larruping

Birthday time again*!

We went for a similar theme again this year and kept things autumnal for activities and decorations. The cake, however, was all about the inside this year.

M came up to me in church about a month before her birthday and said she wanted a cookie dough cake. I said ok, I'll do some research**.

After I found a few ideas, I got together with her again to discuss details. She requested chocolate, chocolate, chocolate (surprise!). Then, after thinking a bit, she decided she actually would enjoy a little color, so we talked how to spruce up the design.

Per usual, I split things up a bit and baked the cakes first, as well as made the cookie dough filling a couple days beforehand. Then I had Sandra take T for a morning to so I could make all the frostings. Then I assembled and frosted the day before the party.

I was quite glad to have lots of time to get everything sorted out--I feel like I rushed her cake last year. This one turned out just like she requested:

Then it was the nerve-wracking drive to her house for the party!

Then because not everyone likes cookie dough (ahem, that would be me), I actually made a second cake. Turns out three of the party goers were glad of a second option. Also, it was really fun to do what I wanted with the design!

*Funny how that happens every year, right?
**Man, I love Pinterest. Yeah, it has flaws, but it is my kind of bookmarking system!

offbeat

I love it when food jumps out at me while reading a good book--I file that tidbit away immediately for a future Novel Food Event!

The book this round is Free to Fall, another dystopian teen novel, but this one has some elements that could be happening now (and, as you keep reading, you realize seeds are planted in the early 2010s... creepy!) and may give readers pause to focus so much on technology. Rory is an excellent student, so it's no surprise when she is accepted into Thedan Academy, an elite post high school program in Boston. Her life turns upside down, though, when she discovers her mother (who died giving birth) also went to this school, and left under mysterious circumstances. Rory is determined to uncover the truth, and along the way, uncovers a scandal so big, she isn't sure what to do with her new information.

One of the major plots of the book ties into the food I've chosen to feature. Lux is the thinking app and basically runs your life for you--she (or he, depending on how you set it up) lets you know how long it will take to get somewhere, the best way to spend your weekend and even what coffee order to place. Rory is in a coffee shop, ready to order her usual vanilla latte, when the barista insists she try something else. This turns into a strange friendship, but one that helps Rory break out of Lux's grasp. North, the barista, invites her to join him for lunch.

I was expecting a fast-food place, but Giovanni's was a sit-down restaurant with a handful of white-clothed tables. Giovanni himself was in the kitchen. He greeted North with a bear hug that left a tomato sauce stain on the back of North's T-shirt and quickly went to work on the sandwiches, which, North explained, weren't on the menu. (p 118-119)

He took a bite of his sub. Marinara sauce dribbled down his chin. I examined my own sandwich, wishing I had a knife and fork. 'Just go for it,' North said. 'There's no un-messy way to do it. But after your first taste, you won't care.' He was right. The ingredients by themselves were pretty unremarkable, but somehow together they became oh-my-gosh-you-have-to-try-this delicious.I wished for a second that Lux were running so I could mark this sandwich as my favorite. Then again, Giovanni's meatball sandwich, like North's matcha latte, weren't on anybody's menu, so its flavor profile couldn't be cross-referenced against my consumption history or added to my preference hierarchy. (p 122-123)

Now to track down a meatball sub to make.

I started with my Cook's Illustrated index and pulled out the spaghetti and meatballs recipe, planning to only make the meatball and sauce portion. Then I remembered watching The Barefoot Contessa make some fabulous bread for the garlic bread part and looked up her recipe. I was set!

Meatballs
2¼ c panko (6 oz)
1½ c buttermilk
3 eggs, beaten
2 lbs ground beef
1 lb ground pork
6 oz prosciutto, chopped
3 oz Parmesan, grated (about 1½ c)
6 T parsley, minced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1½ t powdered gelatin, dissolved in 3 T cold water
1½ t salt 
½ t pepper

1. Combine panko and buttermilk in a large bowl, stirring occasionally to form a paste (takes about 10 minutes). Spray two wire racks with oil and place in two foil-lined baking sheets and preheat the oven to 450ºF. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and use your hands to thoroughly (but gently) combine the mixture. Form 2 in round meatballs (about 2 oz each), placing each on the rack as you go. 
3. Roast until browned, about 30 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through.
4. Place sauce of choice in a large dutch oven and place browned meatballs in the sauce. Cover and let bake at 300ºF for an hour.

My notes: I halved the recipe and got 21 meatballs. I'm not including the sauce recipe because I recommend using your own favorite sauce, whether that comes from a jar or you make it yourself. This one wasn't 'saucy' enough for a sandwich, so I don't want you to be disappointed. I used french bread instead of ciabatta, as I knew I'd be making subs, and it worked just fine.

It was nice and messy to eat!

Book recommendation: Free to Fall by Lauren Miller
Recipe recommendation: Meatball subs
New product recommendation: LaCroix Curate