Most of us enjoy cooking or we wouldn't be running up and down this
newsgroup. I was just curious as to who cooks for fun, who cooks to
live, who cooks as a duty and who cooks for all of the above? (Which
is likely most of us.)
My idea of fun cooking is baking on the weekend if we don't have
something major going on. As I've posted before, I make the DH's lunch
through the week on days he doesn't have court, so at the weekend I
like to make a pie or a cobbler or some other dessert. I will also
often make a do-ahead main course that can be reheated during the
week. I occasionally find this a chore, but more often than not find
it something of a stress buster. I crank the iPod kitchen station,
throw flour all over the kitchen, drop various chopped fruit, etc. all
over the floor, chop, chop, chop, slice, slice, slice, all the while
boppin' to Elton, Cheap Tricks, Rod, AC/DC, Billy - ooooh, can't wait
to try tomorrow's experiment: chocolate souffle. And I do *most* enjoy
trying new recipes as I will tomorrow.
But my point is, what floats (or sinks) your boat in the kitchen?
The souffle recipe from the LA Times' Wednesday edition:
@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format
Shiro's Chocolate Torte Soufflé
desserts
5 eggs, separated
scant 2/3 cup sugar, divided
2.5 ounces milk chocolate
4 ounces dark chocolate
7 tablespoons butter, plus more for buttering the; pan
flour for dusting the cake pan
1. Beat the egg whites using a hand-held or stand mixer for 10 minutes
on
the lowest speed with 1 teaspoon sugar. Increase the speed to medium,
and
when the whites have reached soft peaks, slowly pour in the remaining
sugar. Continue to beat to stiff peaks, but be careful not to
overbeat.
2. Melt the chocolate with the butter in a double boiler over medium
heat
until combined, about 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl and fold them gently into the
egg
white mixture. Gently fold in the chocolate.
4. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with buttered parchment
paper. Place the mixture in the pan. Bake the cake in a 350-degree
oven for
25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean — there
will be
just a few sticky crumbs clinging to the toothpick.
5. Cool on a rack to just warm before unmolding. Serve slightly warm.
Contributor: LA Times
Yield: 8 to 10
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Doesn't this sound like fun?
Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."
-- Duncan Hines
To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"