Joan wrote:

> I was watching UKTV Food a few days ago and saw a French chef create a
> serving cup made from Parmesan Cheese. It was used for an entree.
>
> He used a hot frying pan and sprinkled it liberally with shredded
> parmesan, leaving the cheese more lightly sprinked toward the edges. He
> then put the pan in an oven for a few minutes.
>
> When it came out of the oven he quickly slipped the cheese onto an
> upturned item - a small flat bottomed round container. The cheese set
> crisp and was used as the serving container for a pasta entree. Not
> dissimilar to chocolate serving cups for desserts.
>
> Can anyone shed any more details on the procedure?
>
> It might have been the show "Cooking School Stories", but it might have
> been another show.

Although it isn't French (unless you REALLY stretch your imagination), the
technique was shown on the "Say Cheese!" episode of Good Eats. Here's a link
to the recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._28892,00.html

What the recipe doesn't mention (though the show did) is that when the
cheese is removed from the oven, it's pliable for a short period of time,
and you can mold it in those few moments. To do what you want, I'd sprinkle
Parmesan cheese onto a Silpat on a sheet pan, bake it until it begins to
turn color, then quickly remove the Silpat from the pan, drape it over an
upturned bowl, and peel the Silpat off the cheese. You'll probably only have
about fifteen to twenty seconds between the time it leaves the oven and the
time it's hardened, so you'll have to work quickly.

Good luck!

Bob