use real butter

Recipe: dark chocolate tartelettes

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone! Gong Xi Fa Tsai! Jing Nian Quai Le!

It is the year of the Rat and in case you didn’t know, it’s Peabody’s year. Last year was the year of the Pig, which was my year. Since I made it through more or less in one piece, I’m going to assume that I was working the good juju. Peabody tells me she’s sharing the good juju with me into this year. I love that girl. In turn, let’s just say good juju all around for everyone! I sincerely wish each of you everything your heart desires in the new year – health, happiness, luck, fortune – all of it and more. xxoo

I began my morning quite early because I was behind schedule on making dumplings. Well, let me explain why. I spent yesterday telemark skiing with a bunch of awesome tele babes on the mountain. I felt well enough to tele all day with my D70 in tow too.

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My dear mate in Sydney sent me a package of Aussie goodies this past week. Kell is such a doll. When I was in Sydney in March, she and Jerad took me on a grand food tour of the city – as much as they could stuff into me in four days! While traveling in Oz, the goto cookie is the Tim Tam. Jeremy and I bought several sleeves while we wandered the Red Centre in the mind-altering heat. Sydney was a breezy welcome in contrast to Alice Springs. I must admit that while we travel New Zealand, I forgo the Tim Tam in favor of Chit Chats. I can’t help it, I just like Chit Chats better. But Tim Tams scream Oz to me and you love it for the nostalgia as well as the sugar rush.

Recipe: triple fudge kahlua torte

Jeremy’s birthday was over a week ago, but he was away at two meetings and I was visiting my nephew for his eighth birthday. Since Jeremy and my birthdays are nine days apart, we decided we would celebrate later, when we weren’t so short on time and money. We both tend to be fairly unsentimental about these things, so that worked out fine.

But… I did promise I would at least make him a special dessert. I asked what he would like and as usual, Jeremy couldn’t make up his mind. He’s so easy going that it is downright frustrating at times. I found a recipe in an old issue of Chocolatier which I modified somewhat, but it contains several of Jeremy’s favorite components such as chocolate cake, booze, espresso, and chocolate.

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