Booze; a recurring thought when languishing in the doldrums. Not so much to deaden my senses. More to inhale... deeply, greedily, feel it vaporise the darkness inside.
Languidly spiralling fumes from the narrow neck. A formless, vaporous genie. Warming. Comforting. Evoking long imprinted memories of my grandmother, of Christmases long ago. Wizened lips on the brandy glass. Wrinkled hand stirring pickle spices, conjuring fumes impossibly acrid, from something so delicious.
The brandied butter scent of sugee cake, from the tin, opened to pinch off corners. Stolen nibbles. Crumbs, oozing molten butter, forever marking the bodice of my new nightdress. Vanilla and brandy vapours clouding my drifting consciousness; was that Santa?! Through the mosquito net... and my narrowing, drooping eyelids? Denizens of my memory, or of every brandy bottle I open? Both?!
No matter. I call, they come. Never failing me. Always consoling, inspiring. Born of melancholia and indecision, my ginger roasted pear crusted cake. Dankly, deeply dark with chocolate. Seared pears, weeping spiced, honeyed juices, into liquor sodden crumb. Just the thing, for a sad... sad, cook.
Happy New Year, Denise ! OMG, I just posting a recipe I stolen from your blog, I tell you.. a sticky chocolate date loaf is 'a danger' dessert :D *and now this ? OMG.. I need to try too LOL
ReplyDeleteHello Nisa's mom. Thanks for visiting and leaving your cheerful comment. I'm glad you like the chocolate date loaf recipe. I've left a message on your blog and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
DeleteHello Denise! I'm so sorry for the mistaken, I add and change already on my blog. *I too rush yesterday* but glad you visiting me back, nice to know you. And I'm looking forward to try another recipe from your blog soon.
DeleteHave a nice day,
*fitri*
Chocolate and pears are tempting enough but fresh ginger too... O M G Denise what a fabulous cake!!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and yours
Hi Kathy :) Always happy to see you! LOL The cake is so very wrong for the start of the new year, but resolutions can wait. I'll have my cake first, and this one is definitely worthy of a derailed diet ;)
DeleteHope you and your family have a bright and blessed new year too!
Hi Denise! Hope the cake cheered you up eventually.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that we are merely links to a chain but you have a choice - To be a strong link that holds the chain together with the others or a weak one that breaks it.
Hi Chef! Yes, it did make me smile - chocolate does tend to do that.
DeleteThanks for your encouraging words. Very true, but easily forgotten, when focusing on the disappointment of carefully laid plans, gone awry.
OMG! Wonderful pictures and the combination of chocolate and pears sounds fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThank you Purabi. Nice to see you again :) Hope 2013 has been treating you well!
DeleteBeautiful post and an enticing cake. Adding it to my list of cakes to make this year in my 52 Cake Challenge!
ReplyDeleteThank you Misty :) You've made me very, very curious about your year long cake quest. I'm guessing you've set your sights on a new cake each week, for a whole year? You're a brave woman ;) All the best in your yummy quest!
DeleteHi Denise,
ReplyDeleteHope you are feeling a little happier after a slice of that yummy looking cake. Look after yourself OK!! Oh and have another slice of cake if that helps things :)
Hi Jen :) Yes, I am actually - chocolate must be real medicine, and I made quadruply sure; I had four fat slices :D Don't feel the least bit guilty either as I've been too busy to eat much of anything lately. Thanks for you kind words. You are very sweet. Hope your BIG project will get on without a hurdle. And, do make sure none of your precious cookbooks come to any harm!!!
DeleteI was thinking a lot regarding this topic, so thanks for bringing it up here. You certainly have a good writing style i like, so will be subscribing to your blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to leave your comment. Appreciate the follow and looking forward to your continuing readership.
Deletesometimes things does not go the way we want but we should always be hopeful and keep strong. on a different, loved how rich and delicious this cake looks :) hope a slice or two will cheer u up a little.
ReplyDeleteAgreed Dixya - there would be nothing left if we just threw up our hands and stopped trying because we're worn out by so many obstacles. Guess at such times, best thing may be to just take a step back and reassess things.... try a different approach, or just put the problem on the back burner for a while, before coming back to it, with fresh eyes and a rested mind. Maybe I should rename this "Happy Cake", because a few moist, chocolatey mouthfuls really did make me feel better LOL Thanks for the kind words. Hope to see you again soon :)
DeleteA slice of this cake will definitely cheer me up. I hope it did the same for you. Love the idea of combining, pear, ginger, and chocolate. Sounds so warm and delicious!
ReplyDeleteThanks Biren - you always know how to make me feel better :) I was actually still curled up in bed,feeling low about something that turned out so differently from my expectations and hopes. A fresh post was due but I was distracted and undecided. The rain was pounding the windows and my thoughts were on the last Christmas that just whizzed by, and how wonderful my mum and grandma made my childhood Christmases. Sometimes, my grandma would get tipsy on Remy Martin, in the middle of the Christmas cooking and start singing in creole Portuguese. When I asked for a sip, she would shake her head, but let me sniff at the bottle neck instead. Sometimes, the brandy would resurface repressed feelings, and she would start crying at the memory of my uncle who died at 15, but she would still trudge on because she knew how much her magical Christmas meals meant to us. I suddenly remembered the extra thick, "Christmas edition" hot Milo she used to make for me and began thinking of warm buttered bread and spicy pear jam to go with it. Typical food crazed blogger response LOL Just that thought got me out of bed and into the kitchen, peeling and roasting pears and melting chocolate. Grandmas are magical. I will never forget mine.
DeleteIt is a blessing to have cherished memories of one's childhood and I am happy for you that you have such fond ones of your grandma and Christmases past. I am also glad to hear that you are feeling better. Remember that when one door closes, another opens. Someday you will realize your dream...
DeleteThe sound of this cake is enough to tempt me out of my 'healthy eating' resolution, maybe just for a little!
ReplyDeleteon a broader note, I just discovered your blog, it's beautifully written and so inspiring. I'm an Australian woman living in the UK and having a regular influx of exciting, spice-laden food is so wonderful. I can't wait to get in the kitchen and get cooking! Thank you.
Hi Elle, thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to write down your thoughts. It's always a treat to hear from readers, both old and new. I hope you continue to find pleasure and inspiration here, at my little virtual kitchen :)
DeleteHappy New Year! May it be an exciting and delicious one for you :)
Wow this cake sounds and looks really wonderful! Pears and ginger is great combination and chocolate with cake on top even better :)
ReplyDeleteHi Medeja, thank you :) I look forward to many return visits and more shared thoughts from you.
DeleteThis looks totally amazing - YUM. Those roasted pears just sound so tasty, especially with chocolate cake.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sara :) The roasted pears actually tasted pretty good on their own, though they added a delicious fruitiness to the rich chocolate cake. I hope to see you here again soon :)
DeleteI was blown away by your site! Wow! This cake with the pears looks so wonderful, it got me all kinds of inspired!
ReplyDeleteGinger and pears - lovely. Thanks for linking it in
ReplyDeleteOh Denise I think we all here feel that grey cloud hovering over you. So sorry things haven't worked out for you as you hoped it would. Plus the post festive season blues and new year's anxiousness to boot.
ReplyDeleteI was so moved by your sensitivity and the anecdotes about your dear Gradmother in your reply to Biren. There was such love and tenderness in your description of her. You're right Grandmas are awesome. I thought of my maternal Grandma too and all the cherished albeit sadly shortlived memories of her spoiling us with neatly folded S$10 notes every birthday & X'mas, shouting out our names to eat dinner, her grey hair in a perfect bun and the fragrance of her 'scent' as she called it which was of lavender but I can't remember the brand. However I do remember the fragrance of Cuticura talc powder that she used after her baths and Tiger Balm for her knee aches. OMG Tiger Balm...what a miracle product! I have one in my bag wherever I go. Works for just about everything from a runny nose to tummy & head aches.
Nothing like chocolate to help beat the blues eh Denise?(chuckles). This cake looks absolutely deeelicious. I'm a lazy cook but I'll give this a go this weekend. In your honour Denise. Its also a good excuse to open that bottle of brandy that's been in the cupboard for years. (They seem to prefer whisky here.) I have some friends coming over on Sunday and I'll tell them its called Gateau de Denise (Denise's cake). I will! LOL!
Hugs to you Denise. Catch up with you later :)
Thank you Jean, for you very warm and thoughtful words. You are unearthing even more memories of my grandmother; she also had her long, long silver hair, ALWAYS in the neatest bun imaginable, every hair slicked back tightly, not a single one, daring to even try to escape their prison LOL So unlike my unruly curls. Her scent was Jasmine or Florida Water, she always carried a tiny red tin of Tiger Balm in her pocket, to rub on our mosquito bites and yes, her yells were loud and lusty each time dinner was ready, and my cousins and I were still glued to floor, in front of the tv :D Seems like Asian grandmas, don't vary much, and isn't that a wonderful thing?!
DeleteI'm so pleased you want to try this recipe out. It's pretty easy, just a bit fiddly when you're coring the pears and grating the ginger. But it is a lovely cake, though I say so myself ;) and well worth the effort. The one I made was inhaled by hubs and gone in barely 48 hours, rich though it was. The batter is dense and full of moisture so the cake will sink a little in the middle, whether or not you top it with the pears. Don't worry, it will still taste great. I hope it turns out beautifully for you and that your guests enjoy the lovely (what else can a meal cooked with love be?)meal you will prepare for them! Gateau de Denise? *grin* I like it!