Sunday, August 22, 2010

A Dessert Amuse-Bouche?

Can a free, chef's favorite dessert after dinner still be considered an amuse-bouche?

When leaving, of all places, a pizza place, my wife was given a styrofoam container. The person said that the cook of the house considered it her specialty and she was giving it to us for free.

It was rice pudding.  My wife reports the pudding was fine, but it left me wondering.  Is that still an amuse-bouche?

I looked up definitions and the "amuse" part is a reference to a starter or something to amuse your mouth before dinner. YourDictionary.com defines it as "a small, savory portion of food served before a meal, typically without charge at restaurants."

That definition fits in every way but the "before" part so I'll decisively say that rice pudding given by the restaurant afterward is still an amuse-bouche.  Care to disagree?

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