Paula Dean, I Am Not

Well, folks, here we have it! My first attempt at a video blog... in a series I have dubbed "Britt's Kitchen." I know. REALLY CLEVER TITLE.

When my sister and I were little girls, we would sit at the kitchen table with bowls of ice cream in front of us and a spread of sprinkles and syrups pretending that we were the hosts of a cooking show. We would wait until our ice cream was melted down to resemble cake batter, and then we would prepare our "cakes" by combining the different "ingredients" (ice cream toppings). So... now I have realized that dream of having my own cooking show by videoing myself cooking... And it is REAL professional. Especially the watermark on the video which informs you all that I am using unactivated editing software. I apologize for the amounts of technical difficulties I had in losing footage, camera cards filling up, and batteries dying... but hope that you enjoy the 16 minute long cooking show that I made.... that took me 4 hours to make... I swear it won't take you 4 hours to make this cake. Tops 1 hour... That being said, here is the video, and below is the recipe (if you want to avoid the 16 minute video, all of the steps are included in the recipe listed below)

I have the recipe as it appears in my cookbook, but then in
parentheses I put the things that I did when I made it, just so you
can choose whichever you want!

Prep Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Serves: 10

7 tablespoons dairy free margarine, plus extra for greasing (I usually use "I
Can't Believe It's Not Butter and Pam for greasing... not 100% dairy
free, but pretty close)
8 oz dairy free dark chocolate, with at least 70% cocoa solids (I used
Baker's unsweetened chocolate squares that were 100% cocoa)
6 eggs, separated
2/3 cup fruit sugar (I just used normal sugar)

Topping: (This is the thing I never got around to making...)
5 oz dairy free dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids
scant 1/2 cup chestnut puree
3 tbsp fruit sugar
2 tbsp dairy free margarine

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8 inch springform cake
pan with dairy free margarine and line the bottom with a circle of
baking parchment (I just used my brownie pan, though I did line the
bottom of it with baking parchment. I think that's important because
the cake can be very crumbly and I think that helps hold it together)
2. Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a large
heatproof bowl. Rest the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water,
making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water; stir
from time to time until the chocolate melts. Add the margarine to the
bowl and continue stirring occasionally until it completely melts and
is mixed in with the chocolate. Remove from the heat.
3. Put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and whisk using an electric
mixer until they form stiff peaks. Add the sugar and continue
whisking until they form glossy peaks.
4. Lightly beat the egg yolks in another bowl, then stir into the
melted chocolate mixture until well blended. With a large metal
spoon, carefully fold in the whisked egg whites until they are
thoroughly mixed in.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the hot oven
25-30 minutes until risen and cooked around the side, but still
slightly soft in the middle. Insert a skewer into the middle of the
cake and if there is only a little of the cake batter sticking to it,
the cake is ready. Take the cake out of the oven and leave to cool in
the pan about 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to
cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Melt the chocolate as above. Add
the chestnut puree and sugar and stir well, then stir in the margarine
until thoroughly blended. Remove from the heat, leave to cool, and
serve with slices of cake.

Side note: I put unsalted crunchy peanut butter on top of my piece of cake... and it was DIVINE. DIVINE I TELL YOU!!

Gluten and Dairy and Vacation, Oh My!

Well, I'm on my fourth day back in NYC after a wonderful vacation, and I jumped right back into my routine. Usually, it's really hard for me to leave vacations and return to the city. I used to start crying about 2 days before my return, and then the first few days back in the city were spent in a sort of bed of depression. Literally I would only get out of bed for food, water, bathroom breaks, or work. I'm glad to say those days are a mere memory that I only retain so that I can realize how far I have come.

My vacation was absolutely delicious. I've never been on a vacation to New Orleans before... I only ever went there on field trips when I was in school, or for Mardi Gras or random birthday trips throughout college. I really got to see the city in a new and beautiful way. A walk down Bourbon St. was very reminiscent of a walk through Times Square... Pretty darn awful, and something I would only repeat for special occasions. I suppose I got to see the more residential side of New Orleans... or the more "grown up" side.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the bars and night time fun the city has to offer. I mean, the first thing I announced upon arriving in the city was that I wanted a drive through daiquiri!!! That was something I grew up with and didn't really realize was out of the ordinary until I moved elsewhere... and not only are just plain old daiquiri shops non-existent (heck... even FINDING a daiquiri anywhere is tough), but drive through daiquiri shops have become a novelty I tell people about when they scoff about how Louisiana must be a terrible place. (Anywhere that will give you a daiquiri like it's a Happy Meal is NOT a place to scoff about.)

Louisiana is NOT a terrible place.

I had such a wonderful time there. Most importantly, it wasn't as miserably hot as I remember it being...

I went zydeco dancing, to White Linen Night (a night where everyone dresses in white and there is a street fair of sorts on Julia St.), Satchmo Fest (brass bands on Frenchmen St), wedding dress shopping with one of the most beautiful brides to be and one of my oldest best friends, and a steamy day at the zoo that turned into a monsoony day at the zoo. Not to mention catching up with friends I haven't seen in so very long...

With 2 of my favorite ladies on White Linen Night (Lauren changed...)


So, yes, it was a marvelous trip. Exercising was not on the front of my mind, and I suffered tremendously (potential slight exaggeration) trying to maintain my gluten and dairy free diet. I had to cheat a few times... just because there are not a lot of places that cater to a gluten and dairy free diet, and also... I was on vacation!! And since I am not willing to cheat on the vegetarian level... after my first meal where I saw no options and ordered my old standby--the salad--I realized it may be a "mission impossible" to stick to my guns. (At Johnny's po-boy I ordered a salad because I couldn't have any po-boys... and the salad was a huge bed of lettuce with baby carrots, an orange slice, and pickles on top)... well... I just couldn't do that anymore. So I allowed some gluten and dairy to creep back into my diet. Did my tummy suffer? Oh yes. Was it worth it? Heck yes!

However, I did have 2 very delicious vegetarian meals that were gluten and dairy free--one in New Orleans and one in Baton Rouge.

New Orleans:
Slim Goodies on Magazine St.

I was amazed at the options this restaurant had for vegetarians. The idea of vegetarianism is something that I don't think will ever catch on in LA, and I don't blame anyone there. The food is just SO good that to imagine restaurants without crawfish or shrimp is just silly. But to see it acknowledged on a menu that epitomizes a Louisiana breakfast... well, it was appreciated! This restaurant was open all during Katrina (well, not DURING Katrina, but during the recovery), and the only thing they could serve during that time was burger patties. So, they still have this burger on their menu--dubbed the Katrina Burger. However, I ordered a delicious breakfast called the Guatemalan. Eggs, avocado, black beans, and plantains--and I ordered a side of vegetarian chili. The dish was also served with tortillas: your choice of flour or corn. The fact that they had several options for dietary challenged people was great. I was able to have soy milk with my coffee, and they also served fake bacon! One downfall was that the restaurant was out of the corn tortillas while I was there, but the fact that they typically have the option still won them points. Overall, a winner for vegetarians and gluten/dairy challenged individuals!

The Guatemalan (I always start eating before I remember to take a picture...):


Baton Rouge:
Truly Free on Perkins Rd.

Truly Free is a new restaurant in Baton Rouge that was opened after a husband and wife team found that they had severe dietary restrictions, and there was nothing to cater to them in Baton Rouge. The wife found she is allergic to gluten and dairy, and the husband is lactose intolerant, so they decided to open this restaurant so that people just like them could have a delicious place to eat. And boy, was it delicious!! My mom and I spit the veggie avocado burger with baked sweet potato fries. The burger actually came on a gluten free bread, and was topped with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and some really spicy delicious sneak attack mystery ingredient. The baked sweet potato fries were good, if not a little soggy. We agreed that we would have baked them a bit longer. My friend Rachel ordered Eric's Wrap, which was a very beautifully presented dish indeed! You had your choice of wrap--she chose a rice wrap--and then it was filled with many different fresh vegetables and some turkey, as well.

Avocado Veggie Burger with Baked Sweet Potato Fries:


Eric's Wrap:

Of course, the very best part came at the end of the meal when we split 3 desserts among us. Keep in mind these were all dairy and gluten free. But YUM you wouldn't have known! We got a stuffed red velvet cupcake, peanut butter and chocolate cookie, and a mint chocolate cookie. They were DELISH!! The red velvet cupcake was the groups' favorite, by far. It was just so decadent! The cupcake was dense and moist, but not so dense that it was too much, and the cream cheese icing that was on top and filled the cupcake tasted marvelous. It was creamy and not too sweet--I think because it was soy based... which we could detect, but not in a glaring way. The cookies were very reminiscent of pralines in texture--minus the melt in your mouth quality. They were definitely good, but I suggest trying the cupcakes if you only have room for one dessert!

Delicious Desserts:
Overall, it was quite an amazing trip. I'm glad to be back in New York and back to my routine. I just got home from day 4 of my 30 day yoga challenge, and I head to my second shift back at work this evening. Go whole hog, y'all!

A Brief Intermission

Wait... Intermission? But didn't this thing just get started? I have, if nothing else in life, impeccable timing. Why in the world would start a blog and then skip town? Poorly planned? It may appear so... But I swear... I have my reasons.

I'm going to Louisiana tomorrow for a week. Well, a little under a week. But still. A nice break from the craziness that is NYC. For the first time ever, I am leaving NYC and don't really want to leave NYC. I have actual things to do when I get back. I actually feel like I live here now. Good Lord. It's about time. It only took me close to 2 years.

Things I have planned for my return to the city:
1) Create a schedule for myself.

• I realized that I work best with a schedule. When I was in college and had classes to attend, I hardly ever skipped. I would arrange my life around those classes, and was pretty darn productive. In my life, without a 9-5 job... I have a lot of free time. Which is exactly what I need for my artistic endeavors. Unfortunately... I do not maximize this free time. When I return to the city, I plan on creating a Monday to Sunday schedule. Hour by hour. When I wake up. What I will do. And then, knowing myself as well as I do, I will create a system of rewards and punishments for myself for when I adhere to this new schedule. Yes... it's very reminiscent of those charts kids use that say "brush my teeth" or "make my bed" and then the reward is a gold star. My stakes are a little higher... more like "write a balance blog" or "work on artwork" or "monologue work", etc. My rewards will be more along the lines of "dinner with a friend" or "glass of wine" or "pint of Ben and Jerry's". However... I really do like gold stars.
  

2) 3o Day Bikram Yoga Challenge.

• I've already signed up. This is happening. 30 days of Bikram Yoga. Every day, y'all. Yesterday I ran 3 miles and then went to Bikram Yoga. Today when I woke up... the hardest part of Bikram was getting my butt out of my door. But now that I'm home, I'm so glad that I did. I guess what I'm saying is... some days you feel like you can climb mountains. And others you feel like a mountain is sitting on top of you. Maintaining my running 3-4 miles at least 3 days a week is what's really going to be the challenge. I like Bikram so much more than I like running, but I have to maintain what I've worked up to in my running.
  

3) Project Get an Agent

• I signed up for a monologue challenge with the theatre company I'm currently in. It's August 26. There are 5 guest judges who are all agents with different agencies. I will force one of them to fall in love with me, sign me, and then get me auditions. Maybe all 5. We'll see. There are 45 contestants total... but only one of ME! Also, in October I'll be doing a showcase for several agents that I will be targeting... so... come on. If I don't sign with someone... maybe I'm in the wrong biz?

So... I have a lot of stuff going on that requires a heck of a lot of self motivation. Hard work. Perseverance. And less socializing. ...I LOVE socializing.

Balance.

However, for the next week I will be hanging with some of my dearest friends in Louisiana. Three days in New Orleans with my best friend who's getting married next May, and three days in Baton Rouge. Bring on the humidity.

Oh, and just to keep you intrigued... Future planned blogs entail video blogs of me cooking delicious gluten and dairy free vegetarian fare, Dating and the City, and Deep Thoughts With Brittany.

I know. Sounds completely and utterly AMAZING.

Thanks for dropping by. See ya in a week!

Prologue

I just got home from my fourth day of Bikram Yoga. I am drenched from the bone to the tips of my hair. I feel exhausted, energized, like crying, like laughing, and mostly like my quest for balance is well on its way.

I had another blog in which I moaned about my life and how horrible it was. It was not a happy place. I was not in a happy place. Then, in an attempt to move from that miserable place, I turned to every single vice imaginable to find happiness. (Well... maybe not EVERY single vice.) You know what? Those things don't make you happy. They may give you a euphoric illusion of happy... but mostly, when the euphoria fades... you're alone and crying and feel like poop.

Now I've made an almost complete 180 degree turn. (Is it 180 or 360 when you are the opposite? 360 would put you back in the same place... right?) I'm exercising, eating right, and trying to get my life in order.

Problem is, I GOTTA have some vices... otherwise I'm a boring, boring person. So. Here I am. On a quest. Much like Frodo and his ring. Or Harry and his Horcurxes. Or Tom Builder and his cathedral. My quest may not be anything so grand, but it is for me. A quest for balance.

Please join me in my quest. I want to share it. My trials. My successes. My recipes. And I want to hear from you, too. Because otherwise... I'm just Frodo without his Samwise. Or Harry without Ron and Hermione. Or Tom Builder without... um... Prior Philip?