Sunday’s are one of my favorite days of the week. It’s the day that I set up all the systems for the week ahead. It’s so cathartic!
You see, I run my kitchen my like I do my business and I truly didn’t realize that until I wrote my first e-book, Dorm Food Sucks and my Kids are Starving. The intention of the e-book was to help college kids(initially my own), especially in this time of chaos and Covid, navigate in a more efficient way in the kitchen. In addition, my kids were always struggling with the terrible food options (and so were all of their friends), crying starvation and I wanted to put an end to that narrative and give them some tools that might get them to realize that it’s just as easy to whip up a simple pasta dish as it is to pull up to the drive through.
In writing it, I wanted to pack it full of beautiful pictures and easy and delicious recipes, but as I edited and re-edited, I realized that it was really more about planning and systems than about the pretty pictures on the page. Now, don’t get me wrong – I am a super visual girl and for me – it’s all in the details. From addressing bar mitzvah invitations in high school, using my Calligraphy elective class as the vehicle to make some cash on the side, to founding my own global lifestyle brand and to even this food blog – things have to look good.
But…there is always a system and a plan.
So, back to why Sunday’s are my favorite day of the week!
It’s the day when I not only plan what needs to get done in my business – and that includes the results and outcomes I want to achieve, but it’s also the day that I plan, prep and organize the weeknight meals that I will be putting on the dinner table each night. And although I have been dormant on this platform and have not brought you the content that you deserve, I am back.
I will be bringing you a weekly recipe as well as ideas and recipes that you can put on your dinner table each night. I will also be sharing my favorite kitchen essentials and new finds as well as some of my favorite books. I have always had a lot of info to share and it’s time that I get back to sharing.
So, tonight, I am making some old classics that have been in my repertoire for years. The stories behind Goldy’s recipes are vast and robust (you can read a little bit here), but the story behind this chocolate cake…there actually is none!
I was recently cleaning out and organizing one of my 40 year old lucite, recipe boxes (the silver linings of covid – purging and organizing) and I came upon this cake recipe. I have not idea who gave it to me or whose writing this is – but I had all the ingredients, so I said why the heck not?
It’s delicious and will now sit comfortably in my 3 ring, recipe, binder with all my other favorites.
Goldy’s recipes and others will be shared soon (project on the horizon) and I cannot wait to tell you all about it! In the meantime – go get cooking!!
Here’s a peak into what we will be eating this week:
Sunday
Goldy’s Chicken Enchiladas, Spanish Rice and Pico de Gallo
Slow Cooker Refried Beans
Chocolate Gateau(recipe below)
Monday
Lentil Burgers
Sheet pan feta with broccolini, tomatoes and lemons (OMG – I am obsessed with this dish – will post soon)
Birthday Cake Ice Cream (I had some yolks and some cake scraps in the freezer) here
Tuesday
Fusilli alla Vodka recipe (best pasta ever here)
Susan’s Famous Caesar salad (recipe is in Dorm Food Sucks ebook here)
Bay Cities Bread
Wednesday
Salmon Teriyaki
Korean Garlic Noodles (also in DFS ebook)
Cucumber salad
Thursday (use it up Thursday)
Italian Wedding Soup (I had some turkey meatballs in the freezer)
Baycities Bread
Strawberries in Balsamic
Friday
BBQ Flank Steak
Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Parsley Dressing
Spicy Peanut Kale Salad
Challah – Shabbat Shalom
Saturday – order in!
P.S. – I have received some DM’s on what kind of chocolate to use. For this cake these two are my favorite:
Callebaut Belgium Dark Chocolate here
Valrhona 70% Dark Chocolate here
Chocolate Gateau
need:
454 grams | 16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 Tbsp. instant espresso
57 grams | 2 ounces | 1/4 cup grand mariner or rum
6 large eggs, organic
100 grams | 3.5 ounces | 1/2 cup sugar
250 ml | 8 ounces | 1 cup heavy whipping cream, organic
method:
• preheat oven to 350*.
• butter a 9″ or 10″ spring form pan and line bottom with parchment
• prep a “bain marie” (water batch) – get a vessel large enough to put your cake inside of and fill 1/2 way up with water. place in oven while it preheats and you perp your cake ingredients
• dilute espresso powder in 1/2 cup of hot water.
• combine chocolate, espresso powder/water and booze in a glass bowl. place that over a pot of simmering water. bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. don’t boil – just summer. stir off and on until all the chocolate is melted and the stuff is combined. set aside.
• using a mixer with the paddle attached, put eggs and sugar in the work bowl. beat on high speed until the volume has tripled – about 5-7 minutes.
• transfer to a large bowl.
• using the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until it resembles whipped cream.
• gently fold that into the egg mixture.
• fold in chocolate mixture. dust with a bit of cocoa powder.
• wrap your spring form pan with heavy duty foil. pour mixture into the pan and gently place it in your “bain marie” that has been simmering in the oven.
• bake for 30 minutes. it might crack a little – that is okay.
• turn off heat, open door slightly and let rest in the oven for 15 minutes.
• remove from the water bath and let sit on the counter for 15 minutes.
• discard foil and gently remove the sides of your spring form pan. turn upside down onto a plate and let cool completely.
• dust with powdered sugar and eat!
