Flourless Chocolate Torte...My 3 Ingredient Indulge

My parents visited over the most gorgeous Labor Day weekend in September. That extra Monday off makes for a good excuse to travel, and a celebration was definitely in order because it was my mom's birthday. The air was crisp, and almost zero humidity meant that my hair looked fabulous. With a new patio set on the porch - we laid the tablecloth, lit a little candle as a centerpiece, and made a point to eat almost every meal outdoors with mother nature. The hum of the cicadas is such a relaxing sound for me - a forecasting of fall that almost lulls me to sleep.

I am a girl (I guess 24 gives me the right to the title "woman" or "lady") who truly appreciates the thrill of baking new recipes...and of coarse having them turn out! Our experimental recipes were delightful, and our stomachs were filled with egg souffles, cappuccinos, and my dad's homemade pickles all weekend long. My mom's birthday cake was also a new endeavor, and a recipe I think I could bake every week for the rest of my life. I've been searching for a good excuse to buy a springform pan; so naturally, when I came across The Gluten Free Girl's flourless chocolate torte http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2005/09/plummy-red-wine-and-flourless.html with only 3 ingredeints we had to make it. Eggs, chocolate, and butter - what could be better? Unexpectidely, this became a family baking affair and a good one at that. Mom constructed a cheap substitiute for a double boiler and melted the chocolate and eggs. My sister beat the eggs and folded them into the chocolate/butter mixture. And my dad (this is why I love him so) helped me wrap the foil around the outside of the springform pan making sure not to let any moisture in (very important!). My dad is pretty much a man's man...shooting guns, making beer, etc. but he also had a wonderful teacher for a mom. My grandmother showed her boys how to bake...and he's actually taught me a lot.

We placed the springform pan (with buttered sides and a parchment paper covered bottom) in the roasting pan insulated with foil. After all the ingredeints were in, we carefully placed it in the oven (with the oven light on) - I was so worried about burning it. I admired this time in the kitchen - all four of us - baking. 

 We followed the recipe to a tee and added a spritz of character on the top to satisfy my newfound love for anything with hazelnuts. We finely chopped the hazelnuts in the food processor and sprinkled them on top when the torte was finished. Each piece was complemented with a dollup of vanilla ice cream. I think this was one of the best birthday cakes to date. Happy Birthday Momma!   

grapples, plumcots, and hybrids, OH MY!

I probably love grocery shopping more than anyone you have ever met.  Scanning the isles for new items, weekly deals and steals, and comparing labels - a few of the simple pleasures in life that I adore. So naturally, Trader Joe's is like Disney Land for me. Last week, I was making my usual rounds, and I noticed a crateful of plumcots on sale. Unconsciously, I think I've steered clear of hybrids...partly because of my "fresh out of school" budget, and partly because I was unsure about them. The word hybrid causes me to reminisce of my days in HS biology learning the "ins & outs" of the punnet square. This word does not conjure up "natural or fresh from the garden" thoughts for me.

But, It turns out that a lot of the produce I already put in my grocery cart are hybirds..those gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and golden rice.  But one question must be on your mind. As humans are altering these fruits and veggies natural genetic makeup - are these foods still safe? The word on the streets (aka the most current research articles) tells us that hybrids are perfectly safe for our consumption. With hybrids, typically the only thing to watch for are any added dyes that could cause problems for a small group of people. Also, in the case of the plumcot - make sure you know what the hybrid acutally is. If apricots make the back of your throat itchy....probably not a good idea to try out the plumcot.

I do think that these fun fruits like the grapple and plumcot are interesting to even the pickiest of kids - maybe enticing them to add another serving to their fruit and veggie goals.

PS: I waited as long as I could (about 3 days) to let my plumcot fully ripen...and it was delicious! It definitely has a more dominant plum flavor and just as sweet as candy.