And with that title, I present two over the top food experiences.
On the left we have a plate of food from the Wynn Buffet in Las Vegas. 4 of us on this blog have indulged at the Wynn, and most of us agree that its pretty much the best part of the strip. On this plate is hard cheese, orachattia with marscapone, duck salad and some smoked meat.
The right is a Baked Alaska. Baked Alaska is one of those food items which I always assumed was a bit of lore, or something that is only found on cruise lines. My mom made this one for Palm Sunday dinner--odd I know. Baked Alaska is a layer of ice cream, a layer of cake, topped with meringue. Then it is baked until the meringue is brown, but the ice cream doesn't melt. Pull it out of the oven, pour brandy on it and light the peaks on fire. Overall, it is a lot of work and sort of silly.
I love crockpot (aka slow cooker) cooking. I had a very aromatic, tasty vegetarian minestrone soup last night waiting for me when I got home. Prep the night before and refrigerate until morning. Turn that puppy on low before leaving for work, and...look at that! My long ass day just got better. The older get, the bigger the fan I also become of soup. It is a filling and satisfying winter meal. What's in this batch I made for the first time? Zucchini, onions, carrots, celery, crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, kale, barley, garlic and veggie broth all thrown in together and simmered all day. The leftovers I had for lunch today were even better.