Passion for Pavlova

Posted by Kathryn @ 9:50 PM

In the middle of winter, when the snow just won't stop, I get a craving for all things that remind me of summertime. I was invited over to a friend's house for dinner... and I knew exactly what to bring for dessert. Pavlova. Pavlova comes in all shapes sizes and flavors, but to continue my recent theme and to make up for the failure of the chocolate ganache cake, I went with a chocolate raspberry version from Nigella Lawson. As you can see.. by the time I got my camera out, we had demolished most of the delectable cloud of fruit and meringue. I have made this many times... it is a gem.

for the chocolate meringue base:

• 6 egg whites
• one and a half cups superfine sugar
• 3 tablespoons best quality cocoa powder, sieved
• 1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
• 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped for the topping:
• Toppings:
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 cups raspberries
• 2-3 tablespoons coarsely grated bittersweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Beat the egg whites until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle over the cocoa and vinegar, and the chopped chocolate. Then gently fold everything until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in. Mound on to a baking sheet in a fat circle approximately 9 inches in diameter, smoothing the sides and top. Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 300 and cook for about one to one and a quarter hours. When it's ready it should look crisp around the edges and on the sides and be dry on top, but when you prod the centre you should feel the promise of squidginess beneath your fingers. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly, and let the chocolate meringue disc cool completely.

When you're ready to serve, invert on to a big, flat-bottomed plate. Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter over the raspberries. Coarsely grate the chocolate so that you get curls rather than rubble, as you don't want the raspberries' luscious colour and form to be obscured, and sprinkle haphazardly over the top, letting some fall, as it will, on the plate's rim.

Serves 8-10. (Closer to 8)

Addicted to No Knead

Posted by Kathryn @ 9:00 PM

In the blogging world, the NY Times article on no-knead bread is not even yesterday's news, it is last year's news. But I for one am still addicted to the recipe. As my husband will attest, I seem to make a batch or two every week! So I am not one for following a recipe to the letter, and this is no exception after several iterations. I have tried spices of all sorts with my favorite being crushed peppercorns, but now it was time to add wet ingredients. So I added a tablespoon or two of honey and a tablespoon of olive oil, so that it would be more similar to my favorite pizza doughs. It turned out a beautiful loaf... Now if I could just get the loaf thrown into a pan neatly. (Notice the funny fold in the loaf!). If you don't manage to eat every slice the first day, then it makes excellent french toast, grilled cheese, and garlic toast.

Disaster in the form of a Cake Mix

Posted by Kathryn @ 4:41 PM

Before I even started this shortcut, I should have realized that this was a bad idea. A friend from work was coming over for dinner Sunday Night. Friday morning he had let me know that his fiancee would be unable to come with him, so I decided to cut out a couple steps from my traditional having a dinner party routine. I thought well, we can just start with chips and salsa and conclude with a Barefoot Contessa cake mix. Full disclosure, I had never tried this cake mix or any other mix from the Barefoot Contessa before. Although I had baked her chocolate cupcakes with PB icing and those came out slightly dry.

It looked so promising as you can see from the box. Deep dark chocolate.. with Raspberries on top... how can you go wrong.

I followed the directions ( which were slightly strange since they have you cream a part of the mix into the butter before adding the eggs... I was worried that might create a less tender cake, but I went on valiantly. I also thought the "jar of fudge sauce" as an ingredient seemed hokey... and an unnecessary addition of corn syrup, but i followed the instructions to the T. I put the single cake pan into the oven, set the time, and walked away with confidence. The mix warned not to overbake, so I made sure to take it out of the oven right away.

After the cake cooled it seemed a little on the dry and crusty side. Then I thought about the oven that came with the house and realized it is probably not terribly accurate. This worried me so I melted down some jam with a tad of water. Perforated the whole cake and poured over the jam. I figured it would help the dryness.

I made the ganache icing, iced the cake, and proceeded with my main course for the evening. Next thing I know ... the cat is on the counter and has licked off a quarter of the icing... I wanted to cry. Ian ran down from upstairs and said.. well why don't you just use the icing that has dripped off to reice that portion and we just won't serve that side. So I did just that.

The cake made a pretty presentation at the table, but in the end the cake was dry and rather unappealing... not at all what I expected from a 15 dollar cake mix. Duncan Hines makes a better cake looking back on it. Oh well.. at least now I know I need an oven thermometer.

Seasonal Beers

Posted by The Husband @ 4:46 PM

Some of my favorite bars in Chicago might have given me the bum's rush for saying so, but I happen to really like seasonal beers. Just this past Fall I bought up all the pumpkin/spice ales I could find to taste test. (Result: Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale was the easy favorite. My good friend Mike pushed the Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale, but I had the same reaction I've had to most Dogfish brews -- it's all malt with a hint of old flavoring.)

I got a late start on the winter ales, but the deck was stacked to begin with. One of my personal favorite breweries is Delirium Tremens, but then I tend to fall for the Belgians. Their winter variety, Delirium Noel is my current pick for a cold weather warmer. The frothy head lasts, and the beer itself is a warm amber that hints at the rich, full flavor of fruit and mild spice. Even though it's 10% ABV, the taste mixes well with what could otherwise be a stronger alcohol flavor, leaving only a satisfying bitter note at the end.

Since Pennsylvania has some of the screwiest alcohol sales laws I've ever come across, I can't easily recommend a place to pick one up. Of course, someplace like D's Six Packs and Dawgs is your best bet. Or, if you're looking to try Delirium straight from the tap, give Piper's Pub a try -- it was on tap the last time I was there, making me a friend for life.