GOURMET ALCHEMY
So, I've finally joined the ranks and got a Costco membership. Cheap grape tomatoes! Whole cows for $20! An orchard of berries for $6! Then, a funny thing happened: I started identifying all sorts of food I'd had at parties that came straight from the shelves of Costco.
I thought about minor changes and improvements to make food less commonplace.
Ingredient(s) from Costco:
Can be assembled earlier in the day:
Olive tapenade
deli meats such as salami, turkey ham, roasted turkey
mozzarella or Monterey jack cheese, sliced
croissants or loaf bread, sliced
New creation: Mufuletta Sandwich for lunch or informal dinner
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes
Can be assembled the night before (don't want the scallops to go bad!)
5 lbs (or whatever ridiculous amount is being sold) bacon
Bay scallops
Extra ingredient: black pepper or garam masala for the adventuresome
New creation: Bacon-wrapped scallops hors d'oeuvre
Sprinkle black pepper or masala on scallops in a bowl, then wrap in bacon that has been cut in 3 pieces. Secure with a toothpick. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, or until bacon is crispy, but still flexible & not breaking. There should be plenty of drippings in the pan. Transfer to plate lined with paper towel. Serve warm.
Ingredients:
Whipping cream
Half-and-half
Honey
Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar
Extra ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon Sea salt; 1 oz. water
New creation: Premium honey-vanilla ice cream
Mix 1/4 honey with salt and water until honey and salt are dissolved. Mixture should be warm, not hot, and should take less than 4 minutes. Cool mixture until room temperature, then cool in fridge or freezer.
Mix 1 cup whipping cream and 1 1/4 cups half-and half with honey mixture. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Blend in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Chill 3 hours.
Ingredients from Costco:
Chocolate chips
Whipping cream
Honey
Madeleines (little tea cakes) or brownie bites
Fresh berries
Ingredients from home:
2 oz. liqueur, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla or orange or almond extract, optional
New creation: Chocolate fondue station
In a glass bowl, melt chocolate chips in microwave at 50% power for a couple minutes (depends on amount of chips and wattage of microwave), until chocolate chips are gooey and glistening. Slowly add cream, stir well, and return to microwave. Microwave 1 more minute at 70% power. Stir vigorously until all chips are melted and sauce is a thick liquid. Add spice, liqueur or extract; stir again until flavorings are blended.
Serve in bowl on a platter arranged with fruit and cakes. Or, arrange fruit and cakes on a tiered stand and serve fondue in a bowl beside stand.
Ingredients from Costco:
Grape tomatoes, washed
Marinated fresh mozzarella balls, drained of most of oil (but try and retain seasonings)
Optional ingredients:
Fresh basil
Fresh or dried oregano
Sea salt
Finely minced red onion or shallot or scallions
New creation: Insalata caprese in 5 minutes!
In a large bowl, mix drained mozzarella and grape tomatoes. Add optional ingredients to taste. Serves 8-10
Variation: Caprese "panini"
Load tomatoes and mozzarella with a little oil and salt* in French bread. Press down hard, then quickly wrap in foil. Bake in 400-degree oven for 12 minutes, until cheese is melted.
*Add cooked chicken, sardines, and/or a sliced hard-boiled egg if you want something more substantial.
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