Don't Hate Me Cause I'm Beautiful

Don't hate me cause I'm beautiful. And do not ever touch my eyeball again woman. Tapioca, my tush.

Share a Slice of the Inaugural Luncheon Dessert

Thomas Hill painting, Yosemite Valley, 1865

Courtesy of the New-York Historical Society, Gift of Charles T. Harbeck

"The backdrop for the luncheon will be this painting, chosen for occasion, and borrowed from the New York Historical Society. The painting, "View of the Yosemite Valley," by Thomas Hill, reflects the majestic landscape of the American West and the dawn of a new era. The subject of the painting, Yosemite Valley, represents an important but often overlooked event from Lincoln's presidency—his signing of the 1864 Yosemite Grant, which set aside Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias as a public reserve."

Yosemite Valley 2006

Happy inauguration! Today's foodie treat is courtesy of the new President's luncheon. It is a complicated, only a pastry chef would love type of dessert, called Cinamon Apple Sponge Cake. Our version is a bit easier, gluten free, and you can have it ready in about an hour.

In keeping with the Abe Lincoln theme for this inauguaration, the Yosemite painting is a nice touch. This painting, on loan from the New York Historical Society is in the room where the luncheon will take place. Abe was the one who in 1864 set aside the Yosemite Valley and surrounding Mariposa Grove full of sequioas, tall then and much taller now, as a public place. Thank goodness! Yosemite is one of our favorite places to go. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a well kept secret. No one is there. Truly. It is cold, but there are no crowds anywhere. It almost seems sometimes like you are there alone with the majestic rocks. The photos that we took show Half Dome and the long stretch down the valley that is pretty much the scene in the painting, but about 160 something years later.

half dome, Yosemite 2006

Inauguration Day Apple & Pear Sponge Cakes

For our dessert, we used pears because we had them on hand, but apples are perfect too. We used gluten free waffles instead of Brioche, but both are tasty.

our gluten free easy verision

cast of characters

(adapted from the official inauguration luncheon

dessert, Apple Cinnamon Sponge Cake)

Serves 4

Butter and coat 4 large ramekins with white sugar, set aside

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients

• 8 gluten free waffles
• 2lbs of apples or pears or a mix with enough leftover for the finish sauce
• 6 tablespoons butter
• scant 1/4 sugar (less is good)
• pinch salt
• pinch cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch lemon zest
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• pinch of vanilla
• bourbon
• your favorite caramel sauce

Thaw the waffles and cut to fit ramekins. The remainder can be used for the sides if you wish. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and brush on the thawed waffles. Insert one disk into each ramekin butter side down.

waffle side pieces

cutting the disks and side pieces

Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium sauce pan. Add the thinly sliced fruit and caramelize. Add the sugar, lemon, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and applesauce and let it cook until most of the liquid is evaporated about 10 minutes depending on the ripeness of the fruit. You want it to be soft but not mushy. Add a touch of vanilla when you set it aside to cool.

cooking the apple pear mixture

If you are using the leftover strips of waffle, fit it in the ramekin after you brush it with butter (butter side out). Push it down to make it solid and then fill the remainder with the apple/pear mixture, heaping it a bit on top. Add the top waffle and butter it too. Grate some fresh nutmeg on top with a bit of cinnamon and bake them on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes.

spoon in the filling

festive patriotic cakes baking

Be sure to save about a half to one cup of the filling for the finish sauce!

Cool for about fifteen minutes and if you used waffle sides, then run a knife around the edge and invert on a plate. If you didn't use the waffle sides, just serve in the ramekin. Either way is just as delicious.

Patriotic Cakes, cooling

Take the remaining apple/pear mixture and reheat. Add a bit more applesauce, a dash (large dash) of bourbon and heat it up until it reduces a bit. Spoon in about a cup of your favorite caramel sauce and melt it all together. Reheat gently and top the finished cakes with the sauce.

mixing in the caramel

Bourbon is a food group

Top with the caramel topping and either add a side of vanilla ice cream or a bit of whipped cream. Or none. Your choice.

Happy Inauguration and Bon Appetite!

Apple Pear Sponge Cake Voila!

The Misunderappreciation of GW

Ever clever, W's Segway gets the best of him*

As G.W. packs his suitcases, or his toybox with his legos, several thoughts come to mind. Each and every one of them require a full glass of a very bold merlot to endure.

Sipping and comtemplating the end of the W-Era reminds me that when all is said and done, the world will see the misunderappreciation of G.W. as clearly as we see the stars in the night sky in Manhattan.

Think of the things that people like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will miss.

Whoops*

• A President who actually speaks English as a second, or third language.
• A President who thinks that Nucular is a word and a damn serious one at that.
• A President who has a tough time eating the same snack food that two-year-olds consume regularly without choking.
• A President who has only gotten to chapter two in the book that he began his first year in the White House, Fun with Dick and George Jane.
• A President who is geographically challenged and probably believed Palin that she could see Putin from her porch.
• A President with keen mental skills who can tell you the difference between his office and that of the Vice President (none).
• A President who actually said in print that he won the election for Barack Obama (yes indeed, the interview in People).
• A President who by mulct (look it up) took the Presidency to begin with.
• A President who by every defining accomplishment has turned out to be as savvy as the 7-11 on the next corner.
• A President who by all measure is not smarter than a 5th grader.
• A President who has actually said that he thinks history will show that he was a great leader.

I am guessing that by this time next year there will be a slim picture book tome on bookshelves somewhere in this country, the Real America, where the misunderappreciation of W will be a hot-cake best seller. It might even be written in English. Who knows? Perhaps Sarah Palin will pen the introduction.

And by the way, some people think it is a good idea to wear a helmet when riding a (self balancing) Segway*. Just in case you fall off. Or fly through the air like Mary Poppins** on a bad day.

W. You are totally an ass misunderappreciated. So long. And don't let the door hit your middle finger on the way out!

flipping the press, an apparent usual activity**