About a week and a half ago I got a new cook book, don't tell my husband (hi Babe!) I shouldn't have, we have no room for more cookbooks, half of them are boxed up with most of the other books waiting for bookshelves that will probably take ages to decide on, get and install. But I couldn't resist. I had a good excuse, two in fact! You see, my husband is sort of a picky eater (I love you anyway!) and when I find things that he actually likes, I try to stick with the theme. And last year when I bought this book, he loved everything that I made from it. I've cooked pretty much everything from it I'm going too and now I'm getting a little bored with it, so short of copying Julie Powell, I decided I needed a good, basic french cookbook. And since the new Anthropologie was opening and I knew they had a good, basic French Cookbook, I just had to go (reason number two :))
Here's the thing. Anthropologie and I go way back. No really, waaaay back, back to when they had just a store or two and no one on the west coast had ever heard of them.
The summer before my senior year of high school my parents took us to the east coast, partly as a family trip, partly as a work trip and partly as the obligatory looking at colleges trip. This was when I has visions of myself as a Bryn Mawr girl.Because I'm so very mainline, right? When you think about the fact that the school I eventually did go to was University of Oregon, where Birks are a necessity, clothing is optional and it's perfectly legal to carry around pot as long as it's just enough for one joint, it's pretty funny that Bryn Mawr even crossed my mind.
But it did, and so off we went to see Philadelphia. And between visiting colleges (the nuns at Chestnut Hill scared the crap out of me) seeing the Liberty Bell and buying the best strawberries I've ever had in my life from an Amish woman selling them out of her kitchen, I discovered Anthropologie where I proceeded to blow my entire back to school clothing budget on one outfit.
I'm pretty sure my mother thought I was making a huge mistake, but really, it taught me that having a few great pieces can be better than having a ton of crap. OK, what it really taught me was that I loved Anthropologie. So I was more than a little excited that they were opening one here. And I had to go on the day they opened. And I had to buy something. SO the cookbook it was.
A good thing too because when we were all too beat to pull together a normal get together of our supper club and decided on ordering pizza instead, I said I'd bring something desserty and simple. Good thing I had a new cookbook.
Simple is the key here. This thing is EASY. And good. But it's really rich so small servings are important. I used espresso cups which were just the right size without being overly rich.
Chocolate Pots
adapted from Classic French Cooking by Elisabeth Luard
4 ounces good dark chocolate (semi-sweet works)
2 Tablespoons espresso
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
3 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon sugar
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, remove from heat and beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Allow mixture to cool to body temperature. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff and then fold into the chocolate mixture along with the coffee and liqueur. Taste for sweetness and add in sugar if necessary. Spoon into individual cups and refrigerate for an hour or so until firm.