On with The Cheese, Friday's Feast 2

Another Friday's Feast is upon us!!! YAY! I am going to tell ya'll about my favorite meal of ALL time. I'm a HUGE fan of cheese. Cheddar cheese, Brie, Goat Cheese, Mozzarella ... you name it ... I LOVE IT. Therefor, it should come as no surprise that my favorite meal is a Cheese and Onion Enchilada with a side of Rice and a small Sour Cream from my fave Mexican joint, Nettie's!



Netties is a family owned and run restaurant and usually everyone there can remember my 'regular order' so that's always cool! I don't know the year that Gramma Nettie emigrated to the states from Mexico ... but I'm sure pleased that she did!

I'm pretty sure I love this dish because it's so simple. Cheese in the tortilla, cheese on top ... and then you top it off with hot sauce when it gets to your table. Then I mix the sour cream and hot sauce in the mexican rice and fork it over the top of my enchilada. PERFECTO!!! Unfortunately I cannot have my fave meal for another 6-10 weeks. *frowns* However, when I get to my target weight, you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be tackling that again ... on special occasions of course. *grins*

If you're ever in Bellevue Nebraska, stop by and see ol' Nettie, and let her make you one of your favorite mexican dishes!

ஜ~§Quote of the Day§~ஜ

A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.
Barry Goldwater

ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ

What is your favorite urban legend? Have you or anyone you know ever been fooled by one?

ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ

Evitable

PRONUNCIATION:
(EV-i-tuh-buhl)

MEANING:
adjective: Capable of being avoided or evaded.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin evitare (to avoid).

USAGE:
"Racers insist they do it 'for the glory', which is a shrewd way of saying they do it for no good reason. This is an Entirely Evitable Event."

ஜ~§What I'm Reading§~ஜ

The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)

ஜ~§What I'm Watching§~ஜ

Tonight is: Ghost Whisperer, Dollhouse and Numb3rs.

ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ

We Wear the Mask

We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,--
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be overwise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!

Paul Laurence Dunbar

ஜ~§Recipe of the Day§~ஜ

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart

Ingredients:
Tart Shell

1 recipe pie dough (see Pâte Brisée recipe, increase sugar to 1 1/2 teaspoons)
OR

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, whisked

Filling and Glaze

2 lbs strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp orange zest, divided
1 teaspoon lemon juice
12 ounces mascarpone cheese (can also use 8 ounces mascarpone mixed in with 4 ounces of ricotta or 4 ounces of whipped cream)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (substitute a teaspoon of lemon juice if you don't have balsamic)

Preparation:
1a Using Pie Dough Roll out the pie dough and line a 10-inch tart pan with the dough. Prick the bottom of the shell all over with the tines of a fork. Freeze for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the tart shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Fill at least two-thirds with pie weights - dried beans, rice, or ceramic or metal pie weights. Bake initially for 15 minutes, then remove from oven, let cool enough to handle, and remove the aluminum foil or parchment paper and pie weights. Return to oven and cook until lightly browned at the edges, about 20 more minutes. Let cool completely.

1b Using Puff Pastry Roll out puff pastry sheet to 15x5 inches or 12x12 inches. Place on a baking sheet. Fold the edges over to form a border. Prick bottom of pasty with tines of a fork. Chill for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Use a pastry brush to brush on egg wash over exposed surfaces. Place in hot oven and cook until nicely browned all over, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven to a rack, let cool completely.

2 Gently combine strawberries, half of the orange zest, and the granulated sugar in large bowl so that the strawberries are coated with sugar. Let sit to macerate for 30 minutes.

3 Mix together the mascarpone cheese, confectioner's sugar, the remaining orange zest, lemon juice and the vanilla in a medium bowl until well combined. Refrigerate until needed.

4 After the strawberries have macerated for 30 minutes, place a sieve over a bowl and drain the liquid out of the strawberry mixture into the bowl. Take that strawberry liquid and put it in a small saucepan. Add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to the saucepan, and bring to a boil on medium high heat. Boil until the liquid has reduced to the consistency of syrup, remove from heat and let cool.

5 Assemble the tart. Spread the mascarpone mixture over the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange the strawberries on top of the mascarpone mixture. Use a pastry brush to brush on the balsamic glaze.

Serves 6 to 8.

Brightest Blessings,
~Surry~