It’s a treat when The Mistah and I go out to eat. An even bigger treat is when we go someplace where the chef offers an amuse bouche. It’s a tasty little morsel before the meal, a culinary greeting from the chef, a happy surprise. Today I’m offering you an amuse bouche of sorts, blog style. In the coming weeks, here’s what you’ll see at Bon Appetit Hon:
- Baked Ziti
- Dad’s Meatloaf
- Eggs en Cocotte
- Chocolate Cake
- Biscuits
- Crab Salad
- Buttermilk Cake
- Roast Salmon
- Pork Tenderloin
- Pitas
- French Chicken in a Pot
- Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles
- Yellow Cake
- Seared Tuna
- Chicken with Rosemary Sauce
- Risotto
- Focaccia
- Sun Dried Tomato Spiced Shrimp
All that and more. How’s that for a happy surprise?
Bon Appetit Hon 
Can’t wait! I must ask, do any of them require a dutch oveN? Many of your recipes seem to use one and I do not own a dutch oven. Any advice on a good brand to buy and what size?
French Chicken in a Pot will need something like a dutch oven. I have two different pots that I use. One is enamel over cast iron from Target, the other is Calphalon nonstick. I like them both for different reasons – nonstick is great but if you’re working on something that needs a good sear before hitting the oven, nonstick isn’t the best choice. Enamel on cast iron is great for searing but the one I have is prone to a lot of staining. I find that I need to scrub well, use a paste of baking soda and water, and after an especially stainy dish use a weak bleach/water solution.
As far as recommendations, I’m going to defer to the folks at Cook’s Illustrated since they test the hell out of these things. Of course, the top of the line Le Creuset would be lovely to have but I can’t justify spending $200 on a pot. A budget friendly CI recommendation is the Lodge Enamel on Cast Iron 6 Quart which you may be able to get at Target or definitely online at a number of sites. I’d recommend something in the 6 to 7 quart size.
Bon Appetit Hon!
More restaurants should serve an Amuse-bouche. I think it makes a huge difference in the dining experience. We were greeted with one at Meli once. It was a happy, unexpected treat.
I totally agree it makes a meal that much more of an experience. We just had a lovely amuse bouche at a little bistro in Brugge. Fresh melon and prosciutto. It was the bomb.