As a child I always liked to play with my food. Actually I didn’t make towers with them, but rather fiddled around with my food. I never felt much like eating nourishing dishes – I’m sure it was due to the fact I basically lived on candy. Who could be hungry with a belly load of sugar?
Now that I don’t drown myself in sweets I enjoy playing, and creating ordinary dishes into visually appealing ones. Constructing high rise towers with food is fun, and makes me feel like a builder and developer like my dad was. He use to build high rise apartments and office buildings, so creating these food structures in some way, helps me relate to him.
Creating towering food structures is quite easy once you get the hang of it. I recommend spraying the inside of your container with a non-stick spray which makes sliding your masterpiece out of the walls that hold it together, a snap. Of course, adding a touch of oil or a vinaigrette to each floor to reinforce your structure is a good idea. This way when you remove the tube that it’s placed in, the building (food) won’t come falling down.
I created this tower as a way to use my Melissa’s Peeled & Steamed Baby Potatoes. However, while I had the potatoes sitting in a colander draining, I totally forgot about them. I kept looking and thinking, “what am I forgetting?” It wasn’t until I sat down to eat my Towering Salad of Tuna Nicoise that I realized I had forgotten to add the potatoes.
Rather than making up a whole new dish, or take the wrecking ball to this structure, I decided to share my photo anyway, and explain to you how I had intended to assemble it.
Oh, and if you’re thinking even for a second that this would never fill you up – think again! This is a huge portion! In fact, I couldn’t finish it.
Use food tubes that can be purchased at SurLaTabe, online , a 15 ounce can that’s been cleaned well (be careful for sharp edges) or PVC pipe that’s been cleaned and cut to size.
Below is my recipe. I’m certain you will find it very easy.
Enjoy!!!
You might also like my Towering Beet Salad.
Note: Remember not to add too much vinaigrette during each step otherwise your salad will be swimming in it. If desired, you could add the vinaigrette prior to stacking in the mold.