GCC: Menu 11 - Gruyere Tart

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This past weekend the Gutsy Cook menu included this tart, a Carrot and Orange soup and Arugula Salad with Parmesan.

As you can see, I played lazy and only did the tart.  But, after reading Raymond’s take on the soup, I think I may have to back track and cook up some carrots!

The whole menu was totally on the fence up until Sunday. I had spent Friday and Saturday baking up about 7 dozens of cookies for my first cookie exchange party (recipes and post coming) so, my kitchen and I were taking a break from eachother.  But, on Sunday as I was whipping up my brunch menu, and felt something was lacking, so I took a look and decided to include this tart in the list of things to serve.  I came together pretty quickly.

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Sweet Kitchen Tips 17

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Do you own a silicone mat? I bet you store it rolled up somewhere in your kitchen? Well, its suppose to be stored flat to prevent fiberglass filaments from breaking and crackling. If storing it flat is not an option and you don’t care, roll it around an empty paper towel tube and secure it with an elastic band.

And I bet you have a couple of wooden spoons in your kitchen.  I love mine and I have a good collection.  But, did you know that wooden spoons absorb and transfer flavors and odors.  So in order to avoid this, separate them, keep some for savory dishes and others for sweet dishes.  You can tell them appart by making notches or burning marks on the handle.  

And if you run to get new ones, remember to soak them in mineral oil.  This will help keep them less absorbent and easier to clean.

And since we are talking about wooden kitchen tools, lets talk about a bit about your wood cutting board.  In order to maintained them in good shape, remember to dry it upright to prevent moisture from seeping. Prevent cracks by oiling it when it starts to look dry. And if a old board, needs to be revive, scrub it clean with sandpaper, then rinse, dry and oil. Just make sure it’s mineral oil and not any other kind, the latter can go rancid and taint food.

ABC: Maple-Pecan Medjool Date Rugelach

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The first time I came across Rugelach was at the Epicure Market, a local gourmet market, that has been a staple in Miami Beach for over 65 years.  These crescent pastries are a traditional Jewish food which is eaten any time of the year, but are really popular and traditional during the Hanukkah holiday. Epicure (as the local refer to it), which catered to the large Jewish population in Miami Beach, made sure to have a whole case dedicated to these pastries.  It was the mecca of Rugelach. I can not remember how many types there were but the combination of filling were numerous - raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, chocolate, marzipan, poppy seed, dry fruits even preserves.  I don’t think there was any type of combination that Epicure had not tried.

My favorites were the ones filled with chocolate and marzipan.  When I lived in Miami Beach, I would make sure to get there early on Saturday to fill a bakery box with this sweet treat and then spend the whole weekend munching away at the treat.

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