(Gluten-Free) Coffee Chocolate Cake #TheCakeSliceBakers

Each month The Cake Slice Bakers are offered a selection of cakes from the current book we are baking through. This year it is The European Cake Cookbook by Tatyana Nesteruk*. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th - never before - we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes! 

Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the links below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details. 

The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book.

Our choices for October 2019 were ~

Prague Cake

• Amandie Bakes
• Sweet Sensations

Chocolate Mint Mousse Cake

• Karen's Kitchen Stories
• A Little Bit of All Right

Almond Pound Cake

• All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Camille Cooks
• A Day in the Life on the Farm

Coffee Chocolate Cake

• Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• My Recipe Reviews

(Gluten-Free) Coffee Chocolate Cake

moderately adapted from Nesteruk's book

On the night I planned to make this, I had a full house of teenage boys. Well, four. But it sure sounded like a full house. And one of the boys has a gluten-sensitivity, so this had to be gluten-free. Then I failed to read the instructions carefully before I went to the store. So, instead of coffee custard, I made coffee caramel. Oh, well...this was a delicious departure. Also, I just used my fail-safe buttercream which is adapted from the Lemon Lavender Blackberry Cake that we made for the May Cake Slice Bakers event. Because this cake was such a hit, I might have to try it again with the recipe as written next time. Whoops.

Ingredients

Cake

• 3/4 C butter, softened
• 1 C organic granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 T instant espresso or instant coffee
• 1 C milk, room temperature
• 1-3/4 C flour (I used a gluten-free flour for my guest)
• 1/4 C cocoa powder
• 3 t baking powder
• pinch of salt (I used vanilla salt)

Caramel

• 2 C organic granulated sugar
• 12 T butter, cubed
• 1 T instant coffee or espresso
• 1 C organic heavy cream
• 1 T fleur de sel (or any other flaky sea salt)

Chocolate-Coffee Buttercream

• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/3 C water
• 1 C organic granulated sugar
• 1 T organic corn syrup
• 2 C butter, softened
• 1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 t coffee extract (use vanilla if you don't have this)

Assembly

• chocolate chunks for garnish, optional

Procedure

Caramel

Place sugar in heavy saucepan that holds, at least, two quarts. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking as it begins to melt. The sugar will begin to form clumps. Keep whisking and they will melt back down.

Once all the sugar has melted, swirl the pan occasionally while the sugar continues to cook.

Cook until the sugar has reached a deep amber color. It should have a slightly nutty aroma and be almost a reddish brown. Using a candy thermometer, cook till it reaches 350 degrees F.

As soon as the caramel reaches 350 degrees F, add the butter cubes all at once. Be careful because the caramel will bubble up. Whisk the butter into the caramel until completely melted. Stir in the instant coffee.

Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour the cream into the caramel. Again, take care because the mixture will bubble up again. Whisk until all of the cream has been incorporated and you have a smooth sauce. Add the fleur de sel. Whisk to incorporate.

You can use this sauce warm, but I let it cool until it was spoonable and held its shape. Then I used it to fill the cake.

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter pans and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Dissolve the instant espresso or coffee in milk, then add that to the batter.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until just moistened.

Divide the batter between the two pans and place in the oven. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes. The top should spring back when pressed gently. Remove from oven and let the cakes cool completely before assembling the cake. You can use the layers as is or slice them in half for a four-layer cake! 

Chocolate Buttercream
Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl and beat on high until they are thick, pale, and ribbon off the whisks.

Combine water, sugar, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. You can attach a candy thermometer to the side; I just kept testing until it reached soft-ball stage. If you're using a thermometer, heat until it reaches 238 degrees F. For testing otherwise, dip a spoon into the syrup, then into ice cold water. The syrup should immediately set up into a soft ball. Mine took about 8 minutes to reach the correct consistency.

Once the syrup is ready, remove it from the heat. While one hand hold the mixer, use the other hand to pour the syrup into the yolks. When all of the syrup is added, turn the mixer up to high and beat until the yolks have doubled in size and have reached medium peak stage. The bowl should be cooled and just lukewarm to the touch. Mine took about 9 minutes.

Begin adding butter, one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. The more butter you add, the more firm the buttercream will be. Once your buttercream resembles what you think of as buttercream, add in the cocoa powder and extract. Beat until just combined.

Assembly
Once the cake layers have cooled completely, use a serrated knife to cut the layers flat. Spread a generous amount of buttercream and two dollops of softened caramel between the layers and place them on your serving platter.

Smooth the buttercream over the top and along the sides. Use a piping tip and bag to add decorative dollops to the top, then press a chocolate chunk into the drops. Refrigerate to let the buttercream harden.

Remove from the fridge at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.

Château du Cèdre Extra Libre 2018 Malbec + Cider-Braised Chicken Thighs #Winophiles #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with the October #Winophiles event.

Wine samples were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.

This month the French Winophiles are headed, virtually, to Cahors. Though hosted by Nicole of Somm's Table, Jill of L'occasion was able to line-up some wine samples for the group through the UIVC (Union Interprofessionnelle des Vins de Cahors). Merci beaucoup!

I received three bottles: Château du Cèdre Extra Libre 2018 Malbec, Château de Gaudou Le Sang de Ma Terre 2018 Malbec, and Château Lamartine Cahors 2016. All of which were new to me.

If you are reading this early enough, join us on Saturday, 19 October at 8am Pacific time for a live Twitter chat. Use #Winophiles so that we can see your comments. Otherwise, take a look at the French Winophiles' virtual trip to Cahors this month...

• Jane from Always Ravenous explores the Flavors of Fall Paired with Cahors Malbec.
• Cathie of Side Hustle Wino looks at Cahors  - The Birthplace of Malbec.
• Jill from L’Occasion shares Cahors, a French Classic.
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla will be posting Château du Cèdre Extra Libre 2018 Malbec + Cider-Braised Chicken Thighs.
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm samples A Trio of Cahors Wine and the Pairings Served.
• Jeff of FoodWineClick! gives us The Malbec You Never Knew: Cahors.
• Linda of My Full Wine Glass shares Newbies to Old-World Malbec Discover Cahors.
• Cindy of Grape Experiences explores The Old-World Style of Malbec from Cahors.
• Deanna of Asian Test Kitchen gives us French Malbecs Meet Chinese Duck.
• David of Cooking Chat pairs Mushroom Truffle Risotto with Cahors Malbec.
• Pierre and Cynthia, the Traveling Wine Profs, give us Cahors, Hainan Chicken Rice, and the Stories Wine Books Tell.
• Pinny of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings matches Cahors Malbecs and Waygu Beef.
• Gwen from Wine Predator shares From Cahors: Biodynamic Chateau du Cedre Malbec with French Charcuterie.
• Susannah of Avvinare will be Shedding Light on Old World Malbec from Cahors.
• Payal of Keep the Peas discusses Cahors: What Put Malbec on the Map.
• Rupal of Syrah Queen will posting Cahors – Tasting “Black Wines” With The Original Malbec.
• And our host, Nicole, is Bringing Home Cahors with Clos D’Audhuy" on Somm's Table.

In My Glass

I put all three bottles on the table and I asked Jake which one he wanted to open first; he read the labels and chose the Château du Cèdre Extra Libre 2018 Malbec. When I asked why, he pointed to 'vin naturel' on the label. This one was made with organically grown grapes and bottled without added sulfur. Sounded good to me!

A little bit about Cahors...it's a town that lies equidistant from the the Atlantic Ocean - to the West - and the Mediterranean Sea - to the Southeast. So, the area is influenced by many climate factors. It's also an Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP), producing some of the richest, darkest red wines in France, primarily using the Malbec varietal which is sometimes referred to as 'black wine. When you pour one, it's easy to see why it's called that.

The typical Cahors wine is darkly hued, verging on black, and has a hearty, herb-heavy aroma.

In the early 20th century, Léon Verhaeghe left Morsleede, Belgium to settle in southwestern France. Léon 's son Charles and daughter-in-law Marie-Thérèse started a farm in 1958 and began adding vines to the property slowly. They bottled their first wine in 1973. Now, Charles and Marie-Thérèse's sons are at the helm. Château du Cèdre is run now by Pascal and Jean-Marc Verhaeghe and the two brothers who have banned all herbicides and chemicals from their family's estate.

They now cultivate 27 hectares of vines, including both white and red varietals which the vines aged between 20 and 60 years. But 90% of their red grapes are Malbec. Before a year ago, when looked at Cahors before, I associated Malbex with Argentinian wines. It was then that I learned the grape was originally grown in France. In fact, as far back as the 1300s, the Brits praised the 'Black Wine of Cahors.'

I'm always happy to learn more about wine and this group definitely stretches my knowledge every single month. So, to begin our current Cahors exploration, Jake and I opened and poured the Château du Cèdre Extra Libre 2018 Malbec.

A blend of 90% Malbec and 10% Merlot, this 'vin naturel' is made without added sulfites. The grapes macerate for 30 days before allowing malolactic fermentation to occur in concrete tanks. Then, it's barrel-aged for a year.

This wine was rich, but approachable. I got the perfume of berries and Spring blossoms on the nose and some hints of pepper and lemon zest on the tongue. This was an elegant wine that paired nicely with an everyday meal.

On My Plate

On the day that we poured this, I was in the middle of recipe testing for an event centered on apples. I thought that the sweetness of apples would match well with the wine.

Click here to go to my Crispy Hot Cider Tea-Brined Chicken Thighs. You could, if you wished, swap out the soy sauce and use red wine instead!

I will write about the Château de Gaudou Le Sang de Ma Terre 2018 Malbec and Château Lamartine Cahors 2016 tastings later. And, next month, the French Winophiles will be looking at 'Rasteau with Thanksgiving' with event host Michelle Williams of RockinRed Blog. Stay tuned for that!

Find the Sponsor

on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram

*Disclosure: I received sample wines for recipe development, pairing, and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.

Chamomile-Poached Sand Dabs with Candy Caps #FishFridayFoodies

It's time for Fish Friday Foodies' October event. We are a group of seafood-loving bloggers, rallied by Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm, to share fish and seafood recipes on the third Friday of the month. And Wendy herself is hosting October's event.

She wrote: "Share a recipe using fish or seafood that is poached on the stove top or in the oven." In case you are unfamiliar with the technique, poaching involves cooking by submerging food in a liquid, such as water, milk, stock or wine and cooking at a low temperature.

I really enjoying poaching in olive oil as evidenced by my Olive-Oil Poached Salmon with Rhubarb Crème Fraîche and Olive Oil-Poached Salmon Bellies with Summery Peach-Tomato Salsa. But I have also poached in tea: Green Tea Poached Cod. This time I decided to poach in a tisane of sorts.

But, before I get to my post for the event, here's the rest of the #FishFridayFoodies' poached fish offerings...

• Chamomile-Poached Sand Dabs with Candy Caps from Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• Herb Butter Poached Wild Salmon from Food Lust People Love 
• Poached Cod Cantonese-Style with Chiles from Karen's Kitchen Stories 
• Poached Prawn Cocktail from Sneha's Recipe
• Poached Salmon with Bourbon Cream Sauce from Palatable Pastime 
• Poached Sole with Caper Sauce from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Tomato Basil Poached Fish from Making Miracles 
• Tomato Poached Cod over Egg Noodles from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Chamomile-Poached Sand Dabs with Candy Caps

Fall has certainly arrived on California's central coast. With all this gloom and grey, I wanted a dish that looked a little bit Springy. And I looked no further than the fresh organic chamomile blossoms I had on my table. Fresh chamomile is surprisingly bitter, so I thought I'd temper it with the maple syrup-reminiscent candy cap mushrooms. 

Sand Dabs, scientific name Citharichthys sordidus, are a mild white fish whose range runs the coastline from Alaska to Baja. It has the ability to change its color and pattern to match its surroundings which protects it from predators. Since most of the waters in and around the Monterey Bay are closed to trawling, these are caught using the hook and line techniques.

Ingredients serves 4

• 1 pound sand dab filets, deboned
• 1/4 C dried candy cap mushrooms 
• 1 T fresh, organic chamomile blossoms + more for garnish
• 1/2 C boiling water
• 2 T maple syrup
• 1 T shallots, peeled and minced
• 1 T olive oil + more for serving
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• organic chamomile greens for serving

Procedure

Place candy cap mushrooms and fresh chamomile blossoms in a bowl. Pour boiling water over them. Let steep until softened and fragrant. Whisk in maple syrup. Set aside.

In a large, flat-bottom pan, heat olive oil and saute shallots until softened and beginning to turn translucent. Pour in the soaked candy caps, chamomile blossoms, and soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer.

Place sand dab filets into the liquid. Poach until firm, approximately 5 minutes.

To serve, move cooked filets to a low, rimmed bowl. Spoon candy caps over the top. Pour in a few T of poaching liquid. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with freshly ground salt and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with fresh chamomile blossoms and greens.

Muhallebi (Middle Eastern Milk Pudding) #FreakyFruitsFriday #MelissasProduce #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Melissa's Produce.
I received complimentary product for the purpose of review and recipe development,

but all opinions are honest and they are my own. This page may contain affiliate links.

Here we are at the final week of this year's #FreakyFruitsFriday event. The Halloween before last, I noticed that Melissa's Produce* had a section on their website for 'Freaky Fruits.' I really wanted to showcase recipes featuring those fruits, so I reached out to my contact at Melissa's and he agreed. This year, I emailed him, again, and he agreed, again. Woohoo.

The group received a generous selection of less-than-common fruits, including dragonfruit, passion fruit, kiwano melon, cherimoya, chayote, blood oranges, rambutan, and pomegrante. With that bounty, here's what the crew is sharing today...

• Blood Orange Bars by Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats
• Buttermilk Passion Fruit Poundcake with Blood-Orange Glaze by Kate's Recipe Box
• Dragon Fruit and Blood Orange Salad with Pecans by Hezzi-d's Books and Cooks
• Freaky Fruit Cocktails by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Gluten Free Blood Orange Cupcakes with Passion Fruit Frosting by Frugal & Fit
• Grilled Beef Salad with Kiwano Dressing by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Kiwano and Blood Orange Smoothies by Blogghetti
• Mini Vegan Pavlovas with Coconut Cream and Passionfruit Curd by The Baking Fairy
• Muhallebi (Middle Eastern Milk Pudding) by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Passion Fruit & Blood Orange Curd Tart by Savory Moments
• Passion Fruit Coconut Loaf Cake by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Passion Fruit Lemonade by Jonesin’ For Taste

Today's Freaky Fruit

For this final week I am featuring the beautiful, mysterious pomegranate. Originally from Persia, pomegranates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits. Ancient Romans used the skins in the process of tanning leather. Perhaps due to the fruit's princely blossom crown, it has gained distinction as a royal fruit. Chaucer, Shakespeare and Homer have all extolled the virtues of the pomegranate in literature. The Moors brought the seedy fruit to Spain where Granada was named for it. The first pomegranate was planted in Britain by King Henry VIII. It reached our shores by way of the Spanish conquistadors.

Muhallebi

I picked this dessert because I wanted that shock of garnet pomegranate arils on the snowy white pudding - so lovely! Though this is traditionally made with rosewater, that is a polarizing ingredient in my household. Two of us love it; two of us despise it. So, I swapped out for vanilla and topped two of the servings with dried rose petals.

Ingredients

• ½ C rice flour
• 3 C whole milk
• 4 T organic granulated sugar
• pinch of fleur de sel
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• slivered almonds, for garnish
• pomegranate arils, for garnish (prefer Melissa's Produce)
• dried rose petals, for garnish (optional)

Procedure

In a medium saucepan, whisk together rice flour, milk, sugar, and fleur de sel until dissolved. Keep stirring with a whisk, over a medium heat, until the mixture comes to a simmer. 

Once the thickened to hold whisk marks, remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour into individual bowls and let cool. To serve, garnish with almonds, pomegranate arils, and a dash of ground cinnamon. If you're using dried rose petals, place a few on top of the garnish.

You may find Melissa's...

on the web, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram

*Disclosure: I received product for free from the sponsor for recipe development, however, I have received no additional compensation for my post. My opinion is 100% my own and 100% accurate.

Poison (Oak) Honey #FoodieReads

I was so excited to read this book - At the Wolf's Table: A Novel by Rosella Postorino* - because its premise is fascinating! Based on the true story of the female tasters in Hitler's lair, this was a part of history that I think I've heard before, but certainly never looked at in any depth. These ten women, in the novel, were conscripted to taste Hitler's meals before he ate them to ensure that he wasn't being poisoned. I have no idea how many actual tasters there were.

So, history plus food...you would think I would be 'all in' for this one. The back-stories of those women. The relationships between them. It could have been so compelling. But I struggled to even finish this book.

Part of me wonders if it would be better in its original language, if maybe my disinterest is a product of a bad translation. My Italian is rusty, but it's passable. I might give it a try if I can get my hands on an original version. On the other hand: there are so many other books out there that I want to read, I'm not sure I want to devote anymore time to this story.

In any case, I wasn't inspired into the kitchen to create a recipe from this book. But the chapter when some of the tasters were fed poisoned honey made me think of the poison oak blossom honey that I have in my cabinet.

They say that if you eat pollen from a certain flower, you won't get allergies from that flower. It's said that Native Americans put poison oak leaves under their tongues and didn't get poison oak. Okay, I'm not risking it with poison oak, but I did buy this at a local farmers' market because I was intrigued. My husband has been eating it...and he seems fine.

Here's the passage about the poisoned cake...

"In the lunchroom I was also served dessert. Topped with a spoonful of yogurt, the cake looked fluffy. ... No dessert for her that day, but she had been given eggs and mashed potatoes. Eggs were one of the Führer's favorite foods. He liked them sprinkled with cumin. The sweetish smell reached my nostrils. ...'They don't care one bit about saving us.' Elfriede had pulled herself to her feet. Her stony face seemed to crumble as she added, 'They don't care one bit. They're only interested in finding out what it was that poisoned us. All they need to do is perform an autopsy on one of us tomorrow and they'll find out'" (Chapter 21).

Later, Ziegler, one of the SS officers, tells Rosa, one of the tasters, that it was the honey in the cake that had affected her.

Well, I'm moving on to my next read. Again, this was an interesting subject. It was just an uninteresting telling of the story.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.

Click to see what everyone else read in October 2019: here.

Bat Brew-Brined Chicken Thighs #Sponsored

This post is sponsored by Adagio Teas. 

I received complimentary product for the purpose of review. All opinions are mine alone.

I have already posted two recipes using the Wicked Teas Sampler Set from Adagio Teas,* but they were both sweets and I wanted to feature at least one savory recipe with Adagio's Limited Edition Wicked Teas that features six Halloween themed teas packaged in spooky metal tins.

This recipe uses their Bat Brew, a blend of black tea, cinnamon bark, ginger root, cocoa nibs, chocolate chips, and edible confetti. 

Yes, it's a fun little mix whose eye-candy appeal isn't really highlighted in this recipe. But the flavors are decidedly Fall and Halloween-y. I love it! You can make this with any black tea blend that you like. I hope you'll try it.

Ingredients serves 4

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• olive oil for drizzling

Brine

• 1/4 C salt
• 1 T organic granulated sugar
• 2 C water
• 2 T tea (prefer Adagio Teas)
• 1 T coriander seeds
• 1/2 C white vinegar
• 1/4 C soy sauce
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1/2 t white pepper

Procedure

Brine
Combine water, tea, salt, sugar, and coriander seeds in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and swirl pan until salt is completely dissolved. Pour in vinegar and soy sauce; whisk in garlic and white pepper. Set aside and let cool.

Once the brine has cooled, place chicken in a lidded container and pour brine over thighs until they are completely submerged. Refrigerate for, at least two hours but, as long as a day. Before cooking, remove chicken from the brine and pat dry.

Remove chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you want to start cooking. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil.

Roast in the pre-heated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until chicken is browned and crisp and cooked through. Raise temperature to 450 degrees F and roast for 5 more minutes until the skin is browned and crispy.

Remove chicken to serving platter and serve hot.

You may find Adagio Teas on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram

*Disclosure: I received compensation in the form of tea samples for recipe development and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the sponsor.

Pizzelle from Camilla's Cucinotta #FoodieReads

I bought The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate* probably half a decade ago. And I probably even read it when I bought it. Parts of it seems oddly familiar. But yesterday, on the last day of the boys' Fall break, I crawled into bed and read it from cover to cover. They were at robotics for part of the day, so my house was quiet and peaceful.

On the Page

This is chick lit, no doubt about that. But it's chick lit that's not trashy...and it involves food.

Holly Maguire has recently had her heart stomped on by a long-time boyfriend in California. She returns to Blue Crab Island, off the coast of Maine, to spend time with her grandmother Camilla, a fortune-teller from Italy and owner of Camilla's Cucinotta, a local cooking school. When Holly was 16-years-old, her nonna Camilla told her that her great love would like sa cordula, an old-world delicacy made with lamb intestines and peas in a butter sauce. Needless to say, not a single one of her boyfriends has ever liked that dish.

When Camilla dies, Holly inherits the house and the cooking school. She is determined to make it work and embraces her grandmother's legacy.

Her students want to learn more than just Italian recipes. Simon, a newly single father, want to learn how to make his daughter's favorite Italian dinners. Mia, a tween, wants to learn to make lasagna so that her dad will break-up with his barbie doll-esque lasagna-making girlfriend. Juliet, Holly's childhood friend from the island, has retreated from a personal tragedy. And Tamara is a serial dater who is finding solace in the company and recipes she's learning.

As the class convenes each week, they add Camilla's essential ingredients of wishes and memories into every dish. "All of Camilla Constantina's recipes called for wishes and memories, either sad or happy or unqualified. They were as essential to Camilla as were the minced garlic or the tablespoon of olive oil. Her grandmother had told Holly that when she first started cooking as a young girl at her mother's hop, she began the tradition of adding the wishes and memories, which had delighted her elders" (pg. 12).

Friendships are formed, confidences solidified, love found, love lost, and love re-found. The book made me wonder: Do you only have one great love of your life? I don't think so. I think we are better equipped for love at certain times in our lives. Then, we just need to keep that connection going with intention and passion!

But through the book, Holly finds strength in herself. She finds peace with her mother. She finds love. And she finds her purpose in life. Does it sound formulaic? It was. But it was an enjoyable read with lots of food mentions.

On the Plate

There were so many things I thought to cook from the book though sa cordula was not on the list! Just the menu she plans to try out for a wedding catering gig had my mouth watering. "She lay her notes, covered in scribbles and Post-its, on the counter. White bean pâté on crostini, and cheese; antipasto platter, Tuscan roast beef tenderloin roasted with pancetta, herbs, and red wine; risotta alla Milanese; gnocchi filled with herbs and mushrooms and served with asparagus; cotoletta Milanese, her grandmother's favorite dish, with roasted pine-nut and fontina cheese sauce" (pg. 123).

There were also recipes in the back of the book for Camilla's Chicken alla Milanese, Risotto alla Milanese, Holly's Heartbreak Pasta Salad, and Camilla's Cucinotta Tiramisu. But I've made plenty of risotto dishes such as Roasted Lobster Risotto, my recent Sweet Potato Risotto, or Risotto all'Amarone. And Tiramisù is often our celebratory dessert of choice: Tiramisù for My Love, for example.

So, over dinner I was talking about this book and the Kitchen Elves said that I was making them think of pizzelle. They offered to make a batch if I made hot chocolate. Done! As for the 'from Camilla's Cucinotta' part, that refers to my kitchen, not Holly's nonna Camilla.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 C organic granulated sugar
• 1 t pure coffee extract
• 1 t pure almond extract
• 1 3/4 C flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/2 C melted butter
• zest from 1 organic lemon
• oil for greasing the pizzelle maker (he used a non-aerosol grapeseed oil spray)

Procedure

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, coffee and almond extracts until well combined. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour  and baking powder.

Add the melted butter to the egg mixture. Then, with a wooden spoon, fold in the flour mixture and the lemon zest. The batter will be thick.

Heat your pizzelle iron. Lightly grease with oil. Cook the pizzelle according to the instructions that came with your iron. D's suggested 1 to 2 t of batter per pizzelle.

The pizzelle cook rapidly, browning in about a minute or two. D used a setting between 3 and 4 on his machine. Remove the pizzelle from the iron, and cool. As the pizzelle cool, they will harden. 

Repeat till all the batter is gone. You can use a pair of kitchen shears to trim any ragged edges. Or leave them rustic.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.

Click to see what everyone else read in October 2019: here.