Your weekly Tasty Little Interlude:
I think the meal I am looking forward to most of all during our trip is the one well be sharing at California Grill. Everything looks so scrumpdilly-icious, and nowhere has the presentation they serve things with. The atmosphere- Ladies and Gentlemen..... LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!!!
So, for todays Tasty Little Interlude, I am giving you this- the recipe for what Ive got a hankering for: (sorry, again, no pix, things are rather busy, and I cant get goat cheese anyway). Enjoy!
California Grill: Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli
From: Chef John State, Disney's California Grill
1 lb. soft mild goat cheese (such as Montrachet)
5 & ½ oz. aged goat cheese, crumbled
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. prepared basil pesto
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. roasted garlic purèe (see below)
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper, or to taste
16 egg roll wrappers
1 large egg & 1 Tbsp. water for egg wash
Serve with Clear Tomato Broth (see below)
In a large bowl, stir together the fresh goat cheeses, bread crumbs, pesto, olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper. Blend well. Lay out 8 egg roll wrappers and brush each with the egg wash. With a sharp knife, mark each wrapper into 4 squares, taking care not to cut all the way through. Place about 1 Tbsp. of the goat cheese mixture in the center of each square. Cover with the 8 remaining egg roll wrappers and press the edges together. With a knife, cut each double wrapper with filling into 4 squares, to yield 32 squares of filled ravioli. Press edges together. (If not using the ravioli immediately, sprinkle them lightly with cornmeal and store, refrigerated, between layers of waxed paper.)
When ready to serve, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes. Drain completely. Serve in a shallow bowl of warm Clear Tomato Broth.
GARLIC PUREE: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off stem & top third of 1 whole garlic bulb. Place in foil & drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Seal packet tightly and roast for 1 hour. Let cool & squeeze out pulp to use in above recipe.
CLEAR TOMATO BROTH: 15 whole vine-ripened tomatoes and 1 tsp. salt.
In a blender, in batches, coarsely chop 15 whole vine-ripened tomatoes with salt. Place the chopped tomatoes in a large sieve lined with a double layer of damp cheesecloth, set it over a bowl, and let the mixture drain in the refrigerator for 24 hours to collect the liquid. Discard the tomato pulp and reserve the liquid.
(This seems like a lot of work to me- if it were me, I'd just puree the darn things and toss the sieving part)
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And as a bonus, Ive been doing some thinking on our impending move, and these came to mind:
10 Things I Wont Miss From Here:
Seeing the starving dogs on the sidewalks
Dodging spit, dog poop and other forms of raw sewage wherever I walk
The trains crashing together all night long as they hook up
Litters of puppies over, and over, and over, and over
Having to barter over everything little thing we buy, or for things bought from us
No peanut butter, brown sugar, popcorn or cream cheese in the markets
The thought that if we ever had a medical emergency or fire, there would be no help available
Going for sometimes days without running water or power
The sub-freezing temperatures in winter, and the unreal hot in summer
Hearing the horrible stories of my friends who are beaten in their own homes by their husbands
10 Things I WILL Miss From Here:
Going to our local church, and seeing the complete transformations of peoples lives
The very cheap fruits and veggies we can get
Seeing camels when we drive to our friends homes
Sitting over cups of tea late into the night with good friends
The fact that I can send my kids to the store alone with absolutely NO worry of them being harmed
Extremely cheap piano or dombra lessons for my kids
The simple, uncomplicated life with no pressure to be involved in every activity under the sun
A personal seamstress who can sew anything for a few dollars
Our team mate who is choosing to stay on alone in a tough place
Getting antibiotics without having to pay $30 for a visit to the doctor- usually for less than $5
10 Things Im REALLY Looking Forward to When I Get Back:
Family nearer by
My trip to WDW!
The LIBRARY!
Doritos
A hair dresser I can not only trust, but talk to as well
BBQ ribs
Home Depot
Drivers that follow the rules of the road
Starbucks (and free WiFi)
English-speaking friends