Bonne Valentin

A very simple and rich cake with a slightly fudgey, but light texture, this one is a real favourite for my family. No Icing, just a dusting of icing sugar and fresh berries.

Ingredients:

 ½ lb. plus 2 Tbsp. (2¼ sticks) salted butter

7 oz. bittersweet chocolate

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

6 eggs, separated, at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar

6 Tbsp. cake flour

½ tsp. cream of tartar

Steps:

1.Make the cake: Butter a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment or waxed paper. Butter the paper and dust the pan with flour, shaking out the excess.

2.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3.Place the butter and chocolate in a mixing bowl and heat over simmering water. (No Need to chop the chocolate). Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is very smooth. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

4.Whisk the egg yolks with a wire whisk until just blended and beat in the sugar until just mixed. Whisk the yolks into the warm chocolate mixture and fold in the flour.

5.In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar (if you are not using a copper bowl) and continue beating until soft, rounded peaks form. Fold the egg whites quickly into the chocolate mixture, taking care not to deflate them.

6.Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The cake is done when the sides are set but the center of the cake is still soft.

7.Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. The cake will develop cracks in the top as it bakes, and more will appear as it cools, but this is normal. When the cake has cooled to room temperature turn it out of the pan and dust with icing sugar adn top with fresh berries.  Serve with whipped chantilly cream (add vanilla to whipping cream).

SIMON"S KITCHEN PART 2

No, this is NOT IT.  I was browsing kitchens today when I cam across this one by Smallbone of Devizes in the UK.  I got the same feel from this that I am starting to get from Simon's kitchen project. 

Here's a peek at the going's on over at Simon's

Oh those iconic red knobs of a Wolf stove.  Sigh........I told you I would have stove envy this week.  Some of the appliances are in, the rest to go this coming week.  

Base cabinets and uppers are in, range hood partially installed.  The gorgeous Wolf cooktop is in place.

Here you can see the wall ovens are in, plus the fridge is up and running although the door panel is not on yet.  Instead of an awkward corner cupboard that really wasn't in keeping with the contemporary feel of this kitchen, they opted to box in the corner and paint it out in a black matte finish.  Very smart idea as I think as the lines need to be kept simple, and that would be lost if they did a corner unit.

View of the built in commercial fridge.

Next week, the island will be doing in, plus the dishwashers.  The cabinet doors are going to be walnut, which is one of my all time favourites for a kitchen door.  Take a look at the gorgeous kitchens from Smallbone of Devizes in the UK ,especially the one they call Walnut and Silver.http://www.smallbone.co.uk/

WHITE VINTAGE DISHWARE

Why White always seems right

I have a real thing for white.  White walls, white linen, white painted furniture etc.  I especially adore white dishware, and most of all Vintage White. White is a natural choice for chefs as it showcases the food.  It also makes it very easy to set your table and add pieces without being too matchy...combining the different whites adds depth and interest to your table.

I am forever buying vintage white platters.

 clean..........fresh

simple and modern

I like to use modern linens for a little juxtapostion...

... or embellished scrubby linens

....perhaps a teeny hint of pink

.....adding a little cream here and there...

Check out http://www.romantichome.blogspot.com/ for Show and Tell Friday

CANADIAN DESIGNER ROSIE DAYKIN

Rosie Daykin has long been a favourite designer of mine. Her rooms are very livable, simple and attainable. She uses mostly neutrals, lots of white and hits of fresh vivid color. This is her daughter's bedroom.  Love the poofs.

This is her own living room.  What a great fireplace!  So simple but with all that gorgeous marble.  That "thing" on the floor to the left is a cat scratching post/cat house made of natural fibers.

The built-ins blend seamlessly on that back wall leaving the beautiful wood to be showcased.  That pop of yellow is all this room needs.

So why am I showing baked goods and marshmallows?  Rosie has now opened a bakery "Butter Baked Goods" in Vancouver.

This photo of Rosie Daykin in her bakeshop is a real feast for my eyes.  Look at all that vintage cabbage rose wallpaper and the milk glass cakestands and the pretty cake boxes.  Wow!

House pics:  www.houseandhome.com Food pics: www.bakersjournal.com

SPARKLE

I purchased this gorgeous dresser tray for my shop, but after styling it for it's photos, I have grown very partial to it.  Old silver trays are a great way to corral bathroom bits, and also help protect natural stone surfaces. 

 Today I will be adding some new silver trays to my shop, including some fabulous large trays that are perfect for bar supplies.

MIAMI & KEY WEST

Community Church in South Beach

Miami Art Deco

 

Church in Key West

Charming Key West Home

 Sculpture of a man looking at the naked ladies

At Sea

I personally found Key West disapointing.  Compared to Miami Beach which is busy with tourists, but has it's own life and vitality, Key West seemed to have all it's charm wrapped up in architecture and it's flamboyant history, but very little substance left. (that was visible in our short stay)Gorgeous buildings stuffed with T-shirt shops!  It seems like it was a once a haven for artists, wayward politicians and hippies has lost it's soul.......

Simon's Kitchen

Because I was away last week, I missed photographing the progress on Simon's Kitchen and my Saturday post.  This will resume this Saturday with all the news and progress on this project.

Silver Sunday

Vintage Silver Baby Cups

I adore vintage silver baby cups.  I put them on the mantle with flowers in them, and on the buffet table to hold toothpicks.  I started my collection when my children inherited my grandparents christening cups, after my granny died.  My grandmother always had roses or something from her garden in their cups, side by side on their mantle. I thought that was very romantic, having their baby cups side by side.

My son now has his Great Granny's cup and my daughter will take her Great Grandad's cup to her new home.

Here is my Grandad's cup.

My Grandad's cup is Sterling Silver and has the most beautiful scrolling and etching and curved handle.  The workmanship on this cup is outstanding.  It is engraved WPH to EPH 1906.

My collection leans more to silver plate than Sterling because of the high costs of Sterling.  This one was a gift from a friend and has the cutest duck on it.

This one has "baby" in a lovely script.

This one has a random engraving.  It depicts some animals having a party, and is engraved with the following:

 "and the horse ran away with the chocolate cake"

For baby gifts, I like to find vintage baby spoon and fork ........................

..................and tie them with ribbons to the cup

Check out more fabulous silver at http://thegypsyfish.blogspot.com/

CANADIAN DESIGN SERIES PART 2-SARAH RICHARDSON

We are at sea today with limited internet minutes, so I thought I would take a day off and just leave you with a look at some Canadian design.  You can`t pick up a Canadian magazine or turn on HGTV without seeing Canadian super designer Sarah Richardson.  Star of Design Inc, Sarah's House and Sarah's Cottage, she and her adorable and talented cohort Tommy Smythe create the most fabulous rooms.  She also has her own line of furniture.  To see more go to www.sarahrichardsondesign.com 

Hotel suite with proceeds to Breast Cancer research.

Coco chair by Sarah Richardson Designs.

This was an awful 70`s backsplit that she redid for Sarah`s house

All images from www.sarahrichardsondesign.com

MIAMI BEACH

Staying at the Townhouse Hotel in Miami Beach, a block from the beach and a 5 minute walk to Lincoln Avenue.  For the price, this hotel is great.  Clean, minimal and very....white.  Lincoln Ave is great because there is no traffic and is all shops and outdoor restaurants.  Each restaurant has it`s own look with everything from Ghost Chairs, rattan sofas and leather wing chairs to french bistro chairs.

The people of Miami love their dogs.  Everywhere you go, people have their dogs in tow.

A gorgeous boy.

Unfortunately, it was raining this morning so we just walked to the beach for a few minutes. All the hotels are setting up for Super Bowl parties with grandstands and stages on the beach.

Next stop.......Key West.

NO SUNDAY SUPPER FEATURE TODAY..............

We're in Miami.
  If we find something fabulous to show you, we'll take pictures for the blog.  Check back all week, we have 3 destinations.

 Lobby at the Delano, South Beach

Bedroom Suite

Loving all that marble

Nightime in the cabana at the Delano


NO, we are not staying at the Delano, but I thought you would like to see it.

SIMON"S KITCHEN Part 1

Blasting Out the Walls of a Boring 80's Suburban House

If you think you can't add personality to a boring 80's house in the suburbs, I am going to prove you wrong. Out the way Mike Holmes, Simon's in charge of this one.  Simon and his wife bought their home a year ago. It hadn't been touched since it was built in the 80's.  Owned by an older couple, it was wallpapered to death and had absolutely no architectural features and zero charm.  Simon is not only a master cabinetmaker and contractor, he has worked on countless older homes in Europe, and this experience, combined with his quest for perfection, and his very stylish wife's skills as a decorator, means this kitchen is going to rock.

So this is what they have.  3 young kids, a tiny, dark, kitchen with no space for even the microwave, and a living room, dining room combination that is barely used.  What they are going to get is a multipurpise great room, full of light and space.

Short on storage and space, the microwave has to sit by the eating area. You can just peek into the dining room which is dark and small.  This part is going to become the dining room part of a large great room that will encompass the kitchen, breakfast area and a more practical, less formal dining room.

The wall has come down and the dining room is now the kitchen area of the great room.  Notice the amount of light in the room from that back window (which will soon be a garden door).  Part of the hexagonal floor has been removed and has been replaced with a large rectangular linen colored porcelain tile that fits in with the contemporary, clean, neutral decor.

L-Boy sneaking past.

The old kitchen in the first picture is still there and fully functional, while the new kitchen is being built. Once this side is complete, the old kitchen will be demolished and will become the dining room.  Note the rough in for the island is there, plus a few units have been hung. Some of the units are from a big box store, but they will be customized and from what I can gather some of the doors are going to be be in an exotic wood.

Part of the pantry has been installed and the kitchen table is in it's temporary space.

Next week, the appliances arrive and I know I am going to have some serious stove envy.  Check back next Saturday to see what progress has been made. You will be amazed at what can happen when you think outside of the box, I am so excited to see the progress.