Posted by Susan on December 12, 1997 at 23:48:29:
In Reply to: Re: Phase One: Completed posted by Gerard on December 11, 1997 at 19:06:18:
: they just identified the gene responsible for over-reaction allergies, seems the immune system has a gene that triggers reactions and they know which one it is.
Does this mean that a nice doctor is going to call, offering to reprogram my genes if I sign a release agreeing to become his/her lab rat? (Run away! Run away!) Actually, the Christmas party went well, very civilized, no excessive drunkenness or fist-fights this year. The food was about what one would expect of a chicken entree at such an affair. On a scale of 1 to 10, the allergic reaction was a 3 (drink lots of water and go to sleep until it's all over), not an 8 (take two Alka-Seltzer Gold's to stop the digestive process, keep one hand on the Benadryl capsules) or a 10 (head for the emergency room already). So today everything's ok.
: the ganache isn't that convoluted, just scald heavy cream, throw the choc in (chunks) and stir (off heat) til you have the right thickness, we add choc til its right, its not measured, sort of spreadable mud.
And so into the kitchen! "Scald," now there's a word that's always been a little perplexing. Sounds like scraping milk off the bottom of a saucepan after having your attention distracted while trying to make hot chocolate. "Scald: To heat a liquid to just below the boiling point" says "The Auburn Cookbook." (1976 edition. Can't trust the latest one, which contains a recipe for low-fat frosting.)
The chocolate loaf's not all that large, so let's try one cup of heavy cream, halfway from medium to medium high heat. Yikes, it's about to start bubbling! Off the heat. Unwrap a couple bars of Lindt's Excellence Swiss bittersweet chocolate, 6 oz. to start. Stir, stir, stir. Hmmm, looks like chocolate milk. Pitch in another 3 oz. Eeek, it's starting to cool off too much! Set pan back on the eye over low heat, just until the extra chocolate melts. "Spreadable mud" -- thin, thick, or quicksand? Well, we got all three out here in the wilds of the Tennessee Valley, so you're on your own, kid.
: Really a lot easier with cake frozen but you have to go quicker with the ganache as it sets almost on contact.
Looks thick and rich -- that's probably it. Pour over the chocolate ice cube and now ... we have a loaf-shaped mound drowning in a huge puddle of chocolate. Fortunately, it's all sitting in a rectangular casserole, easy to use a spatula to pick up the loaf and set it inside the flat lid. Scrape up excess ganache, place in bowl, and feed to husband, who's been zooming around the kitchen like a bluejay defending its territory. (Note: when building dream residence, include two kitchens ... one at either end of house ... ) His opinion? "If that's not what Gerard was telling you about, it should be!"
Wash excess chocolate out of casserole dish and dry *extremely* thoroughly. Set casserole down on lid holding chocolate loaf, which can act as informal serving plate. Place in refrigerator and hope to heck that the chocolate (now very thick indeed) finishes setting overnight. (It should have set by now. Did I screw up by reheating it to melt the chocolate? Aieee!) Tomorrow night, circumstances dictate that this very chocolate loaf will be our contribution to a holiday potluck being held by the local chapter of a professional organization for technical writers and illustrators. Hate to bring something that I've never made before and haven't tried yet, but they didn't call about the party until yesterday and I probably won't have time to fix anything else before tomorrow. You might think that we'd all be very organized people, but we're not. (Save that for the job.)
"Chocolate loaf" -- does this dish have another name? Is it printable? :)