What in the Quill?

At first glance, this little guy appears to be a porcupine. At least that’s what I thought. Perhaps—no, probably—you’re cleverer than I am and recognized it for the monotreme it is: an Echidna. For those of you who did not recognize it as such, or for that matter have any clue as to what in the world an Echidna is, welcome to my world! Luckily for both of us, Google is around. Now prepare yourself for some minor enlightenment, and major cuteness.
The Echidna (pronounced ih-KID-na) is, as I mentioned earlier, a monotreme. Remember way back when in Biology class when you learned that the Duckbilled Platypus is an egg-laying mammal? Well that’s a monotreme! And then remember how your professor told you that there was one other such mammal, but you could never remember what the other one was? Well that’s the Echidna!
There are two types of echidnas: long-beaked and short-beaked. These little critters, much like the spiny anteater, love to munch on termites and ants. They have no teeth, and pick up their grub with their long, sticky tongues. How cute is that?
Now check this out: apparently the Greeks didn’t recognize the echidnas for the adorable little buggers they are. In fact, the echidna gets its name from the Greek for “Mother of All Monsters”. Apparently Hesiod started this ugly rumor that the echidna was spawned in a cave and then mated with every possible horrible monster there was, thus making her the mother of all monsters. How rude!
Fortunately today we know all about the Echidna, and how harmless and awesome they truly are. Still, I doubt there’s any argument the chocolate cake echidna is preferable to the spiny, sticky-tongued one.

Recap:

Good to eat:

Not good to eat:

It Ain't Easy Being Dad

I won't lie to you, fatherhood isn't easy like motherhood.
-Homer Simpson

Well folks, the one day a year we set aside to give Dads everywhere an official shout out is just around the corner. As familiar as we all are with this national holiday, what most of us tend to remember when we think of Father's Day (especially fathers), are the less than desirable gifts given in his honor. If your dad is anything like mine, he is nearly impossible to shop for. Sure, he'll pretend to be excited about getting golf balls (again), or the gift card from Home Depot that he'll use for something or other that he doesn't really need. And let's not get started on the shirts he'll never wear, the ties he has no room or need for, the socks, the Old Spice. The years pass by, the gifts stay the same. This year, however, can be different. You know the old saying: the way to a man's heart is through his sweet tooth? Or is it his stomach? Well, no matter, the point is, it's true.
This year, set aside routine. Abandon the standard fare. Forget about the run-of-the-mill. This year, be sweet to Dad. Tell him how much you appreciate him, how important he is, how you recognize the sacrifices he's made for you. Then, before it gets too mushy--too sentimental, bust out the cake! Serve your Dad first, it's his day. Then hurry up and serve yourself; the cake won't last long and it was your awesome idea to begin with.

FYI: This decadent and delectable dads cake consist of devil's food chocolate with a chocolate mint filling and is covered with chocolate ganache icing. Priced to sell at $45 plus tax, this 6" cake serves 12 people and waters up to 67 mouths.

For She's The Jolly Good Fellow!

Today is Chef Christy's Birthday. (Hooray!)
Christy will be taking today off to clean the chocolate out from under her fingernails and the fondant out from her hair. Then maybe even relax a little. A small celebration in honor of the anniversary of Christy's birth took place a few nights ago. Fortunately for all involved, except maybe the birthday girl herself, she brought her own cupcakes! (mmmm... strawberry)
So congrats Christy! Here's to many more years of wedding cakes, cupcakes, panna cottas, macaroons, tarts and the like. And, of course, to Sweet Success!

Some Like It Hot

This week Sweet Tempered had the privilege of being part of NACE’s (National Association of Catering Executives) annual Iron Chef Event. Chef Christy was given the challenge of creating a tasty and imaginative dessert with a special secret ingredient: chili peppers. Inspired by her love of Thai food, Christy set out to create a dessert a la Tom kha gai, her favorite spicy soup. The dish started with a Panna cotta (can’t you just hear Giada now? “pan-nah coat-ah”), a traditional Italian dessert which literally translates to “cooked cream” (think custard).

Where generally Panna cottas are made simply with cream, milk, sugar and gelatin, Christy mixed it up a bit with some coconut milk, cilantro, and serrano and habanero peppers. The dessert was bedded on an orange ginger sauce, topped off with a spicy papaya and mango slaw, whipped cream, and a tuile.

Ok, now for those of you who are thinking “sounds weird,” open your minds a little. Believe me, I’m as adventurous as a six year old when it comes to my diet—but I tried it and loved it. In fact, we loved it so much we ate the leftovers before remembering to take photos. Oops.

So how’d it go you ask? Well, much like Caesar, We Came, We Saw, and We Conquered. Yes Friends, Romans, and Countrymen, our dear Christy went up against the reigning champ, a formidable opponent, and came out on top. Not that we ever had any doubts (ahem. Oh, sorry there. There was something stuck in my throat). All kidding aside, it was a true challenge and both Christy and her competitor, Sous Chef Ashley, rose to the challenge. Unfortunately though, there can only be one winner. And fortunately for us, it was Christy. Okay, fortune had nothing to do with it; it all comes down to talent. And where Christy’s concerned, the proof is in the Panna cotta.