“Okay, so, maybe you’re right. The buckwheat has an intense, earthy flavor, it should complement the molasses and brown sugar well. Alright then,” Takashi remarked, adding a third of a cup of the honey to the barbeque sauce they were concocting.
Meanwhile, Corban double checked the picnic basket
to ensure they had everything they’d need. Picnic blanket, glasses, cloth
napkins, cutlery, small and large plates, bottle cap opener, and tongs. They
were all set there. There were organic ciders in the cooler in a variety of
flavors, along with the ranch pasta salad he and Takashi had made earlier in
the day. Savory, and dressed up with cherry tomatoes, peas, and grated carrots,
it was bursting with flavor.
The roasted cauliflower, and coffee cream pie were
in containers beside it, and Corban couldn’t wait to taste the flavorful
dessert, still wanting to pout a bit that Takashi hadn’t allowed him to lick
the custard from the bowl, insisting, instead, on scraping it into the crust as
completely as he could. Even a request to leave a dollop or three behind had
been met with a raised eyebrow and a directive to go back to working on the rib
rub he’d been blending together. Speaking of which, the hibachi was already in
the car, and the ribs, still coated in their rub, were in the cooler too, in a
container half buried in ice. All would be ready as soon as the sauce was done.
Two mason jars sat clean and open on the counter, ready for the warm sauce to
be poured in as soon as Takashi deemed it completed.
The kitchen carried the lingering scents of their
morning efforts, and it had been well worth waking up early, especially with
Takashi beside him, in anticipation of the day they had planned. The warmer
weather meant they could linger on the beach after dark, eating, talking, and
listening to the waves. Each conversation was an opportunity to learn more
about each other, and it was endearing to learn that, in addition to his
musicals Takashi had a secret love of animated movies ranging from classics,
like Watership Down and The Wind in the Willows, to innovative
stories like Fire and Ice and The Secret of Nimh. They’d watched Heavy Metal the night before and ended up debating the reasons the 70s
animation period was often referred to as the dark days of animation when many
companies began using recycled animation segments and character designs to make
the process go faster. The conversation had stretched until almost two in the
morning, where cuddled together in the dark, the pair had begun to slur their
words and confuse the movies they were speaking of, resulting in tired laughter
and a promise to resume their discussion after breakfast.
Instead, they hadn’t even waited for the coffee to
be poured before they began to debate the merits of animation versus
animatronics, and wow, had that opened a whole other realm of movies to
discuss. Finding out that Takashi loved The
Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Legend, Troll, and the Sand Fairy had been a fabulous discovery, one that had also
led to a discussion of the Muppets, which Takashi had all the seasons of.
Corban was already dying for a weekend binge fest where they could watch them.
“Taste this?” Takashi asked, his sudden words
pulling Corban out of his reflection. He was holding out a spoon with a
steaming red-orange sauce. Corban blew on it gently, before opening his mouth,
eyes going wide as the flavors washed over his tongue.
“Holy shit that’s amazing!”
“Really? I wasn’t quite sure, maybe I need a
second taste,” Takashi remarked, before pulling Corban in for a kiss and
completely plundering his mouth. “Mmm, that
is good.”
Coffee Cream Pie Recipe
9’ prepared Chocolate crumb crust
Filling:
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup corn syrup (light)
¾ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ tablespoons coffee liquor
1 ½ tablespoons espresso powder
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter (chopped)
Cream Topping:
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon coffee liquor
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Garnish:
Chopped Chocolate Covered espresso beans
Chopped chocolate covered toffee bits
Whisk together cream, corn syrup, salt and sugar
in heavy saucepot on medium heat until warm. Whisk in espresso powder, whisking
constantly until thick and bubbling. Remove from heat.
Whisk egg yolks, gradually whisk ½ cup of warm
cream mixture (results of step 1) into the egg yolks until fully incorporated.
Pour yolk mixture into remaining cream mixture, and return to boil, whisking
constantly. Remove from heat.
Whisk butter, vanilla extract, and coffee liquor
into warm custard (results of step 2), whisking until smooth. Let stand and
cool 15-20 minutes.
Pour mixture into chocolate crumb crust and cover,
refrigerate for 2-3 hours until firmly set.
Once filling is set, warm 3 tablespoon of cream
and dissolve instant coffee granules and cocoa powder in it. Whip remaining
heavy cream, dissolved coffee/cocoa, coffee liquor and powdered sugar in
chilled mixing bowl, on high, until still peaks form.
Spread whipped cream mixture over filling and
garnish. Serve immediately or return to refrigerator until ready to serve.
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