Garlic & Gorgonzola with Fresh Bread

serves 2 - 4

1 loaf crusty French or Italian bread
1 whole garlic bulb (the entire head)
4 oz Gorgonzola cheese

Wrap whole garlic bulb in aluminum foil. Bake in oven at 350 F for 1 hour or place wrapped garlic in an iron skillet. Cover. Keep on medium-low heat. Turn over after ½ hour, and bake for another half hour. This will save a great deal of heating energy if the oven is not being used to cook other food. Wrap the bread loaf in foil and heat in oven for about 10 minutes. Begin heating bread after garlic is completely baked.

Cut warmed bread into slices as needed. Break off one clove garlic for each slice of bread. Squeeze the skin so the contents oozes out onto the bread. Spread as you would spread butter. Add a few pieces of Gorgonzola cheese.

Red wine makes a wonderful complement to this appetizer.

©Wilma Carolyn Johnson Short

NOTES: The locals of Seattle know about this treasure of a restaurant aptly named “The Pink Door”. We learned about it from a travel book – a series called “Access”, one of the finest guides to Seattle I have come across. It gave directions to the Pink Door, but there were no signs outside to let us know we had arrived. We had to literally look for a pink door. It seemed to be the back door to some hidden establishment, however, once inside we felt ensconced in its warmth with its tiny white “Christmas tree” lights giving the effect that we had entered another world; a cozy and secluded haven.

While we were dining there we noticed bread, baked garlic, soft cheese, and a bottle of red wine being serve to a couple at a nearby table. I asked what “that” was and so learned about this simple but impressive appetizer. That was over 15 years ago and I've been serving this up every now and then, referring to it as the “Pink Door Appetizer”. I think it's so good that one could turn it into a meal.