And, I am not ashamed to admit it!!!
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| Caio! I am Burrata! |
Yes, I know, Burrata is a little odd looking. Looks outta shape and kind of strange.
A little loopy and bumpy and kinda dull and colorless.
But, oh, once you get that little nugget of goodness going, you will fall hard like me.
I just know you will.
Once upon a time, the beautifulness and the power of Burrata was a mystery to me.
Until one day....way back in my early Lap Band days.....Carmen and I sat in one of our favorite little local bistros on a Spring Sunday afternoon, sipping wine and perusing the menu.
Soon, my heart began to break.
No, I could not eat their amazing wood fired pizza.
No, I could not eat their luscious pasta or bread or rice balls.
My young Lap band could not tolerate such starch.
I was doomed to drink gallons of wine and be carried home drunk,starving and deeply sad while violently ripping my Lap band out of my belly with my bare hands..
Just then, the lovely waitress Victoria came to our table and announced "The Burrata is here!"..
"What is this Burrata you speak of, oh lovely Victoria? " I asked in my haze of despair, thinking that she was announcing another pizza or pasta dish. Yes, kill me now.
"Ahhhh.....it is a ball of fresh cheese from Italy filled with rich creamy goodness....." she cooed.
It was the first glimmer of hope I felt since I ordered my beautiful glass of wine.
"Tell me more, tell me more....." I begged....
And, she did.....
And, the rest is history.
On that fateful Spring Sunday, from the moment I put it to my lips, I was completely and utterly enthralled with Burrata.
I was swept off my feet from the very first intoxicating bite.
Since then, each time I am in it's presence, I am rendered helpless and breathless.
There is nothing....and I mean nothing....like that very first time.
Yet, still.... there is nothing I won't do for Burrata......
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| Burrata Caprese....one of my favorite ways to partake in the love..... |
So, yeah, I love Burrata.
You get it.
Now, let's get on with your Burratacation....
There are several different Burrata out there.
There are my favorites.
And, there are ones that will do in a pinch.
The problem is that my favorites are imported from Italy and have an immensely short shelf life.
Sometimes they are in stock. Other times, I can't find them anywhere....no matter how many desperate calls I make.
In the beginning of my Burrata love, I only knew of a few suppliers I could turn to when my cravings began to escalate. These days, it seems that Burrata has caught on with the mainstream grocery outlets. Yet, it takes time and patience (and, it's not cheap either) to discern the good from the bad and the ugly.
This past weekend, Burrata seemed like the perfect entertaining idea for a cocktail hour. We were having some of Carmen's business associates and their wives over and I wanted to do something Italian--because I thought they might expect something Italian at the home of a guy named Carmen. But, I did not want to do something so" Olive Garden Italian" that they would be familiar with it. Enter Burrata.
After several calls around to some of my go-to Burrata suppliers and having no luck, I decided to do some research on Trader Joe's brand since I know I can always find it at my local TJ's.
I dutifully did some internet searching to get the scoop on TJ's brand and came up with lots of varying opinions. Some people raved. Some people raged. Such is the internet....
Not wanting to give up on showcasing Burrata to our guests, I decided to try it out for myself.
Which I did.
And, I came away pleased enough.
It was good enough.
The pro: The price point is a heck of a lot less than what I am used to paying yet it still has the delicate flavor and rich creaminess that I enjoy. Just not as rich creamy or as delicate.
The con: If I was going to serve this to first time Burrata eaters, I wanted their first experience to be as wonderous and magical as mine. I wasn't so sure if this version would do that.
But, I was determined to serve Burrata. Are you sick or reading the word "Burrata"??
I figured that I should use the "good enough Burrata" in a recipe instead of just on it's own to give it more ooomph and excitement.
Since I didn't feel like consulting Google to find the most amazing Burrata recipe in the land, I decided to call up my friend--the caterer to the stars of Pittsburgh and ask if she had any amazing Burrata appetizer recipes.
"Everyone wants Burrata these days!!" she chirped. "Burrata, Burrata, Burrata!"
"Well, it's sooooo good!" I cooed into the phone.
"I have one recipe and one recipe only! I figure this Burrata thing will pass. I am not going to have 20 Burrata recipes!" she said in exasperation....
Yes, I managed to wrangle it from her.
I figured she wouldn't mind if I shared it.....
Burrata with White Wine, Garlic and Sauteed Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 baguette
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on bread
- 3 tomatoes, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup pinot grigio
- pinch salt and fresh ground pepper
- 8 ounces burrata, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- Slice the baguette into 1-inch slices and place on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle the baguette slices with olive oil. Place under the broiler and toast until lightly golden. Flip and toast the other side until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add tomatoes,garlic, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Place the burrata on a plate or large low-rimmed bowl. Pour sauteed tomatoes over the cheese and garnish with basil. Serve with toasted baguette slices. Spoon cheese and sauteed tomatoes over a baguette slice.
After having this Burrata recipe...it might be the only recipe she will ever need.....it's just lovely.
My guests went bonkers over it.
Within moments, I found myself red-faced over all of the compliments and accolades.
Yes, I love Burrata.
And, I am pretty sure Burrata loves me too.
1 comment:
Sounds delicious! Thanks Judi!
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