 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Schokoladnaya kartoshka. Photo courtesy of Penn Gastronomy Club |
Located just on the outskirt of campus, Sabrina’s Café is fairly well known among Penn students for good reason. However, if you haven’t frequented Sabrina’s this winter, hurry now to try their pumpkin pancakes before this extra sweet brunch special goes out of season!
For my friends and me, pumpkin flavored anything is guaranteed to please. But Sabrina’s didn’t stop there. Rather, the pancakes were topped with Nutella, fluffy ricotta, white and milk chocolate chips, toasted walnuts, fresh berries, and a generous “sprinkle” (more like blanket) of powdered sugar and cinnamon. If the description doesn’t say it on its own, this was quite the extravagant and delicious indulgence – well worth the Saturday morning trek against forceful winds in freezing temperatures. The pancakes soft and the chocolate chips melted, this dish brought back nostalgia for the comforts of winter break in the best way possible. If you are an avid pumpkin lover like us, you have to CHOW NOW on these pancakes!
Most times I've eaten cake in my life, I've been disappointed. There are so many desserts I can appreciate even when they aren't great. Take cookies. Although I would certainly prefer a phenomenal, straight from the oven Jacques Torres style cookie, I still enjoy the occasional Oreo. Cake is a different story. Bad (even mediocre) cake sucks... it just sucks. The texture is just so important yet difficult to perfect that any old slice of cake from a local grocery store is guaranteed to disappoint.
Mediocre cakes are just about the frosting. The cake itself is nothing more than an excuse to eat the frosting. I do not tolerate cakes made from box mixes, from terrible grocery store bakeries, and from anywhere else that produces cakes that may as well be frosted bread. You shouldn't either! Take a stand. Make a real cake.
I made this cake for my father's birthday over break and it rekindled my love for the classic birthday treat. The cake is so very chocolatey and the coconut filling, although it barely tasted like coconut, was excellent. The entire cake does not make for the prettiest of pictures, but trust me, as everyone who tasted it would also said: it's unbelievable.
Rich Chocolate Cake with Coconut Filling and Ganache
From Food52
Serves 10 to 12
18 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, divided, chopped
2/3 cups shortening
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
1 1/2 cup strong black coffee
3 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 cup heavy cream
1. Set out the cream cheese to soften. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder.
3. In a small saucepan, melt 8 ounces of the chocolate with the shortening. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese with 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/3 cup sugar and the coconut. Set aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled chocolate mixture, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and coffee.
6. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cake flour, soda and salt.
7. Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just incorporated.
8. Pour half of the chocolate cake mixture in to the bundt pan. Top that with the coconut/cream cheese mixture and then top that with the remaining cake mixture.
9. Bake on the center rack of a 350 degree oven for 45-65 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
10. Cool the cake in the bundt pan on a wire rack for 10 mintues. Invert the cake on a serving plate to cool further.
11. While cake is cooling, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and whisk in 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate until smooth. Set aside to cool.
12. Once the cake has cooled, drizzle or pour (depending on how much icing you want) the ganache on to the cake.
Bloggers' Bites is a series of posts chronicling the foodie adventures of Penn Appétit's blog staff. On Saturday, January 26, Penn Appétit bloggers trudged through the snow for a lively brunch at Russet.
Leslie Robledo: As a newcomer to Philly, the idea of trying a new restaurant was so exciting! I was down from the moment I heard of the opportunity and it was even better when I met the people I was going to spend the time at the restaurant with me. They were all as excited and anxious as I was which made the experience even more great. With decor that made you feel like you were at a close friend's house for brunch, the setting had a comforting intimacy that allowed everyone at the table to be sociable and full of smiles. Eyes widened as the food came out. The presentation was cute, not too extravagant and in no time there were satisfied taste buds all around. The time at Russett was nice. I met new people, ate good food, and ventured into the city. Something I recommend to everyone new and old to Philly!
Kristen Duda: Hailing from a small suburb outside of Philadelphia, I have not been exposed to the most exotic or interesting foods that one can find so easily in the city. Therefore, my experience at Russet in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood was extremely refreshing! The restaurant's atmosphere was quiet and warm, and every item on the menu seemed to have something I did not recognize in it, which I love.
I tried the wild mushroom sformato (which I had to Google in order to know what I was ordering). It was similar to a soufflé but less airy, and its earthly mushroom flavor was nicely counterbalanced with a parmesan cheese crisp, fine nuts, and something pickled on top. Needless to say, our trip to Russet was one I would love to repeat!
Nicole Woon: Upon entering Russet, I felt as if I had walked into someone's home. While warm and cozy, the interior still managed to be open and spacious. Hence, it was the perfect setting for our group of nine! After perusing the small menu, I knew my choice would be easy: I elected for the duck confit croque madame.
Out came a neatly-cut sandwich topped with a dripping sunny side up egg, flanked by a pile of lightly-dressed greens. Much to my surprise, one of the sandwich triangles had a duck leg--bone and all--comfortably sticking out the side: a statement piece, for sure. The sandwich was a touch dry; perhaps a fruity compote or jam would have made the meal more moist and added a new dimension of flavor? The cheese also did not have as much of a pronounced flavor as I would have liked. Regardless, this spin on the classic French sandwich was something I had not seen before and am glad I had the opportunity to try.
More treats from that bloggers enjoyed at brunch:
• Quakers: 34th Street interviews '05 Penn grad and HubBub coffee truck owner Drew Crockett, reflects on the food truck business and his Penn years
• Penn dining: Bon Appétit brings local brands to campus, including Rival Brothers coffee, Talula's Table, and Brown Betty Dessert Boutique
• $100 raw bar platter at Butcher & Singer? $100 cheesesteak at Barclay Prime? Eater has the round up of the most expensive dishes in Philly
• Mark your calendars! East Passyunk Restaurant Week is Sunday, Feb. 24-Sat. March 2
• PLCB: Corbett unveils proposal for liquor store privatization in PA
• Social media: Foursquare crunches over 3 million check-ins in its "Best of" Philly restaurants and nightlife
• Food biz: Online restaurant reservations site OpenTable to acquire mobile food app Foodspotting for $10 million
 |
Top layer: Dark chocolate pudding with garnish Bottom layer: Classic Turkish milk pudding
|
 |
Top layer: Pistachio pudding with garnish
|
 |
Top layer: Fruit pudding with orange zest and figs, and garnished with ground walnuts, pistachios, coconut, and sprinkles. Bottom layer: Milk chocolate pudding
I found a recipe here for classic muhallebi - try it on your own or get yourself a plane ticket to Istanbul!
If you are interested in an easy but excellent pudding recipe (not Turkish), I would highly recommend checking out this one.
-Alexandra Golub
|
 |
| White Peach Sangria |
 |
| Grilled Cheese with Fruit |
 |
| Turkey and Avocado Club |
 |
| Bittersweet Flourless Chocolate Torte |
Let's just get this out of the way: I did not make any notable food this week.
I know, I'm sorry. It was a busy week! So, instead of my usual random musings about my food philosophy leading into an awesome recipe with pretty pictures, there will just be random musings.
On the plane ride from Seattle to Philly, I finally read what many consider to be the quintessential book on working as a chef: Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential.
Kitchen Confidential completely surprised me. When I think of cooking, I think of the (at absolute minimum) thirty minutes I take to prepare a meal that I have never cooked before (not including cooking time), and for more complex meals, at least an hour, even when I've cooked them hundreds of times before. I love cooking and I've thought of doing it professionally, but this book really opened my eyes. My über careful, extremely slow way of cooking would never cut it in a restaurant.
Kitchen staff must be human robots, churning out hundreds of the same dish in a night as fast as they possibly can. And they often treated like dogs. Before one proves themselves as a capable cook at a restaurant they are worth absolutely nothing to the rest of the kitchen staff. There is, of course, no room for creativity unless one is the head chef and gets to decide the menu, but even then there is almost no improvisation on a day-to-day basis. Even for chefs that get to be creative, the job is even more about management than it is about cooking.
I am very happy I read this book, if only because now I will hopefully stop daydreaming about cooking for a living. Hopefully...
