The Suburban Cook

My good friend and colleague had a long, frustrating week at work. After a long tirade, I piped up “Would you like me to make you dinner this weekend?” I figured it was an easy way for us both to relax. I get to play in the kitchen and she gets to eat whatever I make up!

Goat Cheese Crostini

Lucky for me, I had fun shopping on Saturday using a birthday gift certificate at Cost Plus World Market where I was able to pick up a few gourmet ingredients. I found black truffle oil which I had never had before and was dying to try. I decided to make crostini (thin slices of a baguette, brushed with olive oil and toasted in a 450 degree oven for about 5 minutes) spread with goat cheese and drizzled with the black truffle oil. I was slightly surprised that the oil wasn’t actually black. I think I had been counting on that color contrast, but after one bite, I decided it didn’t matter too much. The tang of the goat cheese contrasted great with the earthy flavor of the oil and the aromatic bite of the basil leaf which I used to garnish the crostini.

I also picked up some mezzaluna filled with basil and pesto. (I thought that was funny because pesto is made from basil, but whatever.) I boiled the pasta and just tossed with olive oil and parmesan cheese. Yes, just the kind from the jar. Sometimes, I’m not that fancy.

For the main dish, I picked up center cut pork chops, seasoned them with salt and pepper, then marinated them for about an hour with fresh chopped basil, rosemary, sage and olive oil. I stuffed each with a slice of prosciutto smeared with marscapone cheese and rolled tightly. My grill master husband grilled them direct medium heat for 4 minutes on each side. They were fabulous!

Chocolate Trifle

Finally, I wanted a really off the top dessert. I found some chocolate graham crackers in the pantry and decided to put together a chocolate trifle. I layered the cookies with pound cake (pre-bought), instant chocolate pudding, and fresh raspberries. It probably could have used some fresh whipped cream, but I didn’t have any whipping cream on hand. It was delectable. Finger licking, dish scraping good.

All that, plus a few glasses of wine and we were ready to tackle Monday morning. Unfortunately, Monday morning came and now I need to get started on the next therapy session!