Chocolate Decadence
From Williams Sonoma Chocolate (Recipes by Lora Brody)
This is an easy, no-fail recipe for a flourless chocolate cake. This cake is best made two days in advance.
1 pound high-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped (scant 3 cups)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 extra-large eggs (or 5 large eggs) at room temperature
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream, whipped softly
Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and position rack in middle of oven. Butter an 8-inch springform pan.* Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper or waxed paper cut to fit precisely. (I trace the pan bottom on paper and cut with scissors.) Butter the paper and dust with cocoa powder (because flour would show white); tap out any excess.Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl or the top pan of a double boiler. Set over a pan of gently simmering water, but don’t let the pan touch the water. Stir occasionally until melted and combine completely. Remove from the heat, and let cool slightly. Alternatively, you can do this step in the microwave.Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl. Using a large electric mixer (I use a KitchenAid with the paddle, not the whisk) set on high speed, beat until light, fluffy, and tripled in volume, 5 - 10 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, and beat in the 1 tablespoon of flour. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg mixture into the chocolate to lighten it, and then fold in the remaining egg mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter. Pour and scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.Bake for exactly 15 minutes. Let cool completely to room temperature. Do not refrigerate or the cake will stick to the pan.Cut into small wedges and serve each wedge topped with softly whipped cream. If you want to be truly decadent, and who doesn’t on occasion, also serve with raspberry coulis and crème anglaise on the side. I have never tried baking it in a regular 8-inch cake pan but want to try it because then it could be turned out onto cardboard circles and given away without giving away the bottom of the springform pan or, worse, trying to get it off the bottom of the springform pan.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
A Tribute to Mama
September 2, 1915 - August 19, 2007
Mama sayings:
summer 2002:
"at age 86, i can say anything i want"
"look, she's smoking dope" (to lisa sucking on a lollipop)
"i didn't see his face, but the rest of him sure was good looking"
18 december 2003
"there always seemed to be better things to do on sunday" (about going to church)
"i believe in the goodness inside a person"
"i was at longs and i came around the corner and almost ran into an old man. i said excuse me and he said - "did you say you'd squeeze me?" i think it's the lipstick.
"i just throw it all in, close my eyes, and let it go"
"i took a taxi to my hairdresser. he says that he's been married 3x's and is 50 years. how about you, he asks. well i said, im 86 years old. after that he lost interest.
"lola keeps trying to hit on russ, but he won't have any of it" (the stuffed animals)
Mama Memories:
summer 2002:
"at age 86, i can say anything i want"
"look, she's smoking dope" (to lisa sucking on a lollipop)
"i didn't see his face, but the rest of him sure was good looking"
18 december 2003
"there always seemed to be better things to do on sunday" (about going to church)
"i believe in the goodness inside a person"
"i was at longs and i came around the corner and almost ran into an old man. i said excuse me and he said - "did you say you'd squeeze me?" i think it's the lipstick.
"i just throw it all in, close my eyes, and let it go"
"i took a taxi to my hairdresser. he says that he's been married 3x's and is 50 years. how about you, he asks. well i said, im 86 years old. after that he lost interest.
"lola keeps trying to hit on russ, but he won't have any of it" (the stuffed animals)
Mama Memories:
When a waiter was taking her order, she would always say, “I’ll have the soup and a real gooey dessert.” The waiter would always look confused, not knowing if she wanted her dessert with her soup, or which dessert on the menu would fall into the category of being “really gooey”.
Her strong grip.
Her carnation milkshakes, cinnamon toast and potato salad.
She was called “Cornette” by her family when she was a little girl, because of her love for corn.
Shopping at Windward Mall.
Getty up in the middle of the night to eat chocolate and then blaming the 24 hour aid of stealing it the next day.
Her bright pink/red lipstick. And the lipstick she discovered that was black but came out pink when applied.
Trips to Kailua , down duck road and lilikoi road, trips “around the island.”
When Papa was in the hospital, she drove away in Bertie, saying “I’m okay, I’m okay.” Then she drove over the curb separating the stalls in the parking lot. Jeffy and I followed her home.
Talking to the shamas.
Her vanilla beans, from the yard, selling them to Foster Gardens , putting them in vodka for truly delicious vanilla extract.
Collecting “poppers” from around the house and putting them in a little jar.
Her sunglasses.
Her “workshop.”
Her answers when someone complimented a piece of jewelry. For instance, “This? Oh, this I got when Walt and I were in England , shopping at…” If the item was a necklace, she would feel it, to remember what it was that she had on that day, and then begin to tell the story. And usually if it was a necklace it was she who had made it.
Pointing her feet and pretending she was dancing, as she held on to her walker.
“Hello dear.” (To salespeople, anyone.)
“I wish I could squash you.”
“When are you coming home?”
“Isn’t it fun?”
Pointing out a mountain above Hakipu’u and saying she once went down it in go-aheads. When asked what go-aheads were, she started to explain that during the war they found a cheaper way to make shoes with car tires. Eventually I realized she was talking about slippers!
Poems about Bertie, etc.
1) Bertie was often very dirty, and sometimes a little flirty…
2) Were the road ahead the way to go, I’d know. North, south, east or west, take the one that you know best.
Her strong grip.
Her carnation milkshakes, cinnamon toast and potato salad.
She was called “Cornette” by her family when she was a little girl, because of her love for corn.
Shopping at Windward Mall.
Getty up in the middle of the night to eat chocolate and then blaming the 24 hour aid of stealing it the next day.
Her bright pink/red lipstick. And the lipstick she discovered that was black but came out pink when applied.
Trips to Kailua , down duck road and lilikoi road, trips “around the island.”
When Papa was in the hospital, she drove away in Bertie, saying “I’m okay, I’m okay.” Then she drove over the curb separating the stalls in the parking lot. Jeffy and I followed her home.
Talking to the shamas.
Her vanilla beans, from the yard, selling them to Foster Gardens , putting them in vodka for truly delicious vanilla extract.
Collecting “poppers” from around the house and putting them in a little jar.
Her sunglasses.
Her “workshop.”
Her answers when someone complimented a piece of jewelry. For instance, “This? Oh, this I got when Walt and I were in England , shopping at…” If the item was a necklace, she would feel it, to remember what it was that she had on that day, and then begin to tell the story. And usually if it was a necklace it was she who had made it.
Pointing her feet and pretending she was dancing, as she held on to her walker.
“Hello dear.” (To salespeople, anyone.)
“I wish I could squash you.”
“When are you coming home?”
“Isn’t it fun?”
Pointing out a mountain above Hakipu’u and saying she once went down it in go-aheads. When asked what go-aheads were, she started to explain that during the war they found a cheaper way to make shoes with car tires. Eventually I realized she was talking about slippers!
Poems about Bertie, etc.
1) Bertie was often very dirty, and sometimes a little flirty…
2) Were the road ahead the way to go, I’d know. North, south, east or west, take the one that you know best.
About Mama:
From my father, Chuck Hill:
I never did get to have was bad mother in law stories. She was the best one anyone could ever have!
From my sister, Jeffy:
Tonight i went to mama's house on riverside, stepping out of the car, and searching, pleading for a sign of mama. One last sign that she was watching over me, telling me she was fine - that i would be okay without her physically here. And i know she was there, with Papa, and her parents, and dogs, and long lost friends in the background. And this is what i felt while there ....
oh mama - where have you gone
i see you up in the treetops so tall
so little - no, not anymore
lofty and lengthy, in size you have shifted
but in heart, no in heart, you are pure
helping us to stay lifted
my heart breaks for you
with the passing of a bird
a line of script
or a fallen leaf
but i know - i do know -
that you are here in the beat of a wing
in the words on a card
in the shape of a leaf
and in my heart always.
oh mama - where have you gone
i see you up in the treetops so tall
so little - no, not anymore
lofty and lengthy, in size you have shifted
but in heart, no in heart, you are pure
helping us to stay lifted
my heart breaks for you
with the passing of a bird
a line of script
or a fallen leaf
but i know - i do know -
that you are here in the beat of a wing
in the words on a card
in the shape of a leaf
and in my heart always.
From my Italian friend, Roberta:
She'll always be in your hearts with her love. She was really a perfect grandma, she lived 92 years so she has been very lucky, she was a strong, fant- spec- amaz- wond- woman and you are surely proud of her!
From my caring boyfriend, Adam, who my grandmother adored:
...this is the responsibility of the living to the deceased. As it is now the responsibility of my girlfriend and her family to remember “Mama’s” love of art, her appreciation of dance, and, of course, the way her face would light up anytime the words “Hershey’s chocolate bar” were mentioned.
On Grandmas:
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie:
I can do this: I set aside some time to reflect about her life and her accomplishments, about her love for her family, and about how much of what I have become derives from who she was. And I think about those who are important in my life whom I have been neglecting. And I call them.
Tobin Belzer:
...hearing about her family’s lives became a substitute for her own. She spent her days sitting and reading in her living room, doing crossword puzzles and talking to her children and grandchildren...I’ve continued to think of my life as a narrative I’m writing for her. That’s how I’m keeping her spirit alive.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Colorful Colorado
One of the things I noticed first about Colorado were the colors. Although almost everything I saw seemed to be green and reddish-brown, there were a multitude of shades. It was such a colorful place. "But you just said the only colors were green and reddish-brown," you may politely ask, while thinking in your head that I must be a little loony. But if you followed me on the run I took each day down a path lined with Aspen trees, you'd understand. Not only do the plethora of shades of green on the mountains contribute to this color memory of mine, the ubiquitous Aspen mysteriously takes on other colors than its own pale green. The way the small circular leaves moved with the wind, reminded me of a wind chime with stained-glass circles hanging and moving in every which direction.
I guess that's why it's called "Colorful Colorado".
I guess that's why it's called "Colorful Colorado".
Friday, August 31, 2007
Picking fresh blackberries at Volcano, and fresh raspberries in Aspen...in the same week
I spent most of August in Hawaii and Colorado. Now that I'm back in Santa Barbara, looking at photos, I am in awe thinking about the variety of breathtaking scenery I saw during the 18 days I was traveling.
I spent a few days on the Big Island. I appreciate more and more how special the area up there at Volcano is. I enjoyed seeing my friend Heather and her eight month old son, who looks very different than he did at three weeks! And as always, I indulged in delicious local food, such as Kozo Sushi, Yummy's Korean bbq, and various and assorted plate lunches.
I spent just one night with my old roommate, Shannon, in L.A., before taking off for Colorado. I went a few days before my parents and sister did, to spend a few nights with a college friend, Nichole. She picked me up from Denver airport, showed me money trees, eggshell art, and durian, and then drove us to Aspen, stopping at the Continental Divide along Independence Pass. Aspen is a very cute town, but my family really enjoyed the charm and "happy air" of Breckenridge, Colorado. We went horseback riding in Keystone, where we stayed most of the days, river rafting in Frisco, eating/hiking in Breckenridge, shopping and pilates in Boulder, and a lot of driving around Denver. Saw a lot of the state but there is surely much more to see...it's a bit larger than Hawaii is.
As the durian fruit "smells like hell and tastes like heaven", the fresh blackberries and raspberries remain my personal favorites.
I spent a few days on the Big Island. I appreciate more and more how special the area up there at Volcano is. I enjoyed seeing my friend Heather and her eight month old son, who looks very different than he did at three weeks! And as always, I indulged in delicious local food, such as Kozo Sushi, Yummy's Korean bbq, and various and assorted plate lunches.
I spent just one night with my old roommate, Shannon, in L.A., before taking off for Colorado. I went a few days before my parents and sister did, to spend a few nights with a college friend, Nichole. She picked me up from Denver airport, showed me money trees, eggshell art, and durian, and then drove us to Aspen, stopping at the Continental Divide along Independence Pass. Aspen is a very cute town, but my family really enjoyed the charm and "happy air" of Breckenridge, Colorado. We went horseback riding in Keystone, where we stayed most of the days, river rafting in Frisco, eating/hiking in Breckenridge, shopping and pilates in Boulder, and a lot of driving around Denver. Saw a lot of the state but there is surely much more to see...it's a bit larger than Hawaii is.
As the durian fruit "smells like hell and tastes like heaven", the fresh blackberries and raspberries remain my personal favorites.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
December 4th Not the Only Day to Celebrate Santa Barbara
Since returning from Asia, I've been staying with my boyfriend in Santa Barbara, looking for jobs, thinking about my volunteer abroad experience, and most of all, just enjoying spending time with Adam in beautiful Santa Barbara.
I took a tour of the Santa Barbara Court House downtown - one of the activities offered during Santa Barbara's "Fiesta", which took place last week and this weekend. One of the many decorations in the beautiful Court House shows the tower that Saint Barbara's father locked her in to stop her from becoming Christian. Despite being locked up, she converted, and when her father found out he beheaded her. As the story goes, he was immediately struck by lightning and died. The guide at the Court House thought that Saint Barbara is no longer recognized as a saint. However, December 4th is still celebrated as Saint Barbara's day. And now for the reason Santa Barbara got its name...the Spanish navigator, Juan Cabrillo, landed here on December 4th and chose to name the spot after the patron of that day, Saint Barbara.
Other than tours and fiesta food, I've been doing a lot of hiking, as can be seen in the photos below. Last Thursday we hiked about 11 miles up to East Camino Cielo, the spot of the last photo. It was so steep going up; I had to stop a few times to catch my breath, I was breathing so hard. But it was worth the challenge for the magnificent views...and to see the cool snake skin that Adam is holding in one of the photos!
This Wednesday I'm going to Hawaii for a week and then to Colorado for another week. I'm excited but sad that my last round of adventures is almost here.
I took a tour of the Santa Barbara Court House downtown - one of the activities offered during Santa Barbara's "Fiesta", which took place last week and this weekend. One of the many decorations in the beautiful Court House shows the tower that Saint Barbara's father locked her in to stop her from becoming Christian. Despite being locked up, she converted, and when her father found out he beheaded her. As the story goes, he was immediately struck by lightning and died. The guide at the Court House thought that Saint Barbara is no longer recognized as a saint. However, December 4th is still celebrated as Saint Barbara's day. And now for the reason Santa Barbara got its name...the Spanish navigator, Juan Cabrillo, landed here on December 4th and chose to name the spot after the patron of that day, Saint Barbara.
Other than tours and fiesta food, I've been doing a lot of hiking, as can be seen in the photos below. Last Thursday we hiked about 11 miles up to East Camino Cielo, the spot of the last photo. It was so steep going up; I had to stop a few times to catch my breath, I was breathing so hard. But it was worth the challenge for the magnificent views...and to see the cool snake skin that Adam is holding in one of the photos!
This Wednesday I'm going to Hawaii for a week and then to Colorado for another week. I'm excited but sad that my last round of adventures is almost here.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
More photos on Snapfish: http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=166394797/a=29162919_29162919/t_=29162919
Sunday, July 22, 2007
From "The Wind in My Wheels: Travel Tales from the Saddle" by Josie Dew
In India, conversations often seemed to go round in circles. In Chittaurgarh (City of Valour, said my map) the man at the guest house knocked on my door and said, "Sir. Good evening but your country of origin is what please?"
"You've already written it down five times on five different bits of paper," I said.
"What is the fine name of your father?"
"You've written that five times as well."
"In the morning," he said, "you are wishing for a breakfast mealing?"
"Yes, that would be very nice. You have porridge?" I inquired hopefully.
"Porridge-yes."
"How much your porridge?" I asked, surprised.
"Porridge three rupee only."
"Okay. One bowl porridge in the morning please."
"Porridge? No, no porridge."
"But you just said porridge-yes."
"No. Omelette, chapati."
"Do you have yoghurt-dahi?"
"Dahi. Yes."
"Okay, I'll have dahi then."
"You want omelette."
"No, just dahi."
"No problem omelette."
"No, just dahi."
"Just dahi?"
"Yes, just dahi."
In the morning I was presented with a bowl of porridge.
"You've already written it down five times on five different bits of paper," I said.
"What is the fine name of your father?"
"You've written that five times as well."
"In the morning," he said, "you are wishing for a breakfast mealing?"
"Yes, that would be very nice. You have porridge?" I inquired hopefully.
"Porridge-yes."
"How much your porridge?" I asked, surprised.
"Porridge three rupee only."
"Okay. One bowl porridge in the morning please."
"Porridge? No, no porridge."
"But you just said porridge-yes."
"No. Omelette, chapati."
"Do you have yoghurt-dahi?"
"Dahi. Yes."
"Okay, I'll have dahi then."
"You want omelette."
"No, just dahi."
"No problem omelette."
"No, just dahi."
"Just dahi?"
"Yes, just dahi."
In the morning I was presented with a bowl of porridge.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
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