The Remains of the Cake
"You say it's your birthday? It's my birthday too!"
- John Lennon/Paul McCartney
This is what's left of the cake they got me at work today. It was nice and spongy, filled with real custard and coated with real whipped cream. The technicolor roses were fun too.
My birthday celebrations (which always seem to end up spanning a fairly long period of time, "like a Polish wedding" my mother used to say) began earlier in the week when some cousins took me out to dinner at a restaurant in their neighbohood, which, it turns out, always has a "foie gras special" on the menu. So that was what I ordered, along with a spinach salad and a delightful glass of Sineann Pinot Noir from Oregon. The foie gras was absolutely exquisite, served on a nice wintry celery root and apple purée with a pomegranate reduction: a great way to begin a birthday.
Today: first there was the cake at work. Then when G got home, he handed me this. That delightful chocolate-brown bag is always a good sign.
Inside was this.
And inside that, was this.
And now that we've just finished a dinner which may have been the best Thai food I've eaten in New York (Sala Thai, 1718 Second Ave. btw 89th & 90th Sts) , I'm going to eat it. You can't see it in the not-so-good photo, but for such a tiny jewel of cake, it contains many layers of biscuit and mousse and ganache and apparently something raspberry as well.
There are several other eating activities and baked goods that have apparently been planned for the next several days, so I'll probably have to do an ongoing birthday round-up to keep you posted on the debauchery.
I love birthday weeks! Enjoy all of it, there's more to come. Happy Birthday, Julie(aka chocolate girl)
Ernie
Posted by: Ernie | February 17, 2005 at 11:08 PM
Happy Birthday!!
Posted by: Deb | February 17, 2005 at 11:26 PM
Ohhh!!!! What a birthday gift! I'm looking forward to the next installment! Happy Birthday :-)
Posted by: rowena | February 18, 2005 at 04:45 AM
Oh, Maison du Chocolat! Oh, oh, oh! You lucky duckling. That's a good man you've got there. :)
And thank you for the info about Sala Thai. I walk past it a lot because I have a friend who lives in the neighborhood, and because I spend a lot of time at Kitchen Arts & Letters. I'll be interested to see how it stacks up against my favorite Thai place in Astoria (Thai Pavilion on 30th Avenue -- yes, everyone says Ubol's is the best Thai in Astoria, and it's pretty good, but next to Thai Pavilion, Ubol's only wishes).
Happy birthday to you, dear Julie. So has anybody baked you a Latvian birthday cake yet? No? This will not stand! :)
Posted by: Bakerina | February 19, 2005 at 07:38 AM
Happy Birthday again, Julie,
May your father be right and may you always look at AL LEAST a year younger than you are.
Joe
Posted by: Joe | February 19, 2005 at 08:21 AM
A belated happy birthday! That little cake looks *amazing*...
Posted by: Moira | February 19, 2005 at 11:29 AM
Thanks for all the lovely birthday wishes -- stay tuned for further cake and other birthday/culinary reports...
Bakerina...no, I've never had a Latvian Birthday cake (sniff sniff)...how shall this be remedied? ;D
Posted by: Julie | February 20, 2005 at 05:17 AM
Hi Julie - I enjoy reading your blog, belated happy birthday!
Posted by: keiko | February 24, 2005 at 05:58 AM
Keiko, thanks so much for your kind wishes and comment. I hope you'll visit often -- now I'm off on a visit to you!
Posted by: Julie | February 24, 2005 at 12:12 PM