After a lengthy conversation about our mutual affinity for all things truffle, my dear friend Molly suggested that I should make a truffle mushroom pizza.  This was music to my ears.  After I was finished making this delightful creation, and after it was devoured by my family, my Swiss hubby explained to me that at the ski resorts in Switzerland this is a staple for the apres-ski food and drink festivities.

Typically I would make my own pizza dough; however, I find that Trader Jo’s has a wonderful prepackaged pizza dough that works just as well.

Ingredients

Cremini mushrooms sliced, grape seed oil, garlic, Ricotta cheese, truffle cheese, Quattro fromage or mozzarella, grated Parmesan cheese, white truffle oil.

First drizzle grape seed oil on the prepared dough.  Add a little finely chopped garlic and spread around in the oil on the pizza dough. Add ricotta cheese and spread generously over the pizza dough.  Then sprinkle the grated truffle cheese generously over the pizza, layer sliced mushrooms over the pizza.  Next sprinkle the grated Quattro fromage over the pizza and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan.  Bake in the oven at about 425F, turning frequently until the pizza is of a light golden brown color.  Lastly, after the pizza is done baking and cooled slightly, lightly drizzle the truffle oil over the whole pizza.