Whew! What a couple of days it’s been ... first I was cooking like crazy, and today came the payoff, so to speak.
As we weren’t together last month, many birthdays went uncelebrated by MAL and me. So I hit on the crazy idea of making a cake for each person’s birthday and having a big party. I forgot to bring recipes, as well as some equipment, but despite those challenges—and the challenges of shopping in unfamiliar places—I made three cakes, all gluten free. They were: blackberry cheesecake, for Snolf the First; white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, for Snolf the Second; and a vanilla cake that I, er, enhanced with some chocolate vodka and chocolate chips, and frosted with a yummy peanut butter frosting. (There was supposed to be one more cake, but I think something was missing or wrong in the recipe I used; suffice it to say I will not be going back to that site for recipes, because I ended up with molten chocolate soup instead of a cake.)
For most people, the thought of making four cakes in one day is too daunting to consider for a home cook—at least, that’s what the reactions I received tended to run toward. But for me, it was a lot of fun, even with the molten chocolate cake debacle early in the proceedings. I have never, as best I can recall, viewed cooking as drudgery or a chore; it’s a pleasant activity at worst. For me it has become one of the best ways I can express caring for someone; and I honestly don’t know which I like more, preparing the food for a loved one or watching them enjoy it.
Today all the crew got together to enjoy cakes and ice cream and watching the snolfs run around and play. It was a relaxed day—no tensions or undercurrents of drama ... just lots of people I love together, enjoying a lot of food I made for them, and talking and having fun.
I am quite tired, but I am also one very happy and contented Snake.
For Me, Pood Is Love
Full size
All of the cakes were full-sized, as we had a large party and I wanted to ensure everyone could sample each cake. It didn’t take that much extra effort to make them—just some planning, especially for the cheesecakes.
Cooking is cool!
The wonderful thing about cheesecake is how easy it is to make more than one, and change them up once you make the basic filling. I think it's more difficult to make room in the fridge for more than one cheesecake than it is to actually make them, LOL. Rosie and Lew make this yummy chocolate marble cheesecake that looks so masterful, but it's quite easy to make.
That being said, I would struggle making four cakes in one day. The thought of it is daunting! The thing I struggle with the most as a cook is my timeline--- having everything complete about the same time so I don't have cold food that's supposed to be warm.
Pood is Love
I have for a long time been under the impression women are far more interested in cooking than men. A woman I know was making blackened halibut on her porch, on a grill, and I had no idea what she was talking about.
This is a woman with a degree in Chemistry and an IQ of 133. I asked her if she'd just as soon stay home, be domestic, cook, and have a guy support her. She said that would be fine with her.
So much for feminism.
Too bad the government has damaged the economy to the point where a man cannot support a family by himself anymore.
Interesting Impression
I'm a man, and I love to cook! It's the clean-up after I don't like.
Most of the chefs I know in restaurants are men.
Student Of All, Disciple Of None
http://ianism.com
And on top of that ...
I was going to concede Bob’s general point—which I take to be that men tend not to get as emotionally invested in cooking as women do—but yesterday I unexpectedly came across a story by a non-chef man recounting how he finally grokked another non-chef man’s pleasure in cooking. They both agreed that it’s an act of love.
Oh, and lewlew and I are working (slowly) on the cleanup aspects ...
4 cakes at once!
My family liked cake as well as anyone, but I would never have dreamed of making more than one at a time!! Were these small ones? They all sound marvelous, even the chocolate soup... soup is good - and chocolate is always good. How could you lose? Hugs and happy birthdays all around. ML