January 29, 2004

  • Ambitions


    For Dina's birthday, Joyce and I decided to be different for once and make her dinner (as opposed to taking her out).  For those of you who know me, I don't cook. ever.  my kitchen's barely wide enough for me to turn around in.  pity really, i've always aspired to be an excellent cook. (one step closer to being the perfect gal )


    So when I caught an episode of Forever Summer with Nigella on the CX flight coming back from Sapporo, I got all motivated.  Nigella appears in front of the camera, sprinkle ingredients here and there, and viola! a perfect dish appears.  I've found my chef idol!! 


    That chocolate pav just looked too good to resist.  so i decided to make it for Dina (thx D & J for being my guinea pigs)


    Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova


    Ingredients        



    • Meringue

      • 6 egg whites
      • 1 cup sugar
      • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
      • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely
        chopped   

    • Topping

      • 21/4 cups heavy cream    
      • 1 pint raspberries                                                                
      • 2-3 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate, grated into curls     

    Directions



    • Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with baking parchment.  
    • For Meringue: Beat egg whites until peaks form; beat in sugar slowly until meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle cocoa, vinegar and chopped chocolate over mixture and gently fold until mixed in. Mound on baking sheet in circle about 9 inches wide; smooth top and sides.
    • Put in oven. Turn temperature down to 300 degrees. Bake about 11/4 hours. (It should be crisp around the edges and sides and a little moist inside). Turn off oven, leave door open slightly to let meringue cool.
    • To serve, put meringue on round plate. Whip cream and mound on top. Scatter on  raspberries and sprinkle on chocolate curls. Makes 8-10 servings.  

    *be careful, egg whites burn really easily.  best to layer on the meringue thick and keep a tight eye on the heat settings


    *the best thing about this recipe is the whipped cream you pile on at the end. it makes for excellent damage control


    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


    guess what, it turned out pretty well.  and i have pictures to prove it


    my satisfied customer:



    Happy birthday girlfriend


     


    | Download of the day: 50 cent - In the Club |

Comments (3)

  • mmmmm, tasty!  i'll have to try that recipe sometime.  i know how you feel about cooking.  i actually cook a lot.  i'm not an excellent cook, but i can cook basics.  but how i aspire to do more!

  • I want to see more pics of the snowboarding--where's the ofoto album?!

    I like Nigella too but have never tried any of her recipes. She eats with such ridiculous fervor though--sometimes I wonder if she's just trying to gain male viewers...  come to SF so that we can cook together!

  • I think Anne would make an excellent chef idol... I nominate her.

    I like the pic... although to me, it looks like she's leaving the table in mad rush? :)

     

Comments are closed.

Post a Comment

stelladoro

Recent Posts

Categories