Dark Chocolate Birthday Cake

This week I made a double layer chocolate cake filled with homemade blackcurrant preserves, thickly frosted with chocolate ganache.

There is much improvising in my kitchen.  Baking experiences come fast and furious these days and there are usually mistakes.  This time it was one broken cake layer (three large pieces that were easily saved) preceded by discovery of only one round cake pan for a double layer cake.  As it was already 9pm I didn't want to be baking extra hours so I switched to ordinary aluminum square cake pans found crinkled/stuffed at the back of my stove drawer.

I should mention this cake was a family project.  My mom's blackcurrant jam provided a tartness against the sweetness I craved; Rebecca guided me to the Smitten Kitchen recipes; Ann shared a birthday week with me, helping focus my chocolate cake decision making; Nick suggested the cake needed more texture and contrast (hence the almond design); and Jessy held the cake on her lap in the car on the way to dinner, mostly to protect it from little Twiggy who might have eaten the entire cake had we let her. (I understand the temptation little dog...)

---

I was born in a blizzard in Cape Breton 38 years ago.  Mom was caught in the January storms this week but mercifully found her way to uncle Jim's wake in Syracuse, New York.  In 1978 Jim trooped up and across the northeast to see his younger sister (my mom) and her family on a beautiful hippie farm in 1978 ... check out our lovely family picnic:

Uncle Mike's photos started a sentimentality in me because this year I was compelled to write Jim a birthday card - my first handwritten note to him in my life.  Jim was turning 70 years old.  I chose a funny card I had been keeping for the perfect occasion (for at least five years): a colour photo of lots of naked people standing with their backs to the camera in a gilded opera house...  "Wishing you the best seat in the house on your birthday."  I imagined it made him chuckle.  I felt so good for having sent him that card. Jim was a happy organic farmer, philosophy professor and he was always smiling a lot. He made my mom and her sisters smile a lot too.  

My successful baking experience of this cake is significant because it helped me celebrate life and all that tastes good in it.  Here's to birthday cakes made for me and my family - and of course here's to all the leftover frosting...

My Life as Salad & Pie

Two outstanding recipes that I made recently include simple ingredients with minimal prep.  The food represents what I love about life: deliciousness.  I named the recipes for two people very close to me - I cannot separate the person from the dish in my mind.  Jessy's salad is vibrant with a special sweetness and perfectly composed; Rebecca's dessert is elegant, decadent and undeniably a good friend.  In other news, I started watching Masterchef Junior.  The kids are inspiring and ridiculously confident young cooks - and the judges are obviously having a lot of fun with them. I wish I was 12 years old and on this show.

Jessy's Salade Nicoise
Serves 4

8-10 new potatoes, cut in half or quarters and boiled
a large handful of green beans, steamed
4 eggs, hard boiled and served at room temperature
enough mixed greens for four people
8-10 black olives, sliced (Kalamata are good)
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
fresh herbs such as basil or dill (optional)
sea salt and pepper
2 seared fresh tuna steaks, sliced, or 20 seared scallops (optional)

For the dressing, use this one from River Cottage Veg cookbook:

1/2 small garlic clove, crushed with a little salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
A squirt/pinch of sweet (agave, sugar etc)

Gently toss the greens with a little of the dressing.  Compose all of the ingredients on a large platter or individual plates starting with the greens in the center and the other ingredients in groups around the outside. 

This was dessert from my first visit to enVie Vegan Kitchen.  It tastes very similar to the recipe below and was so lovingly plated I was smitten with their kitchen immediately.

Rebecca's Chocolate Pie

First make the salty-sweet pecan oat crust:

1 cup oat four or processed oats

2 cups pecans

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp ground flax

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp fleur de sel

1/4 cup brown rice syrup or honey

1 tbsp earth balance, melted

Combine all the ingredients and press/shape into large pie plate.  Score the crust by poking holes with a fork and bake until lightly browned, ten mins approximately.  Le cool before filling.

Next make the filling:

300 grams dark chocolate 

300 gram package of silken tofu (Rebecca says: "accept no tofu substitutes! it must be the softest kind")

vanilla and / or liqueur to tast (1tsp - 1 tbsp)

Melt the chocolate and then blend along with tofu and vanilla / liqueur in a food processor until silky smooth. Pour into prepared pie crust and let set for several hours in the fridge.

Serve with unsweetened whipped cream.  

daRk cHocolAte aLmoNd iCe crEam

Summer has left us. Red leaves on one small tree on Edinburgh Street are already thinking of leaving too. My body wakes up in the middle of the night, not quite sure what to do with itself.  Make tea, sit down to write, share this recipe by Merida for a year round summer treat...

Disclaimer: You need to dedicate two nights and a few daylight hours to produce this ice cream.

Below is my mini review of a vegan cookbook I think you should look at one day.

Vegan Secret Supper: 

Bold & Elegant Menus from a Rogue Kitchen 

by Merida Anderson (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2013)

This cookbook is a guide through the delectable waters of vegan cooking, or as the author describes "slow food at its best." A nicely designed paperback, it was discovered by accident thanks to my local librarian's weekly curatorial skills - somedays you just need to dash in, grab a few books near the front door and dash out the building.   

With plenty of colour photographs for inspiration to make interesting meals for your loved ones, I recommend it for your collection. I will keep close several recipes for an upcoming dinner party, including Apple Beet Salad with Lemon Tamari Vinaigrette, Baked Hazelnut Cheese & Sesame Mustard; Butternut Squash & Almond Gnocchi Sautéed with Sage Garlic Butter - and of course, Dark Chocolate Almond Ice Cream.  Merida's desserts include nine different ice cream types ranging from the one just mentioned to the odd sounding Balsamic Marbled Coconut... She rounds out her book with a few Brunch menu items (Peanut Butter Oat Waffles with White Chocolate Mousse & Vanilla Plum Compote), Teas and Sodas, and Pantry Items a good cook should not go without (Pine Nut Parmesan, Coconut Sour Cream, or Fresh Peach Chutney).

Have I mentioned I now live near Almon Street? (Or is that Almond...)  A quickie search for a photo to accompany this post led me to learn there used to be the Halifax Municipal Airport circa 1934 about one block from where I live.  Here's a happy trio I could have served ice cream to...

Photo: Halifaxhistory.ca

Dark Chocolate Almond Ice Cream 
Makes 2 cups - 500 ML.

3/4 cup almonds, soaked in 1/2 cup water overnight and drained (Note: you will be reserving 1/4 cup of the almonds, chopped up for added crunch)
1 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate, melted
1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1tsp vanilla extract

DAY ONE:
Soak almonds overnight.

DAY TWO:
Drain almonds. Chop 1/4 cup of the nuts and set aside.  Melt the coconut oil.  Chop and melt the dark chocolate.  In a blender or food processor, puree all ingredients until smooth, except final 1/4 chopped almonds.  Stir in chopped almonds.  Chill in a covered bowl in refrigerator overnight.

DAY THREE:
Follow manufacturer's instructions for your ice cream maker and whip that good stuff up!

Baking Inspiration: Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes

It's cold and rainy. There's also some ice pellets. Small piles of snow linger on the ground.  Must be... April in Toronto.

So I want to try my hand at living more frugally.  We have a trip to Paris to save for!  You know, goals like preparing baked goods at home instead of donating to my local hipster cafe's pension fund, or accumulating recipes with ingredients that freeze well, or trying the envelope system instead of the debit/credit card system for daily purchases. Whaaat? Where'd all the cash go?

Also on the list: exclusively using the library for reading urges (but I just signed up for Indigo's Plum Rewards card!), using a budget (that sounds really familiar), and reviving the piggy bank for toonies and loonies.  There's other lists too...

Make my own clothing/make my current clothing feel new by adding fun embellishments that may or may not be good ideas, or remembering to be thankful for literally pounds of personal belongings we house in our very cozy flat when others in the world go without both homes and belongings.  Really people, this last trick reminds me of how blessed-by-the-universe my life is each day.  Suddenly I feel very rich.

Back in the kitchen, I figured I had an hour and a half to pump out something baked and good before an appointment downtown.  I knew I wanted to use ripe bananas and dark chocolate.  To the archive of  Deb's blog I went first, cross-referenced with my treasured Joy cookbook just because.  What did I come up with?

May I present the concoction Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes.  Yogurt cakes are common in Paris, need I say more?  I rejigged the recipe to make it my own - I like things only the tiniest bit sweet, I added banana and omitted almond extract.

These little cakes are the perfect purse companion for a lady on the go.

I couldn't find a muffin tin so I had to use my mini-loaf pan (which I bought a few years ago to make a version of Leslie Stowe's incredible savoury crackers). Could I be a proper lady with cake in her purse that resembled a small loaf of chocolate bread?  Why yes!  But perhaps mini-muffins would be ideal so you don't feel like you're stuffing your face in public like I did on the streetcar. Whatever size you make these you will still stuff your face, so stop thinking about it and just bake.

Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes
(based on this recipe from SK)

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate pieces
1/2 cup whole milk yogurt (room temp) - alternates: sour cream, creme fraiche, ricotta
3 eggs (room temp)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract - alternate: almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour
2 ripe bananas - alternate: applesauce
a few tbsp cane sugar - alternate: up to 1 cup if you want them sweeter
pinch of coarse salt

Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Grease the tins. Melt the chocolate with half the oil in a heat proof bowl over simmering water.

In a medium bowl mash the bananas, add the eggs, half the oil, vanilla, and sugar.

In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well and add the banana mixture.  Stir until just mixed.  Now add the chocolate mixture and stir until well combined.  Pour into the tins and place in the hot oven for about 25 minutes, or until a chopstick comes out clean.

Cool on a rack.  Store half the batch in the freezer for up to 3 weeks - eat the rest today, tomorrow, and the next day.

SOMA chocolatemaker Designs

Raspberry Rakia truffle (Photo by SOMA) 

Welcome to SOMA chocolatemaker.  I consider this place to be my favourite chocolate-scented retreat (don't you have one of these?).  Entering the King West cafe - a place to "eat, drink and worship chocolate"- brace yourself to not melt from the aromas and complex cacao inventory on the floor-to-ceiling shelves. Their fair trade products include delicate truffles, elixirs, gelato, bars, and plenty of gift-able and special order items. Not visited as often but equally inspiring is their micro-factory in the Distillery District. These chocolatemakers focus on experimentation and the products prove their dedication to creativity.

At the back of the cafe you can imagine yourself the baker as you stare down stacks of chocolate molds or freshly baked Sweet Cherry Focaccia in Blackbird Baking Co.'s space.  I snacked on a focaccia with caramelized onion, asparagus and feta with a side of single origin Madagascar (70%) dark chocolate truffle.

The interior design of the cafe is worthy of the Design District location - I popped into Design Within Reach to look at all the beautiful furniture beyond my reach - then grabbed the latest edition of Design Lines magazine to rifle through the listings for the city's umpteenth design accessory store I want to visit.

SOMA , King West (Photo by Design Lines)

MADE Design on Dundas West is my latest find.  A showroom/gallery/shop with dozens of Canadian product designers represented, several creators captured my imagination. The Gemstone Carpet by Bev Hisey (scroll down), the Meridian Pendant Light by Propellor Design, and a petite Ceramic Pentakis Vessel by Kristen Lim-Tung.

Photo by kristenlimtung.com

Photos by Propellor Design

Bev Hisey's Everydayhousewife studio-retail outlet is my next stop! You can get a sneak peek into her home on favorite design-DIY blog Design Sponge.

Bev Hisey's home & Gemstone Carpet (Photos by Design Sponge)

Recipes for my Readers

Rapid Fire Round: 

Pick a food you want to eat, inspired by each country
(in order of SJ's highest audience numbers) 

USA
image by Hannah Romeo

Canada
recipe by Massimo Capra

Netherlands
recipe by Food Pornographers

Slovakia
recipe by What's Cooking in Your World?

Australia
recipe by What Katie Ate

Switzerland
recipe by Poppy

France
recipe courtesy Good Food

United Kingdom
recipe by Jamie Oliver

Greece
recipe by The Three Cheeses

India
recipe by Food Happy

Dark Chocolate Bark with roasted almonds, pepitas, sunflower seeds and sea salt

Chocolate is my weakness, and often a saving grace. This week I am embarking (pardon the pun) on two very exciting activities: outdoor ice skating and gourmet chocolate making.

The excitement of cake (and chocolate pie)

In this picture it's my fifth birthday in a farmhouse in Cape Breton.  I'm seated in front of a cake my dad baked for me.  My beautiful sister is there behind me to the right.  I'm wearing my "smartie" necklace that was made for me by sculptor John Nesbitt. (It was not made of smarties but did it ever look like it - and I proudly wore that piece for days.  An unfortunate accident befell the necklace at a friend's house when she/we - I honestly can't quite remember - pretended to "bite" the smarties and the string broke and the beads went everywhere.  I don't know what happened next.)