Butter Me Up

I started watching the Food Network back in my college years. Okay, it wasn’t THAT long ago…. we’re talking circa 2005 here. But ever since I laid my eyes and ears on cooking shows I haven’t turned back. It’s an addiction. I used to fight with one of my roommates because although she loved food too, she argued that it wasn’t fair to watch a wonderful concoction develop and then not be able to taste it. *Sigh*, if only smellovision and tasteovision existed. Maybe one day.

Ina Garten is, hands down, my favorite celebrity chef on the Food Network. I love her because I see eye to eye with her philosophies about food and life. First, Ina actually used to be a budget analyst at the White House. Surprising, right? Like me, she would work long hours at a job she didn’t care about or believe in and felt destined to do something bigger and better. She used to think to herself, “Isn’t there more to life than this?”. So she packed up her shit, bought a little shop in the Hamptons with her husband, Jeffrey, and started the Barefoot Contessa. 20 years later, this enterprise has grown tremendously and is one of the most famous gourmet food markets in the USA. Not to mention the products, shows, events, and cookbooks that have exploded within the Barefoot Contessa brand. Ina believed in an idea, risked everything, and ran with it. And look at her now. I admire her greatly for having the balls to do this. Talk about an inspiration.

 Her second philosophy is that you can have the most delicious meals using only a handful of good quality, fresh ingredients. So many recipes out there are drowned in too many, not-so-good ingredients where the flavors end up competing with each other. Well, usually, they all end up losing. It’s best to use a few things and make each ingredient shine through in it’s own way, to then come together beautifully.

I digress. One day while watching Ina and her oh-so soothing self, she started stirring up some Pecan Bars. She said she was gonna add a little butter to the recipe. Yum, I thought, I love butter. (Butter is actually my favorite ingredient in the world. Melted, cold, browned, whatever. Paula Deen and I rival each other on who loves the butta butta butta more.) But then the woman said there are NINE sticks of butter in this recipe. NINE?! SRSLY?! Damn, I thought, I MUST make this recipe.

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For months now I’ve been eyeing several food blogs. “Eyeing” meaning compulsively checking them to find the newest, most extraordinary, game-changing recipe. I’m also simultaneously reading food magazines and watching tons of food shows (namely: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives). Many ooohs, aaahs, and hours of recipe testing later has led me to start my own blog. I must admit that this is rather daunting for me. For someone who is picky, not easily impressed, and a (self-proclaimed) hedonist and indulgence expert, I best be bringing my A-game when providing recipes/thoughts/suggestions. 

To kick off this new venture, I’ve decided to make my first post about a cake that could possibly be the most indulgent cake, ever. I know that’s a bold statement, but trust me, this cake is pure amazing-ness. If you like malt, chocolate, marshmallows, milk crumbs (what?!), your mouth is going to explode with satisfaction when you eat this cake. Your taste buds will rejoice and sing-out with every single scrumptious bite.

Please open your eyes to the Chocolate Malt Cake from Momofoku Milk Bar in the East Village in NYC. Huge props to the pastry chef, Christina Tosi (who is only 28!), for not only creating this cake but for giving us the recipe in the September 2010 issue of Bon Appetit. Now, keep in mind that this cake is rather complicated and has many intricate steps. But, worry not, as it is totally doable. Ha. 

I decided to make this cake for a coworker/friend of mine’s birthday. Being my friend has many perks, one being that I’m a good listener, another being that you will always get at least a few yummy treats a year from me. Your birthday is a sealed deal. This friend of mine is actually incredibly undeserving of this cake since he hates food. Yeah, you read that right, he hates food. He only eats because if he wouldn’t he’d die. Don’t get me started. But, being the sweetheart that I am, he got this from me. And LOVED it (along with everyone else who tasted it). So, in short, you need to make this cake. And when you do, you’ll be on a one-way trip to pleasure-town. Yum.

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