Baked Brie with Apricots in French Bread

We are up in Vero Beach this week visiting with my parents. I savor these weekends because not only do they get to see Baz for a few days, but we get to take much needed breaks to just relax with the peace of mind that someone we trust is watching after our little rascal. It's a treat. For instance, today Damien and I both got facials. Tomorrow we'll go out to dinner and see a movie. And as an added bonus when we go back to Miami Beach we'll be taking home 13 frozen meals that my mother has prepared for us. Her prepared meals were a godsend after Baz was first born. When I couldn't even tell what day it was, never mind if it was time for dinner, I could just pull out some lasagna or the best chicken parm I've ever had from the freezer. About an hour later, a home cooked meal. And she's a great cook.

So it comes as no surprise that my mom made a wonderful appetizer tonight that I'd like to share. It's very easy to do and has a real "wow" factor to it if you are looking for something to impress guests.

It's Baked Brie topped with Apricot Preserves in a french bread crust. I have to give props to our family friends, the Goodwins, who introduced my parents to this recipe while they were visiting them last week in the Adirondacks.

Baked Brie with Apricots in French Bread
1 full wheel of brie
1 jar of apricot preserves
1 container of Pillsbury Crusty French Loaf

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a baking sheet with a non-stick spray like Pam. Place the whole brie in the center. Stretch the french bread dough around the outer edge of the cheese leaving the top exposed. Pinch the two ends together so that it is securely joined in a circle. Pour the apricot preserves into the center, completely covering the top of the brie, but not the dough.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (or according to the french bread instructions). Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

Then you can just slice the bread and spread a little cheese and apricots on it as it oozes out from the center. Man, I wish I had remembered to take a picture.

Thanks, Mom and Mrs. Goodwin!

Tzatziki... or Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

When we were in Turkey in 2007, not only did I fall in love with Istanbul, but I also couldn't get enough of the cucumber yogurt meze they served everywhere. It was so refreshing and delicious.

Now that my crazy life of traveling the world is on hiatus, I miss the wonderful food I was being exposed to all the time. Then one day I was looking at the New York Times Web site and there was a recipe for tzatziki - the Greek name for the cucumber yogurt dip I loved so much. So, I made it. And it was delicious and completely satisfied the craving I'd been having for it.

Then yesterday, there it was again - that craving. The only problem: I can't seem to find that recipe anymore, so I decided to just wing it. It turned out just as well.

The hardest parts of the recipe are finding the right yogurt and making sure that your cucumbers are dried out enough. Not paying enough attention to either of these details makes for a watery, gross mess.

Make sure you find a Greek style yogurt. I can't stress that enough. Dannon will not do. If you can take the full fat kind, go for it. But, if you want a low fat or non-fat yogurt, that's alright as long as you choose properly. Let me say it again - it must have the word Greek on the container. And, of course, I am talking plain yogurt here. (Baz is modeling a container of my favorite non-fat kind - Stonyfield Farms Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt. In fact, a clean, empty container makes an excellent toy.)

As for the cucumbers, after chopping them pretty finely, put them in a colander in the sink and let them sit there for a while until most of the water has drained out of them. I mean, like an hour if you can handle that. Then I scoop them out of the colander with a paper towel to get some more of the moisture out of them.

Once you've got your yogurt and cucumbers set, it's very easy to make.

Tzatziki
1 large cucumber, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic
16 oz. Greek style yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Chop the cucumbers into small pieces. Some people even grate them. Then sprinkle them with salt and drain them in a colander until most of the water has drained out of them.

Using a paper towel to remove more moisture, scoop the cucumbers out of the colander and move them into a bowl. Press the garlic cloves over the cucumbers. Stir in the yogurt until well mixed. Drizzle in the olive oil and continue mixing. Fold in the mint leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the sauce as an appetizer with pita bread or a nice crusty french baguette. You can also serve it on the side of a main course like grilled beef.

Some people like to add a little lemon juice as well. You can experiment to find a mixture that's right for you.