Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

It was my boyfriend's birthday on Monday, so I snatched the opportunity to make a really intense cake. He loves anything peanut butter + chocolate (who doesn't?), so I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, a really cool website that I recommend you guys snoop around if you have an extra couple minutes. This chocolate peanut butter cake is REALLY intense, but as my bf so nicely put it, is "the best birthday cake ever." Just make sure you have a gallon of milk handy because that's all you're going to want with this cake. There are three steps to this cake: (1) make the chocolate cake (2) make the peanut butter frosting (3) make the chocolate peanut butter ganache. That being said, set aside a good chunk of time for this cake. 

Makes an 8-inch double or triple layer cake. Serves 12-16 people.

For the cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2½ cups sugar
• ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream and it worked well)
• 1½ cups water
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

 1. Preheat the oven to 350. Butter the bottoms and sides of 2 or 3 8-inch round cake pans (this recipe made a triple layer cake, but I just made it a double layer cake). Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment/waxed paper and butter the paper

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vanilla and vinegar. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 2 or 3 prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot a easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They'll defrost quickly once assembled. You'll be glad you did this, trust me.)

For the frosting:

• 10 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (I used reduced fat cream cheese, and it worked great)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 5 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn't separate out)

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

3. Frost the cakes. Place one layer of cake, flat side up, on a large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup of the frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.  Once the cake is fully frosted, it helps to chill it again and let firm up. The more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you'll get from the chocolate ganache.

For the chocolate peanut butter ganache:

• 8 oz semisweet or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (I replaced with honey because I didn't have corn syrup, and it worked out great)
• 1/2 cup half-and-half 

1. In the top of a double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

3. Remove the cake from the fridge. Pour the ganache over the top of the cake, and spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the ganache and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving.

Peanut tofu

I've been in a longstanding battle with tofu. I have shied away from it because of its bland taste, mushy texture (the "extra-firm" label is hardly accurate), and my inexperience in cooking it in such a way that it became palatable. For most of my vegetarian years, I stuck with marinating it in a soy sauce-based marinade (often whisked with garlic and garlic), but nothing hardly noteworthy. But I always ate tofu anyways because I needed my dose of protein. All I can say is, I wish I had found this recipe earlier because if I had, I would have been eating - and adoring - tofu every day. The preparation of this tofu adds an incredible amount of texture to the tofu and the sauce is so flavorful, you'll hardly realize you're eating tofu.

1. Drain 1 carton of extra-firm tofu. The easiest way to get as much moisture out of the tofu as you can is to put the block of tofu on a plate, then place another plate on top of the tofu, and place something relatively heavy on top of the top plate for at least 15 minutes; this will extract a lot of water and your tofu will be firmer and absorb the sauce's flavor better.
2. Once the tofu has drained, slice the block in half so you have two sheets of tofu that are half the width of the original block, then slice each square into 2 triangles so you end up with 4 big triangles of equal size.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame or peanut oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, bring the tofu triangles to the pan. Fry one side until that side becomes golden brown, then flip each triangle and fry until the other side becomes crispy too.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a bowl or food processor, whisk/blend together:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup nut butter (I used peanut butter, but you can use sesame paste or cashew butter instead)
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white, raw, or light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes or chili oil
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup water or stock
• a pinch of salt, if desired

5. When the tofu has finished frying, add the sauce to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the sauce is bubbling and has reduced a bit.
6. Serve topped with finely chopped scallions and some toasted sesame seeds.

My justification for starting a blog. And African Peanut Stew.

When I shared my idea of starting a food blog with my friends, everyone had the same reaction. They sort of giggled (some more intensely than others), probably thinking something like, "not another one who thinks anyone cares about the mundaneness of your everyday antics." But I know deep down, they also probably thought it was really fitting. People in my life know that I'm in love with food; I love looking at it, reading about it, cooking it, smelling it, thinking about it, and certainly eating it. I more often than not have a difficult time concentrating in class because I'm thinking about what to make for dinner. So starting a food blog is my way of keeping track of my culinary adventures by giving me a place to write down memories of wonderful things I've eaten. And for anyone who does care about the mundaneness of my everyday antics, even just a little, here's a gateway into one of the things I cherish most.

So to begin, last night my roommate and I made African Peanut Stew. I'll admit that I got the recipe from a peanut butter jar, but hear me out. The other day I bought some organic Santa Cruz light roasted peanut butter. On the lid is printed a recipe for this stew, and it was amazing. The peanut flavor was subtle, but in perfect proportion to the rest of the flavors in the dish. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. chicken pieces
• 1 large chopped onion
• 1 cup natural peanut butter (I would recommend the chunky kind which adds more texture to the stew)
• 14.5 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped potatoes
• 14.5 ounce can of garbanzo beans
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme

What to do:

1. Put on some rice to cook.
2. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat some oil in a heavy frying pan and brown the chicken pieces. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Add the onions to the pan and cook until brown and soft (about 5 minutes).
4. Combine the peanut butter and crushed tomatoes with 1 cup warm water in a bowl. Add this mixture to the onions, scraping up any brown bits.
5. Return the chicken to the pan. Add the carrots, potatoes, garbanzo beans, and thyme. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and chicken are tender (the recipe says about an hour, but we only cooked it for about 20-30 minutes and it turned out well).
6. Serve it over rice.

This recipe serves 5 or 6 people. We divided everything into thirds since there were only two of us. We ended up adding a bit more peanut butter, crushed tomatoes, and water because it was starting to look a little dry and it worked out beautifully.  This dish made me excited for all the ethnic food you find at farmer's markets during the summer.