The details:
Tuesday, September 17 – 6:30 pm at the Cookbook Co Cooks, 712 11 Ave SW, Calgary
Come meet Gail Norton and Karen Ralph, authors of Calgary Eats, and chefs featured in the book.
Tix – $50 per person* at 403-265-6066 extension 1
*Registrants will take home an autographed copy of Calgary Eats: Signature Recipes from the City’s Best Restaurants and Bars ($40 value).
The scoop:
Author Gail Norton is the fairy godmother of the Calgary’s food scene. For over 30 years she’s boosted restaurants and chefs through the magazine City Palate she co-founded and through her cooking school and cookbook slash gourmand store, Cookbook Co Cooks. Along with her friend, the accomplished cook and sommelier, Karen Ralph, she once again showcases our food community of local chefs, farmers and producers. This time with a collection of 80 signature dishes by the city’s top chefs called Calgary Eats.
A follow-up to the best-selling Calgary Cooks, these chef-tested recipes, with stunning photographs by Chris Amat, will help we mere mortals re-create the signature dishes of our favourite chefs and restaurants. Read on for one of the books most scrumptious recipes – Rogelio Herrara’s (Alloy Dining) Flourless Chocolate Cake.
The recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
Flourless chocolate cake:
7 ounces (200 grams) dark chocolate
3/4 cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
1 Tablespoon gochugaru (Korean hot chili flake powder – you can substitute Hungarian Paprika or Indian Chili powder)
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sifted cocoa powder
Mint, for garnish (optional)
Edible flowers, for garnish (optional)
Chantilly cream:
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Macerated berries:
1 cup strawberries, halved
1 cup blueberries
1 cup blackberries
1 cup raspberries
1/3 cup dark rum
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Method:
For the Cake:
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Lightly grease a 9×13-inch jell roll style baking sheet.
Use a double boiler to melt the chocolate and butter, stirring to combine. Add gochugaru, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl continuously, and slowly pour in the chocolate mixture. Add the cocoa powder and mix well.
Pour the batter onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. (Keep an eye on the cake—it’s easy to burn.) Remove from oven and set aside for 20 minutes to cool. Refrigerate, uncovered,
for at least 2 hours or overnight. (The cake can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.)
For the Chantilly Cream:
Use the flat side of a knife to scrape the vanilla seeds into a large bowl. Discard the pod. Pour in the heavy cream, then add icing sugar and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, whip at medium-high speed for 3 minutes, or until soft peaks form. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving.
For the Macerated Berries:
Combine berries and rum in a large mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, sugar and salt and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until needed. (Do not prepare this too far in advance or the fruit will lose its texture.)
Assembly:
Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Cut into squares and place on the
serving plate. Bring to room temperature and add a generous spoonful of macerated berries and a dollop (or two or three) of Chantilly cream. Garnish each cake piece with mint and edible flowers, if using. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
