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Young & HungryIf you can't take the heat, get outta the kitchen! |
| 29 January |
It was purely by chance that this cake made it into my kitchen. I am not particularly enthusiastic about gingerbread, nor do I tend to make desserts that do not contain any trace of chocolate. I am enthused, however, that my guest of honor who is a fan of both gingerbread and fruit desserts inspired me to bake this upside-down cake. It. Was. Delicious. And pretty! And really not all that bad for you! So if you find yourself in the company of one of those people who doesn’t keep an emergency stash of cocoa products in their purse, car, and desk or if you just feel like taking a bite on the other side, try this cake. I promise even the worst chocoholic won’t be disappointed.
| 14 October |
Not too long ago, one of the girls at work brought in Browned Butter Cookies. Have you ever had browned butter? It’s amazing. While I noticed the flavors are much more intense when used as a sauce, how could I not try to incorporate this deliciously nutty transformation of an everyday staple into baked goods! And so my quest for a Browned Butter Cake began.
Upon googling brown(ed) butter cake I was presented with a myriad of recipes for Hazelnut Browned Butter Cake. Surprised at how common this relatively specific cake was I decided to go for the one recipe that opted for almonds instead. Sorry hazelnut. Why is it that all the cakes containing browned butter also contain nuts? I don’t know exactly, but imagine that it brings out the aforementioned nutty flavors of the butter. When you taste this cake you’ll see what I mean. It has flavors quite unique from anything you’ve had before. The recipe, too, is quite unique. It contains no trace leavening agent, powdered sugar instead of the usual white, hardly any flour, and meringue?! Crazy, I know.
| 4 October |
Candlelight, wine, music and location can all work together to set a romantic scene, but there are other things at play. Fantastical, classical, magical, all definite words per Sir Webster, so what enables the common Joe to take such a literary license and add letters to the traditional term romantic. Many will say there is no excuse for such a grammatical error you egotistical dim-witted dupe. It is because of people like you that words like “irregardless” are now mainstream. Look it up. While listed in the dictionary, per widespread use in everyday speech, it will still ring incorrect by your ever faithful spell check. Alas, I think Webster was a romantic and anything or anyone that can surpass the low expectations we’ve come to accept from the word is permitted, with proper execution, to use it in its heightened idealized romantic-al form.
What makes this bread pudding oh so romantic-al you ask? I think there are a number of attributes generally associated with more romantic or umm seductive foods. There’s texture, smooth, dense and creamy. The bread pudding, with the addition of ice cream, is all of these things. There’s quality, decadent and rich. Check. And then there are external qualifiers including but not limited to size and presentation, the aforementioned setting and the company being kept. The thought that goes behind the choice of recipe is key and if it’s in accordance with the other person’s tastes. Additionally, is it in accordance with the rest of the meal or did you just consume ½ lb of bread in one sitting? While you might feel quite satisfied after the consumption of breadsticks, a pizza and bread pudding I doubt you’re feeling very romantic, much less romantic-al.
| 10 September |
If you don’t like scallops, I don’t like you. I mean not really, but you do lose major cool points in my book of judgment and ridicule. Scallops, although still bottom feeders, are superior to their friends The Oyster and Mr. Muscle. Yes, they consist mostly of an abductor muscle, which is the delicious part you eat, but I was surprised and slightly disgusted to learn that scallops also have eyes to help detect light and motion and can be hermaphrodites, consisting of both sexes at the same time or switching sexes mid-life. Now that sounds like a crisis. Luckily for the scallop, they are notably one of the prettier of the species, having very symmetrical shells that are musical as well as functional when on a daily swim or escaping predators on the prowl.
Outside of the physical realm, scallops are associated with Saint James and fertility. Going forward one might take special consideration of the occasion for which they are making scallops, being the apparent symbol of fruitfulness that they are. Perhaps had I paid more attention to mythology or art in my time abroad I would have remembered that in The Birth of Venus, the Roman Goddess of fertility and love, was in fact on a lovely half-shell or scallop shell. Upon further investigation one learns that the Greek Goddess Aphrodite was also carried to Earth in the shell of a scallop thus earning the scallop its reputation as an aphrodisiac.
| 25 June |
I’m preparing to go out of town so I’m going to make this short and extra sweet. Here’s a quick and easy dessert to tide you over through the weekend while Katy and I are up in NYC eating and sampling and did I mention eating our way through the city. In case you’re full from dinner and debating if this dessert is necessary it is! Dessert is always necessary.
The inspiration behind this Icebox Cake came from none other than Magnolia Bakery. Yes, I do know that every post you read on Icebox Cake alludes to the same legendary cupcake shop, but you can’t judge until you’ve had a slice. It’s amazing! Thank you NY friends for making the introduction and sharing a Mint Chocolate piece of so that I did not have to eat it all by my lonesome. Wait – I take that back.
Tagging onto this post, we plan to document our culinary adventures through the city. There is never, ever enough time to sample all of the amazing restaurants, candy shops, street carts, and frozen yogurt places that the city has to offer, but I promise that we will try our best.
Many colorful culinary recaps to come as we return home on Monday and, until then, happy eating.
Terrible Pic I Know...
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