Herbed Brie in Pastry

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a good one from Anna Welander:

An engineer, a physicist, a mathematician, and a mystic were asked to
name the greatest invention of all times. The engineer chose fire, which
gave humanity power over matter. The physicist chose the wheel, which
gave humanity the power over space. The mathematician chose the
alphabet, which gave humanity power over symbols. The mystic chose the thermos bottle.

"Why a thermos bottle?" the others asked.

"Because the thermos keeps hot liquids hot in winter and cold liquids cold in summer."

"Yes, so what?"

"Think about it." said the mystic reverently. "That little bottle, how does it know?"

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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Brie cooked in pastry has been a popular party item for the past few
years, and I even saw the "BAM" guy on TV do a recipe for it recently.
This recipe adds some sophistication with the use of fresh herbs, and
takes advantage of frozen puff pastry that should be in everyone's freezer.

Herbed Brie in Pastry

1 wheel (about 18 ounces, 500 g) ripe Brie cheese
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbs (15 ml) chopped fresh chives
1 Tbs (15 ml) chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tbs (15 ml) dry white wine or vermouth
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 sheet (about 9 ounces, 250 g) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten

Cut off and discard the top rind of the Brie. Combine the shallots,
herbs, wine, and pepper in a small bowl and press firmly over the top of
the cheese. Roll out the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface to
make a 10-inch (25 cm) square. Place the pastry over the cheese and
fold it under the cheese to enclose it completely. Turn the cheese over
and press the pastry seams together. Turn right side up and brush with
the beaten egg. Bake in a preheated 400F (200C) oven until golden
brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Sun Aug 10 21:07:03 2008