Sweet thoughts

Caller: "You're the nicest person in the world. And you spell your name right."

Me: "Well, I can't really take credit for that. My parents filled out the form..."

Caller: "You're wonderful. They've done such a good job of raising you. Tell your mum and dad that when they die they'll go straight to heaven. You're the proof of the pudding."

(And quite apart from the myriad reactions to that...)

It got me thinking: if I was a pudding, what pudding would I be... 

Tough call. Something chilled certainly - unless I was a delectable profiteroles served the warmed chocolate sauce... maybe a slice of zesty key lime pie or a dish of raspberry & mango sorbet; a serving lemon cheesecake perhaps...

Hungry now. Ready for something decadently treaty!

The Pastry Plunge

Alrightey, today I suspect is going to be all about cake.

When I was a child my mom used to get a Gateaux Saint Honore from time to time - though I adore anything choux-esque, it was a bit busy for me. At the best of times, it has lots of textures and flavours going on, but our local bakery also added a layer of crushed pineapple, which I always squodged over to one side of the plate, along with the heavy pastry base.

I said I'd make one for the birthday boy, and so this week I've been reading recipes. There is no crushed pineapple in official sources, and the base is more often puff pastry than anything of the shortcrust variety. Basically, it's pastries puff & choux, and cremes patissiere & chantilly. And some caramel.

Deep breath. Saint Honore is the patron saint of the Pastry Folk, so there'll some incantations coming his way. Or teary pleas.

In related news, the official day was yesterday, but as the official celebration is today:



Autumn drawing to its close already. Goodness me, this season just blinked by :-)