Roman Holly-day Pasta

Paired nicely with the Ravenswood Zinfandel

Okay, I don't want to cause anyone any shock but I made something that didn't require baking. *gasp*. Okay, I didn't do it alone but I still did at least 50% of the work so it counts. Mum got me an Audrey Hepburn book from the library to read over Christmas which is exactly what I did. Audrey At Home: Memories of My Mother's Kitchen is written by Audrey's youngest son Luca and is filled with lots of her recipes and stories of what she was like at home. It's a great read and will make you crave pasta which is why when it was suggested to make something from the book, I jumped at the chance. (Not literally jumped, I was on a boat).

   We personalized it a bit due to laziness and things we had around but it turned out incredibly delicious and as I return to my life of living off of eggs on toast and smoothies I remember it fondly with just a hint of longing (as I do of the person I made it with).

Seriously, ridiculously good looking

 
Inspired by Audrey Spaghetti al Pomodoro with Chorizo
Serves 2

1 devilishly handsome man to help
.65 kg vine-ripened tomatoes
1/2 onion, peeled
1 celery stalk
1 carrot, peeled
basil leaves, chopped, plus extra for garnish
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 large chorizo sausage
500 g spaghetti
parmigiano-reggiano cheese

   Cook tomatoes (we added about a cup of oven roasted cherry tomatoes for sweetness), celery, carrot and onion in a large pan with a lid over it at a high heat for about 10 minutes to soften vegetables.

Remove the lid and continue to boil for 10-15 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat to medium-low, and add basil leaves, chorizo and a drizzle of olive oil. The sauce is ready when the bubbles are no longer made of water but rather small craters of sauce. Or whenever.

Remove from stove and season with salt and pepper.

Fill a large pot with cold water and place over a high heat to bring to a boil. Add the pasta and a small handful of sea salt. When done, drain and dish onto plates, topping with sauce, parmigiano and a few extra leaves of basil.

Toffee Mocha Torte, How Obscenely Decadent

Hello Dear Readers! ie. Mum (and Matt?)

    The past few months have been busy with school and moving and I've had next to no time to bake. Luckily, I'm home in Vancouver for a few weeks for the Christmas break so not only do I have spare time to pursue hobbies (such a strange feeling) but I also have all kinds of lovely tools to use!

    I've been invited to a friend's birthday celebration tonight as my one social engagement whilst I'm here and I offered to bring dessert so I'd have an excuse to use my beloved KitchenAid. Bonus, I picked a recipe also requiring coffee so I got to use my espresso machine too, it's so nice being with my loved ones. I'm making a cake I first made a few years ago for Thanksgiving, but that was pre blog so now I have the opportunity to share this delicious and incredibly simple cake with you!

It's about -4ºC outside right now so it's a perfect day to crank Adele, reflect on any deep unrequited love (childhood sweetheart, ex-lover, boss, those shoes you had to leave behind in Selfridges) and allow the warmth of the oven to thaw your cold, dead heart. No, just me?

Toffee Mocha Torte

(serves: a lot)

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 2/3 cups flour

3/4 cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoons salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup coffee

1 tbsp strong coffee (or 1 tbsp hot water and 1/2 tsp instant coffee)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 tbsp light brown sugar

250 g toffee pieces (in Canada I use Skor bits, I'm hunting for an alternative in the UK)

1. Cream butter and sugar until "fluffy"(when does it ever look fluffy?) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in vanilla.Then, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and add it to the creamed mixture a little at a time alternating with buttermilk or else it will explode everywhere and you'll curse loudly. Beat well after each addition. Stir coffee into batter. 

2. Pour into three greased and floured 22 cm (9 inch) round baking pans. Bake at 180ºC (350ºF) for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Mine took closer to 30 minutes but I think I used smaller pans and therefore they were thicker. You can see how precise I am about these things.

3. For the whipped cream topping, pour coffee into a large bowl; cool. Add the cream and brown sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Place whichever cake you decide should be the bottom layer on a serving plate; top with approximately 1/3 of topping and sprinkle liberally with toffee bits. Repeat until cake is fully formed. Store in the refrigerator. 

4. Transport to venue, put in candles, light, serve to handsome birthday boy and hopefully dazzle with your baking talents.

Happy Baking!

-Holly