Wedding Cake Math

(Just another cake I have baked.)

There is so much cake math to do. How many cups of batter go in each pan? How much butter do you need? (Answer: So much butter)

For my practice wedding cake, I will need the following:

26 1/4 cups of sugar
35 eggs
21 sticks of butter
19 cups of flour
11 1/4 cups of oil
7 1/2 tsps of vinegar
7 1/2 cups of buttermilk
3 1/4 cups of lemon juice
2 bags of frozen raspberries
20 tsp vanilla extract

Oh, boy.

Oeufs Cocotte

Easy easy French breakfast. I mean, really easy. It takes about 1 minute to make these eggs. Delicious creamy eggs and toast points, and "microgreen" herbs. The herbs I just started growing in a little pot on my kitchen window- they are baby chives and baby basil sprouts and were surprisingly flavorful. Sorry for stunting your growth, baby sprouts.

Oeufs Cocotte (serves 1, multiply accordingly):
1 egg
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Spray ramekin with cooking spray. Add 1 tablespoon crème fraîche. Add egg. Add additional crème fraîche and sprinkle with salt and peper. Bake in oven, about 10 minutes or until slightly set and serve with toast.

Nothing to eat for dinner.

Last weekend I got too caught up in watching Mad Men to do things like shop or cook or generally get off the couch. This always ends up with me eating the most ridiculous things. For instance- I had a frozen dinner lined up with a salad on Sunday evening. I couldn't bear to actually eat it, so instead I took the few things in my fridge and whipped up some truffled Parmesan scrambled eggs.

2 eggs
dribble of white truffle oil
dash of heavy cream
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
salt and pepper

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Beat remaining ingredients in a small bowl till fluffy. Add to hot oil. Stir quickly and continuously until eggs form tiny curds and are soft-set, don't overcook! Grab a glass of whiskey and continue watching Mad Men.

LEEKS

I'm currently in the middle of a leek love affair. The leek is a member of the onion family, but is much sweeter than most of its counterparts, tasting like a mix between a shallot and a scallion.

Last night I had leeks with spicy Italian sausage and fresh pasta, and tonight I'm whipping up a classic Vichyssoise. But, since it is World Egg Day Eve, I give to you: Marinated Leeks with Poached Egg, Sheep’s Milk Cheese & Mustard Vinaigrette.

Breakfast for Dinner, Pt. VI

All aboard the runny egg train- next stop, Tunisia! There, they have a pastry called a brik. An egg brik consists of encasing an entire egg in a flakey triangle of pastry dough, which is also filled with onion and spinach and parsley and other delightful things. This is then deep-fried, but just enough so that the egg is still a delicious runny mess.

Then things get better: There is a Tunisian tradition where the mother of the bride makes an egg brik for the groom, and he must eat it without getting yummy eggy goo all over himself. If he spills the egg, then the wedding is off. More people should base marriage off of things like the ability to eat eggs.

Breakfast for Dinner Pt. V

I'm losing count on this one. Turns out Italy has their own poached egg dish, challenging the French's lead in breakfast for dinner ideas. It is traditionally called, "Uova in Purgatorio" which means "Eggs in Purgatory" and generally consists of 'poaching' eggs in marinara sauce, which can then be served over polenta, mashed potatoes, pasta, or by themselves.

For the recipe, we'll go with Mario Batali's, since I luft him:

Yield: 5 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Gaeta olives, pitted but left whole
1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes, juices drained and set aside for another use, tomatoes cut into 1/2-inch strips
Salt
10 eggs
1 bunch basil, leaves cut chiffonade
1/4 cup freshly grated caciotta

In a 12 to 14-inch nonstick saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat until just smoking. Add the onion and cook 7 to 9 minutes, until softened and light brown. Add the olives and tomatoes, season lightly with salt, and cook slowly for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down.

Carefully crack the eggs into the pan, keeping them whole and separated. Cover with a lid or foil and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites have set but the yolk is still runny. Sprinkle basil and grated cheese over and serve from the pan on the table.


Points: France-3, Italy-1, Me-1. Mmmmmm, purgatory.

Breakfast for Dinner Pt. IV

What's the only thing better than dinner with a poached egg on it? A huge cheese ravioli with a runny egg yolk cooked right into the middle of it, covered with shaved truffles. The idea is, that cutting into the yolk mixes with the cheese, creating the oozy sauce needed for the pasta.



This will be the third dish at my dream dinner party. Martha's detailed instructions are here, but I would suggest just using your favorite simple ravioli recipe and just making a few adjustments for the yolk.