swallowfield

first date chocolate cake

we had some friends over for dinner for the first time the other night.  i felt all nervous, and tried to cook a yummy dinner +  set a nice table.  we even vacuumed. the dessert i made was a little bit showy, but hopefully didn't come off as trying too hard to make a nice impression. i decided it was first date cake - you know, the cake that whispers:

she doesn't make this for just anyone, you know...she usually gets thai takeout and stares despondently  at her guests whilst nursing a beer. she even vacuumed and washed her hair for you, folks. i guess she must like you or something.

it's not too hard to make - i love to do it when i'm in the right mood.
almost flourless bittersweet chocolate cake with ground almonds

first date cake:
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup unsalted butter
6 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate
3 Tbsp ground almonds ( I grind them up in the cuisinart)
4 Tbsp flour

beat the sugar and egg yolks in an electric mixer on medium speed until  mixture is pale yellow and silky.   meanwhile, melt chocolate and butter  on low heat.  add egg mixture to  melted chocolate  mixture and let it cook slightly, for maybe two minutes, stirring gently over very low heat.   stir in almonds and flour; remove from heat.  beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  gently fold the egg whites  into the chocolate mixture until just combined - batter will be a lovely pale color + a bit fluffy.  pour the batter into a greased and floured 9 inch round cake pan. if there are lots of air bubbles, tap the pan against the counter to pop them. bake cake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. cool.   once it's completely cooled, invert the cake onto a plate or cake stand.

frosting:
3 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
3 Tbsp regular or decaf coffee
3 Tbsp unsalted butter

melt ingredients together over very low heat, stir until well combined.  immediately pour hot frosting over the cooled cake and spread it around a bit, letting it drip over the sides.  chill  in the fridge for a bit, then for extra oomph-factor, add  a bunch of fresh raspberries  (i used two pints) on the top and sides of the cake.  it's yummy and it looks really lovely, too.

ps: the dinner was fun. i think we'll do it again sometime. :)

johnny sunshine

i'm pretty psyched that it's friday. 

this week i made pita bread, after being inspired by stephanie's. it actually worked, even though i am totally bread-klutzy. i let it rise a good long time, and i think that made all the difference. i often get impatient about how long things take in the kitchen. patience, young jedi.

ellie was super excited to find out that she had a sculpture in the citywide school art show. we went to the opening last night (the picture of blossoms above is from outside city hall.)  i wanted to kiss her art teachers, who were both there beaming and being supportive. i love them, and love that my kids are excited about making art.

i got an old favorite cd out this week. some songs are best listened to when the kids are not sitting in your lap. i still know all the words by heart.

i am enjoying these two artists' work a lot right now:
stehpanie levy
leah giberson
i 'met' them both through etsy recently and am really excited about what they're up to.

enjoy your weekend! i hope it is sunny and lovely where you are.

try it, you'll like it.

we went to a fun outdoor potluck last night, and i made an old standby that is good and easy for almost any crowd - it reminded me that i like posting recipes here from time to time.

::shredded carrot salad::

2 pounds carrots (roughly 10-12 carrots), shredded {i used the grating attachment on my cuisinart}
2-4 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger, to taste
1 bunch scallions, chopped
4 Tbsp sesame oil
4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 Tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted in the oven ahead of time
coarse salt and pepper to taste

mix it all together and serve - it's easy like sunday morning!  it seems to grow more of a bite the longer it marinates, but it is something my kids like, and a lot of the grown ups at the party seemed to like it, too.

here you can see 25 kids playing tug of war at the party, and one responsible adult making sure they did it safely whilst the rest of the parents chatted amongst themselves at the top of the hill. not really, but you know. nicole's good like that.

c o o l

oh, it is hot here. come and have a sip of this.
take some vanilla yogurt, strawberry lemonade, and frozen raspberries, blueberries and mangoes:  whirl it all together in the blender.  it tastes like instant sorbet that you can drink. (which is a good thing on 90+ degree day.)

sacrilicious crepes

when the kids have a sleepover guest, i almost always make crepes in the morning. i've been making them forever and they're universally well liked.
i make them in my blender, because it makes it a perfect consistency and then it's easy to pour the batter right into the pan, but you can do it however you like.

adapted from the joy of cooking:
sift together  (or don't sift, just mix together. in truth, i never sift anything) :

3/4 cup of flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2Tbsp. sugar

mix well:
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

throw it all in the blender on high. lovely smooth batter results in a matter of seconds!

heat up a small frying pan on moderate heat with a scant amount of canola oil.
pour a small amount of batter in and quickly angle the pan to spread it out. flip over once it is lightly browned on the bottom. the second side cooks really quickly.

serve with maple syrup and fruit, or with jam if you prefer.

your children's friends will like you a lot. trust me.
this made nine 6 inch crepes. you might want to double the recipe. they're pretty yummy.

chocolate overload

tonight i'm going to a grown-up party - the kind i don't get to go to very often anymore.  the invitation said '7pm until someone throws up on the coats.' 
my contribution to the food for said party is these ridiculously insane chocolate raspberry  cupcakes  with bittersweet chocolate frosting - the kind of recipe i don't make very often anymore, either - but they're damn tasty. try them sometime. (unless you're a vegan, because the recipe might make your eyes bleed. sorry about that.)

chocolate raspberry cupcakes:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate (i used ghiardelli chocolate chips)
1 cup of water
1 stick plus six tablespoons of butter, softened
4 eggs
2 cups light brown sugar
4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup finely processed pecans or almonds - pureed to fine meal
8 oz frozen raspberries

preheat oven to 350 degrees
line 2 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners
place chocolate and water in a small saucepan and melt on low heat, stirrly until smooth and melted.
mix eggs, sugar and butter in an electric mixer while chocolate is melting.
sift flour and cocoa together, then stir in the nut meal. stir into butter mixture.
add chocolate mixture to the butter mixture.
fold in the frozen raspberries, taking care to make sure they're broken up and evenly dispersed through the batter.
divide batter evenly into pans - there should be enough to have each cup be at least 3/4s full.
bake cupcakes for 40 minutes, or until firm and a toothpick comes out clean.
cool.

bittersweet chocolate frosting:
(adapted from bon appetit, 2/89)
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

mix sugar, egg yolks and corn syrup in a small bowl. bring cream to a simmer in a heavy 3-qt saucepan. add both chocolates and stir over low heat until smooth. remove from heat. stir in butter, then sugar mixture. cook over low heat until mixture registers 165-170 degrees on a candy thermometer, or about 10 minutes. (10 minutes worked for me since i don't have a candy thermometer.) immediately pour mixture into mixing bowl with the egg/sugar mixture. add vanilla. beat the frosting until cool (this took 15 minutes.) put frosting in the fridge to cool further, taking it out every 15 minutes or so to beat with electric mixer for a minute or so.
frost when thick and lighter in color.
makes 24 insanely decadent, heavenly cupcakes.

green curry dipping sauce

i have really been enjoying what seems to be recipe-mania this week. duly bookmarked and ready to try, thank you all for sharing!

in that spirit,  i made a super-easy and rather delicious (if i do say so myself) green curry dipping sauce tonight.

in a food processor, combine the following:
2 Tbsp fresh ginger
3/4-1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
2 cup cashews
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 Tbsp curry powder
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

puree until combined and pretty smooth. i had it with shrimp and cous cous - would also be yum with some sauteed veggies. or just, er, with some crackers. or with a spoon. in theory.