Euro-Meal Special

Thanksgiving for most of those that I cook for is first and foremost a traditional meal. This means there is not a whole lot of room for creative cookery. Well I didn't tromp all the way up to Salt Lake City to just make the same old, same old for Gaius Derf and Agent W. The meal that I made for them on Friday was actually going to a brunch on Thursday but we rescheduled it when we realized that we would have had way too much for the day.

The Menu

Brussels Sprout Salad
Open Face Prosciutto and Cheese Sandwiches with Pineapple Salad
Ramekins of Creamed Spinach with Baked Eggs
Cheese

The salad - Shredded Brussels sprouts dressed with toasted walnuts, lemon juice, olive oil, and pecarino romano cheese.

The sandwiches - I fried the prosciutto until it was crisp (think of it as super bacon), toasted one side of the bread in the oil from the prosciutto, topped it with gruyere cheese and put under the broiler. The pineapple with some raisins had been marinating overnight in a little rum and honey.

The ramekins - I made a killer creamed spinach from scratch from a Julia Child recipe, put it in the ramekins, put an egg in each one, covered with parmesean cheese and baked.

Cheese - camambert and a kick but gorganzola dulce (young smooth - sooo good)

Pictures (thanks to Agent W):

Gaius Derf and Wife watching me cut Brussels Sprouts into fine shreds - a thankless task
Just what the heck are they so smiley about anyway?

My open face sandwiches prior to toasting

The still giddy looking Derf and Wife with salads
What do they know that I don't?

Finished sandwiches with pineapple salad

My ramekins just out of the oven

Whatever Gaius Derf and Wife were into evidently I got some too!