Out of work chauffeur

I’ve been on a bit of a Bruce Springsteen kick lately. Well, since 1975 really—when I was a 10-year-old waif and Born to Run hit the airwaves in New York and Bruce was on the cover of Time ("Rock's New Sensation") and Newsweek ("Making of a Rock Star") magazines in the same week. But I played his albums even more than usual when I was preparing for Springsteen on Broadway to be released on Netflix. And I listened to his autobiography Born to Run on CD; I had already read the book when it came out in 2016, but the experience is totally different hearing Bruce read his own story in that voice I grew up with. (Bruce on his own voice: “First of all, I don’t have much of one. I have a bar-man’s power, range and durability, but I don’t have a lot of tonal beauty or finesse.” But it “gets the job done.”).

In the book, Bruce talks about the depression he would usually suffer after the end of a tour. He says that when you come home off the road, the “insane high” of the tour and “the fact that it’s all about you” “stops on a dime and you’re a father and husband but now the kids are driving, so you’re an out of work chauffeur.” That made me laugh and think of the many, many hours I spent driving you all to soccer games and tournaments and music lessons and rehearsals and to and from school, among other things. And now that you’re all grown up, I’m just an out of work chauffeur. Of course, I’m always a father and a husband and never out on the road soaking up the adulation of my millions of fans, so I can laugh about it, instead of being cast into the especially deep depression that Bruce was after finishing up the Wrecking Ball tour. Still, I can be a little wistful about the time we used to spend bonding during all those car rides—even if I don't miss actually driving your asses all over creation.

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Mom and Cassie are big fans of Baked Brie with Honey, which is as simple as appetizers get, but it was boring me so I jazzed it up just a little with apricot preserves and some sliced almonds, which I like better. It also makes for a better-looking presentation if you're serving this for guests.

Baked Brie with Apricot Preserves and Almonds

Time: 15 to 20 minutes

I prefer goat milk Brie, which softens without oozing so much as cow’s milk Brie. I like apricot preserves, but raspberry or fig preserves are good too. You can also substitute chopped pecans or walnuts for the sliced almonds.

a 4.4- to 16-ounce wheel of Brie
apricot preserves (see note)
sliced raw almonds (see note)

    1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 325 degrees. 
    2. Using a sharp knife, slice or scrape off the top rind of the Brie. Place the Brie in a small baking pan or sheet (line with parchment paper first if you like).
    3. Mound the top of the Brie with preserves, covering the entire top surface. Sprinkle sliced almonds evenly over the preserves.
    4. Bake until the Brie is softened and warmed all the way through, but not melted, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the wheel and the type of Brie (goat milk Brie will take longer to soften). Watch carefully.
    5. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to stand for a few minutes before serving. Serve with sliced apples or pears and/or sliced crusty bread or crackers (mild water crackers are especially good with Brie).