Wow Them with Dessert!- 4/13/09

When I began my month of Gourmet project in February, I thought of myself more as a cook than a baker. I've never been particularly astute at making cookies, pies, and breads. (Previous posts prove that!) I've always felt more confident with main dishes, particularly those made on the stove top. This project has helped me find some foolproof baking recipes that can really wow without the risk. This month's recipe for the Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries on page 86 is one of those recipes. I've never made meringue and it always looked very difficult. Well, let me assure you, it's doable! Very doable!

I made the Pavlova along with the Rustic French Meatloaf on page 59 and the Mashed Potatoes with Crisp Ham on page 114 for some friends of my mom's who own a bed and breakfast. Hosting bed and breakfast owners sounds intimidating but Grace and Steve are some of the nicest people we know and I was only a little nervous about the meal. Like I said, the Pavlova was a huge success. The meringue spread while baking so the center depression was a bit larger and the sides a bit lower than when I put it on the baking sheet. That didn't affect the look at all. The only thing that was tough was moving the meringue to the plate because it is so fragile. Little pieces broke off but all in all, it stayed together. The meringue is very sweet so the tart lemon cream and berries were perfect. Best dessert I've made yet!

I must have been a little flustered by the meatloaf breaking as it came out of the loaf pan. I didn't take a picture! I was a bit nervous also about using chicken livers in a dish for guests. Liver of any kind is a risky food because some people really don't like it but the liver only mildly flavored the other meats in the loaf. I could taste it but it was not overpowering. The loaf had less texture than most meatloaf, because of the blended liver, and that may be why it collapsed coming out of the pan. The flavor was good, though, and once sliced, it was less obvious that it had crumbled.

The Mashed Potatoes with Crisp Ham were good but I did add some milk for body. The ham did not get very crisp in the time called for, I should have cooked it longer. This was not anything outstanding in my opinion but it was a good side dish to the meatloaf and our friends brought a cheese casserole that rounded out the meal.

I did make one other recipe today from this month's Gourmet. Although I had almost no leftover ham from Easter dinner, I've been buying ham to make the 5 recipes that call for leftover ham. I made the Deviled Ham and Pickle Sandwiches on page 114 for lunch today. I'm not a huge mayonnaise fan so I was a bit apprehensive about this sandwich. I probably wouldn't make it again, too much mayo for me, but my folks really liked it. I thought the pickles were the best part and the vinegar cut the salt of the ham well.

French Rustic Meatloaf-B

Calories per serving-683

Mashed Potatoes with Crisp Ham- C
Calories per serving-389

Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries-A
Calories per serving-394

Deviled Ham and Pickle Sandwiches-C
Calories per serving-517