Ombre red velvet, aka dinner.

Someone always has to get the last word.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This flourless cake looks great, but flour wasn't the only thing omitted from this recipe. Half way through baking this treat I realized- I had forgotten the sugar! Luckily, 8 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate and a dusting of powdered sugar helped cut any bitterness that may have totally ruined it. Before serving, I decided some warm strawberry jam might be a nice addition. Not bad, but still not what I wanted!

I must make a suggestion for anyone who might be reading. After taking a intro to beer class (and getting an A in it!), I've really begun to taste the quality differences in the beer I buy. After swearing off any Anheuser-Busch product (which is a huge percentage of any beer aisle in the country), I finally bit the bullet and purchased some of what I consider to be the best beer in the country. Dogfish Head breweries are located on the east coast and put out several year-round brews as well as a few sensational seasonals. Because the brewery is still quite small, they don't distribute to many stores and if you can find them on tap, tell me where! If you can manage to find it, you won't always be able to afford it. Four bottles of their 90-minute IPA costs around $12! However, their IPA is considered to be the best in the country and it packs a big whollup at 9% ABV. So next time you're at the store, really scan those racks of beer bottles. If you're lucky enough to find it, I suggest you snatch up a bottle and give it a try. It will soon become a guilty pleasure!

Chocolate Decadence

Hello! If you have stumbled upon this, you are either an awesome friend or it's 3am and you're very hungry.
I've realized recently how much I love cooking (specifically baking!). I worked at a local cafe over the summer and ended up in the kitchen, decorating cakes, cooking lunch and breakfast, and making some of the baked goodies. The job reinvigorated a passion in me that I had ignored since I left my mother's very well-equipped kitchen and moved off to college. While I had to leave the job due to, um, conflicts (read: clingy manager), I haven't stopped experimenting in the kitchen.
Which leads me to this first entry. I looked on my hard drive and realized that I've kept a semi-decent record of recent culinary projects. After seeing a sorority sister's blog displaying her beautiful decorated cupcakes (I will post a link later), I got inspired! This will be my virtual food portfolio.
Here we have one of my "professional" cake designs. This is a chocolate decadence cake from Ciocolat in Davis, CA. The cake is a layer of thick, fudgy chocolate with a hint of espresso on top of a chocolate sponge cake. It is topped off with cocoa powder and chocolate espresso beans. It is a staple at the cafe and is truly delicious! I definitely suggest it if you ever find yourself staring into their dessert case.