Baked Brie with Pears

I have a fondness for brie, well for most cheeses actually, but I really like brie, a lot. Setting out a big wedge of brie with some crackers is perfectly acceptable not to mention delicious, but when you feel like dressing it up a bit this is the perfect thing. I made it for a Thanksgiving appetizer this year, and it vanished in minutes. It is, as usual, really easy to make, and can be made in advance (it doesn't matter if the pear starts to brown a little from being cut up ahead of time because it is going to get brown in the oven). Also, if you serve it with rice crackers, it is gluten free which is convenient if you happen to have an aunt or two who can't eat said gluten. It is also comforting to know that in case gluten intolerance runs in my family (it is one of my fears that one day I will wake up and be unable to eat bread anymore) I will be at least be able to eat all the brie I want.

Grab your ingredients, a little wheel of brie, a pear, brown sugar and pecans.

Remove the rind from the top of the brie. You could probably just cut it all it off in one thin slice with a sharp knife, however I didn't think of that and scraped and scooped it all off with a measuring spoon (the edge of it was surprisingly sharp).

Now slice up about half of the pear and arrange it in some sort of artful configuration on the now rindless top of the brie. You should have the brie in a brie baker at this point, or if you are not as obsessed with kitchen gadgets as I am, any oven proof dish will work just fine.

Chop up a small handful of pecans and sprinkle them over the pears. Next sprinkle a scant tablespoon of brown sugar over that. At this point you could pop it in the fridge until tomorrow or bake it right away at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melty and the pears have softened. Serve with crackers or bread, and a spoon as that is the easiest way to get it from the dish to your cracker.

Baked Brie with Pears

1 small wheel of brie

1/2 pear, sliced

Small handful pecans, chopped

Scant tablespoon brown sugar

Remove brie from packaging. Slice/scoop/scrape the rind from the top of it. Place in oven proof dish. Arrange sliced pear on top of the brie. Sprinkle with pecans and brown sugar. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or refrigerate until ready to use.

Hot Artichoke Dip

If my family believed in things like secret recipes, this would probably be one. Luckily we are not the secret recipe type, we all just like to talk too much for that. This dip has been present throughout my life at christmas parties, thanksgiving dinners, birthday parties and a potluck or two. It's one of the things I would make in my poorly equipped kitchens in college and impress all my friends with. It's super easy, everyone loves it, and it has four ingredients. But don't take my word for it, make it for yourself and you will see what I am talking about.

Start with parmesan cheese. You might as well just grate it in the food processor, you will have to haul it out to put together the rest of this dip anyways.

Add mayo, 2-3 cloves of garlic and a can of artichoke hearts. Blend it together.

Bake until hot and bubbly.

Hot Artichoke Dip (aka garlic pudding)

14 oz. artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half

1 cup mayo (or 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup plain yogurt)

2 cloves of garlic (or 3)

2/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Lemon juice

Puree everything. Pour into an oven safe dish. Top with a drizzle of lemon juice, although to be honest, most of the time I forget the lemon juice and I have never noticed a difference. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with pita chips, slices of bread, or crackers.

Cheese Straws

I have been wanting to try making something using puff pastry and now I finally have an excuse, wine tasting party appetizers. I am easing myself into it, with these simple cheese straws based on this recipe. I am not quite crazy enough to make puff pastry from scratch just yet, so for now the frozen stuff will have to do. And, since these are quite tasty, they will be making an appearance at the family christmas party this year.

Set out the puff pastry to defrost. While that's hanging out, grate some nice parmesan cheese.

Then mix in some herbs and garlic powder.

Brush the dough with the egg so it's ready for all the parmesan and herbed goodness.

Once you add the topping, cut the dough into strips and twist them. You can make them twice as long as these if you want, but I wanted a bunch of people to get a bit rather than a fewer people getting nice big cheese straws.

Pop them in the oven until they are golden and fully puffed.

Cheese Straws

1 box frozen puff pastry

4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 egg

Preheat the oven to 400F

Thaw the puff pastry according the directions on the package. Mix the cheese and spices together. In a separate bowl beat the egg.

Brush the egg on one side of each sheet of pastry. Sprinkle the cheese mixture on top of the egg, dividing it evenly between the two sheets. Press it into the egg with your fingers.

Cut the pastry into strips and then twist each strip a few times. Place the strips on a cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 min.

Note: It is possible to freeze these after you make them (like if you plan a party for 50 and then have to postpone it due to a blizzard and not nearly as many people end up coming). They won't be quite the same, but they aren't bad, just pop them back in the oven until the crisp up again.

Mozzarella and Red Pepper Bites

I tell people that I am unemployed, but really I am my parents live in chef. It is a good thing that I love to cook, my other defacto job as the live in dog sitter can be much less fun, especially when the yard is muddy. This week my mom has requested appetizers to bring to a wine tasting party. I am sending these bite size marinated mozzarella balls wrapped in roasted red pepper strips, they are super simple but still seem chic. Fresh mozzarella is pretty mild so marinating it before wrapping it adds some nice flavor. These can be made ahead of time, but just make sure your mozzarella doesn’t dry out.

Drizzle the olive oil over the drained mozzarella balls.

Add the basil, oregano, salt and pepper.

Now for the fiddly part, wrap each ball in a little strip of roasted red pepper and secure with a toothpick. Continue until you either run out of red peppers, toothpicks or mozzarella.

Mozzarella and Red Pepper Bites

8oz fresh mozzarella

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Basil

Oregano

Jar of roasted red peppers

Drain the mozzarella and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat all the balls. Add a good sprinkle of basil, a bit less of the oregano, a good sprinkle of salt and some fresh cracked pepper (or whatever spices you like). Toss it all together and put back in the fridge for at least an hour.

When the mozzarella is ready, drain the red peppers and slice into strips about as wide as the mozzarella balls. Wrap each ball in a strip of red pepper and secure with a toothpick.