Friday, January 22, 2010

Indulgences...




After a completely horrid day of work yesterday I decided it was time for an evening of indulgences. I stopped at Whole Foods and picked up a dozen eggs, dry Marsala, strawberries, whipping cream and a bag of chocolate chips. That’s right- we’re making a GDL dessert!

If there’s one thing I can do in the kitchen it’s bake. Desserts have always been my thing. I have inherited the talent (along with stacks of recipes) from my mum and grandmother. But Chocolate Zabaglione (which I still think I’m pronouncing incorrectly) isn’t exactly baking. It’s more like cooking sweetly.

You start by simmering the cream and adding chocolate chips in a saucepan until it’s shiny and smooth. Then you separate eight egg yolks in a large metal bowl, add a lot of sugar and a lot of Marsala and whisk constantly over a double boiler until your arm falls off or the mixture reaches 160 degrees- whichever comes first. Then you fold the melted creamy chocolate into the thick eggy mixture and spoon it over strawberries.

But mine didn’t exactly look like the elegant photo in Everyday Italian. Mine looked like frothy egg yolks with a brown hue- not the most mouth-watering dessert. I was almost ready to give up on it entirely but after doing the dishes, I gave it one more stir, dipped a strawberry into it, said a quick prayer not to get Salmonella, and miraculously… it was pretty f-ing good! Very thick and chocolaty with a sweet and tangy kick from the Marsala. Yum.

I drizzled a ladleful over a small bowl of strawberries, poured a large glass of wine and drifted off into a harmonious haze in front of reruns of The Office. My own office worries were miles away… until today that is. Argh. Happy Friday everyone!





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