Bacchanal Dessert

I'm sorry I don't have a picture for this but it is so easy and there are so many variations that you will be fine without a visual. This is a dessert that was very popular at the Bacchanal Room at Caesar's Palace years ago. The only ingredient that is mandatory is pound cake; either fresh from the bakery or the frozen Sara Lee version. If using Sara Lee make sure it is thawed. Cut the pound cake into 1/4 inch slices. Use a dry skillet (no butter or oil) over medium heat to brown the pound cake on both sides. Frying the pound cake carmelizes the butter in the pound cake and gives it a whole new flavor. Simple enough! The hard part is deciding what to use for toppings. I like fresh berries and a little whip cream; my sister Nancy likes fresh berries and ice cream. Think of how much the Bacchanal Room must have charged for this dessert and it's only fried pound cake!

Provolone Terrine

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sun dried or oven roasted tomatoes, chopped small

1 1/4 pound sliced provolone

1 cup pesto

cheesecloth

8 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 garlic clove minced or pressed

pepper to taste

1/4 cup roasted pistachios

To make garlic cream cheese: In a food processor chop pistachios then add cream cheese, softened butter, garlic and season with pepper.  Set aside.

Cut the cheesecloth to lay in the bottom of a glass pie plate plus several inches to overlap on top.  Wet the cheesecloth with water and wring dry.  Place cheesecloth in the bottom of the glass pie plate.  Cut provolone slices in half.  Cover the bottom and sides of the pie plate with the provolone slightly overlapping the slices.  Smooth 1/2 of the pesto over the cheese.  Cover the pesto with provolone slices; slightly overlapping the slices again.  Sprinkle the cheese with 1/2 of the chopped tomatoes (either sundried of oven roasted).  Carefully spread garlic cream cheese mixture and sprinkle with the rest of the tomatoes.  Cover the tomatoes and cream cheese with another layer of provolone slices.  spread remaining pesto and cover with a final layer of provolone.  Fold the cheese cloth over the last layer of provolone, cover with saran wrap and press lightly to compact.  Chill at least 2 hours.  remove saran wrap and fold back the cheesecloth.  Invert a serving plate over the pie plate and flip everything over.  Allow cheese dish to loosen from the pie plate and remover the  cheesecloth.  Server with crustini of baguette.

Oven roasted tomatoes:  Quarter 12 roma tomatoes lengthwise and remove the seeds.  Toss tomatoes in olive oil, salt, pepper and Italian seasonings.  arrange tomatoes skin side down on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Roast in a 150 degree oven until dried and shriveled looking.  We will turn the oven on and off while roasting the tomatoes so not to cook them too fast.  Steve roasts tomatoes once a week and we add them to salads and other dishes.  They are so flavorful!

The Almarez Taco Martini

This is a recipe copied from a wonderful restaurant named J'Y's in France.  We named it after our friend who order it.

Martini Glasses

shredded crab meat

guacamole

diced tomatoes

shredded cabbage

cream fraise (sour cream will work)

crushed tortilla chips

Fill at least 1/2 of each Martini glass with crab meat.  Next layer with gaucamole, shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, cream fraise and sprinkle crushed tortilla chips on top.