birthday | Gunsmoke and Knitting

Posts Tagged ‘birthday’

Why am I saying, “Bon appetit?”

August 15, 2020

Today is Julia Child’s birthday and I think it deserves remembering.

Theses are some of my favorite quotes from Julia:

The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.

You are the butter to my bread, and the breath to my life.

A party without cake is just a meeting.

And speaking of cake here is a recipe for a cake worthy of Julia’s birthday:

Reine De Saba (or Queen of Sheba) Chocolate and Almond Cake

Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1

Serves 6 to 8 people

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter and flour a round 8-inch cake pan. Set 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate and 2 tbsp. rum or coffee in a small pan, cover, and place in a larger pan of almost simmering water; let melt while you proceed with the recipe.

3. In a mixing bowl, with a wooden spoon or electric beater, cream 1 soft stick butter and 2/3 cup granulated sugar together for several minutes until they form a pale yellow, fluffy mixture.

4. Beat in 3 egg yolks until well blended.

5. Beat 3 egg whites and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.

6. With a rubber spatula, blend the melted chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture, then stir in 1/3 cup pulverized almonds, and 1/4 tsp. almond extract. Immediately stir in one fourth of the beaten egg whites to lighten the batter. Fold in a third of the remaining whites and when partially blended, sift on one third of 1/2 cup sifted cake flour and continue folding. Alternate rapidly with more egg whites and more flour until all are incorporated.

7. Turn the batter into the cake pan, pushing the batter up to its rim with a rubber spatula. Bake in middle level of preheated oven for about 25 minutes.

8. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and reverse cake onto a cake rack. Allow it to cool for an hour or two.

To serve, use the chocolate-butter icing, and press a design of almonds over the icing.

Bon appetit!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birthday, food, Julia Child, recipes | Leave a Comment »

What am I noting?

January 28, 2020

10 Intriguing Facts About Original 'Star Trek' Characters ...

Yesterday (January 27 in 2227) will be the birthday of Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, Chief Medical Officer of the Starship Enterprise.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birthday | Leave a Comment »

Whose birthday am I noting today?

June 8, 2019

Today is Frank Lloyd Wright’s 152nd birthday. Every year on his birthday, the folks at Taliesin and Taliesin West bake this cake, his favorite, in his memory. Now you can, too.

Birthday Cake-June 8th-Frank Lloyd Wright

Serving size: Makes 16 servings

Butter and flour 2 bread loaf pans and line the bottoms with waxed paper.

9 eggs (separated)
1 1/3 C sugar
1 1/3 C cake flour (sift four times)
1/4 t cream of tartar
Pinch salt

Have eggs at room temperature. Separate eggs. Beat the egg yolks well. Add sugar gradually and beat until light and foamy. Add cake flour. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until stiff, but do not over beat. Fold egg whites into the batter by hand. Pour the batter into pans and bake at 300 degrees for 40-60 minutes. When cakes are done, remove from pans and cool completely on racks.

Filling:

20 oz. strawberry jam
8 oz. walnuts (finely ground)
8 walnut halves for garnish

Topping:

1 qt. whipping cream
1/4 C confectioner’s sugar

Beat whipping cream until thick , add sugar and continue to beat until stiff.

Chocolate sauce:

1 t butter
2 oz. baker’s chocolate
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

Frank Lloyd Wright 150th birthday celebration at Taliesin, Spring Green, Wisconsin, Saturday June 3, 2017. / (c) Mark Hertzberg

Mix ingredients and cook until well blended and slightly thickened. Cool.

To assemble cake: Cut the cooled loaves in half lengthwise. On lower layers spread generously with filling: layer of strawberry jam, layer of ground walnuts, and a layer of whipping cream. Cover with the remaining loaf halves. Frost the top and sides of the cakes with whipping cream.

Pour the cooled chocolate sauce over the cake in an open, lacelike pattern, not solidly covering whipped cream. More chocolate than white should be showing, with some dribbling over the sides of the cake. Garnish with edible flowers if desired.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged architecture, art, birthday, Frank Lloyd Wright | 2 Comments »

What am I noting today?

March 7, 2019

Today is Maurice Ravel’s 144th birthday – enjoy!

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What am I up to?

October 3, 2018

Or, to what am I up?

Today is my birthday – many of my friends also have birthdays this week. To help us all celebrate, I baked up, with the help of my lovely assistant, HMS Defiant, The Best Cookies in the World – or, Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, cherry, oatmeal cookies. And they really are TBCITW

Here is the recipe:
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
3 cups regular, long-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup chocolate chunks – chopped up Easter bunnies or candy bars work well
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup dried cherries

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the shortening and sugars. When well blended, add the egg. Mix in the egg, then add the water and vanilla. Add the salt, soda and flour all together and mix. Add one cup of oats – mix. Add the chocolate chunks – mix. Add the second cup of oats – mix. Add the white chocolate chips – mix. Add the third cup of oats – mix. Add the dried cherries and mix them in.

I bake them on heavy baking pans lined with parchment paper.

I roll the cookies into big balls with my hands. The unbaked cookies are probably bigger than a golf ball, but smaller than a tennis ball.

Place them a couple of inches apart on the baking pan and bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on the pan for a few minutes then place on a cooling rack.

I don’t have a problem giving out the recipe. It is based on the original Quaker Oats recipe that they have now changed.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birthday, cooking, recipes | 6 Comments »

Whose birthday am I noting?

May 10, 2018

Fred Astaire, born Frederick Austerlitz, on May 10, 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska, is an icon in the world of American dance.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birthday, dance, Fred Astaire, history | Leave a Comment »

Whose birthday am I noting today?

April 3, 2018

Happy Birthday, Sally Rand

Sally Rand is an American icon, best known for her famous “fan dance.” But, as with so many other celebrities, Miss Rand had a multifaceted career and personality that deserves (*ahem*) further exposure.

“Sally Rand” was born as Harriet Helen Gould Beck in the Ozark Mountain town of Elkton, Missouri on Easter Sunday, the 3rd of April, 1904. She was the daughter of Nettie Grove, a Pennsylvania Dutch Quaker, and Corporal William Beck, a veteran of the Spanish-American War. Teddy Roosevelt was President of the United States and there would come a time when little Helen would fall asleep in the great man’s lap.

Sally was interested in dance from an early age and, literally, ran away with a carnival as a teenager. She later pursued such career opportunities as night club cigarette girl, artist’s model, and cafe dancer.

I Forgot!

March 22, 2018

“Don’t let them promote you. Don’t let them transfer you. Don’t let them do anything that takes you off the bridge of that ship, because while you’re there, you can make a difference.“

James Tiberius (“Jim”) Kirk was a descendant of pioneers of the American frontier during the late 19th century. He was born on March 22nd, 2233, in Iowa, USA, Earth. He was the son of George and Winona Kirk. ( His parents named him after his maternal grandfather, James, and his paternal grandfather, Tiberius. He went on to become arguably the most decorated officer in Star Fleet history.

A plaque marks his future birthplace in Riverside, Iowa.

March 22 also marks the birthday of William Shatner. He turned 90 this year. Happy Birthday!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged birthday, history, James T. Kirk | Leave a Comment »

Whose birthday am I celebrating?

March 8, 2018

Related image The namesake of my nom de blog, Anne Bonney, the Lady Pirate, born in Cork, Ireland on March 8, 1697.

“It is hard to separate the legend from the facts of Anne Bonny. The only thing we can be sure of is that Anne Bonny was a strong, independent woman, who was way ahead of her time. The 18th century was still a time when man made all important decisions, a time when women did not have many rights. In this men’s world, it was hard for Anne Bonny to become an equal crewmember and a respected pirate” – more here

She was a liberated woman, colleague of Mary Read, the former wife of Calico Jack Rackham, and a pirate in her own right – Happy Birthday, Anne!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Anne Bonney, birthday, history | 2 Comments »