The Best Baked Brie and My Kitchen

This is where I spend most of my day.  I had my kitchen done about ten years ago.  It was the last room in this house to be redone because of the inconvenience.  I cooked for months on a hot plate in my garage while the work was being done. It was like permanent camping.

 But first I want to show you my new baked brie obsession.  I've been making my own truffle mustard.  I mix 1 cup of grainy country Dijon mustard with 4 T. Grey Poupon Dijon and 2 T. yellow mustard.  Then I whip in about 4 T. of black truffle oil.  This mustard takes hamburgers to a whole new level. I have been serving it to my family to spread on french bread topped with baked brie.

 I cover a round of brie with really good local honey and top it with salted almonds.  This gets baked in a hot oven for about 25 minutes.

 I've been adding fresh tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar to eat on the side. I love having all of these tomatoes from the garden and serve them with everything.

 Once the brie has baked, I thinly slice some sausages to serve along with it.  Spread the bread with some of the truffle mustard and top with melted brie, honey and almonds.  If you have fresh apples, pears or peaches, you can thinly slice them and bake them along with the brie.  A fabulous combination of flavors.

 I couldn't hold off any longer.  I had to get out the Staub pumpkins and the Fall Pyrex bowls with the sheaves of wheat on them.  I am slowly surrounding myself with Fall things.

My work station.  This is where I pump out all of the food.

 My next kitchen will be much more utilitarian. This one is a bit too fussy for the way I cook. The older I get, the simpler I need things to be.