Olive and Blue Cheese Straws inspired by Mistress of Rome

These easily made little pastries stuffed with Blue Cheese and Kalamata Olives are a perfect addition to a charcuterie board or served all by themselves with a cocktail or glass of wine.

I was inspired to make them after reading Mistress of Rome.......

I had recently read The Huntress by Kate Quinn and loved the novel so much that I quickly ordered up 2 others by her to listen to as I resume my walks.  The first is Mistress of Rome and the second, that I have not listened to yet, is Daughters of Rome.

Let me start by saying that this book is nothing like The Huntress which was set following World War II.  The setting for these novels are Ancient Rome, specifically the Emperor's Residences.  We have all heard the history of Ancient Rome.....the abuse of power, the mistreatment of slaves, the gladiator games, the sex orgies, the corruption.

This novel goes behind the scenes and is told in 3 personal accounts....Thea, a Jewish Slave who is smart, strong, cunning and determined.  She is also beautiful and gets a lot of notice from the rich and famous that she serves....but none so much as the Emperor.

Lepida....the spoiled rich girl who first owns Thea and will do anything to get herself a place of prominence in society.

Arius the slave who is Rome's most cunning and celebrated Gladiator. 

These lives intertwine throughout the years and the story unfolds in manner that kept my interest even while I wasn't sure about the writing style.  My friend, Cam, calls this type of writing as a "Bodice Ripper".  My friend, Sue, would describe it as an "S and F" book.  

While all of that bodice ripping and S-ing and F-ing may not have been necessary.  I do know that the behavior described was pretty factual in Ancient Rome as it was here in the USA during the time of Slavery.  

All in all, I ended up liking this book.  As I listened to the story I noted a lot of food mentions....roasted dormice, peacocks and flamingo, pickled lark's tongue.  None of which I was going to make.  But there was also mention of honey glazed pork and oysters and pastries and breads stuffed with olives.

I decided to stuff my pastry with Blue Cheese and Kalamata Olives for this review that I am sharing over at Foodies Read.  Stop by and see what the other Foodies are reading this month.

Yield: 12 straws

Author: Wendy Klik

Olive and Blue Cheese Straws

These easily made little pastries stuffed with Blue Cheese and Kalamata Olives are a perfect addition to a charcuterie board or served all by themselves with a cocktail or glass of wine.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed per package directions
• 1 egg + 1 t. water
• 3 oz. crumbled blue cheese
• 8-10 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

Instructions

1. Roll out the puffed pastry into a rectangle approximately 12x30".
2. Whisk together the egg and water. Lightly brush onto the puff pastry.
3. With the short side towards you, sprinkle the bottom half of the rectangle with the blue cheese and olives. Fold the top half over the bottom half and press with the rolling pin to seal the ingredients inside the pastry.
4. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife trim the edges of the pastry so they are even. Then cut into 12 equal slices and place onto a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment or a silicone mat.
5. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and then bake in a preheated 375* oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

141.87

Fat (grams)

10.27 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3.35 g

Carbs (grams)

9.5 g

Fiber (grams)

0.41 g

Net carbs

9.09 g

Sugar (grams)

0.21 g

Protein (grams)

3.04 g

Sodium (milligrams)

179.23 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

5.32 mg

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