Chocolate Lover's Cream Cheese Cake With Lavender Ganache

I'm not a baker at heart. I have very little passion for cakes, and I don't like frosting. Once in a while, however, something stands out, and I get excited enough to try it. It was the case with this recipe.
A Betty Crocker's original, I've made a couple of changes to suit my taste: omitted the nuts (see "Filling" in the link above), and instead of the store-bought frosting I made a delicate chocolate ganache with a hint of lavender. The end result is far from disappointment:

A simple chocolate ganache is very easy to make:

• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate chips

Heat up the cream just until it's steaming, then add the chocolate, constantly stirring, and remove from the heat immediately. Ganache burns quite fast, so it is important to follow these three steps diligently. For extra touch of elegance, I  added a tiny pinch of dried lavender flowers.

What I really like about this cake is that it's not heavy, not overly sweet, and is chocolaty to the core. Can't go wrong with that, can ya? :)

A Sweet, Sweet Valentine (How a Local Newly-Discovered Eatery Made It Even Better!)

Battle Ground has sure grown over the past years. It's hard to think of anything that's missing in this community any more: you got your supermarkets, new schools, a gazillion of neighborhoods, parks, stores - you name it. Historically though, the city has been struggling with a selection of decent sit-down places to eat. Sure, there were a handful starters here and there, none of which really took off, and most of which have closed their doors since.
Choosing a place to celebrate our Valentine's Day was easy. We came here for our very first V-Day dinner. This time the eatery had a new name, but the location was right for a Monday (workday) eve. Plus, trying a  new restaurant is always adventurous, and we are always up for it.  Not to mention that they boast in using local meat and produce. We went to Main Street's Paparazzi.

The place itself is quite unassuming from the outside, and having never been inside after the remodel, we both had an open mind about Paparazzi's fare (which typically doesn't call for high expectations).

Once there, we were promptly greeted and seated - so far so good. The place gave out a feeling of cozy, intimate simplicity. Not too simple, but not fancy, either - just right. We got a booth right next to the kitchen area, which added an interesting bit to our outing. There were four guys in the cooking area, each doing his own thing, yet beautifully working as a team of masters at the occasional command (for the lack of a better term) of the head Chef. Watching these guys reminded me of a music band concert. Each playing a different instrument, but together making an incredible melody.

Thanks to the occasion, Paparazzi was running a special, in addition to their regular menu. We settled on what seemed like the best deal, and it sounded pretty appetizing too!

For the starter choice we went with blackened shrimp and grits in cream sauce. It was DELICIOUS! Not heavy, as some cream sauces tend to get, not too laden with garlic. Grits were perfectly cooked - firm, but not chewy. Generous shavings of fresh parmesan definitely complimented this delightful little appetizer. By now we were falling in love and ready for more.

Even though Paparazzi offers a relatively short wine list, it is quite interesting and inclusive. From Maryhill's Table Red (their "house" wine selection), to Chianti (and some in between) for reds, and several selection of whites, this is sure to satisfy the many "winos" out there.

Beer drinkers would be equally happy with great choices of ales and IPAs, as well as those who'd prefer a typical Corona-type stuff.

Served in a cute goose glass, the Goose Island's Matilda beer is a must-try for any beer connoisseur out there! This was our first time ever hearing of the Goose Island beers, and at the kind suggestion of our darling waitress to give it a try I'm sure glad we did!

Our meal came fairly soon, and plenty of it! It smelled intoxicating, of garlic and fresh butter. Once again, there was not a hint of heaviness. Chicken breast was incredibly moist. Blue cheese mashed potatoes were just to die for! With such a strong flavor that usually comes from blue cheese, I was super pleased to taste the freshness of the potato, which was simply enhanced by the cheese. Yellow squash and zucchini were so perfectly done, that even my squash-hating husband left his plate empty. That, in itself, is a powerful testimony!!! :) The Dijon cream sauce tied all the flavors of the meal like a pretty ribbon on a gift box. What a fantastic combination! Yes, we're in love!

All in all, this was one of the best local meals we've had in a while. Although not quite authentically Italian, Paparazzi serves up a clever and delicate Italian-inspired fare that's fresh, local, creative, and downright exceptionally tasty. My hope is that this little gem gets to stick around, because we will be coming back often.

And as for my sweet, sweet Valentine - thank you, darling, for your gift of sharing your love for good food with me. It's been a heck of a journey so far! I love you.

Perfect Shredded Beef Tacos - another step closer to enjoying Mexican food.

After having lived in the States for over 14 years now, I'm still working on developing a taste for Mexican cuisine. It is a slow process for me.
Rich, on the other side, having been influenced by the culture growing up, has a very special place for Mexican food in his heart. He is very particular about the "true" Mexican food.  You won't see him at any National chain eatery; in fact majority of places he visits are "hole-in -the-wall" types, where English is not a primary language.

Shredded beef tacos were on our menu for tonight.

Rich prepared a beautiful chuck roast with herbs and spices last night, then got up before dawn to get it slow cooking for dinner. Our house smelled heavenly throughout the whole day.
Once the beef is cooked and shredded, homemade guacamole, pico de gallo, and refried beans are on the table - all fresh and bursting with a definite ethnic flavor - I take a bite.

Oh yeah, I can do this. :)

Pulled Pork Sandwiches Pretty Much From Heaven

Yep, Rich has done it again.
A nice, lazy Sunday. Back-to-back Christmas movies. Extra kids in the house (winter break). And a smell of slow cooking pork fills our home. Oh, by now I realize that it was very well worth to be awaken by an alarm in the morning on a Sunday. Rich had to get up earlier than usual just to get the pork rubbed.  And now we can smell it!

For the roast he used:

• pork roast (shoulder) - 4-5 lbs
• dry rub: salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika, cayenne

Rub the roast, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hrs.

Combine and pour into the cast iron dutch oven:

• 2 c. apple juice
• 1 c. apple cider vinegar
• 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• 0.5  TBS liquid smoke
• 0.5 TBS garlic powder

Place the roast in the pan, cover, and slow cook at 325F for about 4 hrs. (pork should pull apart easily.)

Let the meat cool down slightly, to allow you to pull it, and to trim the fat away.  We like to add a little of the broth, in which the meat cooked, back into the pulled pork, to keep it moist.

Serve on top of your favorite toasted buns, topped with some BBQ sauce and tangy homemade slaw. OH SO GOOD!

Beef Daube Provençal - a French delight for a rainy day

Ok, I admit, it was very, very tempting to keep all my "Julie and Julia" comments to myself, while watching Rich fidget in the kitchen. A couple of them might have slipped out anyway :)
But who says cooking has to be a serious and somber process! Plus I wasn't the one making dinner :)

It's been a typical wet Pacific Northwest kind of weather weekend, so this French stew-type dish was a perfect fit.

The recipe is really quite simple and economical, and the end result is phenomenal. We used this recipe as a basic guide.
Being a potato-eater, I prefer this served over some rich creamy classic mashed. Not sure how "French" this would be, but like I say, potatoes rule :). My husband, however, is a pasta lover; and since he was in charge tonight, we used wide egg noodles. Regardless, the meal was incredibly flavorful and satisfying. The beef came out tender, vegetables weren't mushy, and fresh herbs with red wine really tied it all nicely together. Try it.

In the voice of Julia Child - "Bon Appetit!"  :)

For the Love of [Hot] Chocolate

Chocolate rules our house. My daughters are constantly asking for it around here. My husband has it permanently embedded into his shopping list. We love it. We love hot chocolate, we love cold chocolate, we love ALL chocolate!

And today is a perfect day for a nice cup of rich creamy cocoa. It's a lazy, cozy kind of day.  We-don't-have-to-drive-anywhere kind of day.  It's time for some drinking chocolate! So to get the girls off my back, so-to-speak, I entice them with their share first. Extra whipped cream, and chocolate shavings, of course.

It takes them just a couple of minutes to chug it down. Kids... They just don't savor stuff! ;)

But we do! And since we don't have to drive anywhere today, I've decided to add a little "grown-up flair": a splash of Godiva liquor, and some Vanilla rum. Perfectly finished with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, naturally! :)

To make my cocoa, I use this rough formula (per cup):

• milk - 6 oz
• cocoa powder - 3 TBS
• sugar to taste (about 2 TBS for us)

There are two important things to remember in order to make a perfect cup of hot chocolate: do not to let the milk boil, and mix your cocoa powder and sugar with a splash of hot water prior to adding it to the milk. This will prevent the clumps of powder, and will make the cocoa silky smooth.

For our "grown-up" hot chocolate I added about an ounce (total) of Godiva chocolate liquor and Capt. Morgan's Vanilla rum to the cup, before pouring cocoa into it. I also used lavender sugar in place of plain sugar, for an extra hint of blissfulness. Oh, and blissful it was!!! Bottoms up!

Even a Heavy Heart Can Soar. Give Thanks!

Driving out of our long gravel roadway, we looked at each other with complete and unspoken understanding of each other's thoughts for this day: this is going to be a bitter-sweet holiday season. Year 2010 is a year of great losses. Thanksgiving was going to be the first time when we would have to truly face the emptiness left by the dearest people we lost. So it was a somber drive. Recalling the smiles and the laughter of the past, and the agony of the loss, and quietly wondering what will it be like this year...

For the third year in a row now, the Guadan family Thanksgiving is graciously hosted in Seattle by my darling sister-in-law Tina and her handsome husband Justin.

It is such a delight to be here! Everyone is enjoying themselves, including the FIVE dogs freely roaming through the house. The girls are giggling, the wine is passed around, the events are discussed... And then you smell it. It's now flowing from the kitchen into the rest of the house, teasing everybody ever so gently yet with so much power! The bird is out of the oven. The aroma is so intoxicating we can hardly contain ourselves. The dinner is going to be GOOD.

And so we toast to family.  And it feels good. It feels right. It feels grateful. And at that moment I know in my heart, that those, whose seats at the family dinner table were empty this year, are smiling from above. Because it's to their family, and to their legacy.

My heart, heavy with sadness, begins to lift as I am grateful for these beautiful faces:

And for these stinky mutts:

And for this man, whose heart is bigger than a mountain (I know, he doesn't smile for pictures ;) ):

And for Tina's incredible creations laced with love:



This was indeed a day of thanksgiving. Much to be grateful for. I am truly blessed.