Chicago Sushi

Chocolate Avocado Cakes with a Ginger Rice Mousse & Cashew TuilesNo you are not seeing things. Yes, I have finally cooked {baked} for my food blog. Behold! And the clouds did part, the angels sang, someone perhaps danced, I ate some fruit, and it was good.

While neither being sushi, or having anything to do with Chicago, the name makes complete sense. To me. What else matters. Occasion: friend's birthday, and let her be dubbed S. S hails from the windy city; the home of the cracker Jack, the city cool enough to have two baseball messieurs, Chicago Illinois likes everything to be big, the best, and the first. Whether you're a fan teams, the world's tallest building, the largest cookie factory (that would be Nabisco), a history of sewage problems, and the heaviest packed public library in the world. Yes mesdames and of Chi-Town or not does not matter to Chicagoans who are as proud of their ear-raping northern drawl as they are of their, what is that then--deep dish pizza? I have never been to Chicago so i speak only in riddles of hearsay. But S is as Chicago as {I hope} it gets. Her being from Chicago is pretty much it, as I am not sure whether or not there is a long or heavy demand for sushi in the region. Anyways. S loves sushi {revelations} we often frequent our corner sushi shop for rather late meals--as it is often open post 22h00. As a vegetarian, S hates everything. It is true. Almost everything. Meat-less sushi is her preferred late night of choice. Though I morally disapprove of any meal not involving a dead animal, I grind my teeth and proclaim my support for her Bambie love disease and resist the urge to continually demand, "what is wrong with you?"

Recalling my "Mora Projects," (the Jake Cake and Guinness bundt) I decided to create a recette particularly catering to S. Sushi was the result, as a raw lamb shank sculpted out marzipan and butter cream with a cherry sauce most likely would not be as funny to others as the idea is to me. Was. For about 12 seconds. Rather morbid now in reflection. Cake: chocolate avocado. They will be round, and individual. Rice component: a molded ginger rice mousse of the same diameter layered atop the cake. Over the top garnish to procure an aesthetic of pleasure: cashew tuiles. Avocado, rice, ginger, cashew--Asian flavors reminiscent of sushi. Yes, as a child I always had intensely themed birthday parties.

Cautions, tips, and anecdotes on the recipe: make the cake flat so it is more easily cut into circles. My oven is the size of a microwave, as such my pan was too small and my mold-ring could only fit two circles on the over thick cake. Use whipped cream in the mousse, I whipped bought creme fraiche as whipping cream continues to avoid me here in this country. For the molding of the rice mousse use culinary rings--I do not posses such objects, and as they are 5euros a piece at the Galleries Lafayette Home Store, I compromise. Green bean can with the top and bottom cut off. Very professional, and somewhat frightening I am now to many the Frenchies as they witnessed my hack sawing of the cans with a steak knife in lieu of can opener. Rather dangerous actually. Tuiles should be shaped over an object such as a rolling pin, which undoubtedly works much better than empty yogurt jars. Thats all.


Chocolate Avocado Cake:
1 big bar of dark baking chocolate, 2 avocados mashed, 0.5 cup butter, 1.333333 cups sugar, 2 eggs beaten, 1.333333 cups milk, 0.5 tsp salt, 1.5 tsp baking soda, 1.5 cups flour.

Melt chocolate in a pan, beat sugar and butter until light, add eggs followed by avocado followed by milk. In separate bowl combine dry ingredients, add melted chocolate to viscous mixture, then combine with flour mix. Pour into shallow pan and bake 30* minutes at 350. Cool, and cut into circles using mold ring.

Ginger Rice Mousse:
1 cup whipping cream, .5 tsp vanilla extract, 1.5 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 tbsp gelatin (2.5 sheets), 2 cups whole (or half) milk, .5 cup sugar, 1.5 cooked round rice.

boil milk, rice, and sugar in sauce pan. Add gelatin softened in cold water, and vanilla. Cool until starting to set. Whip whipping cream with ginger, and fold in. Place molds on top of cut cake rounds and line the interior walls with parchment paper or wax strips. Fill molds and refrigerate for 2 hours minimum. Remove mold and peel off paper--but do not let sit out at room temperature, they will begin to relax.


Cashew Tuiles:
This recette is Clotilde Dusoulier's, celebrity chef and author of Chocolate & Zucchini (whom I have met and have had a drink with and now we are the best of friends. Or maybe it was that really awkward dinner party I met her at, anyways, we've talked. You are jealous and can feel it), Maybe she will want my autograph now--"Clotilde, I left my copy of your cook book in the US, as my suitcase did have a 50lbs limit, will you sign my moleskine?" "You want me to sign your moleskine?" "Well, it's a nice moleskine. You can have a whole page to yourself if that would make you feel better,I even have a cute little red pen for you to use. " Though I did pull a fast one on her with this recette and switched the hazelnuts with Cashews. What say you now.

.5 cups flour, 2 tbsp butter, 0.3333333 cups sugar, 2 egg whites, crushed cashew.
Mix everything (not the cashews).

Line a baking sheet with parchment, using a teaspoon smear a small amount into an oval disc shape. Sprinkle with cashews. bake for maybe 10 minutes at 350F. When the edges start to brown, extract from oven and QUICKLY lay on a rolling pin (or whatever object you choose to shape them on).

They were liked. People just look, I won't lie that is my favorite part. Unfortunately I used trick candles. Big bad wolf scene follows. S made me promise to always give her free Chicago Sushi at my bakery, as it is her cake. To this I agreed. The rate I'm going It is becoming not a bakery, but a private yacht club. Personal, is always better. So what shall I make for you?


A bientôt