Lunch on the 24th floor

I was recently informed of the “tradition” at the medical practice where I work that the medical student has to bring the doctor and nurses lunch one day. Since people have very specific tastes that one certainly cannot fault them for (maybe they had a bad experience with a certain food as a child, traumatized at the dinner table for not finishing their peas type thing), I did some inquiring beforehand: one mouth didn’t like cucumbers, onions, or asparagus; another mouth didn’t eat red meat, pork, or shrimp. Nevertheless, I really liked my “co-workers” so I enjoyed this setup… it kind of felt like a game. Here’s how it played out.

• Prosciutto wrapped peaches with peppered goat cheese and balsamic vinegar glaze
• Roasted vegetable orzo with grilled pesto chicken and truffle oil pastry sticks
• Better than sex cake… classic
• Strawberry tea with lemongrass simple syrup

Homemade Pesto

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1/3 cup parmesan chunks (buy a wedge and break it up)

2 cups basil leaves

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¾ cup good olive oil

Put garlic and parmesan in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add in basil, salt, pepper, and olive oil and pulse until a green paste forms.

I grilled the chicken then tossed with this beautiful pesto. Slice chicken and serve hot!

Roasted Vegetable Orzo

(adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa)

1 eggplant, peeled and diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup good olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1 cup orzo (1 cup dry)

Dressing:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Assembly:

4 scallions (green onions), minced (white and green parts)

¼ cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted

¾ pound block feta, diced (not crumbled)

15 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade (sliced thin)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Dice the vegetables into 1-inch pieces. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large cookie sheet. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, stirring once about half-way through, until browned and crisped.

While your kitchen is filling with the most amazing of all smells (vegetables are roasting), cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 8ish minutes until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Dump your roasted vegetables into the bowl with the orzo pasta, making sure to scrap all the juices from the pan into the pasta as well.

For the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour onto the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil and toss all components together (use a big spoon to gently mix everything evenly). Check the taste—you should first experience a punch of lemon then the more mellow taste of garlicky roasted vegetables—and adjust as needed (add a pinch of salt or more lemon juice) before you serve. This shows responsibility on your part. Taste. Adjust. Serve.

Better Than Sex Cake

1 package yellow cake mix

1 package instant vanilla pudding mix

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup water

3 eggs

8 ounces sour cream

4 ounces Baker’s German chocolate, grated*

6 ounces miniature chocolate chips

Ganache topping:

3 tablespoons butter

4 ounces Baker’s bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix first 5 ingredients well. Add in sour cream and beat until smooth. Finally, mix in chocolates. Yes, that simple.

Pour batter into a greased bunt pan (use Baker’s Joy or melted butter and flour) and bake for 55 minutes.

Melt butter and chocolate in a double broiler** until melted and smooth. Drizzle over cake and allow to cool before serving.

*I substituted 6 ounces Callebaut chocolate semisweet chocolate chunks

**Double broiler: fill a pot with about 2 inches of water and bring to boil. Set a heatproof bowl with ganache ingredients on top of the boiling pot. The bowl should fit down into/on top of the pot but not touch the water. Stir chocolate and butter until melted then quickly remove from double broiler.

Note: Bakers is a brand of chocolate found on the baking aisle in a box near chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are not meant to melt easily so avoid using them for the ganache topping