Burrata, My Love, or Mozzarella Three Ways

Ever since a chance meeting at Scampo in Boston a couple of years ago, I've been head over heels in love with a voluptuous, decadent bundle of creamery goodness that goes by the name of Burrata cheese.

Refreshing and indulgent at the same time, it's like mozzarella pudding on a plate for crying out loud. Get me some tomatoes and a spoon. The Littles, however, are wary. Goopy and soupy are not big selling points with them, and the lack of vibrant color isn't helping. Time for a little side by side comparison.

Mozzarella cheese three ways. We sampled:

1. Everyday mozzarella string cheese (Frigo brand, in case you're wondering)
2. Fresh water-packed mozzarella
3. Burrata (we got ours at Trader Joe's)

Roo is surely googling Burrata on the iPhone

And the winner is (surprise surprise) Frigo String Cheese by a vote of 2-1. Looly chose the Burrata, which sent chills of pride up my spine. She thought it looked just like a present waiting to be unwrapped, which isn't far from the truth, and smeared it over sliced bread to make her own hors d'oeuvres. Roo claimed to enjoy all three varieties, but the string cheese was the only one that showed any visible teeth marks after his taste. Bean is a string cheese girl all the way. She can't stand mushy cheese and found both the fresh mozzarella and Burrata "watery, slippery and not yummy."

Taste test complete, hefty ball of Burrata on a plate, I was left no choice.

Burrata and Heirloom Tomatoes

1 ball Burrata cheese
1/2 pint heirloom grape tomatoes, halved
good quality, fruity olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
1/4 cup basil, sliced (chiffonade is prettiest)

1. Place Burrata on a plate. Top with tomatoes. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with basil. Let the whole hot mess come to room temperature if you can stand the wait. Scoop in into your mouth with a freshly sliced baguette.

Spaghetti Squash Three Ways

Riding the current from our Meyer lemon experiment and Grapefruit Three Ways challenge, we took on yet another sunshiny-hued edible this week - spaghetti squash.

Since Mufasa has a family history rife with Diabetes and has been deemed pre-Diabetic himself, I am constantly on the lookout for lower-carbohydrate substitutions in our everyday cooking.  With just 8 net grams of carbohydrates per one cup serving, compared to about 40 grams in a cup of cooked spaghetti pasta, spaghetti squash is a great option for our family. But you'll be surprised to hear, Looly, Bean, and Roo are not huge fans.    

My favorite way to eat spaghetti squash is cold, tossed with some Kalamata olives, feta cheese, garbanzo beans, grape tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, artichoke hearts, fresh oregano, and bit of red wine vinaigrette. Fortunately, Mufasa also enjoys this preparation. On such occasions, the kiddos prefer macaroni and cheese from a purple or blue box, exclusively.

For this challenge, I roasted two medium spaghetti squash, scraped out the "noodles" and prepared as follows:

1. Spaghetti squash topped with plenty of butter and Parmesan cheese - my safety net preparation for the 5 and under set
2. Spaghetti squash with Italian sausage, garlic, oregano, marinara, and a little mozzarella cheese
3. A desserty version tossed with maple syrup, butter, and brown sugar

No blue dress this time, but do note the bright orange hair ornament

Since I've attempted spaghetti squash before without much luck, my confidence was wavering on this one. So I made "regular" dinner too and served each child a spaghetti squash sampler plate on the side. I explained that no one had to eat the squash, but that in order to participate in The Family Vote, they must try one bite of each type. After tasting each variety, the kids were allowed to express their opinion in one of three ways: smily face, frown, or comically stoic glare indicating they neither loved nor detested it. Happily, everyone was eager to participate.

To complete the exercise we created a chart. Here are our somewhat surprising results.

The butter-Parmesan version was not the hit with the kids as I'd expected. Instead we were all in agreement that the Marinara-sausage version was the standout. And the maple syrup version? Not making that again. Ever. 

Grapefruit Three Ways

It occurred to me recently that Looly, Bean, and Roo had never tried grapefruit. Of all things, grapefruit?!

It shouldn't have taken this long. I love grapefruit. We often have a few stashed in the fridge. The truth is I've been lazy. It is inherently easier to hand over an easy peel clementine than to whittle out tiny wedges of grapefruit with the paring knife. In any event, we were overdue. 

To increase the excitement of trying a new food, I suggested a Grapefruit Three Ways challenge. The kids were intrigued. I would present them with three slightly different preparations and let them choose which one they liked best. For children who are already familiar with grapefruit, you could get more creative here and offer grapefruit juice, grapefruit and avocado salad, grapefruit sorbet, grapefruit vinaigrette over salad greens, or even candied grapefruit rind.  Since it was their first time, I kept things basic and chose:

1. Plain, fresh, cold grapefruit
2. Fresh grapefruit with a sprinkle of granulated sugar on top
3. Broiled grapefruit with caramelized butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon on top

While I'm partial to the broiled variety myself, the kids were unanimous in their decision.  And the winner is...

Fresh grapefruit with a sprinkle of granulated sugar!

Now, grapefruit is fairly innocuous. It's colorful, mildly scented and has a delightfully invigorating taste. This idea of three (or more) preparations of any food, however, is a great way to encourage kids to sample something they might otherwise turn their noses up at.  We've added grapefruit to our fruit repertoire and will be highlighting more Food Three Ways challenges here soon.