Prosciutto Wrap ~ "Can life get better? I submit it can NOT!"

If you are like me and overly ambitious in the gardening area, here's a little recipe that is an alternative to all that pesto you are making with the mounds of basil that you are harvesting. It's a great picnic food to - easy to make, easy to carry, easy to eat!  Try one A.S.A.P. You will thank me. I promise.

I just told Mr. Amazing Man that when we move, we need to move somewhere that basil will grow year-round.  I am in love with fresh basil. Amen.

 Here's what you need to make the magic happen:

• Prosciutto
• Ricotta cheese
• Fresh tomatoes
• Those whole wheat Roll-Up things from Costco (I am sure a whole wheat tortilla would do in a pinch)
• Fresh basil
• Salt and pepper

Slice the tomatoes nice and thin. (Sadly, these ones are from the store. Even more sadly, the deer around here ate my perfectly ripe ones the other night. I was not happy. But I am very happy with this tomato knife/Christmas present from King Arthur Flour. Who knew a knife could make me so happy?)

P.S. Fresh tomatoes and fresh basil should get married. That is all I have to say about that.

Then take one of these fantastic whole wheat roll-ups from Costco. (Ignore all the stuff about it being healthy. Just use them because they taste good. The health benefits are secondary...)

Then spread on about 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese.  Or more if you are like me and love ricotta cheese.

Chase husband away with stern looks so that he will quit stealing the prosciutto you have so carefully peeled away. Then layer some tasty prosciutto ham onto the wrap. 

Here comes my favorite part: sweet basil!!! Put more or less in there, depending on your own taste. I have tried this wrap with cinnamon basil and Thai basil and sweet basil makes the best pairing with the other ingredients.

Oh, sweet mystery of life, I have found you (again)! Slap some fresh tomatoes onto the wrap...

Then salt and pepper that baby to taste. Starting at one of the short ends, roll the wrap up and slice on a diagonal. I used the tomato knife because I am to lazy/efficient to wash two knives! In the words of my favorite stand up comedian, "I can’t be opening and closing all kinds of jars... cleaning, who KNOWS how many knives!?"!!!"

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming of pesto 101.

Great Coffee Cake Flop of '10

I fancy myself to be quite accomplished in the kitchen, rarely turning out something that is not beautiful to look at and tasty to eat. (Thanks Mom for letting me make messes in your kitchen all those years growing up!)

The last true culinary disaster was the Flaming Roll Incident of '97 (not counting the Curry Catastrophe of '05 - that one wasn't my fault!). I had been broiling some chicken and needed to pop the rolls in the oven. I forgot to turn the oven down. Ten minutes later, there was smoke billowing from my oven, smoke detectors screaming at me, and rolls that were literally flaming on top and gooey on the bottom.

It was hilarious once I got the flames put out. Not too funny until then.

Tonight I tried a new recipe from The Pioneer Woman's website, "The Best Coffee Cake. Ever." Every single recipe I have tried from her site has been a huge hit with the men in my family and I was fully expecting to have the same level achievement with this recipe. 

Let's just say my 13 year string of success has been broken.

In the recipe, Rhee says you can use a smaller pan to make "thicker slices." I used the 8 x 11 pan and this is what I ended up with.  (Trust me, it was even more comical in real life! Tasty, but comical)

Don't get me wrong - it still tasted incredible (as evidenced by the fact the men around here inhaled half of it before it had the chance to even cool down - I am sure they will polish off the rest of it tomorrow).  Let's face it - anything with that much butter and sugar in it is going to be tasty!!! Fortunately, my super-spidey baking sense told me that there might be "some" overflow and so I put the coffee cake on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat mat. Ha. Some overflow, eh?

I am so glad I did. And so is my oven.

Smooches and happy eats to all of you -

M.