Not Happening

At first the ingredients sold me on the dish. The pieces were solid, all strong swimmers, yet as a team they simply could not come together. The dish, as planned, was pumpernickel gnocchi with pastrami Bolognese, and crispy cabbage. The cabbage is great, crisp and fragile, seasoned with yellow mustard and an incredible garnish. The gnocchi are delicate and tender, rich with the flavor of pumpernickel. They are glazed in a light yellow mustard sauce spiked with parsley. The Bolognese, oh that pastrami bolognese, how I adore its flavor. The shavings of cheese accent individual bites and add a bit of gaminess and creaminess to round things out. Together the dish is tasty. Still, it does not quite succeed. There are too many strong flavors fighting for the spotlight. The gnocchi will find a home elsewhere as will the cabbage crisps and the Bolognese. In fact, the flavors we have brought together here will be rejoined someday soon with a few modifications and adjustments to balance out the flavors and fulfill its potential.