spinning angel

Something that I’m not well versed in is cake decorating. I should probably bring that down to a more basic level and say cake frosting – I’m not sure that decorating and frosting are the same things. We’re into cake week at school and I’ve done more buttercream icing prep than I already care to do: Italian buttercream, Swiss buttercream, buttercream buttercream. We’ve done three cakes to go with the buttercreams (and tonight’s ganache): high-yield yellow, orange chiffon, and carrot. Last night was the turn of the yellow with the Swiss buttercream: third-ing the cake and icing it back together in two rounds of mess – it visits the freezer in between sets. We got the full demo on the cake wheel from our instructor who can knock out a perfectly iced cake in about two minutes; we each had our previously baked stumps of cake and buttercream for experimentation. What an unholy mess we created at our team table (of four). You’ve goy spinning of cake plates, eyeballing measurements, dropping of icing, angles of the spatula, more angles of the spatula, keeping your elbow up, spinning of cake plates, scraping, edging, freezing, and repeating. Oddly enough, even with the mess the four of us did alright for a first go-round. Believe me, this was no Duncan Hines yellow cake with tub frosting slapped together for Little Jimmy’s 4th birthday party. Tonight we do the carrot cake and orange chiffon. I promise pictures.

I’ve been pining for a bigger cutting board at home and came across a couple at Eastern Market that craft beautiful handmade boards from Virginia trees. I mentioned this in passing at pizza night a few weeks ago and Corey immediately decided he’d just make me one – being a carpenter-type and all. After some interrogation about patterns, sizes, styles, etc. it appears he’s ready fashion a monster that goes about 55 (!) lbs., just in case anyone is thinking of stealing it. Along with that, or a weekend before, he’s transporting down their dining room table from the great North and installing it in our house whilst taking our 6-person miniature and using it at N. Park Dr. Apparently, and I’m not yet a witness to The Beast, it might seat 10-12 and weigh nigh on a quarter ton. I’ve been put on alert to have neighbors ready to carry this thing because there “ain’t no way two humans can do it.” This should be quite interesting.

I’ve just been called on a mission to stop by home with food for our guest to cook for he and G. tonight. I’ll be in class and X alerts me to her endless work evening. She tells me to get some ‘chops’ and potatoes and Peter will cook them right up for the two bachelors. “What kind of chops? Bone in?” I reply. To which her riposte was a subtle and to the point, “Fuck if I know.” Love that gal.

Adieu.