A few summers ago, I was invited to have dinner at the home of friends who sell seasonal fruits and vegetable for a living. This family's produce is sought out for its superior quality; only the ripest, sweetest, most perfect fruits and vegetables appear in their market.
It was strawberry season and my hosts served an absolutely glorious strawberry shortcake, for dessert. The strawberries were exquisite, of course, and the shortcake biscuits were flaky, tender and delicious. When I complimented my hosts, they laughed. The secret to this irresistible dish, they told me, was serving their own pristine fruit with freshly whipped heavy cream...and biscuits they purchased from KFC!
This pairing of wonderfully fresh ingredients with perfectly-matched purchased prepared food items is one of my favorite ways of cooking. I think serving savory homemade soups with fine bakery breads or specialty crackers, matching beautiful scoops of homemade ice cream with spectacularly manufactured cookies...and even serving a simple, roasted chicken with a distinctive purchased tapenade makes a meal more special!
What's your favorite meal-enhancing prepared grocery purchase?
