Live it Up
Is Paula Deen getting more than her share of flak?
Paula Deen has Type 2 diabetes. (Hands up if you found this revelation shocking. Thaaaaat’s what we thought.) Not surprisingly, there has been a flurry of media coverage, most of it criticizing Deen for continuing to feature/promote less than healthy food for three years before announcing her diagnosis earlier this week—now that she’s a spokesperson for a diabetes program.
But of the media flurry, we think this little snowflake by John Birdsall is worth pondering. Birdsall asks whether social class and gender might not be playing a role in the way some people (particularly Anthony Bourdain) are responding to Deen’s confession:
“Perhaps our notions of health and excess are rooted in class. Deen, we assume, speaks to a down-market audience who need to be lectured about nutrition and willpower. Bourdain speaks to the well-heeled traveler for whom a foie gras hot dog is an occasional indulgence, not a moral failing. Right? Or is it somehow acceptable for men to engage in extreme eating, while women have an obligation to show restraint?”
For more on the connections between gender, class, and food (particularly as they relate to body image), check out Susan Bordo’s Unbearable Weight.
(Source: Flickr / bunchofpants, via nomjar)
Goat cheese, tomato, and thyme tarts.
I don’t know what else has to be said?
I made these flakey, cheesy, heavenly bites for Christmas Eve and they went over so incredibly well I had to make them for New Year’s Eve too! The plus side is they aren’t terribly heavy! Airy yet loaded with layers of savory, cheesy, herbaceous flavors!
Here’s all you’ll need for 15 hors d’oeuvres sized tarts.
(I doubled this both times with ease.)
1 package frozen puff pastry, typically 2 sheets per box. — typically, I’m all about homemade, from scratch, but let’s be real, I have no interest in spending the better half of my day laminating puff pastry dough, so in this case, frozen will do.
a small block of Parmigiana Reggiano, or similar
1 large yellow onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 sprigs of thyme
a splash of white wine, preferably on the drier side, and not from a box
1 log of goat cheese
4-5 Roma tomatoes, sliced
a handful of basil leaves, for a chiffonade garnish
kosher salt, FGBP, t.t.
3 T whole butter
decent olive oil, for drizzlingTo get this going, toss the goat cheese in the freezer to firm up a bit, I’m not talking over-night, just as you’re starting to make these…
Slice the onion, about 1/4 inch slices should do it, melt down 2 T of the butter in heavy bottomed pot over low heat, toss in the onions and a generous sprinkle of salt to help soften them up. Mix until all onions are entirely coated in butter and then just let them caramelize away, it’s going to take some time, so be patient. Don’t constantly mix them or it’ll never happen, and don’t crank the heat because you’re now in a rush. The onions need to properly develop their sweet flavor profile. If you rush it, they’ll be golden brown, with no flavor, which would just be a waste of your time and money.. While you’re waiting, mince the garlic, and prep everything else.
I let the dough defrost just enough to get it unfolded up and laid out, but still mostly frozen, it’s much easier to work with. If you have ring molds, perfect! Use the 3 inch mold, if not grab an empty can (your standard 14 oz) with the lid completely removed and use the top part of the can as a mold. Just rub the rim with a little oil before cutting into the dough, and simply squeeze the middle of the can to loosen the dough. This will only work, easily anyway, if the dough is still mostly frozen. (Don’t forget about the onions!) Once you cut out the dough, place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, with a paring knife, score a 1/4 inch border around the outside of each tart, using the tines of a fork, prick all around the scored edges of each tart, without going through.
By now, the onions should be pretty close, with a beautiful golden color, and irresistible aroma, add the last T of butter, minced garlic, FGBP, and strip the thyme leaves from the sprigs into the pot. Let the garlic cook 1-2 minutes, mixing thoroughly, crank the heat to med-high, wait a few seconds and deglaze the pot with the white wine. Scraping every bit of deliciousness from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let any wine left reduce down and remove from the heat.
Now, all you have to do from here is layer on everything, when doing so, be sure to keep everything inside the scored edge.Sprinkle a pinch of grated cheese on each tart, followed by 1/2 T of the caramelized onions, a 1/4 inch slice of goat cheese, 1/4 inch slice of tomato, another pinch of cheese, chiffonade basil, a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and crack of FGBP.
You can prep these ahead of time, and hold them on the baking sheet in the fridge until you’re ready to go. Once you’re ready, pop them in a pre-heated oven at 400 for 20 minutes, or until the dough is golden and everything else is bubbly and perfect.. Serve these hot or just warm.
Enjoy!
