Caprese 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:
that looks amazing! really cool
Did it taste as good as it looks? Very creative DB.
Salad in a cone! That is so cool and creative, grab a salad, a one-hand-salad, its a great idea!
Those cones are really cute! Great way to serve salad. I bet the Pup liked that - don't pups all like finger food?
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.
Love those beautiful photos...the tomatoes make me want to grab one!
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.
Why i had no idea...looks yummy though
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
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
what a clever idea!
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!).
Inspired... that's what happened! No one could come up with that magnificent offering, unless inspired... Nicely done, Chef!
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....
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 :)
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.
Chris, love the salad cones its so nice and I felt like having a few cones and some refreshing salad too...
What a nice little twist! I love them!
One of my most favorite salads all dressed up to eat with one hand.. bravo.
This looks gorgeous - a terrific "grab-n-go" version of a beloved favorite!
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.
To go, or on a plate this looks fantatic!!!! Well done, yet another inspriational moment!
You are impossible to catch!!!
Very creative! I'm supposed to bring an appetizer to a party and I'm contemplating bringing these. Thanks.
First, this is sheer genius and second it looks gorgeus. You are so talented and creative!
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.
I have to concur! That looks so amazing-and defintley good enough to eat. bravo! :)
--snow
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!
You never cease to amaze me. That looks so good and so creative!
That's so coooooooool-love the creativity.
Very creative! That looks quite delicious and fun to eat as well.
I like all foods in a cone or on a stick ;)
wow thats looking soooooooooo lovely and love parmesan will try it out.Nice clicks
I'm sure I would...heck the tomatoes look beautiful..My favorite type of salad...
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!
How are those cones easy? They look hard to me!
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!
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?
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!
I love this!!! It would be so fun to serve. Stumbled!
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!
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!
The best ideas often come when you are about to fall asleep.
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.
What a perfect snack! Those cones are definitely amazing and the whole combo is the ideal meal! Wowee! Yum!
salad in a cone is really amazing....never saw that before!! All pics r gorgeous!
Your blog looks really cool.. Nice presentation and dishes.. :) keep it going.
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.
Amazing.!! That looks really cute. Love your presentation :)
OMG that looks good! I will eat both caprese and parmesan crisps anyway they're served. Great combination and such pretty tomatoes too.
FIFTY COMMENTS!!!! DAMN DOG!!! this one was a hit for sure! make this for me when I come to NYC!!!!!
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.
You always think of the coolest stuff!!!!
A week later . . . how genius is this?
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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