My latest and so far bestest enhancement was swirling a little bit of good quality raspberry jam into the dough before baking in. I then covered the top of the cake with more raspberry jam before pouring over a lush chocolate ganache. the icing on the cake wasn't the actual icing though, it was the handful of crushed pink peppercorns which did not only add an unexpected kick to the cake, but also took the edge of the overall sweetness and heaviness of this indulgent piece of chocolate heaven.
Monday, 29 September 2008
The evolution of a cake
Everybody who knows me will sooner or later get a taste, or many tastes of my favourite cake of all times. A French chocolate cake which I refer to as the Mother of all chocolate cakes. So delicious, yet so simple. 30mins from unpacking the ingredients to having a slice of heavenly gooeyness. As with my pates, I try to to re-invent the cake from time to time to avoid boredome amongst my friends. 
My latest and so far bestest enhancement was swirling a little bit of good quality raspberry jam into the dough before baking in. I then covered the top of the cake with more raspberry jam before pouring over a lush chocolate ganache. the icing on the cake wasn't the actual icing though, it was the handful of crushed pink peppercorns which did not only add an unexpected kick to the cake, but also took the edge of the overall sweetness and heaviness of this indulgent piece of chocolate heaven.
My latest and so far bestest enhancement was swirling a little bit of good quality raspberry jam into the dough before baking in. I then covered the top of the cake with more raspberry jam before pouring over a lush chocolate ganache. the icing on the cake wasn't the actual icing though, it was the handful of crushed pink peppercorns which did not only add an unexpected kick to the cake, but also took the edge of the overall sweetness and heaviness of this indulgent piece of chocolate heaven.
Red velvet cake
This isn't actually a recipe, it's more an homage at a cake. Having said that, it's more about the look than the actual taste.
When I went to New York, I stayed with friends in Greenwich Village. It was the perfect location in an otherwise imperfect city. I didn't enjoy New York per se much, but Greenwich Village with all its continental bakeries, eateries and Marc Jacobs outlets was different. Bleaker Street was my favourite. Not only because that's where out apartment was, but that's where almost everything else was as well. Especially all the nice bakeries and cake shops.
On cake shop in particular caught my attention. I cannot remember its name, but the long queue outside this little shop. Long queues always look promising, so I expected a lot when I joined it to get a taste of the famous red velvet cake.
It was ok. As ok as if Betty Crocker herself made it.
So I couldn't help but wonder: did they really just use a white cake mix and spike it with some colouring?
When I went to New York, I stayed with friends in Greenwich Village. It was the perfect location in an otherwise imperfect city. I didn't enjoy New York per se much, but Greenwich Village with all its continental bakeries, eateries and Marc Jacobs outlets was different. Bleaker Street was my favourite. Not only because that's where out apartment was, but that's where almost everything else was as well. Especially all the nice bakeries and cake shops.
On cake shop in particular caught my attention. I cannot remember its name, but the long queue outside this little shop. Long queues always look promising, so I expected a lot when I joined it to get a taste of the famous red velvet cake.
It was ok. As ok as if Betty Crocker herself made it.So I couldn't help but wonder: did they really just use a white cake mix and spike it with some colouring?
Ginger spiced pate
I haven't been cooking a lot recently which worked really well for my waistline, but not so well for my blog. But I volunteered to bring food to some of my friends parties lately. Whether I did it to help them with their preparations or whether I did ot for the sake of having something to add to my blog remains a secret :-)
When my friend Laurent celebrated his 34th birthday, I brought round the biggest block of pate ever, thinking that there will be around 20 guests. As it turned out, 2/3 of the people didn't show up. So I am sure that he and his boyfriend are still having pate every evening.
Whenever there is an occasion, I make pate. Pate and salami are the two reasons why I couldn't become a vegetarian. Salami I buy in the shops, pate is something though I usually make myself: It's cheaper, better and more animal-friendly as I only use organic duck or chicken liver. Also, it's less boring than shop bought pate as I play around with flavours quite a bit.
I have tried many variations, but my favourite one uses spring onion, chilli, ginger, soy sauce and garlic. Once the chicken liver is nicely brown on the outside but still pink in the centre, I add the spices and a few splashes of soy sauce, put it all in a blender, add butter and mix until smooth and creamy.
To make it look more fancy, I decorated my latest pate with some jellied ginger by simply boiling some ginger with water, then adding gelatine. I poured the mixture into a pound cake tin and let it cool in the fridge for an hour before filling the tin up to the rim with pate.
When my friend Laurent celebrated his 34th birthday, I brought round the biggest block of pate ever, thinking that there will be around 20 guests. As it turned out, 2/3 of the people didn't show up. So I am sure that he and his boyfriend are still having pate every evening.
Whenever there is an occasion, I make pate. Pate and salami are the two reasons why I couldn't become a vegetarian. Salami I buy in the shops, pate is something though I usually make myself: It's cheaper, better and more animal-friendly as I only use organic duck or chicken liver. Also, it's less boring than shop bought pate as I play around with flavours quite a bit.
I have tried many variations, but my favourite one uses spring onion, chilli, ginger, soy sauce and garlic. Once the chicken liver is nicely brown on the outside but still pink in the centre, I add the spices and a few splashes of soy sauce, put it all in a blender, add butter and mix until smooth and creamy.To make it look more fancy, I decorated my latest pate with some jellied ginger by simply boiling some ginger with water, then adding gelatine. I poured the mixture into a pound cake tin and let it cool in the fridge for an hour before filling the tin up to the rim with pate.
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