That's the goal. I think the filling should be pretty easy to nail except for the color, which I found out comes from a metric fuck ton of nitrate salt. Maybe I'll just use Sriracha instead. Also I have the same problem with bao that you do. I can't order them at restaurants because I get them, devour them, get my entree and wish that I had more bao isntead. I have done in the past, I'm not opposed to the idea. The gruyere is an inspired touch, maybe I'll go that route. What white cheese goes with prosciutto other than fresh mozz? Definitely doing more than two ingredients though, I'm feeling decadent. Booze has already been covered or I would have been the first one to suggest the bubbly. I'm learning to stay in my wheelhouse and not over prepare for things. There is a certain amount of grace in allowing other people to host I think.Do what works and iterate until you nail it.
goat cheese
Different takes on traditional white cheeses are Beecher's Flagship, and Cougar Gold. Both are deeeeee-lish, local, and enough different from store-bought mass-produced cheesefoodproduct, that you'll feel like a white-cheese-eating toff. And supporting local producers.
The fact that there's a Beecher's in SeaTac reinforces that being my favorite continental airport to-date.
Mee Sum does four or five different fillings and they're all bomb.com. One of them is basically stewed pork in sweet and sour sauce. The color comes from FD&C Red. One of them is curry chicken. It's fuckin' curry chicken. One of them is beef stew. It could be goddamn Dinty Moore. I think their success comes from (A) the fact that they're softball big so you can get a proper amount of filling in (B) they do egg wash on the outside, and also some butter type stuff, and definitely sugar, and I'm not sure what else but by howdy they sweat the tops (C) the pastry is light. Hawaiian roll light. Hawaiian roll sweet, too, which allows you to contrast the filling. I've done prosciutto in omelets and I gotta say I'd rather saute some black forest ham. It isn't as salty. But goat cheese goes with prosciutto, mozz goes with prosciutto, an aged cheddar goes with prosciutto, havarti sure as shit goes with prosciutto, iberico goes with prosciutto. I mean, it's basically pretense bacon once you cook it.