The Party Pleaser (Brie Bake)

(Photos coming)

Got this wonderful party treat from my dear buddy Kara.

Ingredients:

1 Tube Croussant Dough (like Pillsbury)
1 Brie Wheel
1 Pear (A good juicy one)
2 Tbs Jam (Rasberry is good... actually they're all good. )

Directions:

1.   Preheat oven to 350
2.  Open up tube of croissant dough, spread it out flat on prep area.
3.  Place brie wheel in the center of the dough.
4.  Smother brie wheel with jam
5.  Slice up pear in flat slices and put as many as you can squeeze on the brie wheel.
6.  Wrap the dough over the brie wheel and fruit.  Close it up the best you can, you don't want any holds or that delicious choose could ooze out, or worse!
7.  Bake on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes at 350, or until pastrie dough is golden-brown.
8.  Take it out of the oven and wait  15-20 minutes.  Trust me, this is the most difficult part of this whole recipe.  You've got to wait though, you cut this brie wheel too soon and you will have a gloppy (but delicious) mess of brie all over the place.
9.  Slice into wedges and serve!  You can searve it with some bread or crackers, but with the pastry it's really not necessary.  Enjoy!

Calamity Mol's Cowgirl Ranch Salad

Blue cheese, bacon, apples... ain't nothin wrong with that.  This is not a dainty salad, it's loaded up with all these big chunks of potent flavors for a something a little different with with every bite.  Got this recipe from my friend Calamity Mol, my favorite Cowgirl in NYC.

Ingredients:

-Fresh lettuce.  (I like to use some sort of mix, maybe a spring mix)

-6 Strips of Bacon (Thick-sliced, applewood smoked it you can find it.  It's worth splurging on this!)

-2 Apples, Fuji or Pink Lady work nicely

-Small Cluster of Grapes

-8 Oz Blue or Gorgonzola Cheese

-1 Tomato

-1 Avocado (Optional)

-Pinch of Salt

-Pinch of Pepper

-Ranch Dressing, something good!  Annie's Cowgirl Ranch is awesome with this

-Croutons

Step 1:  Fry that bacon to your desired crispiness.  Drain the grease and set aside to cool.

Step 2:  Chop Chop!

-Good-sized junks of lettuce

-Cube the Apples

-Big Chunks of the Pepper and Tomato

-Halve the Grapes, remove seeds if there are any

-Slices of Avocado

-Crumble the Blue Cheese/Gorgonzola

-Slice/Crumble the bacon into big chunks

Step 3:  Toss everything except the avocados and croutons in a bowl, (because they get smooshy and soggy, respectively).  Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 4:  Mix it all up now! Then you can go ahead and put that avocado and some croutons right on top.

And you're about are ready to serve it up with that ranch dressing.  Enjoy!

This goes nice with a good fruity and robust red wine, Shiraz might be nice.  Or a nice IPA or summer brew.  Cheers!

Here are some other things you could toss in there too to mix it up:

-Hard-boiled eggs

-Pear

-Strawberries

-Walnuts or pecans for an extra crunch