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Sunday, May 03, 2009

salad cones


C
aprese salad is one of those salads that most people like and most people just call it a tomato basil salad, I think. Does everyone call it Caprese? I wonder. It comes from Campania so that helps to make it make less sense - why isnt it from Capri? Who cares? I can eat this any way you make it.



This little brainstorm hit me a couple nights ago right before falling asleep. I wanted to make a 'to go' version of this popular salad and while this isnt as portable as I was imagining the essence is there, and believe me it is fun to eat like this but its more satisfying on a plate. I am totally not without influence, 5 Star Foodie made an inspritational dish that got my gears turning.



I made some parmesean crackers (fricos) and formed them around a cone. These are easy enough to make - you grate some cheese and bake in a hot oven until they start to get golden - remove them and let them harden as is or form them as you want - mine have a little basil that I chopped up super fine and sprinkled in to keep the Caprese theme happening.



These cones hold a mixture of fresh tomato and bufala mozzarella served on a bed of baby arugula with extra virgin olive oil and this is where paths either cross or diverge - a small drizzle of balsamic. It turned out great!

54 comments:

mermayd said...

that looks amazing! really cool

Anonymous said...

Did it taste as good as it looks? Very creative DB.

Anette said...

Salad in a cone! That is so cool and creative, grab a salad, a one-hand-salad, its a great idea!

Marjie said...

Those cones are really cute! Great way to serve salad. I bet the Pup liked that - don't pups all like finger food?

Ciao Chow Linda said...

These looks fantastic, but how hard is it to make those parmesan crisps. I tried making fricos once in a frypan and they were tricky.

Kim said...

Love those beautiful photos...the tomatoes make me want to grab one!

vanillasugarblog said...

You know when it's 1000 degrees out in the summertime all I do is eat tom & mozza wraps. I will try these. Do you think you make a bunch ahead of time and wrap them in plastic and keep for a couple in fridge or will it just go soggy?
Love these Dog, seriously.

Just telling it like it is said...

Why i had no idea...looks yummy though

Christo Gonzales said...

merm: thanks!

starrlife: they taste better than they look!

anette: yup - salad to go

marjie: it is a winner - hand food always wins

ciao chow linda: I make them in a 400 F oven keeping an eye on them the whole time - the edges start to brown and curl up and you know they are ready

ordinary: nothing like a plump ripe tomato

dawn: tough call - maybe if you freeze them, I bet they would thaw quickly

justelling: super yummy - you might like this

Ken said...

like built in croutons....only much, much better I'm sure.

It makes a very unique and attractive salad plate, it could easily catch on if a restuarant offered something like that.

Of course not at anywhere I eat out. ha ha ha ha

snugs said...

what a clever idea!

Stacey Snacks said...

all I can say is "snazzy".
I love Caprese salad and the frico cones are a great idea!
Go to sleep and stop thinking about food! (like I do!).

buffalodick said...

Inspired... that's what happened! No one could come up with that magnificent offering, unless inspired... Nicely done, Chef!

Christo Gonzales said...

micky-t: I wish I had a restaurant to serve it in.....

snugs: thanks snugs - I responded to the call to get cooking

stace: snazzy - I guess so - nifty too

buff: awe buff you made me misty....

Anonymous said...

The name of your blog made me laugh out loud. I am still giggling...
That tomatoe salad to go looks scrumptious.
I will be back as well :)

Jenn said...

This is awesome!!! I like to call is caprese.

You know if you didn't mention anything about making it, I would have thought that you had snuck this from a fancy restaurant over there. Love it. Semi-portable.

Ramya Vijaykumar said...

Chris, love the salad cones its so nice and I felt like having a few cones and some refreshing salad too...

Reeni said...

What a nice little twist! I love them!

Donna-FFW said...

One of my most favorite salads all dressed up to eat with one hand.. bravo.

Hornsfan said...

This looks gorgeous - a terrific "grab-n-go" version of a beloved favorite!

Unknown said...

Gosh do I love this! I would make this just for the presentation and the cuteness factor.

*Channeling my inner Gordon Ramsey*
"This is the kind of thing I would expect from you...its bloody brilliant *bobs up and down on balls of feet* This is creative and exciting. Marvelous."
*coughs*

5 Star foodie sure knows what she is doing. To me she is an artist with her food.

Mandi said...

To go, or on a plate this looks fantatic!!!! Well done, yet another inspriational moment!

You are impossible to catch!!!

Admin said...

Very creative! I'm supposed to bring an appetizer to a party and I'm contemplating bringing these. Thanks.

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

First, this is sheer genius and second it looks gorgeus. You are so talented and creative!

Christo Gonzales said...

irisof: stop laughing at me.....LOL

jenn: it did come from a fancy NY place called Chez What....LOL

ramya: ram you can have one of these any time you want...

reeni: There was this drag queen act that used to play at Wigstock in NYC years ago called "French Twist" and everytime I hear the word twist I am reminded of their funny act...

donna: frees up the other hand -if you get my drift

hornsfan: there was/is something nice about eating a salad in an edible cup

christine: you didnt say 'fu#$%k me' enough - but thanks none the less

mandi: I know its been a whirlwind

leela: go for it and dont forget to take a picture....

sophie: thanks a lot -

KA: thank you so very much - that is so nice to hear.

snowelf said...

I have to concur! That looks so amazing-and defintley good enough to eat. bravo! :)

--snow

grace said...

what an impressive idea! for me, waffle cones are what make ice cream the most fun, and i'd imagine that a parmesan cone would do the same for a salad. awesome presentation, and i'm sure it's quite tasty to boot!

Unknown said...

You never cease to amaze me. That looks so good and so creative!

Sweta (My Indian Dietitian) said...

That's so coooooooool-love the creativity.

tavolini said...

Very creative! That looks quite delicious and fun to eat as well.

I like all foods in a cone or on a stick ;)

Pavithra Elangovan said...

wow thats looking soooooooooo lovely and love parmesan will try it out.Nice clicks

Just telling it like it is said...

I'm sure I would...heck the tomatoes look beautiful..My favorite type of salad...

Christo Gonzales said...

snow: good enough to eat is good enough for me

grace: tasty to boot is right!

bina: thanks bina - thanks

sweta: I appreciate that very much

tavolini: thanks dudes - I like things on a stick and in a cone too - duh!

pavithra: thanks so very much - and there are some mighty nice clicks over at your blog as well

justtelling: I know you would!

The Blonde Duck said...

How are those cones easy? They look hard to me!

Christo Gonzales said...

TBD: grate some parmesean on a cookie sheet put in a 400F oven for like 8 minutes and remove when they get golden - let set a minute on the cookie sheet then ease them around a shot glass forming a cone on one end...easy!

jessica said...

damn you and your delicious looking cones! ill see your cone and raise you one. i been meaning to cone up some seaweed. watch out cause vag is coming with the cones - and yes, vag is what you think. its been meat-centric for like what, 150 thousand years?

Karen Brown Letarte said...

What fun! Insalata Caprese in parmesan cones!! It looks beautiful. I was just drooling the other day, thinking about a BLT Caprese.... on toasted whole wheat!

Megan said...

I love this!!! It would be so fun to serve. Stumbled!

Anonymous said...

Love the parmesan cones with my favorite salad! So neat! Thanks so much for the link back and sorry I'm so late to see this - I'm just back from LA tonight from a weekend getaway!

Elyse said...

Oh, these look totally fantastic!! I love parm crisps and forming them into cones is just a genius idea. Plus, bufala mozzerella is the best! Oh man, I could totally go for a couple of these cones right now. Sorry I've been absent for the past week; it's law school exam time and that means my poor google reader has been neglected!

Charlotte said...

The best ideas often come when you are about to fall asleep.

lisaiscooking said...

Great idea with the frico cones! They look delicious. Now, I'm imagining piping in some whipped ricotta and topping them with a cherry tomato.

Jamie said...

What a perfect snack! Those cones are definitely amazing and the whole combo is the ideal meal! Wowee! Yum!

ARUNA said...

salad in a cone is really amazing....never saw that before!! All pics r gorgeous!

Nithya said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nithya said...

Your blog looks really cool.. Nice presentation and dishes.. :) keep it going.

Teresa Cordero Cordell said...

Thanks for stopping by. I've made little parmesan cups before and filled them to serve as appetizers. But these cones are fantastic. What a genius you are.

Pooja said...

Amazing.!! That looks really cute. Love your presentation :)

The Diva on a Diet said...

OMG that looks good! I will eat both caprese and parmesan crisps anyway they're served. Great combination and such pretty tomatoes too.

Angel said...

FIFTY COMMENTS!!!! DAMN DOG!!! this one was a hit for sure! make this for me when I come to NYC!!!!!

PG said...

Very impressive! The cones are brillant. I'm somewhat addicted to Caprese salad and have posted a number of variations of it - of course, never in a cone.

The Duo Dishes said...

You always think of the coolest stuff!!!!

Tangled Noodle said...

A week later . . . how genius is this?

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

We've made fricos, but they get eaten before I could possibly form them into a cone. The cones are very impressive. Wow and double wow.

Love the idea of the basil in them. I bet it kicks them up a notch in flavor as well as color.
Sam

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