Olive/Gruyere/Smoked Bacon/Tomato Loaf
No i haven’t abandoned you, it’s just that i’m a little bit too busy for blogging these days. I have a bunch of recipes and photographs ready to be posted but i rarely get the time to write a nice post. Emails go unanswered. I don’t respond to comments. My growing beard makes me look like Robinson Crusoe. I’m a mess, people! Can someone tell Big Bossman to stop throwing business lunches and dinner parties the same day, everyday!I thought this was a recession, damned!
For those of you with a mathematical mind AND an aspiration to become a chef you can study the following graph to see if it fits your lifestyle. I’m starting to think i took a wrong turn somewhere.. i should have been a teacher. Let me tell you, they have it gooood!
Okay, there are some good aspects to this job but i’m saving them for another day. I’m just not in the mood today. Something that makes me happy is this truly fantastic recipe for a savory loaf cake. The one pictured below lasted less than 45 min at Big Bossman’s and generated lots of oohhs and aahhs in its short life. If you never tried a savory cake this is your chance, i guarantee you won’t be disappointed. How could you go wrong really with a warm and soft brioche type cake filled with smoked bacon, gruyere, green olives and sundried tomatoes. Serve it with a green salad for a quick lunch on the go. Tell me what you think.
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup (100g) butter, melted
- 9 tablespoon (55g) flour
- 1 tablespoon (11g) baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 oz (100g) gruyere cheese
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) milk
- 15 sundried tomatoes, marinated
- 20 green olives, pitted
- 5 oz (150g) smoked bacon bits
- Mix the eggs, melted butter, flour, baking powder, salt, gruyere and milk. Allow the batter to rest for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400′F.
- Place the batter in a buttered loaf pan, arranging the tomatoes, pitted olives and bacon bits evenly throughout.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Unmold and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- Serve with a salad of frisee lettuce or a green salad. You can vary this recipe in many ways. Smoked duck breast could subsitute the smoked bacon for example. Have fun!
Tags: Bread
October 14th, 2008 at 1:03 am
Hmm, why does it add up to more than 100%?! And why do you only sleep for 15 minutes a day?! And why does “Censored” take up a few seconds… Tsk tsk! That’s weak
I’d love to give your cake a try anytime! Maybe when I’m in New York?
Hee hee, I’m kidding as usual. It must be the shock of seeing a cake recipe with no sugar, hahaha
October 14th, 2008 at 2:05 am
oh hell yes. nice recipe zen
October 14th, 2008 at 7:01 am
You allways make me laugh. I think you can save time by doing activities at the same time: drinking while you commute, curse while you work (as you don’t do it allready), you can also pair the censored part with relaxing or eating
… See I just saved you 15% of your time to blog! Oh man I should have been a teacher as well…
October 14th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Hahha I wish the graphs in school were like that one. Censored? I wonder what happens there. Maybe it’s the result of drinking, cursing, and commuting all put together
The Zen Man and his love affair with bacon… I don’t think I’ll ever see it end, and I never want it to
October 14th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Gruyere is one of my weaknesses, Z. And you had to go and pair it with bacon, didn’t you, you enabler.
And I’d say only 5% of the day spent cursing is pretty f’ing good!
October 14th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Robinson Crusoe! As primitive as can be…
the loaf looks DELICIOUS!
October 14th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
lol, excellent chart.
I always love the style of your dishes and this for reasons I can’t quite pin down is so clearly your style. It sounds so damn good! Savory cake definitely never entered my mind before, but I’d love to try this
October 14th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Ah, le voilà le fameux “cake” comme on dit chez nous! Je suis à 100% pour les morceaux de magret à la place du bacon, avec une salade de roquette, c’est le paradis.
n’oublions pas qu’ils donnent beaucoup d’eux, surtout pendant les grèves 
Bon, et puis on arrête de casser du sucre sur le dos des profs, hein
October 14th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Sorry life is so crazy! This loaf looks mighty good though!
October 14th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Oh boy this is going to be made very soon. I am a huge lover of savory breads (more so than sweets) and olives. This is just awesome–I must make this.
October 14th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Ahh – looks great! Wonderful pics…really wonderful.
What kind of cam are u using?
-DTW
http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com
October 14th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
love the way you show your spend graphically and very detail too, lovely loaf too!
October 15th, 2008 at 5:05 am
Heee! “censored” lmfao That loaf looks really really good…yum!
October 15th, 2008 at 5:15 am
Hii..really wonderful.
thank you for recipies.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:48 am
It’s good to see you haven’t let your drinking responsibilities slip, bravo!
This loaf is tres colourful, fine pairing with a soup.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:05 am
I think there is only one job worse than a chef’s and that is a mother’s. ….sorry I am also just having a bad day!
The savory loaf is to die for!!!
October 15th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Dear Zen chef is a pleasure see you have STILL your sense of humor!! You make me laugh still and is so good!! Really I thought you abandonen us, so sad and you sometimes stopping by at my Blog and nothing!!
The good thing is we missed you a lot!!! and this a amazing and tasty recipes, xxxGloria
October 16th, 2008 at 12:29 am
This sounds delicious! If there is no yeast why does it rest for an hour? (Feel free to tell me to shut up and just follow the directions.)
October 16th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
I had something similar in Paris recently, but had chorizo or some type of spicy French sausage.
Delicious!
I will be making this!
Stacey
October 17th, 2008 at 1:27 am
yes, I also wonder what the 'censored' part entails… or maybe I don't.
& I have something for you on my blog!
October 17th, 2008 at 5:42 am
The Institute for Neurotic Chefs has a different diagnosis for me: an unknown psychological disorder describable only in Japanese. Good thing you can still create a fantastic loaf- so simple but seems to taste great. And good thing you can still cook!
P.s. how are you, chef gone wild? (i.e., Robinson Crusoe look). Are you ok? Hey, life is too short!
October 17th, 2008 at 11:18 am
wonderful
i recently did something like this with chorizo and pistachio’s and sun dried tomatoes and other stuff i can’t recall…
just tell me you’re having fun and then the work isn’t so bad….
October 17th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Your life looks as busy as the Olive/Gruyere/Smoked Bacon on that tomato loaf!!!!! xoxo
October 17th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Hi Zen ,
I agree with your graph, the ood is vbrilliant and after a year of knowing you , not even one second that I don’t think of you as “Chef genius”
October 18th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Oh that’s divine. At least your food is consumed at Big Bossmans, and why shouldnt it? I just find the rich are odd with food and seem to go out of their way to not eat. You have an apprciative employer, so its all worth it in the end.
October 19th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I want some of that, gimme gimme!
October 21st, 2008 at 11:36 pm
T’as oublie la case plage avec moi en bikini rouge
Ah ce p’tit cake me rappelle ceux de ma maman…mais en meilleur…lui repete pas mais les siens on tendance a ce casser en petites miettes.
October 25th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
The thing that concerns me most is that last percentage. There are ways to work on that!
What a nice balance of flavors here mmmm!
October 26th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
You had me at pork.
April 28th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Thank you for the great recipes. I made the mille crepe cake with chestnut and burnt orange caramel. No leftovers,..but I did get some requests to use hazelnut praline whipped cream filling next with a mocha sauce.
I am currently making the Olive, Gruyère, tomatoes, bacon loaf.
Thank you for your humor, pictures, and wonderful cooking tips.
My wife is making a website for me to post recipes too.