food and birthdays seem to go hand in hand. there's something about delicious food, good conversation, and a well-mixed cocktail that makes any celebration better!
mom's favorite cocktail: gin gimlet
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| i think mom would love this variation: ginger pear gimlet |
mom's birthday cake: chocolate orange ganache tart
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| this deliciously rich ganache tart has an orange wafer crust and is sprinkled with toasted nuts - recipe {here}
mom's brunch: biscuits (with eggs, chicken sausage and caramelized onions)
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happy, happy, happy birthday, mom!
so, yesterday (as you know) was craig's birthday. needless to say, i had a lot of food things planned. i drove out to meet him for lunch during his lunch break. we went to this place by his work that is rumored to have "the best" chicken caesar salad...and it did not disappoint. besides having a yummy creamy caesar dressing and crisp romaine and buttery croutons, it also was topped with marinated portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions and breaded & baked chicken. wow! for dessert (yes, we got dessert with lunch. it was his bday after all...) we shared a creme brulee. the lemon zest they added to the custard was the perfect touch.
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| caesar salad |
when i got home, i wrapped presents, set the table and finished making his cake. well, actually not a "cake" per se, he requested a ganache tart with a peanut butter swirl. fancy : ) i modified the recipe {here} with a peanut & pretzel crust, then added globs of pb to the ganache filling and topped with chopped peanuts. completely decadent.
for dinner i whipped up homemade mac n' cheese and marinated chicken roll-ups filled with sauteed veggies. we uncorked a bottle of bubbly and toasted the birthday boy. good food. good time : )
mac n' cheese
16oz medium shells
2 1/2 cups italian cheese blend (mozz, parm, prov)
2 cups sharp cheddar
2 cups milk
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
salt & pepper
dash of red curry optional (about 1 tsp)
topping:
1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
heat the milk in a small pot, but do not boil. melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large pot and add flour. over low heat, cook for a few minutes. add the hot milk while whisking & cook for 1-2 min more, until thickened.
off the heat, add the shredded cheeses, 1 tablespoon salt & pepper. add the cooked pasta and stir well. pour into baking dish.
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| present opened: vintage 1950s cocktail shaker! |
tomorrow we're celebrating my mom's birthday. (her actual birthday was yesterday.) and i'm in charge of making the birthday "cake". my mom loves chocolate, so each year i try a new decadently chocolate delight...always in search of the ultimate chocolate indulgence.
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| real simple inspiration |
this year, i was inspired by a "real simple" recipe for a hazelnut ganache tart with sea salt. but you know me, i can never just follow a recipe... so i modified it a bit to better suit my mom's chocolate preferences : )
instead of hazelnuts, a medley of almonds and pecans. instead of a chocolate cookie crust, an orange butter wafer crust instead. (my mom's favorite is dark chocolate with orange.)
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| the recipe...that i changed... |
ganache goodness...my way : )
1/2 cup almonds + 1/4 cup pecans (3/4 cup total)
1 1/2 cups crushed orange wafer cookies (approximately 30 wafers)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
12 oz semisweet chocolate morsels
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
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| ingredients |
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| roasted almonds & pecans |
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| ganache - step one |
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| ganache - step two |
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| waterfall of delight |
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| the final result |
for the original recipe from "real simple" click {here}
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| mmm...mmm...good |
are you feeling creative? i think a pretzel & peanut crust would be delicious and then top the ganache filling with chopped roasted peanuts or maybe even add a peanut butter swirl in the ganache. or maybe a vanilla sugar cookie crust and then top each slice with homemade whipped cream and berries... yummy!
i am sooo looking forward to finally trying my creation tomorrow night. i have a feeling it's going to be divine. how can you go wrong with chocolate?
