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.

Olive/Gruyere/Smoked Bacon/Tomato Loaf

(serves 6)

• 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!