Been THAT Long??

Wow. I'm still alive - I promise! I have been in the midst of a very busy summer and an even busier fall looms ahead. What happened to the cooking blog? I have totally but it on the back-burner and am a little disappointed in myself. I considered trashing it; but now I'm thinking that it was just a slump. In fact, last week, the slump was really revealed to me in an unexpected way.



Last Tuesday, I hosted my bible study here in our home. It was the first time I have entertained for anyone besides our next door neighbors and it was really fun! I was a little unsure about how the set-up would be. I worried that there wasn't enough room here for 4 other adults to eat and talk comfortably. In the end, things worked out just perfectly and I was very pleased.



How much do I need to entertain? Well, apparently, I need it a lot! For a couple of months, I have been the reluctant cook. I have felt a little bit like a Waffle House short-order cook lately and not very happy with my job. I had lost a bit of my spunk. Then came the day for me to cook for my friends. I had to plan, I had to clean and I had to think about presentation, beverages, and everything else that goes along with it. With the exception of music, I really planned everything well. I made lots of make ahead dishes that simply needed plating or heating right before arrival so things were easy for me. I also opted to eat in the living room and spare everyone the awkwardness of serving in our tiny kitchen. We had tapas and conversation and it was really everything I had hoped for. I had such a nice time hosting and cooking for my friends that it has completely reawakened my culinary sense of adventure. I had no idea how much entertaining had meant to me until this. So, I'm back on my food blog. Here is my menu from Tuesday, and I promise to do better with posts in the *near* future!

• Bruschetta
• Curry Chicken Salad
• Hummus (2 kinds)
• Panchetta Wrapped Broiled Asparagus
• Cut Veggies, Pita Chips, Bagel Chips
• Coconut Cream Pie
• Raspberry Lemonade, Diet Green Tea, Agua

I was pleased with the menu I chose, especially the bruschetta and coconut cream pie. I used Mrs. Rombauer's recipe for the pie (aka, The Joy of Cooking) and used a store bought crust. Sometimes those are just better than what I can make. Bruschetta is one of my favorite things and the recipe is my own, adapted from the menu at East-West Bistro in Athens, GA circa 1999. Enjoy the last of summer's bounty of tomatoes and home grown basil if you have it.

Bruschetta

Begin by dicing 2-3 ripe on-the-vine tomatoes and 1 small onion, place in bowl with 2-3 cloves fresh minced garlic, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the croustades, begin by preheating oven to 450 degrees. I use 1 baguette, sliced about 1/2 to 3/4" thick. Brush both sides of each piece with extra virgin olive oil and place side-by-side on a sheet pan. Bake about 5-10 minutes and turn to brown on 2nd side. Bake another 5-10 minutes, remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Wash and dry one large piece of basil for each croustade. If your basil isn't large enough to cover the entire surface of the bread, use more. Once the crustades have cooled to room temperature or only slightly warm, they are ready to assemble.

Place a large basil leaf on each croustade. Next, spoon your tomato mixture on each piece. Then, crumble a good-quality brand feta cheese over the top of this. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh cracked black pepper.