Guinness Chocolate Pudding

I'm exhausted! I started training at Theo Chocolate last Monday, and have finished my first weekend of work, doing 3 eight-hour shifts and one more training day. I've been waking up before 9:30 every day. I'm exhausted from having absorbed so much information about chocolate, Theo, and our products. It's great and I love it, but I'm still mental so tired. Because on top of that, I've started on a new show. So I'm meeting new people everyday, memorizing a new script, and learning everything there is to know aobut chocolate. I had half a day off on Friday, and I had Sunday night off. So in honor of my new job, I made the Guinness Chocolate Pudding using our Dominican Republic Bar that's 84% chocolate!

Guinness Chocolate Pudding
from www.epicurious.com

Ingredients:
-8 large egg yolks
-1 cup sugar
-One 14.9-ounce can Guinness Draught
-3 cups heavy cream
-7 ounces high-quality bittersweet (70 to 72% cacao) chocolate, finely chopped

-Special equipment: Six 8-ounce old-fashioned glasses

Directions:

1. In large nonreactive mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar.

2. Open can of Guinness and slowly pour into 4-cup measuring cup, pouring down side of cup to reduce foaming. Pour half of Guinness (about 7/8 cup) into heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan. Add 2 1/4 cups cream and whisk to combine. Set over medium heat and heat, whisking occasionally, until bubbles just begin to form at edges. Remove from heat, add chocolate, and whisk until smooth.

3.  Slowly pour hot chocolate mixture into eggs, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Return mixture to saucepan and set over moderately low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and coats back of spoon, about 15 minutes. (Pudding will look separated.) 

4. Pour into blender and blend on high for 1 minute. Divide pudding among glasses, leaving at least 1 inch of space at top of each. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set.

5. Meanwhile, pour remaining Guinness into small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 20 minutes. Pour syrup into small bowl and let cool.

6. Beat remaining cream until soft peaks form. Add Guinness syrup and beat until combined. Divide cream among 6 glasses of pudding and serve.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Guinness-Goodness-234304#ixzz1YZIjNks9

Notes:

- the 84% Dominican Republic Bar can be found at Whole Foods across the country! I personally suggest the regular 70% bar. 84% is really intense! 

- I burned up the syrup so it was complete unusable.

- I didn't use the glasses! I just used coffee mugs and small bowls. Soon I'll have nice ramikins, but alas....

Enjoy!

Ridiculous

Can I just say that the past two days have been utterly ridiculous? Here's a small break-down as to just how stupid ridiculous it's been.

Monday:
1- My alarm clock, which I set for 8:30 a.m., goes off at 6:30. I wake up mid-REM. Bad start!
2- I pay $12 for a parking spot in a garage, so I can get to a job interview. Which turns out to be fine. It was Men's Warehouse and I sewed for 2 hours. I was on my way to work at Theo wheeeen-
3- A lady accidentally backed into my car. Which was not as bad as it sounds. She was on my passenger  side and was backing up out of the cross-walk when she scratched the side of my car. Lame! So I was late to work in order to exchange info. That is also fine, and being taken care of!
4- The moving company, who I have been calling so much it could be considered stalking, won't tell me if I will be receiving my stuff on Tuesday (the next day). But I'm assured that it probably won't arrive because I would have already received a phone call 24 hours ahead of  time. Move to-
5- 9:00 at night, at a rehearsal when I receive a call that Yes, my stuff will be coming in! Hurrah, except it's at 9 am the next day, my roommates and I all have work, and this guy is completely NOT understanding. I get into what could be called an altercation. Luckily, Katie got the day off. I was furious!

Tuesday:
1- I'm late to work because I got lost. My bad.
2- I received lots and lots of phone calls and texts messages at work because the moving people (who are the absolute bane of my existence) can't move their truck into my street and are charging me an extra 300 dollars in order to shuttle it over. Bite me, Hansen Moving and Todd Odberg. I sincerely hate you all and hope I never have to deal with your absolute incompetence and stupidity again. Thanks to you, I have decided to never use a moving company again and I've given up all faith in the entire process.
3- I'm also simulateneously receiving calls from the insurance company. All of this between 9 and 10 a.m.

I'm so tired I might die. The End

Best Day Ever!!!

So extremely important update: I got a job and a show!

First, the show: Yesterday I did the call-backs for The Who's Tommy. Guess who got called today to be Sally Simpson? This chick! Jon Jory said that after graduating we need parts, at least 3-4 sizable parts. And I've got two right now! Also, I met some great people at the call-backs yesterday and I get paid. Hurrah!!! But the show's not til May, so I could do two shows between November and April. I really want to do A Chorus Line at Seattle Music Theatre, which ends in March, so that's totally doable. I would just have to get cast.

Job: I got a job at Theo Chocolate and it's going to be awesome! First off,  I get lots of free chocolate! Second of all, I get paid 11 dollars an hour, Third, everyone I work with seems wonderful! I'm very excited. They're certified organic, fair-trade, and certain things are kosher. They have a test kitchen, a factory, and all of their chocolate bar inclusions (i.e. chai chocolate, nuts, vanilla, etc) are folded in by hand. Which I just think is too cool. And I get to start doing tours! Best ever! You can buy Theo Chocolate anywhere in the country. Just go to their website and look at the store locator. I've already got several recipe ideas coming up!

Labor Day Weekend Broccoli, Potato, Cheese Soup

Oh Labor Day weekend how lazy are you?

The answer is extremely. I’m gone thru two seasons of HIMYM, called for 2 follow-ups, did laundry, cleaned my room, and hmmmm….managed to put on pants. Yeah, I’m a little lazy this weekend and I just don’t care. I'm physically exhausted from walking up and down hills and emotionally exhausted from....everything!

Now, I did actually go out last night! Go me! Our friend Brendan lives here so we hung out with him last night. We went to a cute coffee shop, a nice Thai place (picture below), and an improve comedy show. Honestly, I’ve seen better improv. But nonetheless it was nice to get out. We were supposed to go out tonight, but he got held up by his rents’….ho hum…..

 

 Yesterday we played the Game of Life, the board game. I want to make a different version, like the Post-College Game of Life.  You’re salary is ever above 18,000 a year, and your student loans are always looming.  It involves spaces like:

- “Beer Run- pay 20 dollars”

-“Pregnancy Scare- buy Plan B pills for 50 bucks.”

- “You get water damage in your new apartment. Your landlord pays for the insurance, but you have to pay for the hotel you have to stay in for 6 weeks during construction. Pay 2,000. “

- “You Got Your Dream Job so You Buy a Used Motorcycle. Pay 5,000 dollars.”

- “Dream Job moves you four states away, pay 3,000 for movers and new furniture”.

PS- this is intellectual property, published online. Don’t steal it or I can sue you. Thanks, The Social Network!  

In other news: I did make my Broccoli, Potato, and Cheese Soup! It was delicious, hearty, and very stew like. Also, very filling. I used organic onions, potatoes, and broccoli from the Farmers Market. Go Local! 

Broccoli, Potato, and Cheese Soup

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/broccoli-cheese-and-potato-soup-139511#ixzz1X3NcEEnG

Ingredients:

• 1/8 cup chopped onion
• 1/8 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 tablespoon butter or 1/2 tablespoon margarine
• 1/16 cup flour
• 1 cup diced peeled potatoes
• 5/8 cup chopped broccoli, steamed until crisp tender
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/16 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 dash paprika
• 1/4 to taste salt
• 1/4 to taste minced fresh parsley, if desired

Directions: 

1. In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter over medium heat until tender.
2. Add flour, pepper, salt, and paprika and stir until smooth.
3. Add broth, milk, and potatoes, stirring constantly until it boils and thickens.
4. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
5. Stir in cheese and cooked broccoli and cook over low until cheese is melted and soup is heated through.
6. Sprinkle individual servings with parsley if desired.

Notes: 

- I didn't use celery (sad face), but I used everything else and it was good! 

Enjoy!

Farmers Market!

On Friday's there's a Farmers Market near my house. And you all know I how love a farmers market! I have a whole post dedicated to the ones on Central Coast of California. So here's one dedicated to my lastest find. My mother went to this one once and has been dying for it two weeks after she left. And she has two of her own farmers markets!

This is a nice, small farmers market with three rows of vendors. There's bakeries, lots of fruit and veg (all organic), salmon fillets, kombucha, fresh pasta, the list goes on. I buy some of my produce here. But in all actually, this market is not only pricey, it's kinda over-priced. I still don't quite know why a fresh salmon fillet is 21 bucks a lb. If it's fresh and was caught on Wednesday  at the bay shouldn't it be cheaper than what I get from the supermarket that imported from the East Coast? Doesn't help that I don't have a job....yet!

But enough of that. I bought broccoli, potatoes, and tomatoes. I'm going to make a Broccoli, Potato, and Cheese soup. It's still a little warm here (around  the early 80's). But I want some soup!!

I'll keep you posted!

Drunk Cupcakes Round 3:

Yes, I might have a cupcake pattern. But this was the most recent thing I've made and I wanna keep with recipes. A few weeks ago I had a going-away party and Tuck and I made our infamous Margarita cupcakes. And we added these to the mix! A lot of money was spent on booze for this party. And we drank the left over liquor. Happy being an ex-college kid! I don't have any pictures, sorry folk!


Chocolate Kahlua Mudslide Cupcakes
Adapted from Worth the Whisk

3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup strong coffee, at room temperature
3/4 cup Kahlua

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans (24 cupcakes) with paper liners. (You may get a couple extras out of this - I did.)

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites until frothy with whisk attachment. Slowly add in sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. Measure coffee, vanilla and Kahlua and stir together in measuring cup. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Add 1/2 the Kahlua mixture, mix until incorporated and repeat alternating flour and Kahlua, ending with flour mixture. Gently fold in egg whites.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full and bake approximately 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool about 10 minutes and transfer to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

Bailey's Irish Cream Buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 lbs powdered sugar

Beat butter on medium speed until smooth. Add Bailey's and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, mixing on low speed until frosting is the desired consistency. Pipe onto cupcakes as desired. I piped these with a large star tip.

Enjoy!

I'm Trying Not to Jinx It.

So I was going to write about the job interviews I've done and the jobs I hope I'll get. But I'm afraid I'll jinx it. Just know that I have 2 serious prospects that could work with each other and my theatre schedule. Not all will be in vain! So other than that there's only a few things to put down:

I’ve also had 3 auditions. Of those auditions, I’ve gotten 2 call-backs and.. drumroll…I got cast! The show is an original work called Bean: The Musical Fruit. The people I auditioned for were incredibly nice, the music was adorable (I had to sing a snippet) and the rehearsal times actually might work for my hopefully up-coming work schedule.

So tomorrow is the two week mark of being here. And trust me, it’s been hard. Tuesday, when I only had interviews lined up and some good auditions in my belt, I woke up with few worries and felt awful. There’s something horrible about waking up at 7 a.m. because I have to pee, and coming back to a cold, lonely bed. That’s the worst for me. Not falling asleep, not actually waking up and getting out of bed. But those 20 minutes after I go to the bathroom and I’m completely alone.

The good news is the best friend who I miss so much (let's call him Tuck) is still a best friend. We've talked in some capacity everyday. I'm sure he doesn't even read this blog because I tell him everything that's already on it. He calls me sometimes, or I'll call him. And we've been doing well. That Tuesday I was so upset, I had him call me before one of my interviews. And I felt much better for having done it. Yes, I cried on the phone, for no reason in particular but that I was still sad for having left New Mexico. But it's September 1, I've been here almost 2 weeks and I hope by this time next week to have a job, a show, and be ready for a new life!

Dinner: Katsu-don.
Dinner last night (I forgot!): Shoyu Ramen at a legit Japanese restaurant!