#FoodForThought: The Adventures of Fanny and Olive (Thriller)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Fanny. No really - that is her actual name. She is a massive massive massive foodie, and would like to share with you all the adventures on all of the things she puts in her mouth. Wait, no - not like that ... I mean ... well, you know what I mean. Aw shucks, just hit it already Fanny ... </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Fanny Slater

there is nothing more exciting in the cooking world than stumbling onto something unexpected. sometimes in the regular world, this is not always the case. the unexpected discovery of gum on the bottom of your flip flop is not always a welcome surprise. although i'm a big fan of traditional flavors, sometimes it can be fun to change it up once in a while. i once had this dish at a los angeles restaurant that completely blew my mind. i've lived in california for about 425 days now, so you can imagine how many meals i've consumed on the west coast. this one, however, stood out from all the others. a guy who knew that eating was my passion thought it would be impressive to take me out on a date to a restaurant owned by a food network star. this restaurant is called "street" and the owner and chef is the delightfully quirky TV personality susan feniger. the idea behind street is that every dish is based on street foods that chef feniger has experienced all over the world. it is also served tapas style--which is spanish for small appetizers to share. my date had eaten here once before and he wouldn't stop raving about their signature dish: "kaya toast." before our asses hit the chairs, he had put in an order for one. ten minutes later when this beautiful plate was slid under my nose--i immediately regretting going to a restaurant where i was expected to share.

on the menu, kaya toast is described as toasted bread spread thick with coconut jam; served with a soft fried egg drizzled in dark soy and white pepper." it may sound like the strangest list of ingredients, and it may look like a grilled cheese paired with an egg--but it was one of the most interesting and unique flavor combinations i've ever experienced in my life. what appeared to be a grilled cheese tasted more like crusty white bread with a soft, creamy and sweet spread in the middle. this coconut essence is your sweet factor. using the corner of your toasty bread, you break the egg yolk and drag your sandwich through the dark soy sauce river. as the yolk spills onto the soy, the velvety richness combines with the salty soy sauce. this is your salty factor. when you first see the dish, your brain says, "what in the hell do i do with all of this?" but when you combine all of those flavors together in one single bite, your entire mouth immediately explodes with flavors. sometimes boring or bland dishes can be described as one-note. this is the opposite of one-note. in fact, it's a freakin' orchestra. not only are the flavors complex and interesting as they blend together harmoniously in your mouth, but they are constantly changing and growing in depth as you continue to chew. like i said--i love a simple, traditional dish. but when you're looking for something different, something surprising, something that stimulates every taste bud sensor on your palate--ones that you didn't even know you had--unexpected flavors are the way to go.

as for the date, let's just say the only thing that came home with me was another order of the kaya toast.

speaking of the unexpected, i happen to live with a food critic who surprises me every so often with her taste buds. olive loves the standard cat favorites--chicken, turkey, fish--but every now and then i catch her attempting to chow down on something completely out of the ordinary.

Fanny's cat Olivea few days ago, i set down my plate of roasted vegetables to walk into the other room. i came back in minutes later to find that olive had eaten every parsnip off of my plate. last night, as my eyes were glued the country music awards premiering live on TV, i left my totino's pizza unguarded for about thirty to seconds only to look down and see olive licking tomato sauce and pepperoni off of her paw.

the point is--in the foodie world, sometimes unexpected things can make for the best stories. that being said, don't think i'm going to let you leave today without a recipe that falls into that very category. because i've already rambled on for quite some time, i'll just keep this part short by starting off with one simple word:  bruschetta. bruschetta is traditionally tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and garlic on a crusty piece of toasted bread. i will offer you this piece of advice: next time you make a meal for someone and include brushchetta on your menu--go outside of the box a little bit. bruschetta just means some form of toppings on top of some form of a crostini. the crostini, or toasted baguette, or crispy cracker is simply just a vehicle for your toppings. the toppings are the star. ladies--when you're driving down the street and see a good looking guy in a nice car--how often do you shout, "nice ride! what year?" never, because the car isn't what you're interested in. you instead pull out something much smoother like, "what kind of conditioner do you use?"

...i completely forgot what we were talking about.

oh right, bruschetta. my recipe for you today is an interesting twist on a classic that will absolutely knock your socks off. the bottom for the bruschetta can be any form of crostini. i found a dark honey oat french loaf in the bakery section of a grocery store and thought that the brown color would be a nice contrast to the bright shades on top. after toasting your crostini pieces (sliced into circles and drizzled with a little olive oil or butter), spread on a layer of room temperature goat cheese. then top with fresh sliced strawberries, basil, cracked black pepper, candied walnuts or pecans, and a drizzle of reduced balsamic syrup.

if i had a nickel for every time i've made these and heard someone say to the person next to them, "what the hell is that?"...well, then i probably would be living a bigger apartment. but let's face it--michael jackson's "thriller" didn't become a huge success because anyone had a clue what the hell he was doing at first. like i explained to you in my last post, the whole idea behind easy, impressive, inexpensive, fun cooking is all about a unique blend of fresh ingredients. the strawberries and basil are your sweetness and make the dish bright. the sweet, syrupy flavor from the reduced balsamic and the sugary crunch from the candied nuts pair up perfectly with the goat cheese--your creamy factor. now here comes the most unexpected twist of all: the cracked black pepper...are you ready for this? is actually what brings the dish together as a whole. with sweetness, creaminess, and a lot of fresh bright flavors already present--you need some kind of spice that holds up as a contrast to everything else. it's all about balance!

now throw on some MJ and get cooking.

*foodie note: to make reduced balsamic--boil down half a cup of balsamic vinegar with a tablespoon of honey (or agave) until it's thickened up like a syrup. then pour over EVERYTHING. trust me.*

#nerdsunite

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