Michael's Market

A place I frequent on workdays when I have forgotten to pack lunch. They have adorable soup packaging, some tasty sandwiches, and beautiful chocolate cake...

Bee's Surprise

My dear, dear sister Bee. She turned 21 this weekend, and due to the planning of her lovely roommate Kandy, all four sisters (and many friends) were gathered together for one night of joyous dancing, drinking and revelry. The theme was green; my cake-making hands were eager. The results, though at first hopelessly ugly, turned into at least a somewhat enticing mess.

Bee is the type of girl you always want to surprise, and this is the second such party we've thrown for her over the years. In one bowl, I mixed:

1 c. sugar

Almost 1 c. flour

3/8 c. cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c. boiling water

And baked it for about 1/2 hour.

Bean contributed a frosting heart to the quickly accumulating counter mess.

In an attempt to rectify all of my past cake-making experiences, I greasedand floured the pan....but half of the thing remained in there when I tried for the release. The precarious confection, held together by frosting (confectioner's sugar + milk + an extremely strong dose of food coloring), looked as if someone that crawled out of a nuclear swamp. Luckily the ever-ready supply of house chocolate allowed for a topping of powdered sugar, dark chocolate bits, and a Stracciatella truffle.

And its slightly strange taste was made up for by a weekend of sisterly reunion, and faces forever emanating joy!

Provincetown!

On my first visit, Provincetown offered an unmatchable combination of perfect weather, art studios as far as the eye could see, shops to satisfy any soul, and quiet company. Hours of driving led us to ice cream for breakfast, and we spent the day wandering up and down the streets after finding an unexpectedly convenient spot to park.

We began our meal with drinks: a mojito for me, and Chimay for Bean. Whilst sipping, we decided we hoped they'd take their good time preparing the meal. There was something inexplicably relaxing about sitting here overlooking the ocean, resting the worn-out soles of our feet, tired by so many hours of walking and being buffeted by the wind; eyes taking in more than the normal day allows.

The Caprese salad I ordered was beauteous; it is hard to go wrong with mozzarella and basil and tomato. Paired with their just-warmed bread, it was a meal tasty enough to cherish the day, but light enough to require dessert.

And a beautiful ending; our waitress seemed oh-so-pleased that we ordered dessert. A flourless chocolate torte with vanilla bean ice cream, and some mint on top. Warm cake, cold ice cream, and a beautiful day -- I really do not think it gets any better...

Nana's Birthday

Dearest Nana gets so touched every year when we all gather with our foods and our cards and our gifts and hugs to celebrate her birthday. We lug everything up the huge hill, light a fire, grill grill grill and play ball games until Nana feels the touch of the first bug. Then it's time to go home for presents and dessert; all eyes on Nana until she's done or else. But it's always a time that I love so...

This is the typical fare (home-grown burgers and store bought cheesecake):

cake cake keeps me awake

At midnight I got it into my head that we simply must have a chocolate cake at the earliest possible convenience. Having applied to some jobs, it seemed that then was that moment; and I had volunteers to help eat it, so I spent the next hour or so by myself in the kitchen. It was a happy humming time, strangely.

The cake recipe was standard:

1 1/3 c. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 entire Lindt 70% chocolate bar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c. milk

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 c. butter

1. Mix all dry ingredients.

2. Add milk and vanilla; soften butter and add. Beat well.

3. Beat eggs and melt chocolate; beat both of them into the mix.

I baked this in a greased and floured pan for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. A weakeningly delicious aroma promised temporary happiness to a hungry girl. Here, however, disaster struck. The cake, though done, did not want to quietly leave its pan. Pounding from the bottom and coaxing from the top did little except separate the chocolate mass into innumerable pieces. The solution, then, was to scrape the whole thing out into a pie pan, chop it up, and reseat it. Then, the frosting was made:

2 c. confectioner's sugar

1/2 c. butter

1 tsp vanilla

Small amount of milk

All of this was whisked together and spread around the top of the pie pan, and then sprinkles (found neglected in not-my pantry) were added. Cake casserole. It would have been a failure except that crumbled cake tastes the same as cohesive cake, and none of my budsies seemed to care.

The casserole was gone by 3:00 in the morning, and no sleep was had by me for hours...