Course Three of my fabulous wine-pairing dinner was a simple, yet elegant, salad. I like serving salad towards the middle of a multi-course meal because it’s a nice shift and a sort of palate cleanser. This salad was a lovely light dish to follow the hearty and robust Soppressata Bean Soup.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir being paired with a salad because Pinot Noir is such a versatile wine. It pairs well with just about anything. It can stand up to a perfectly medium-rare filet mignon or sweetly compliment a seared scallop. I practically live by the phrase, “When in doubt, Pinot wins out” when stumped by a new venue’s extensive wine list.

Don and Sons Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir was well received by everyone at the table. Described as “tart with a hint of florals” and “good balance of smoothness and complexity” this wine had David exclaiming, “I would buy a bottle of that!” but of course not to be outdone, Elyse chimed in with, “I’d buy a case of that!” Jonathan, our resident Pinot Noir snob, called it “a very good Pinot Noir”.

The winemaker’s description of this wine is fitting. It is a lovely wine to enjoy on its own, but also was quite nice with the Truffled Spinach and Prosciutto Salad. The above comments were all made from taste one of this wine, even before the salad was presented.

When I was planning this dinner and saw that this salad recipe included truffle oil I nearly leapt from my chair in excitement. I love truffles. Whole truffles, shaved truffles, truffled Brie, truffle oil. The mushroomy earthiness of truffles is probably my absolute favorite savory flavor. I always have a bottle of truffle oil in my kitchen. A caution about truffle oil: a little goes a very long way. Most restaurants abuse their dishes with truffle oil. I am often disappointed after ordering a dish that contains truffle oil. It is such a powerful aroma and flavor that it can quite easily overpower anything it comes in contact with. So please, if you have tried a truffle oil dish at a restaurant and decided you don’t like that flavor, give it another try! Make this salad and start with just a drop of truffle oil. Then add more until you can just barely taste that earthy goodness on the back of your tongue. The best way to pick out that flavor when it is used properly is to take a bite of your food, and with your mouth closed and bite still intact, breathe gently through your nose. Your mouth will be filled with earthy goodness and you will understand Daisy’s palate and love affair with food just a little bit more. Do yourself a favor: once you try this salad and realize you do like truffle oil, go out and get yourself an order of truffle fries.

I stuck to the main ingredients of this recipe with just a few changes. I wanted the truffle oil to shine without overpowering so I used my own simple salad dressing instead of the mustardy concoction suggested. The chiffonade of spinach provided a neutral bed for the salty prosciutto, nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano, and earthy truffle oil to marry into a flavorful, yet delicate, third course salad to enhance the light bodied pinot noir.

Truffled Spinach and Prosciutto Salad
Makes 8 Appetizer Portions

4 Cups Fresh Spinach, washed and stemmed
8 Slices Prosciutto
2 Ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
1/8 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Teaspoons Black Truffle Oil

1. Slice spinach and prosciutto into very thin ribbons and place in bowl
2. Grate or slice cheese and set aside
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper, and truffle oil
4. Toss dressing with salad until well coated, taste and add more truffle oil if desired
5. Serve salad with cheese sprinkled on top

There is a fabulous project I have been following called The Traveling Red Dress. It was started back in 2010, but I didn’t hear about it until January of this year. Grab some tissues before clicking on the link above. These stories are amazing, empowering, and heartbreaking. I love this project so much that I wanted to get involved. I decided to find a red dress to donate. I spent one entire day shopping for the red dress. I went to two malls. I didn’t love anything I found so I came home and continued my search online.

All this searching made me want to have my own red dress moment. I wanted to spend a day in a pretty dress being totally girly and feeling beautiful and empowered. So I dragged along my best friends and favorite photographer for a photo shoot. I chose Valentine’s Day. I recently opened up to you all and that was such a freeing and therapeutic experience that I decided to continue in that vein. Of course, there will still be things I write that do not get published, but I am going to use my little platform here as a space to talk about what is real in my life. Mostly I’ll be sharing my recipes and ventures in the culinary industry, but I will also be sharing my life. My hopes, dreams, nightmares, successes and failures.

I chose Valentine’s Day because I am single, unintentionally, and sometimes that is difficult. Especially during all the romantic nonsense people partake in. I have so much to be thankful for in my life, and I have incredible family and friends, but I still have days where I am down in the dumps and feeling sorry for myself.

Valentine’s Day was the start of my new life! I am choosing to stop feeling sorry for myself. I am choosing to move forward with my life. I am embracing what I already have and going after the things I want. I traveled to Italy, for three weeks, by myself, in 2010 as a way to prove to myself that I could be happy on my own and enjoy my own company. I decided to put myself through culinary school because I love to cook and didn’t want to waste another moment of my short life just thinking something would be cool. If I think it would be a neat thing to do I am going to do it.

I want to write a book. So I am going to write a book, and I’ll publish it myself if I have to. I have several ideas for books so now it’s just a matter of putting “pen to paper” and doing all the legwork required for getting a book published. I am going to finally start my own garden. A friend gave me Square Foot Gardening over a year ago. I have read it, but have not yet done anything else with it. Actually, he lent it to me. I guess I should give that back.

I am not fat, but I feel fat. For the first time in my life I am not comfortable in my own skin. I gained 30 pounds two years ago and it has stayed with me because I haven’t done anything to make it leave. I have made the decision a few times in the last two years to shed my extra pounds, but this time I’m doing it…because I’m announcing it publicly so I sort have to now, don’t I? My aunt, uncle and mom started using My Fitness Pal a while ago and I signed up last October. I tracked it for about two weeks and then stopped. So, be my friend on My Fitness Pal and let’s keep each other accountable! I used to exercise 5-7 days a week and I am looking forward to getting back into that habit. This is certainly not going to become a health and fitness blog. No way! I’m sure as I start eating healthier you will see some healthier recipes here, but I will never give up my chocolate or desserts.

I am embracing my singleness, my femininity, my power to be me, my love for myself, and I am choosing to be the fiercest woman I know and to empower other women to love themselves and live their lives to their fullest, regardless of all the crap that gets thrown our way! I know, men need to be empowered too, but I am a woman and therefore feel I can relate better to women. Men, you can have your red dress moment, too!

I found my red dress and bought killer heels to go with it. I got my hair and nails done. I did my makeup. I wore my red dress all day long. I bought myself flowers and chocolates. I spent Valentine’s Day feeling girly and wonderful! I even did my dishes and took out my trash while wearing my red dress. My Valentine’s Day was a good day. The day ended with an unexpected dinner invitation. Was that the power of the red dress or was that power of my ferocity? I’d like to think it was both!

Of course, my red dress needed a red cocktail to go with it. Enjoy one of my favorite drinks while having your own fabulous red dress moment:

Fierce and Fabulous Red Dress
Serves One Fabulous Woman!
3 Ounces Champagne (I definitely chose mine based on the pretty bag it came in!)
1 Ounce Chambord

1. Pour champagne into a pretty champagne glass.
2. Top with Chambord.
3. Enjoy.

Course Two of my fabulous wine pairing dinner was a two-bean soup with bacon, soppressata, and various spices paired with The Crusher Petite Sirah. The original recipe for this soup called for Polish Sausage, but I love all things Italian so I chose to switch it up a bit. Soppressata is a common meat to use on cheese and charcuterie platters. It can be found hot and mild. For this soup I used mild so as not to detract from all the other powerful flavors. I loved this soup because it so vibrant and colorful and not very “soupy”. There is just enough broth for it to be called soup, but it is more similar in consistency to a chunky chili. In any case, it was delicious and I ate ridiculous amounts of it while preparing this dinner throughout the day. Even Elyse, my non-red-meat-eating friend loved it. I mean LOVED it! Jenn, the pickiest person in the world wrote “yum” on her notecard and even said aloud that it was a lovely dish. This soup is really fabulous all on it’s own. It doesn’t need any pairing at all!

As for the wine we had mixed reactions. Everything from “not my favorite” to “I love it” and “great wine, especially paired with the soup”. Others said that the wine paired well with the bacon and soppressata but not so much with the beans and other flavors in the soup, and David said that the wine was “overpowered by the soup”. The soup was quite obviously the star of this course!

The Crusher Petite Sirah is a dark ruby wine with rich flavors like berries and molasses (yummmm!) and baking spices. I enjoyed this wine the first time I tasted it on it’s own and I loved it with the bleu cheese and whole grain crackers from the cheese plate, but wouldn’t pair it with the soup in the future. This wine is going on my “to buy” list for further enjoyment!

Soppressata Bean Soup
Makes 8 appetizer servings

1 Slice Thick-Cut Baco, diced
1/2 Cup Soppressata, diced
1 Small Onion, diced
1 Small Carrot, diced
1 Small Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
1 Can Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
2 Juniper Berries, crushed and chopped into tiny pieces
2 Whole Allspice, crushed and chopped into tiny pieces
1 Bay Leaf
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2-4 Cups Chicken Stock

1. In a large pot over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until almost crispy and it has given off a lot of juice.
2. Add the soppressata and cook three minutes.
3. Add the onion, carrot, bell pepper. Stir and cook until the onion is translucent, about five minutes.
4. Stir in the remaining ingredients, using enough chicken stock to just cover. You may need to add more chicken stock throughout cooking.
5. Simmer 30-45 minutes, or until the vegetable are soft.
6. Serve hot.

–

This is not a sponsored post. I received these wines for free, but I am not being compensated for using them or writing about them. I am not affiliated with Don & Sons or Balzac Communications. All opinions expressed on Daisy At Home are my own and were not formed by any person, company, or being other than my own tastebuds and brain.

I recently told you about my exciting gift of wine! I had in my possession six bottles of wine and six recipes with which to pair them. The best way I could think to tackle this challenge of pairing wines with recipes created especially for them was to host a dinner party with my friends. Armed with notepads and whetted appetites we began our culinary adventure with Smoking Loon Red Loonatic 2009 Sweet Red Wine. This wine was to be paired with an appetizer of bacon, dates, and bleu cheese. It actually came with a recipe that included three variations. Since this was going to be a six-course meal comprised of small plates I also had on the table a cheese platter that included elements from each course to nibble between servings (and pourings!)

I topped my bite-sized bacon plates with bleu cheese-stuffed date halves. The appetizer itself was a lively pairing of flavors and it really brought out the sweetness in the wine. This wine was Jennifer’s favorite of the evening. She does not have much of a taste for wine, but drank her entire glass and even put little hearts next to it in her notes! The overall opinion of Red Loonatic was that it was a simple, yet effective, wine and a great starter. It was a perfect pairing with the bacon, dates, and bleu cheese as well as the cheese platter. Jonathan writes, “the pairing leveled out the acidity and improved the sweetness.”

This is a wine I would pour for myself to drink un-accompanied by food, but I would also pair this with just about any appetizer, and is now my go-to glass when introducing new palates to the delicious world of wine.

Smoking Loon Red Loonatic would also be great for that upcoming romantic evening. Sweet and gentle with notes of red fruits (the color of the season) and able to hold her own, as well as perfectly compliment, the smoky manliness of bacon.

Bacon Plates topped with Bleu Dates
Makes 8 Appetizer Servings

8 Slices Thick-Cut Bacon
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 Teaspoon Honey
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
16 Dates, pitted and cut in half lengthwise
1 Ounce Bleu Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Cut bacon slices into 2-inch pieces and lay on a rimmed cookie sheet
3. Stir together mustard, honey, and ginger
4. Lightly brush mustard onto bacon pieces
5. Bake in oven until bacon is crisp, about 15 minutes
6. Place bacon on paper towels to remove some of the grease
7. While the bacon is cooking, stuff date halves with bleu cheese
8. Top each piece of bacon with a bleu cheese-stuffed date
9. Serve warm with Smoking Loon Sweet Red Wine

–

This is not a sponsored post. I received these wines for free, but I am not being compensated for using them or writing about them. I am not affiliated with Don & Sons or Balzac Communications. All opinions expressed on Daisy At Home are my own and were not formed by any person, company, or being other than my own tastebuds and brain.

Sarah has always seemed like one of the most common names to me.  Everyone has heard the name and everyone should know how to spell it.  Actually, when I say my name people usually ask, “With an ‘h’ or without?” They know to ask that question, but then they don’t know where to put the h.  I have had my name spelled “Shara”, “Sarha” and “Sahra”.  Really?  Unfortunately I don’t have photos of those spellings, but I do have photos of baristas deciding to name me something different:

Clara

Tera

Sara, no h, even though he asked, "Sarah with an h?" and I said, "yes"

I started teaching myself about wine several years ago. I have many books and kits and favorite websites. I feel like I am pretty okay when it comes to choosing a nice wine to enjoy with my carefully crafted meal. I also feel like I still have a long way to go and so much more to learn. Wine is a complex and beautiful thing. Before the grapevines even break through the soil the impending wine is being crafted by the land from which it grows.

I have traveled to France and Italy where I learned about local wines and how people enjoy them. I took a wine class in school last year and loved every moment. My professor was a great teacher and extremely knowledgeable sommelier (he was studying for his Master Sommelier exam), and the subject was intriguing.

Last November I attended IFBC where I got a two-hour refresher of the class I had just finished in school. The panel was “How To Incorporate Wine Into Your Food Blog”, hosted by The Crusher, a Don & Sons wine. The panel got in to basic food and wine pairing guidelines and we had a wine tasting.

Shortly after the conference I was offered a sample of some of the other Don & Sons wines. Of course I agreed! I love wine and I love free samples.  Since the panel had been about food and wine pairing they also sent along recipes to pair with their wines. I didn’t realize what I was getting in to when I agreed to these “samples”, but I was pleasantly surprised to receive six bottles of wine accompanied by six recipes!

I was excited to try these wines and the pairing recipes and I thought what better way than to make a dinner party out of it! So I invited my friends over to my place for a six-course food and wine pairing dinner! I cooked all day long and then enjoyed good food, good wine, and great company.

The wines and recipes we enjoyed are as follows:

Smoking Loon Sweet Red Wine, 2009 with Bacon Plates
The Crusher Petite Syrah, 2010 with Smoky Bean Soup
Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir, 2009 with Truffled Spinach and Prosciutto Salad
Aquinas Chardonnay, 2010 with Mushrooms Three Ways
Project Paso Red Blend, 2010 with Persian Greek Pizza
B Side Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010 with Steak and Wild Rice Wrap

I didn’t follow all the recipes exactly, but I did adhere to the main flavors in the dishes. Don’t worry, I will share all the recipes and notes about the wines in the coming weeks, but for today you’ll have to settle for the evening’s dessert. I thought it apt to serve a wine-poached dessert to follow our wine and food pairing dinner:

Drunken Pears
Tweaked from a recipe I learned in Italy 
Serves 8

8 Pears, I use D’Anjou
1 Cup White Sugar
1 Bottle Chianti Wine
12 Whole Cloves

-Heat oven to 350
-Place pears in a glass baking dish
-Pour sugar, wine and cloves into dish around pears
-Bake 30-45 minutes, or until pears are soft
-Serve hot with liquid drizzled on top and vanilla ice cream

I haven’t figured out the intrigue with big bowls, or “Super Bowls” as they are affectionately called, but I wanted to get in on the action. On this inaugural iPhonetography Friday (in which I share with you some photos taken with my iPhone) I present you my favorite dishes served in bowls:

Pasta Primavera

Spaghetti Marinara - my favorite food in the whole world

Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Salty Steamed Edamame

Not Microwave Popcorn

Ice Cream - Why stop at one? Mint Chocolate Chip AND Cherry Garcia

—

Two years ago today I was exploring Seattle with my realtor looking for the perfect home. A home with a large kitchen to cook and an even larger area to entertain. A home with enough room for an office and a nursery. A home to call “ours” and in which to have a baby or two. This was the third house-shopping day, and the first that I was alone with the realtor. It was a Friday and he had to work. I went in to work with him that morning, like I did most Fridays, to work on the bookkeeping for our small machine shop in Ballard, Washington. I was only there for a couple of hours before I left for the house-hunting appointment with Diane, our realtor and Kal’s wife, one of the other shop guys. I went into the shop to say goodbye to him. He eyed my smoothie breakfast so I gave him the rest. He told me I was the best wife ever and kissed me goodbye. As he was walking away he turned back with a big smile and wave and said, “I love you so much. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

As we walked out of the first home of the day, Diane took a phone call and walked away from me. I could tell something was wrong but kept my distance to avoid eavesdropping. She came back and grabbed both my arms with her hands, looked straight into my eyes with tears welling in her own and said, “We need to go to the shop. Follow me.” It was only a few minutes away. I called him three times on the way there and didn’t understand why he wasn’t answering his phone. My phone rang. “Madre”. I ignored the call. There were two police cars in front of the shop.

No ambulances. No fire trucks. It must not be that bad.

The street was over-crowded with parked cars. I had to park half a block away. I ran the half-block to the shop, not sure my stiletto boots would carry me. I stopped short just inside the doorway. My realtor was standing there staring at me. Next to her were two policemen. All the shop guys were sitting, standing, or leaning, all eyes on me. I looked towards his office chair where I saw his blue coveralls and worn black work boots from the corner of my eye.

Who is in his chair? Where’s Jon? What’s going on?

“Where’s Jon?”
The officer started, “There’s been an accident…”
“Don’t sugar coat it”, I snapped.
“He’s gone.”
He’s gone? Where is he? Is he on his lunch break? At the hospital? What does that mean “he’s gone”?
“What?!” I croaked with what felt like the last breath I had in me.
“He’s dead.”

My knees stopped working. My realtor caught me as she wailed loudly. I started towards the door to the machine shop. The officer stepped in front of me and told me I didn’t want to go in there. Then I was sitting in his office chair. How did I get here? I’m pretty sure someone was sitting in this chair just a moment ago. The officer told me he’d give me a few minutes and then we would need to talk. He looked like a baby. I’m only 26. Jon is only 27. This police officer must be 15. Does he even know what he is dealing with? What I’m dealing with? Why isn’t he more upset?

Suddenly the room was empty, although I don’t think it actually was. I was sitting in Jon’s office chair. The chair and desk where I sat once or twice a week to do the bookkeeping. It seemed so foreign and uncomfortable now. I was wearing the coat he wore in to work that morning. His phone was in my lap and I was looking through his wallet as if I’d find him there.

I think I used his phone, but I can’t be sure. I called David, Jon’s best friend. I explained that there had been an accident and that Jon had died instantly. I don’t think I explained things eloquently; in fact, I think I blurted it out. We sat in stunned silence on the phone for what felt like an eternity. It was the most comforting silence. He stammered something and we hung up. The police officer was back and telling me to call somebody that could drive me home. I could feel my gaze cut through him as I said I wouldn’t be leaving. He said I’d need a ride later and for now someone to just sit with me. So I called the person I knew could get there the quickest. “Madre” was calling again. This time I answered. “I’m so sorry sweetie” her voice cracked through the phone. Something about a plane and seeing me in a few hours.

Now the tiny office was filled with people. The two police officers, a medical examiner, the Medical Police Chief, a Labor and Industries representative, two Hazmat employees. Everyone handing me business cards, explaining who they were, what they needed from me, and what I’d need to take care of in the coming days. Everyone was walking in and out of the door connecting the office to the shop. The one I was blocked from entering. I stared longingly and achingly at that damn door. A few different people told me that I didn’t want to go in there, that I didn’t want to see him. I agreed. All the “business” took several hours. I sat and watched as they rolled a purple cloth-covered stretcher from the shop and into an ambulance. I felt an incredible urge to run towards him and an even stronger force holding me back. I was mere feet away from him, but I couldn’t go to him. All I could do was sit and watch and listen to everyone’s instructions.

I was numb. The whole day whizzed by while moving in slow motion with my numb self at the center of it all. My head spinning but focused on the things that needed to be done. I was comforted by friends and family, but was unable to feel comfort. The day didn’t make sense. Was it even real? It didn’t feel real, but it felt too real.

It wasn’t until the following morning that it hit me like a ton of bricks. January 30th, 2010 was the first time in my 26 years that I completely understood that term. I sobbed and sobbed and felt like I’d never be able to breathe again.

–

We met when we were twelve. I thought he was cute but he didn’t like me. I got over it. We became friends when we were fifteen. Good friends. We went to Disneyland together every Sunday after church. First with all our siblings and eventually just the two of us. We would give each other relationship advice and opinions about significant others. One cold and rainy Sunday night we cuddled up to watch the fireworks while sitting outside Village Haus Restaurant (except we always called it the Pinocchio place). It was a friendly cuddle, a necessity because we were so cold! A short while later, on Christmas Eve, 2000, Jon asked me to be his girlfriend. We were seventeen. We spent the next five years figuring out how to be adults, how to be in an adult relationship, and be responsible for ourselves. On the evening of November 25, 2005 at the top of the Space Needle overlooking the Seattle skyline, Jon got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. We got married in Orange County, California on September 15th, 2006. We danced to our song Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra. We moved to Seattle, Washington a few months later. I got to be his wife for three-and-a-half years.

–

Two years has flown by and dragged on. Death is a funny and terrible thing. It mixes up emotions. Causes them to all happen at once. It doesn’t make sense, but it is one of the only absolutes. Everyone dies. Everyone knows someone that has died.

Friday, January 29th, 2010 was the worst day of my life. It was the start of a whole new life for me. A whole new me. The death of my husband has changed me. I’m not the same person I was two years ago. Some parts are better, some parts are worse, but nothing is the same. Sometimes I don’t feel like me. Sometimes I don’t recognize myself in the mirror.

I dreamt about him every night for about the first six months following his death. I still dream about him sometimes. Sometimes they’re normal good or weird dreams. Sometimes they’re terrible.

I still sleep on one side of my queen-sized bed. Having a pile of laundry, books, magazines, or homework on the other side is sometimes necessary.

I was a good housewife. I kept the house tidy, packed Jon’s lunch most days, and cooked us dinner every night except “date night”.  I never brought home take-out for dinner. Now I eat fast food or order from a restaurant way more than I should, and way more than I want to. I struggle to keep my home clean now. I just don’t have the energy. Cooking is so therapeutic for me, and I do it often enough for blog posts, for school, and for work, but cooking normal things like dinner every night feels like it requires too much energy.

I used to exercise 5-7 days a week. I was fit and sexy. I loved my body. I gained 35 pounds in the months following Jon’s death and I haven’t lost them. I (luckily) have never struggled with self esteem or body image issues, but I don’t love my body like I once did. I feel fat and gross sometimes. I sigh when I see my stomach rolls in the mirror.

Taking showers and brushing my teeth are a chore. I have to remind myself that they are necessary activities if I want to keep people in my life. Wearing makeup makes me feel better but I often don’t because I just don’t feel like making the effort.

I have reminders set in my calendar to pay my bills. I once had an amazing memory (something Jon and I shared). Now I have an alert to remind me to pay rent. Even with that alert I have been late on my rent payment several times.

I hate the phrases: “Time heals”, “God has a plan”, “Journey”, “Widow”

Last year, on the first anniversary of his death, I buried Jon’s ashes. Along with his ashes I buried a journal we kept that was “our story”. It started with the story of how we met and became a couple. A story I loved to tell to anyone who would listen. A story that is too hard to tell now. A story that now has an end. Along with our journal I buried our wedding rings. It felt right at the time, and it still does. This year, this morning, I’ll go light a candle on his grave and then go to church where I’ll cry in sorrow and anger and mixed emotions.

I have spent the last two years learning to grieve. Learning to accept what has happened and learning to move forward with my life. Jon will forever occupy a piece of my heart. I feel stronger now than I did two years ago. Stronger than I did a year ago. I am not the same woman who woke up married and ready to start a normal day that morning two years ago. I have been changed. Deeply affected by a terrible tragedy. The last two years have felt like a chore to wake up and get out of bed every day. It feels like it takes all my strength just to live. I know it won’t always feel this way, and it isn’t nearly as bad as it was a year ago. Time doesn’t heal. Things are different. Not necessarily better or worse, just different.

My life isn’t all depressing.  My parents and siblings have been great. Sunday family dinners are the highlight of my week and we usually spend that time laughing. I have an amazing small group of friends that have walked with me for the past two years and kept me alive. I have many wonderful things and people in my life whom I love and who love me back.

–

Bachelor Food – Jon’s Final Culinary Endeavor 

Jon woke up that morning in an amazing mood. He made breakfast out of leftovers. He had recently made his “bachelor meal”, one of the few things he cooked: polska kielbasa, red bell peppers, onions, and potatoes sauteed with a splash of beer altogether in a cast-iron skillet. He called it his “bachelor meal” because polska kielbasa makes me sick to my stomach so he only got to make it when I didn’t feel like cooking or didn’t have an appetite for some reason. He cooked that into an omelette that he then wrapped in a tortilla; a bachelor breakfast if ever I saw one.

I taught you the other day how to have a successful girls night.  One of the key components is to have something sinfully rich, chocolatey and amazing for dessert.  Here is the perfect solution.  I originally saw this recipe over on Recipe Girl.  It was love at first sight!  My salivary glands became activated immediately upon seeing that title and first photo.  As I read more about this chocolate wonder and skimmed the recipe I knew I just had to make it mine!

The chocolate cheesecake recipe looked divine and her warning of it being a thick batter just made my craving that much more intense.  I used her chocolate cheesecake recipe for the cheesecake layer.  I have a simple and perfect go-to devil’s food cake recipe that I just couldn’t abandon in my time of chocolate need.  In addition to that I also made a chocolate glaze to top my cakes instead of using the sour cream chocolate frosting used in the original recipe.  Finally, since it was girls night and chocolate cake just is not for sharing I made individual little cakes (and bite-sized ones, too, just for fun).

To make the individual cakes I just used a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the cake and cheesecake then spooned the chocolate glaze on top and let it drip over the edges.  I can’t even tell you how many bites of cake and cheesecake I ate while cutting out and assembling these little guys!  I ate more that night at girls night and even more the next day at family dinner (and even more while trying to figure out how to turn them into cake pops.  More on that later).

Like the original recipe says, “This cake is for big time chocolate-lovers”.  Enjoy!

Chocolate-Glazed Chocolate Chocolate Cheesecake Cake
or Chocolate Cheesecake Cake
or Chocolate Lover’s Dream Come True Cake
or Make Me Now Cake!

Chocolate Cheesecake
From Recipe Girl
Makes one 9-inch round cheesecake
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees
-Fill a large roasting pan with about two inches of water and place in oven while it preheats
-Melt chocolate and set aside
-Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until it is smooth and creamy
-Mix in sugar and cocoa powder
-Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition
-Mix in melted chocolate
-Mix until smooth (the batter will be very thick and not like your typical cheesecake batter)
-Scoop into a springform pan or straight-sided cake pan (The pan should be greased and the bottom lined with parchment paper)
-Smooth batter to form a flat surface
-Carefully place the pan into the water in the large roasting pan already in the oven
-Bake for 45 minutes or until the batter is set and not jiggly
-Allow cheesecake to cool, wrap with plastic wrap, and store in freezer until ready to use (remove from the freezer about ten minutes before you plan on cutting out the smaller portions)

Devil’s Food Cake
Makes Two 9-inch round cakes
1 Cup Cocoa Powder
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Milk
1/3 Cup Brewed Coffee

-Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt
-In separate bowl beat together eggs and sugar
-Mix in the vegetable oil
-Gently fold in half the flour
-Mix in the milk and coffee
-Gently fold in remaining flour
-Pour batter into two greased 9-inch cake pans
-Bake for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when gently pressed

Chocolate Glaze
16 Ounces Chocolate
2 Sticks (one cup) Unsalted Butter
2 Teaspoons Corn Syrup

-Combine all ingredients in a heat-proof bowl
-Melt over a double boiler or in the microwave in short bursts
-Cool to room temperature

To assemble cakes
-Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut as many circles out of all the cakes as you can
-Place one round of devil’s food cake on a cooling rack with parchment paper underneath
-Place one round of chocolate cheesecake on top of the devil’s food cake
-Top with another round of devil’s food cake
-Pour chocolate glaze over assembled cakes and allow it to drip over the sides
-Let sit for ten minutes to allow the chocolate glaze to harden (or consume immediately if you just can’t wait!)

Get in the kitchen and make something delicious together!  We made pizza.  Elyse has this wonderful pizza crust recipe so we made three varieties.  Margherita Pizza (mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil), Chicken Alfredo Pizza (alfredo sauce instead of red sauce, chicken, garlic, and crushed red pepper), and Roasted Vegetable Pizza (Roasted eggplant, squash and zucchini with pesto and goat cheese).  Oh man, I’m starting to crave them all again.  I may need to instate a weekly Pizza Night in my home.

Finally, have something sinfully rich, chocolatey, and amazing for dessert.  We had this chocolate cheesecake sandwiched between two layers of devil’s food cake and draped in chocolate glaze.

Make pizza tonight with the girls, or the boys, or your family.  It will be a fun way to get in the kitchen and create something together!

Perfect Pizza Crust
Makes One 12-inch pizza crust

1/2 Cup Warm Water
1 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
1/2 Tablespoon Honey
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

-Mix together water, yeast, and honey
-Let sit about ten minutes, or until the mixture is foamy
-Mix together the two flours
-Using a dough hook or your hands mix in the salt, olive oil, and half the flour mixture
-Mix in the remaining dough in batches until the dough reaches a tacky, but not sticky to the touch, consistency. You may or may not need all the remaining flour
-Knead the dough by hand or with the dough hook until it is smooth and elastic
-Lightly grease a bowl that is twice the size of the dough
-Place the dough in the greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a dry kitchen towel
-Leave out at room temperature for 2 hours
-The dough will about double in size
-Roll dough into a 12-inch circle and top with ingredients of your choice

If you have a pizza stone sprinkle it with semolina flour or cornmeal before putting rolled-out dough on it. You can also line a cookie sheet with parchment paper to bake your crust and avoid sticking.

-Bake at 500 Degrees for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling

Topping Ideas:
Pepperoni
Sausage
Black Olives
Mushrooms

Margherita Pizza
-Sprinkle dough with shredded mozzarella cheese
-Top with sliced tomatoes
-Bake at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown
-Remove from oven and top with chiffonade of fresh basil

Chicken Alfredo Pizza
-Spread alfredo sauce on dough
-Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese
-Top with pre-cooked chicken, grated parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes
-Bake at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown

Roasted Vegetable Pizza
-Spread pesto on dough
-Sprinkle with pre-roasted eggplant, squash, and zucchini
-Top with goat cheese
-Bake at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown