Sass & Veracity

Chocolate Valentino Cake with Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

As the morning unfolds on this the day of the February Daring Baker's reveal, I'm proud to say I finished my challenge a few weeks ago, which could imply that this post was written and ready to auto publish at midnight.  But no.  I guess that with respect to me, it is possible to be too organized.  Best laid plans, right?

So here I am on my oldest son's thirtieth birthday (shhhhh.....) writing about chocolate cake and strawberry banana ice cream, which, now that I think of it is incredibly appropriate since the chocolate cake I'm thinking of is flourless and my son's food allergies and celiac's issues make it a perfect birthday cake.  Unfortunately, he's not supposed to eat dairy products, either, so the ice cream is a rude accompaniment, packed full of heavy cream and milk. But he doesn't care at this point, and a mother can't exactly tell her thirty-year-old how to live his life. Actually, she can, but I wouldn't be that mother, choosing instead to enjoy my son's company whenever I can and hoping that some day, he'll take his health issues seriously.

This February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef who have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

Clearly I chose to have some fun with my ice cream.  I couldn't resist the idea of coming up with flavors that remind me of a banana split.

Mama Mia! Greek Night In

There's a Greek bistro not too far from where I live called Apollonia.  It rates as one of the casual places I've enjoyed locally whose food has had me thinking about it long after I've eaten there.  Maybe it's because I don't eat Greek food very often, and so my weary taste buds long for something unique.  Or, it could be that the food is just plain delicious.

Valentine's week (and I have to call it that since my husband treated me to days of lovely surprises) one of my gifts was dinner at Apollonia.  Ohhh, the hummos and the dolmathakia.  The spanakopita and tyropita.  The souvlaki.

Sheer heaven.

Clearly, there was a Greek dinner in the works for us at home after this, and I decided that since the Academy Awards was rapidly approaching, I'd spend the day in the kitchen cooking and watching what my husband calls my "pre-game show" of all things Oscars:  gowns and botox lips, padded rumps and tatooed eyeliner.  You've got to love Hollywood at least once a year.

No sooner had I begun the prepping than my oldest son called to ask what we were doing.
"Watching the Oscars and eating Greek food.  Why?"  I asked.
"Because I'm coming over," he told me and with a quick "See Yah," he hung up leaving me with my list of what to chop when and Mama Mia running through my mind.  Not the movie -- the song.  Well, actually, both.

The connection?  My son is a huge ABBA fan and my husband and I are pretty sappy over the movie, too.  I know.  You can think what you will, but since I was actually around when ABBA's songs routinely blasted from my car radio, I can be sappy about them if I want.  Besides, who can resist the amazing cerulean water in the film and seriously hunky Pierce Brosnan belting out, "So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me...SOS...The love you gave me nothing else can save me SOS!" to an I want to look like that when I'm 60 Meryl Streep.

Ahhhh....

I see a Greek island vacation in my future. 

But in the meantime, I'll settle for homemade hummus, Briami, and Chicken Souvlaki from Peter of Kalofagas.  With ABBA, of course, and this does involve a bit of dancing barefoot without warning.

I've been singing ABBA tunes all day every day for weeks.  In the car, at the grocery store...

Mama Mia.  Here we go again...

I just need a sailboat.

Sliders and Bratwurst are Quick Game Day Food

It's Friday, and much of the food world seems to be focused on one thing:  Super Bowl food. Okay, so maybe not, but I had to start this somewhere, right? Maybe it would be more accurate to say 50% of us use it as an excuse to have a party. What would game day be like without food?  We have to have something to munch on while watching those commercials! 

This year, we have no plans to attend or host anything *yes*, but the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals just might make it a good game for a change. Too often, it's not entertaining in my opinion, so food helps make it an occasion -- and not a fancy one with a lot of prep.  We go easy on the appetizers -- chips, salsa and guacamole -- have a meal at half-time.

It's casual meal usually of chili or ribs.  But it could be this instead: a spin on traditional stadium food, and which can be put out allowing people to graze at their leisure.

Southwest Sliders in honor of the Cardinals...

 

...and Bratwurst Dogs with Peppers & Onions in honor of the Steelers.  

I'm not sure who I'm pulling for, but I am a Zonie by birth.  ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

Spicy Game Day Chili Beans

Having been a resident of San Diego for so many years, it's impossible not to get caught up in our Chargers even though there always seems to be just as many fans in the stadium for the opposing team as there are Chargers fans.  Lots of people who grew up elsewhere find their way here because of the weather and they rarely leave, but manage to hang on to their old teams enough to drive the rest of us crazy.  Inevitably, a comment is shouted about something to the effect of, "If you're loving your blinking bleebs so much, then why don't you go back to where you came from..." when the visitors are winning, and their San Diego fans are loudly proclaiming their superiority on the field.  Ah, the joys of being sports fans!

Being married to the most intense sports fan you'd ever imagine has helped me understand more about football than I'd have ever known otherwise.  Unfortunately, he's more of a cup-half-empty guy when it comes to sports, and suffers from knowing way too much -- using all the statistics he naturally holds in his brain to calculate possibilities for their athletic demise.   It's a sight to behold, watching his intensity each week, often standing in front of the television with his arms crossed instead of slouched in a chair with a beer.

He's not much of a beer guy.  He likes Coke -- and hot tea.

But he'll be at the game today, so I'll be home with our 16-year-old, cheering for our team with my usual it's not over 'till the fat lady sings attitude when it comes to our Chargers.  And no....I'm not planning on being the singing fat lady.

To spice things up a bit, I happen to have a bet going with a foodie friend Peter over at Kalofagas regarding the outcome of this game today.  His pick is Indy, and I'm saying no way on that one.  The Chargers are going all the way.  They're so due.  Over due.  Peter and I have agreed that should out team lose, we must admit our defeat, worship the winning team, and celebrate the winning city.  I sure hope he's studying about San Diego right now, because he's going to have a lot to write about. 

But now for some real spice.

How about a big ol' pot o' chili for the game?

 

10 Best List of 2008: One Foodie's Reflection

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions -- I never have been.  But I do reflect in a somewhat obsessive compulsive manner, so it's fitting to sift through all that's happened in a year's time to take stock.  It helps lighten the load a bit, and allows me to focus more on what matters.

If you've been a visitor to this site for a while, then you know I have another blog as well -- one that has nothing to do with food.  Can you even imagine?  Unfortunately, in the past many months as I've become more and more involved here, the place I go to write about whatever crosses my mind on any given day has begun to collect dust.

This is not good.

When I began blogging, it was to write.  To be accurate, it was also to share my opinions.  The two work quite nicely in my opinion, and not because I feel my opinions are all that important.  After all, I'm no one, but I do tire of having a head full of issues I need to work through.  Some people meditate, or jog.  I write.  Of course, it would be grand if writing burned calories like jogging does, but I digress.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I began, but I immediately loved being able to get some things off my chest from time to time.  Actually -- nearly daily.  As someone who has kept a notebook for many years, and who has enjoyed writing's cathartic effect, blogging was perfect and quickly became so much more than writing.  I've learned more about technology, and web design, software, and surprisingly, photography -- something I've always been interested in but rarely had time for.  The completely unexpected gain has been the interaction with people I've met along the way. 

When it became clear that my passion for cooking and food in general wouldn't fit into my writing world, this blog was born.  It, too, has taken on a life of its own quite different from what I first intended, but it's been at the expense of the other.

If you're someone who also lives in the world of all things gloriously food, then you know about the time and energy that goes into a food blog if it's done well, and I'm still learning how to do that.  It's truly amazing, and somehow,  I've turned it into a job.  It's work I enjoy, thankfully, but so is writing, and the struggle ahead of me is sorting out how to have both -- you know, in the best spirit of, "Ask and ye shall receive," or something like that.

Something's got to give, and I haven't figured it out yet, but I will.  I love thinking about food, shopping for food, cooking it, eating it, and photographing it.  I do not, however, enjoy writing about it the way I enjoy writing in general.  What a dilemma.

In the mean time, here's the sifting I've done for 2008 in all things related to food.  As I scan the list, I guess this means I'm a baker more than anything else.  Interesting, because I prefer savory cooking much, much more. 

1)  Best Dessert:  Brown Butter Ice Cream with Salted Almond Brittle and Pound Cake.  No contest.  What is it about brown butter?  I'm still thinking a nice drizzle of caramel would make it perfect.

2)  Best Meal:  Grilled Rib-Eyes with Tomatoes & Kalamatas.  Easy, quick, flavorful, and completely satisfying.  And yes, broiling the steak instead of grilling it works just perfectly!  Of course the tomatoes and olives would be perfect on chicken, fish, toasted bread....with a giant spoon all by itself.

3)  Best New Ingredient: I had absolutely no idea that pomegranate would be lovely in food.  Nothing like being born yesterday, right?  Until this fall, I hadn't used it in any recipe that involved cooking, except salad, and that doesn't quite count.  This Warm Spinach Salad is amazing even without the bacon.

4)  Best New Gadget:  Chef'n Palm Peeler.  Nothing new fangled, but oh so simple -- and sharp!  Makes peeling butternut squash a complete breeze compared to my more traditional looking peeler.  Who knew?  It fits around your finger and in the palm of your hand.

5)  Best Kitchen Tool Period: No question.  My Kitchen Aid, Big Bertha, is going strong at about nine years of age and counting.  No flames on her sides, but she smokes regularly.  I wouldn't trade her for anything, but do occasionally do without her (use bowl, wooden spoon, and elbow grease...) to keep myself humble.  If you don't have one yet, start saving.  It's worth it -- especially when you're making a meringue, or get crazy and put together some homemade Moon Pies.  Now, if I only had an extra mixing bowl...

6)  Best New Cookbook in my Collection: I thoroughly used Rick Bayless inside and out this year trying nearly 20 recipes -- a new record.  He should feel pretty worked over, don't you think?  If you think you know what Mexican food is, think again.  And his Bread Pudding?  Heavenly. 

 

7)  Best Cyber Bakefest:  If you'd told me two years ago that I could bake with friends who lived across the country, or in other countries, I'd have thought you were a loon.  But when we do get together with the help of Skype, we make amazing food.  Garlic Cheese Rolls anyone?  My, oh my!

8)  Best Never Posted Recipe:   I'll have to figure out why things like this never make it to "publish" because this recipe was completely delicious (erm...the photos suck?).  The recipe for Pan-Seared Scallops with Champagne Grapes and Almonds can be found at Noble Pig along with many, many other delicious recipes.  There's nothing quite like her wit!

9)  Best New Cooking Ah-Ha: Making bread.  Not a novel concept, I know, and it's not that I didn't know how, I just know better.  Between Zoe of Zoe Bakes, Susan of Wild Yeast, and Mary of The Sour Dough, the knowledge I've gained from these amazing bakers has helped me experiment with yeast more than ever.  Thanks!  If you missed my Bacon 3-Cheese Mother Loaf, you missed a lot.

 

10)  Best Home Sous Chef & Taster:  The resident hunkster, of course.  All I have to do is point him in the direction of a recipe.  He can pull it together from start to finish if I need him to when I'm a tad over-planned.  And yes, he also barbeques in the rain.

 
Bonus:  Best aspect of blogging?  Those of you who take the time to visit and say hello -- like Meg of Megan's Munchies who just gave me a Lovely Blog award.  Thanks, Meg!  So many of you are much better at keeping up with your visits than I am, and I constantly find myself vowing to improve. 

That sounds a bit like a resolution, doesn't it? 

Happy New Year to you all!

In the next few weeks, I'm doing some admin work on this site shifting it to my own domain, so there are bound to be glitches.  Thank you ahead of time for your patience!

Mocha Toffee Bars

As I look outside my window, I find it difficult to believe that it is December 1st.  It was nearly 70 degrees outside today, the sky perfectly clear, and as always, the trees leafy and green.  It never ceases to amaze me, but in the many years I've lived in San Diego, it's more the norm than not, and the holidays come in spite of our near perfect weather.

This year, to celebrate this special time of year, I've joined Andrea of Andrea's Recipes and others to spend the next 12 days baking up a cookie storm with Gourmet's Favorite Cookie Recipes from 1941-2008.

We didn't decide who was making what on which day, and we have absolutely no rules other than sampling Gourmet's selection and sharing our cookies daily.  But you can count on me to let you know what I think since cookies have changed a bit in 70 years -- especially the directions!

Let me introduce you to my fellow cookie makers:
Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen, Sandy of At the Baker's Bench, Courtney of Coco Cooks, Judy of No Fear Entertaining, Ben of What's Cooking? and Jerry of Cooking by the Seat of My Pants.

I'm starting my baking off with a fairly quick and easy bar cookie from the era of big hair and disco -- the 1980s:  Mocha Toffee Bars. 

Cheesecake Two Ways: Easy and Delicious

Yesterday was my birthday which means quite a bit to most people, but for me, most of my life, it's just been a day.  Last night before we called it a night, my husband asked if I'd had a good one, and of course I said yes, because it was a pleasant and relaxing.  The sun was out early, and a strong breeze had the trees rustling early in the morning, which is unusual.  It was beautiful outside.

My youngest son is back in school, so the house was more quiet than it normally is. I was able to settle in and pay bills (w00000000000000t!), give myself a facial (not as big a deal as one might think and something I do about once every other week), and treat myself to some time with my alter ego in reflection of what I think is important in life.  Sounds like a good day to me.

My husband and I are the oldest in our families, and although we're very different people, we both agree that we aren't the hooplah type of people when it comes to birthdays -- our own, that is.  Mine obviously falls at the start of school, so most of my life, I was so preoccupied with that, it overshadowed becoming another year older and the day just came and went.  And really, I've never cared.  Sure I've had birthday cakes, and yes, candles.  I didn't say people didn't celebrate for me!  But I've never enjoyed the attention, having to learn to not be embarrassed about it all.

My mother made a cheesecake for my birthday for many years.  She knew it was a favorite, and still is.  So it seemed a good thing to share a couple of new recipes with you just in case you need another one -- or two!  Both are very easy, and travel well.  Actually, they were chosen for that reason since I recently was asked by a good friend if I'd mind making dessert for a large barbeque she was hosting.

Cheesecake for 50?  Sure.  No problem...

BBQ Beef Sandwiches with Bacon Cheese Slaw

Nothing like a little blogging break, huh?  It wasn't planned, exactly, but the combination of finally moving my Mac back up to the office from where it sat for a few weeks on the kitchen counter, and a very busy weekend left me completely not interested in climbing the stairs to even check email for the past few days. 

We celebrated my middle son's birthday last Thursday, then went to the races at Del Mar with my mother and father-in-law for a belated Father's Day present.  Although we make it to the races at least once each year, we'd never made reservations at one of the restaurants in the grand stand so really enjoyed having someone take our orders for drinks and food.  Plus, my husband won big twice (pigs must have been flying that day...) so that made things even better.  Saturday we met friends for dinner downtown and then enjoyed the Summer Pops at the embarcadero -- courtesy of a client who couldn't make it that evening.  We were so busy talking on our walk from the restaurant to the performance, we sort of got lost, and had to hire a couple of those bicycle taxis to get us back on track.  Fun, but too much money.  I don't know how those guys stay in business.  Finally, Sunday, I made a bon voyage dinner for a niece who is leaving for college this week.  She's an amazing softball player who was recruited by Notre Dame and has a full scholarship. Talk about the best kind of pay off for a mom and dad who have devoted all their family's time to softball for the last 13 years.  Wow.

In spite of the fun, I'm whipped.  So whipped in fact, that when I sat down at my Mac yesterday, I only made it past uploading the photos (and dumping nearly 700 from my files...) and chose instead to head out to my patio where I raked and trimmed, then planted for most of the day.  The sun was out, a beautiful breeze kept everything from getting too hot, and I was able to unwind.  Fun is not supposed to make you tired is it?  There's just something wrong with that. 

So yesterday, we had leftovers for dinner. Talk about perfect!  There was enough of the BBQ Beef & Slaw to have another round of sandwiches.  I love Sunday leftovers for Monday dinner because there's no mess, and most of the time, the food can be even more tasty after sitting in the fridge for a night.  This is a great meal for outdoor get togethers, tail gate parties if you're a football fan, or just dinner with family, because this is slow cooking at its best, and serious comfort food.  Much of it can be made ahead of time, so it's also excellent when you want to make like *insert current kitchen idol here*  and have everything perfect when your guests arrive.  Of course, that would not be me.  Ever.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches:  Slow Cooked Chuck with Bacon Cheese Slaw

About two hours before the meat goes into the oven, make the spice rub first.

For the spice rub...

1  c. dark brown sugar                                             
2 T ground ancho chile*                                             
  2 T ground California chile*                                             
  1 T Old Bay seasoning                                             
  1-1/2 tsp. paprika                                             
  1 tsp. coarse kosher salt                                             
  1 tsp. ground allspice                                             
  1 tsp. ground coriander                                             
  1 tsp. ground cumin



*Slice open 4 dried ancho chilis and 4 dried California chilis, trim off the tops, and discard with the seeds.  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot, then press dried chilis on the surface of the pan just until you smell the chili, or hear a snapping, then flip and do the same.  This should take only a  few seconds on each side.  With the processor running, and keeping the two kinds of chili separate, drop the chilis into the processor and run, pulsing occasionally, until well-ground.  This takes about 5 minutes of continuous running.  Empty into a small container and set aside.  You should have about 8 T of ancho chilis.  Wipe out the bowl of the processor and repeat with the California chilis. The pieces will not grind as small as with the ancho chilis, and more pulsing will be necessary. You will have about 2 T of California chilis, depending on the size of the chilis you used.

Measure out all ingredients into a container that can be sealed and mix well. Set aside.

For the Beef...

2    3-lb chuck roasts

Salt and pepper all sides of both roasts, then sprinkle 2 T over each side and rub in.  Cover well, and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes, but not more than 2 hours.  While the meat is sitting, prepare the braising liquid.



For the braising liquid...

3  c. dark brown sugar                                             
1 c. white vinegar
1 c. unfiltered apple juice
1  c. beef broth                                             
2 lg. celery stalks, chopped                                             
2 med. onions, chopped                                             
1-1/2 c. chopped cilantro                                             
3 garlic cloves, chopped                                             
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

Add all ingredients to a large pitcher and set aside until ready pour over meat.

 

Now make the barbeque sauce.
                            
For the Barbeque Sauce...
                                                

4 T ground ancho chiles (see above) steeped in 1 cup hot water 30 minutes                                             
2 c. water
6 T pomegranate syrup or glaze
1-1/2 c. dark brown sugar                                             
3/4 c. unsweetened pineapple juice                                             
1/2 c. light molasses                                             
12 oz. tomato paste

Put 1 cup water in the microwave to heat for 1 minute and drop 4 T of the ground ancho chilis into it to steep for 30 minutes.  Mix all other ingredients in a medium-sized sauce pan and set aside until the chili has had time to flavor the water.  Add the chili water to the pan, and stir well, heating over medium-high heat until the brown sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to low, keeping at a simmer until it is reduced to about 5 cups, about 15-20 minutes.  Add 4 T of the reserved spice rub, and simmer 10 minutes more, checking occasionally.  Add salt and pepper to taste, or more spice rub depending on you preferences.  Set aside.



Now roast the beef.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and position a rack in the lower third of the oven.

In a roasting pan large enough to sit the roasts side by side, pour 2 T olive oil, and on the stove top, brown each roast on all sides until golden, about 4 minutes for each side.  Don't forget the sides.  When the roasts are brown, give the braising liquid a stir to make sure the sugar has dissolved and pour over the roasts.  Cover the roasting pan completely with foil and roast for 2 hours.  After 2 hours is up, flip the roasts (they will already be very tender...) replace the foil, and roast for 2 more hours until meat falls into shreds when poked.  Cool uncovered in the braising liquid for up to 1 hour.

Now make the crunchy slaw and the corn.

For the Crunchy Slaw...

                                                               
8 bacon slices, cooked and chopped                                             
3/4 c. Ranch Dressing                                             
2 T red wine vinegar                                             
1  T honey
3/4 medium head green cabbage, shredded
1 yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
1 orange pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 head radicchio, shredded
1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese

In a large bowl, mix the cabbage, peppers, and radicchio.  Sprinkle bacon and blue cheese over.  In a small jar, add the Ranch Dressing, vinegar, and honey, put the lid on it and shake well.  Pour over the slaw and mix well.   Set aside.

For the Corn...

kernels scraped from 6 ears of corn
3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
2 T olive oil
3 T cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1 lime
salt & pepper

Heat a clean, dry cast iron skillet, over medium heat.  When it is hot, add the corn.  Let it sit until it is really sizzling, and stir from time to time making sure it's browning nicely, but isn't burning. Pour over the olive oil and stir, then add the lime juice, stirring again.  Toss in the cilantro, and season.  Set aside.



Now prepare the beef for the sandwiches.

Remove roasts from the liquid and place in a large sauce pan, shredding it into small pieces.  Then, pour the braising liquid into a food processor and process until smooth.  Pour into the pan of shredded beef and add 2-1/2 c. of the barbeque sauce to the pan.  Gently mix the ingredients, and heat over a low flame until hot and ready to serve.



Split 12 (or up to 16) hoagie or kaiser style buns -- toast if you want -- and spoon beef mixture over.  Add some of the crunchy slaw over the top.  Serve with the corn on the side, or, if you're curious, over the top of the slaw.  It's crunchy, it's sweet, it's tangy, and it's pretty messy.  But it's very, very good.




Notes: This really sounds quite involved as I went back through it.  But I've laid it out so that it's doable in steps.  For example, I got everything ready, then marked the recipe so my husband could get the roasts in the oven while I went shopping (some time at the nursery to buy plants).  Just make sure to count those hours because they definitely add up in this recipe.  We planned to eat at 6PM, so had the beef out of the fridge around 11 am and in the oven around 1:00.



The original recipe, featured in the September '08 issue of Bon Appetit can be found here.  The changes I made were purely for convenience -- mainly cilantro instead of parsley in the braising liquid, pomegranate glaze with water instead of pomegranate juice, and white vinegar and apple juice instead of cider vinegar.  The briskets I had to choose from were very small, and chuck is a cut of meat I'm very familiar with (8,000 pot roasts...) so knew it would work just fine. 

I ground my own chilis because I had them.  Remember that Mexican Feast we had not too long ago?  Well, I ended up with lots of chilis, so am finding reasons to use them.  You can find ancho and chipotle powder (NOT chili powder...) with some searching, and interestingly enough, Tyler Florence has a recipe for ancho "powder" here, but it's more of a rub.  All the powder should have in it is anchos.

Although I enjoy a good BBQ sandwich, I prefer mine more tart than sweet.  This was very sweet, as in, the entire recipe calls for 2  lbs. of brown sugar if my math is correct.    The flavor is so intense, I didn't mind, but that's because the slaw on this is what makes the sandwich.  You can actually taste that blue cheese, which was really surprising.  The slaw evens out the sweetness -- thankfully. 

Oh, and the Ranch Dressing was used on the slaw because my husband refuses to eat anything with mayonnaise in it.  Don't even get me started with the idea that Ranch Dressing is essentially mayo based.  I know that.  In fact, I've explained it to him, but logic doesn't win on this one.

The skillet corn is something I've been playing around with since spring.  Sometimes I add jalapenos or green onions -- no matter -- it's really delicious.   

Yes, there's dessert, too, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.  That page up there gives you a hint, though...

                            

                         

               

 

                            

Chicken and Mushrooms with Mustardy Cream Sauce

I'm sitting with my first cup of coffee noticing that after yesterday's heavy grey gloom, the sun is actually brightening up my kitchen this morning, the patterns of light and shadows I love to watch definitely posing a distraction.  Today would not be the best day for that.  I promised myself I'd sit down, slam out this post lovingly wax over all things food,  and then get on with the last part of the birthday cake I started last night for my middle son who is older than I'd like to say this early in the morning before I've put my eyebrows on.  Happy Birthday, Ryan! 

He's coming over for dinner tonight, and when I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, he said, "Chocolate with chocolate.  You know, chocolate."  Yes, I know.  Trust me.  He's wanted chocolate cake for his birthday for as long as I can remember, and in all these years, he's probably not had the same chocolate cake twice.  Not once has he complained or said, "Mom.  Can't you just make the cake you made last year?"  He'd never do that.  Neither would his brothers.

I've been lucky like that. 

Not only have I been able to try whatever I've wanted, my boys have developed a open mind about food.  Well, open most of the time.  My middle son still jokes about his older brother's questions about dinner.  His plate would be set in front of him and he'd ask,  "Does it have mushrooms?  Are there bones in it?"  It got to the point where, even when pasta was on the plate, he'd still as those questions.

The answer to those questions today is, "Yes, it has mushrooms.  Lots of them.  And no, it doesn't have bones."

I'm on a quest to remake many of the recipes that are buried in my early archives.  It's not because they aren't good recipes, it's more because the photos are just horrible.  The only problem is, each time I begin to redo one, I change things, so can't exactly redo the photos, right?  The nice surprise is, sometimes, an already great recipe is even better.

Jamie Oliver's "My Old Man's Superb Chicken" is one of those recipes.  The tender chicken wrapped around sauteed mushrooms and herbs, all wrapped in pastry, and enhanced by a creamy mustard sauce is heavenly.  But I didn't feel like messing around with pounding the chicken when it came right down to it, nor was I in the mood to wrap the puff pastry around the stuffed chicken this time.  I went for a deconstructed version, almost deciding to bake the pastry squares and place the chicken on them, but have been avoiding bread at dinner if there is another starch on the plate (my husband is on a diet...).  But who's keeping track that there's heavy cream in that sauce, hmmmm?  I used half-n-half instead and it was perfect.

Add some roasted potatoes, and peas and dinner is served, plates are licked, smiles all 'round.  Mushrooms, no bones, and many, many lovely memories. 

Oh, and if you know anyone who's interested in a  young man who likes to talk, let me know.  He's available. 

I'm just sayin'.

Chocolate Almond Gateau with Almond Praline Buttah-cream

I do have to say that this month's Daring Baker's Challenge was officially the most involved dessert I have ever made.  Okay, so I don't actually keep a tally, but jeez.  And have I actually seen the inside, or tasted it yet?
 

Um, no.

I mentally line up donation options when I complete these challenges so I'm not stuck with all those calories straining to attach themselves to my rear end which is large enough, thank you very much.  Since school's out for the summer and I can't drop it off there, and my mother swears that she can't leave things in the clubhouse of her complex for residents to sample, I donated it ahead of time to my good friend's dinner party. 

When I meet her in the morning at 5:30 for our walk (yawn...), I'll pick up the remnants, listen to her critique, finally get to see the inside, and taste it myself. 

I've made some pretty involved desserts, but goodness.  I knew it was going to be a hum-dinger since I'd just made that Cassata,  but I was determined (since I yet again put this off until the last possible second...) to efficiently work through the entire cake in record time.  Well, record time for me, anyway, because that's always a challenge.  I simply l-a-n-g-u-i-s-h in my kitchen.  I probably would have done it, too, if my Mac hadn't been on the counter.  It is such a distraction.

I will say I must have been concentrating fairly hard, because at some point around noon, I received a few emails, and some Twitter inquires about an earthquake.  Earthquake?  Really?  Sure enough.  After checking USGS, I could see that there had been an earthquake near LA.  I also saw in a news report that it was felt as far south as San Diego.  Huh?

So I emailed my hunkster, and he responded saying that their building had swayed quite a bit, and that he checked USGS minutes later and they had already documented the quake.  He works maybe five miles from our house, and my son and I felt nothing.  Go. figure.

I guess that means my Almond Gateau with Praline Buttercream is quite THE cake.

But wait!  There's more.

I didn't have to make one single trip to the store for this challenge.  Not one.  Well, let me qualify that.  I sort of half-assed and semi-casually scanned the nut aisle at Trader Joe's a week ago knowing that I'd need hazelnuts for this challenge, and didn't see them.  There's no way my regular market has them -- EVER --  and I wasn't in the mood to take on Whole Foods and the inevitable basket full of luscious food I'd have to pay for if I ventured there for hazelnuts.  And I just so happened to have not one, but TWO packages of almond meal in my obsessive-compulsively hoarded stockpile of culinary accoutrements well-stocked cupboard just screaming for attention on this cake.   

And there you have it.  For the Daring Baker's July Challenge recipe, please visit the Hostess with the Mostest, Chris of Mele Cotte.  There you will find that the original recipe from Great Cakes by Carol Walter included hazelnuts and not almonds.

So about those interminable steps for this cake:

The Genoise:  I have never made a genoise like this.  When I saw clarified buttah, I thought, jeez.  And if I wasn't careful I'd have a brown buttah genoise on my hands.  Trust me that I would have used it, too.  It was definitely odd adding that butter to the egg-nutmeal mixture and after pouring it into the cakepan, finding that there was a pool of butter at the bottom of the pan that I wasn't supposed to include.  Sure the directions mentioned that little tidbit of information, but it looked like none of the butter actually mixed into the batter based on the lake-sized pool I saw rippling on the bottom of the bowl.

Interesting.  But the cake rose beautifully.  I'm still wondering what the clarified butter was all about.

The Apricot Glaze:  This would be the step I forgot.  Sure I read the recipe 18 times.  I even had my little jar of peach preserves (no apricot in my cupboard...) sitting on the counter just waiting to be used.  It just didn't happen.  My after-the-fact thinking (big fat excuse...) is that since there would be syrup in every nook and cranny on this cake, the glaze wouldn't be missed.  Right.  I should have realized that making the glaze was first up after the cake came out of the oven. But no.  My brain farted on this one. Loudly.

Sugar Syrup:  Why oh why do they always ask you to make so much, and why do I fall for it every single time?  In fact, why did I not save the syrup I made for the Cassata last week?  And why, I think as I'm pouring it down the drain, do I not check to see how long I can save the left-overs?  You know, in case I want to hop out of bed next month and make another cake that needs a sugar syrup soaker.  I could have parked it next to my 12 bags of frozen egg whites and 2 bags of anchovies.  For later.

Swiss Buttercream:  Okay, so I think I can say that each time I've made buttercream, it's been made a different way.  Who knew there could be so many different ways to make the same thing.  Really.  The nice thing about this recipe is that you get to whip the whites in the mixer a bit before you have to use a whisk over the simmering water.  Those of us who like to whine about our wrists thank the recipe gods for this bit of good fortune because we actually had the wherewithall to hold the camera in one hand while whipping with the other.  Yes.    

Praline Paste:  This took the most time to do.  Hands down.  I should have kept track, but I didn't.  I was cruising until I got to this part.  When I melt sugar, I normally use a small saucepan.  This recipe called for a 10-inch skillet.  Hmmmm....I was worried about all that surface area, but Hey!  Sure enough.  It took a month of Sundays to melt that sugar.  ARG!  I swirled and moved the pan over the low-low heat to keep the progress going.  It took an amazing amount of time.  And keeping with the almond theme, I used blanched almond slivers (yes, I had them...) and it was nearly impossible to mix them up in the melted sugar.  But it finally began to bubble, and I was able to dump the lump pour the praline on a pan to cool.  To make the paste, the processor must have run at least 8-10 minutes.  Seriously.  But in the end, I was rewarded with a shiny looking lump of something remotely resembling hard peanut butter.

Ironically, it wasn't difficult to mix a bit of the Swiss Buttercream into the lump before throwing the whole mess into the bowl to get an interesting looking frosting.  Sort of brown.  With specks.  And surprisingly fluffy.

Whipped Cream:  I decided what the hell and added 2 oz. of softened cream cheese and 1 tsp. of sugar to the whipped cream.  You know.  To give it some substance.

Booze:  Whenever rum, or cointreau, or Gran Mariner, or anything else with alcohol in it was called for in this recipe (and it was seriously called for...) I used Cointreau.  I did leave the extra dose called for in the buttahcream out, though.  At some point, isn't it just overkill?  Just wondering.

Ganache Glaze:  Oh man.  This was a bit different than I remembered, too.  It was more...wet.  It was thick enough.  It spread nicely.  It oozed down the sides just fine.  But it never really dried.  Even after it had been in the fridge.  It was set, but not quite like I thought it might.  And I could see tiny lumps here and there after it had settled.  Picky picky.  The taste was lovely.  Mmmm...chocolate and orange is always nice.

Decorations:  I had to do the white chocolate leaves.  Had to.  It has been so long since I've taken the time to do any kind of decoration, I kind of got carried away.  And the almonds?  Clearly, we like almonds here, because I have all kinds of them around.  Yes, the decoration looks like a poinsettia.  No, that wasn't the idea. In fact, the plan was to make dark chocolate leaves for the entire top, but my chocolate didn't cooperate, so that's why I ended up with white.  And you can't exactly move things around on that ganache which is a complete drag.

When I get the left overs of my cake back (because my friend doesn't want it in her house, either...), I'll let you know what I think of the taste and try to get a photo of a slice.  You'll come back, right?

When pigs fly.  ;)

Addendum:  Okay, so I walked my 3 miles this morning and have retrieved my cake.  The consensus last night at her party was that the cake is surprisingly not too sweet, half the cake was eaten, but they didn't ask for more."    And now that I've tasted it, I'll agree.  I just had a piece for breakfast and I'm loving that I can taste those tiny pieces of almonds.  The praline isn't as strong as I thought it might be -- a good thing -- and the buttercream a pleasant, creamy compliment to the genoise.  Very, very nice.  But no, I don't want another piece right now, either.  I'm quite satisfied.

Don't forget to check out the other 8 trillion Daring Bakers and their Nutty Cakes.  You'll be amazed.