Trials

TEST KITCHEN:  So, the kids each have their hearts set on entering a cooking contest for those their age.  If you're a regular reader, you know we spend a fair amount of time kicking 'round the kitchen, playing with our food. It's one thing cooking for yourself. It's another, submitting an original recipe to a national competition. 

I'm going to get to specific as to the specs here so as not to tip the kids' hands to the competition too much. ;) That said, CJ decided he wanted to make a meat cake. Because meat. And cake. What's not to love?!

It involved meat ... Specifically, two ground pounds. 

and chopping lots of fruit and vegetables to exacting standards ... 

The hardest part of today's challenge was not winging it. We cook so much, we know what we like and what tastes good and have a "feel" for proportions. But "feelings" don't fly well when one's submitting a recipe to a national competition. It requires exacting measurements. Sometimes that involved accidentally dumping half a tin of white pepper onto a spoon. And sometimes that was followed by dumping a half a bottle of garlic salt onto same said half teaspoon. But I digress. ... 

Eventually the meat 'cakes' were done ...

And the 'icing (sweet and Yukon gold potatoes and other secret ingredients, including a half pound of white pepper) were mashed and ready to apply.

The layers were stacked with potato 'icing' in between, and then it was time for a crumb coat.

 
Then it was time to pretty it up a bit (not too much this go 'round, as this was a rough version mostly for proportion and tasting purposes). Next, CJ practiced his piping skills.  

He did pretty well. 

And it tasted pretty good. We talked about tweaks that need to be made and CJ has good notes for the next go 'round. It will be a little lighter on the white pepper, hopefully.

CLARA: Thanks to the Google Doodle, we learned that today is the (105th) birthday of the virtuoso of Theremin players, Clara Rockmore.  Here's a super short primer of her accomplishments; 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/03/08/clara-rockmore-the-story-of-the-theremin-virtuoso-who-inspired-l/

OMG LOOK AT THAT: So, that eclipse visible mostly only in Indonesia yesterday? Turns out you could also see it from an Alaska Airlines flight. You really should watch this. Worth enduring it until the end. :)
https://youtu.be/YBoa81xEvNA