herb salad in parmesan cups

I can't take credit for these ingenious parmesan cups, that's all Giada de Laurentis! Still, I was able to pull these off my first go, they're so easy and impressive. You could fill them with anything, but a light herb salad makes a nice counterpoint to the cheese.The one piece of equipment you must have (and may not if you don't cook a lot) is a silicone baking pad (Silpat brand is one).

makes 8

1 8-oz bag shredded parmesan cheese
2 cups arugula
1/4 cup perfect vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay silicone pad on a baking sheet. Make 8, even-sized piles of parmesan on silicone pad. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. While still pliable but not melting, gently remove pieces of cheese from pad with a spatula and lay over an overturned shot glass or other similarly-sized glass and mold around it. Allow to cool and remove from glass, a small cup will have formed.

Toss arugula with vinaigrette and distribute among cups. Serve at room temperature.