Kitchen Diary

Gee, life has been a bit hectic here in brownieland lately!!! Thanx to all those who have emailed, sms’d or commented asking if I am OK seeing as I was MIA from blogland for a bit this week. I am fine, just crazy busy for some reason. Next week will be just as bad…..I had hoped that I could get a little time out but it is not quite happening yet for me…..but it is good to keep busy so I am not complaining………. )

Before I go any further I just want to wish bigbigjoe a very, very

HAPPY FORTIETH BIRTHDAY
if I’d known in time I would’ve baked you my special Death By Chocolate Cake as well )

thankyou Joe for the good times, for making me laugh, for making me hungry, for entertaining me and inspiring me to go forth and create in the kitchen. I am so glad I discovered your  delightful blog Bon Gusto. I am ever grateful for the fact that I can read and speak Afrikaans……..have a wonderful celebratory weekend….both you and Mrs Joe who also turned the big 40 this week!!!  May the sun shine brightly on your family and may you both be richly blessed in the year ahead!

xoxoxo
This week I had to, among other things, bake birthday cakes for a 66^th birthday party last night. My SIL was doing the catering for the fancy schmancy private function for 35 guests and sweet daughter was roped in to help him with the cooking, front of house and serving……and of course, as mentioned, Ma in law had to do the cake. I did it last year as well for the same gentleman. He is Italian, comes out here for a few months of the year and he is passionate about his food and of course CHOCOLATE!! So it had to be Moo’s Death By Chocolate Torte..nothing else would do for this particular client!! Hmmmm, I have to say I think I outdid myself. The cakes had to be covered with chocolate ganache. I usually prefer mine to be dusted with a thick layer of icing sugar but I do the ganache frosting thing for clients. This one had to be a blank canvas so to speak to accommodate the special request for 66 candles to blow out!!! SIL &SD dropped off the grandsons at lunch time…..of course there was a catch…..what did you all think?? That Browniegirl would have the night off after all that slogging??? Nooooo, I had the kidlets to look after for 24 hours seeing as both parents were doing the graft and would only be home early hours of the morning. So anyhooo…….where was I……the kidlets were dropped off and chef and chefette rushed off armed with the cakes and the flowers to dress them up with, and a bootload of fancy foodstuffs…..they had forgotten the very necessary camera at home so I stuffed mine, with extra battries, into SDs hand as they ran off….so no photos of the kids…aren’t you lot all lucky then cos I had lots of missed Kodak moments……well in my instance Nikon moments……..most disappointing pics from the event. SD says NO TIME for photos Moo……it was hectic but fabulous. She ummed and aaahed about the fantastic Garden and Home style home etc etc…..all the glittering guests and the food and wine to die for…..the host of the party has already booked them for his 67^th next year…He IS a top cardiologist from his country so he must know something we don’t about being here next year hehe!!

Anyway, here is the menu that went down last night…….sorry not in SIL’s flowery chef language but this was it………

4 different canapés – smoked salmon in cucumber cups; Garlic Croutes with Ostrich & Apricot Pate, Oysters, Beef Teriyaki Bites

Katifi (spelling??) Prawns on a layered cucumber something (hehe) drizzled with homemade aioli and prawn oil

Katifi Prawns

Beef Fillet in a red wine jus on a Potato Rosti with crispy green beans & roasted rosemary garlic butternut wedges in the skin no photos (

Moo’s “Death By Chocolate” Intense Chocolate Torte covered in Chocolate Ganache Frosting served with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream

  
The blank canvas……..&
 
Firestorm HAHA!!!
The only photo I got of the cake at the party….
next time I shall have to sneak in with my camera myself…..hired help cannot be trusted these days!!!

So……the kiddies have gone home now – they were extremely well behaved but a handful as little kids are - so I am off to relax a bit before the brownieboy (or Mr Moo as he is becoming known as) gets back from work. The highlight of Tylers day was being taken to pre-school on the back of the Kawasaki 1100 this morning….the main man )

From a very jaded Browniegirl

Have a wonderful weekend all xxx

PS  Talk about lost opportunities……..
I hear the Kawa roaring down the road as I write this……so here comes a whirlwind interruption before I can upload photies and post :o)