Sunday, February 10, 2008

P. and I hosted our first dinner party
as a married couple last night. Post caucus
I ascended into cooking heaven and whipped
up pizza (three varieties) a chopped salad
(sparkling with color!) and a single-layer
dense, buttery chocolate cake piled high
with seven-minute icing and a dusting
of cocoa powder. We tried some sparkling
shiraz (a gift from ? I don't know)
which was less, much less than a hit.
(I poured it down the drain.) We also
opened a bottle of '94 Cab. Sauv. that Paul
had stashed away, forgotten, in a cupboard.
(We poured that down our throats.)
Candlelight, Michael Feinstein singing
pop and film standards (on the iPod, not live.)
Now here's something interesting for you foodies:
the icing recipe called for 1 tablespoon
light corn syrup, which I thought I had.
Well, I had dark corn syrup, which I substituted.
Amazing, subtle taste shift! It didn't affect
the lovely white color of the icing at all,
and there was just a hint of more complex flavor,
a je ne sais quoi (except I knew
what the quoi was) which only added to the perfection
that is Seven Minute Icing.

4 comments:

  1. will you post your cake and icing recipe?
    thank you,
    R

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  2. T - I have been reading your blog, and am, by turns, fascinated and uncomfortable - as though I were invading your private thoughts. I creep up on this technology like taking a reluctant nibble out of a new, strange food... do I like it? I am not sure.
    Having become somewhat reclusive myself, I am in awe of your gregariousness( I know - probably NOT a real word!). I had not realized the extent to which you see the world through food, ingredients, recipes - much as I relate through plants, gardens and gardening. I will continue to read your blog, guiltily!

    Heather

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  3. H. -- what a treat to read your comment! And yup, it is an odd thing, this blogging. One must fully consider the audience when writing, and that audience could possibly be anyone on the planet....

    ReplyDelete
  4. ps to H. -- No need to feel guilty!

    ReplyDelete