Roast Beef and Tomaters

You'd never know it by looking at her, but Giada sure does like her mayonnaise. From the way these recipes are portioned, she must slather an inch of mayo on everything she touches.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Basil-Curry Mayonnaise (pg 109) was a snap to make. Crush cumin and coriander seeds, then toast them. Make a paste of garlic and salt, then add the spices and some oil and stir until smooth. Smear it all over the meat. I used a modest eye round roast instead of a tenderloin. I roasted it for a few minutes less than Giada says, because mine weighed a bit less than specified, and it cooked to a perfect medium rare.

She pairs the meat with mayo mixed with mascarpone, curry, smoked paprika, and fresh basil. The recipe, as written, would produce well over a cup of mayo. I made an eighth of the recipe, and it's more than I will ever use.

There are too many round things on this plate.

I prefer the meat without the mayo. On its own, just with the spice rub, this beef was delicious. Spicy and garlicky and salty. The mayo tasted mostly of curry. Didn't love it and I didn't think it improved the meat. That said, I could see it being a nice component of a sandwich with cold leftovers.

Conclusion: The meat gets a solid, resounding "like." As I said, I don't like the mayo, but the meat itself is good enough that I won't let it detract from my rating.

To go with the beef, I made Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic, Gorgonzola, and Herbs (pg 155). I substituted feta for the gorgonzola because I had half a cake of it in the fridge. I think gorgonzola, with its stronger flavor, would work better.

Halve and seed a tomato. Roll the tomato halves around in oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix the cheese and bread crumbs together, then fill the tomato and bake.

Conclusion: Just okay, but I reserve the right to adjust that ruling when I try it with gorgonzola. There was nothing especially remarkable about this, but it would be a good use of overflow tomatoes if your plants have run amok and you don't know what else to do with them.