Thursday 7 January 2010

FLAT FRIDAY... COMFORT ME



“Nothing is more miserable than man, of all upon the earth that breathes and creeps.” - Homer, Iliad

This evening I am feeling very flat. In fact more than flat. Melancholy, disappointed, sad, dismayed, distressed. The reason? Nothing and everything. A combination of many things over the last few days. Disappointment with people – family friends, colleagues. Disenchantment with work (some issues that have been brewing for some time and have just come to a head). The post-holiday flatness and return to work. The sudden change of weather and the unexpected sapping heat…

I’ll keep this brief tonight and after searching through my recipe book, I attach this feel-good, utterly decadent and sweet recipe. This is comfort food at its worst (best?) designed to drive away these blues I’m feeling…

Dark Chocolate Bavarois

Ingredients (serves four)
Bavarois

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup caster sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 2 teaspoons gelatine
  • 185 g molten dark chocolate
  • 1 cup thickened cream

Sauce
  • 100 g grated white chocolate
  • 3/4 cup thickened cream
  • 1/4 cup of liqueur (Baileys, e.g.)

Method

•    Beat egg yolks with the sugar until light and creamy.
•    Scrape out the contents of the vanilla bean and put into the milk with the husk. Slowly bring milk to the boil and strain, pouring the milk little by little over egg mixture without stopping the mixer.
•    Return mixture to saucepan over low heat stir constantly until mixture thickens slightly (about 3 minutes) to a custard-like consistency.
•    Dissolve gelatine in 1/4 cup water over double broiler
•    Remove custard from heat, stir in gelatine and melted dark chocolate.
•    Cool for 10 minutes.
•    Beat cream until soft peaks form, fold into chocolate mixture. .lightly grease and flour four one-cup capacity mini moulds, pour in the mixture and refrigerate until set.
•    To make the sauce, combine chocolate and extra cream in a medium saucepan, stir over low heat until combined.
•    Cool to room temperature.
•    Ease bavarois out of moulds and pour the sauce over the top and serve.

If you visit this blog regularly and have never commented, how about saying “hello”? There are an awful lot of lurkers out there…

Have a good weekend.

10 comments:

  1. Cheer up, things arent as bad they seem.
    Experience has shown me that.

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  2. Things will look better tomorrow...the recipe looks great, but I would just bite into that bar itself!

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  3. I'll offer a word of encouragement. I know just how you feel. It will pass -- it always does. In the meantime, do the things that make you feel good; like chocolate desserts, or a movie, or a concert, or just a drive out of town.

    All the issues that are troubling you will take some twists and turns before they are resolved. It does leave you flat sometimes.

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  4. Read somewhere that January and February are really more depressing than Christmas but I always thought that had to do with our weather here in the northern part of the globe.

    But I don't think there is anything that chocolate cannot help. I copied your recipe to my files and now to go buy some chocolate.

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  5. I'm sorry to hear you are feeling blue, Nic. It's not often that happens to you judging by your blog so I'm sure you'll feel better soon.
    The dessert sounds delicious, I'll have try it out soon.

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  6. Hi Nicholas!
    Sorry to hear that things aren't so good at the moment...I know how conscientious you are regarding your work, so if things aren't quite right there, then maybe this is affecting you most?

    You're probably being too hard on yourself though, and hopefully things will sort out.

    I'm still hanging about waiting for a date to start my new job, so I'll stop by more regularly meantime to say 'hello'.

    Hope your blue mood passes soon.

    Take care!

    Fi

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  7. Hi Nicholas, here's a big, virtual hug for you!
    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

    Don't worry your mood will pass. I know because you seem to be a resilient sort of person and from what you write you often have raised me out of the dumps.
    Thank you for your blog, I enjoy reading it.

    PS: The choc dessert sounds fantastic!

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  8. http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/topic/happiness

    :)
    check it out!

    ReplyDelete
  9. hey, this will pass
    hang on and things will look up

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you for your kind words, everyone. I'm feeling a lot better now...

    ReplyDelete