Just the thought of this cake had me positively giddy with ridiculousness. I was cyber surfing through “Desserts-chocolate” on a well known food site when I saw a recipe called “Bakery Style Chocolate Mousse cake.” I saw, “Bakery Style,” and my mind went all endless-budget Food Network, giant picture window with pastel fondant festooned creations and well, this was Internet territory so, one click and I was watering. “Sashes of chocolate wrapping a layer cake of chocolate with more chocolate; this time with the help of Ganache dripping and wrapping around the top and tucking into the sides.” Oh, yes, and beautiful directions that were straightforward and doable. Yum. I’m there! Hold my calls, and roll up those sleeves! I’m goin’in!
Oh. Monomanoman... Have you ever felt this way when coming across a recipe? THE RIGHT ONES reach out and grab me simultaneously from multiple directions. It’s as if a frequency has been reached, and we are as one. My mind can summarize and picture every move my body will need to make as it joins the choreography of the recipe ricocheting between my cortexes. Imagined flavors ribboning across my taste budded tongue... I am in my food zone. I love to be encompassed by food. I love to create something that I can eat. Can I believe it? Hardly. For ever, I never wanted to make food for myself. I remember really loving the fact that a chef I was working with or hanging with or cooking with enjoyed cooking for themselves. I can look back on all this now, and realize that I wasn’t formed yet. I didn’t know me. I didn’t trust me; I didn’t want to spend any time with me. Not yet. So, therefore, I had no respect for myself, and so, certainly not for my cooking. Now, having come eons and light years, and continents… I love my food, and so for the first time, other people can too. When I wake up in the morning, I am already thinking about color and light and theme, what will this day wear? What will I? What’s for breakfast? I am already making a menu in my head. Food is life. I love to let an idea go through me, I love to look up and cross reference, then paste everything together, creating a new presentation. It can always be done. And it should be fun when ever possible, which is always. This is a group of recipes that just made my toes wiggle as dinner for myself and my eight year old daughter one night last week.. As I write this, I still have a bowl of this leftover beef in my fridge. And a half loaf of Poppy-seeded challah and some of my favorite tub spread with flax seed oil, and there’s also some too fabu sliced mozzarella cheese and some horseradish in there…do you see where this is going? Make one or all of these recipes, either way, they are definite keepers. Enjoy!
Fabulous Pressure Cooker Beef
2 1./2 lb. bottom round roast
3 cups well seasoned cold chicken stock
Adobo seasoning to cover
Scrape layer of fat from stock, and heat in Pressure Cooker, failing this, heat two T vegetable oil till hot and thin. Lay beef in, season liberally with Adobo. Let sear 4 minutes. Turn, season, add chicken stock, let simmer 5 minutes. Cover, put at 10 lbs. pressure, set timer to 25 minutes after top begins to hiss. Turn stove control to whatever heat will give you a constant hiss from the steam guard, not just a regulated regurgitation. you want heavy pressure here. Also, you’ll need to oversee, pretty constantly, arching an eyebrow in the direction of the pot every ten minutes or so. Ears always attentive. Don’t stay upstairs too long, if you have an upstairs.
Release pressure using the quick method, placing pot in sink and dowsing with a constant stream of cold water, until cool, and top can be removed easily. Check consistency by scoring with a meat fork or steak knife. Continue to score meat all the way through. Return to pot, and replace lid. Set timer to 15 minutes, at 10 lbs. pressure after top exudes constant steam. Adjust range control as before. Release heat by slow method, allowing pressure to come down as the pan cools with the top on. Release lid when cool, allow meat to rest 5 minutes. Slice thinly and enjoy!!! Store leftovers immersed in sauce. Yum.
Smashed Red Potatoes
To serve 2,
Adjust accordingly otherwise
3 medium sized red potatoes about ¾ lb.
I stalk celery. Sliced, then, minced or chopped, your choice.
1/2 yellow onion, minced
Good Quality Olive Oil
Kosher salt
Course black pepper, freshly ground, preff.
1 bunch Parsley, washed, dried, chopped roughly
Dijon mustard or great stone ground
Quality cold sour cream
Using good quality drinking water, barely cover 3” inch cubed potato , skin on, preff., in heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, let simmer till barely tender approx. 20 minutes at medium heat. Remove from heat. Pour off all but three Tablespoons of water, reserve all water. Into pot with the pots and three T of h20 add olive oil, S&P. to taste. Add everything else. Mix gently, set aside. Taste for seasoning before serving, and hit with a teaspoon of quality mustard. And a T of sour cream. Swirl in, and adjust S&P. yum.
GREEN BEANS
Top and tail 1 handful per person fresh, unbruised, green beans
S&P
Salted butter to taste
Good quality olive oil, enough to drizzle
When potatoes are cooking above, lay green beans over potatoes in pot, then fish out, or place into a large heavy bottomed pot of boiling salted drinking water of their own, and cook three minutes. Add olive oil and butter, s&p to taste.
OTHER THINGS TO SERVE WITH THIS FOOD
Pinot Grigio
Good bread
Olive oil& herbs
Salted butter
Do you have any Brie or camembert? That would be yummy
Salad greens with garlic, olive oil. Lemon and red wine vinegar, sea salt and pepper
BROWNIES, CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES OR CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS WITH ICE CREAM
Or more wine.
Your choice.
How about both? This is a menu fit for a queen and a princess, and anyone else those two want to invite.
