The man I live with, the Mr. HWWLLB, he is an amazing guy. Some of you know him. Sometimes I think he's a genius. His vocabulary could fill the state of Michigan. He is overflowing with compassion and always has the time to help out a friend.
He also loves to cook. It's all about the flavors. The man can use more spice jars in one dish than most people keep in their kitchens. The thing is, he has, er, interesting tastes.
Tonight he baked a birthday cake for a co-worker, whom he loves dearly. He asked me, what do you think: chocolate fudge cake with blueberry and orange, or with sour cherry syrup? I asked, what kind of cake does your co-worker like? Hm... a wrench in the works. I'm always begging him to just make a plain chocolate something. Without the fancy syrups and powders. I think he must find my tastes rather pedestrian.
Sadly, the blueberry-and-orange-chocolate fudge cake was not a success. I couldn't even swallow my sample - it tasted like medicine. Ick! I need to have a beer now to wash away the taste.
Now he is reluctantly baking a boring old red velvet cake to replace the failed one. It really was, unfortunately, inedible. But I'm sure that his co-worker will appreciate the boring new cake - after all, it's the thought that counts, right?
HWWLLB makes red velvet cakes !?!? Where can I place my order.
ReplyDeleteMe? I would have gone with the chocolate cherry combination....mmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteIf he ever just "feels" like baking that one? I'd surely oblige to be the recipient.
(BTW, do you have an explanation for the acronym HWWLLB?)
it is the thought that counts...
ReplyDeleteand i must say that HWWLLB
is one of my most favorite people.
i am fond of minimalistic desserts...
not too many flavors...
simple chocolate is best...
but they do have a good
rasberry chocolate cake recipe in
this cookbook.
good luck tasting!
I have sampled the goods ...er ... um I mean HWWLLB's cooking and I have to say you should try his cookies too. Fruit cakes have nothing on these dried fruit wonders. Oatmeal date surpirse with a orange marmalade icing! Yummy.
ReplyDeletePS I saw the cake in the fridge ... I'm fired up! Na na na boo boo to all of you who can't have it ... I have to say his cakes are fantastic!
HWWLLB = He Who Wears LL Bean.
ReplyDeleteSome might notice that this is a mildly satirical reference to the husband of a mildly famous knit-blogger. But I don't think HWWV bakes cakes. Thanks for the recipes!
Wow! A man who cooks!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I made a plain, chocolate cake with plain butter cream icing for my daughter's b-day (I know, how boring!).
Sorry HWWLLB's 1st cake wasn't edible. I'm sure the red velvet is wonderful!
The red velvet cake was definitely good. While I understand the adventure of multi-flavored cooking, sometimes it's just distracting. I had some sort of French rice salad from The Square Rabbit the other day, and I spent the whole time trying to figure out what in the hell was in it. I mean, not because it was so good and I just had to have the recipe, either. Because the combination was weird to me. Sometimes flavors harmonize well, and sometimes they're just there, separate and distinct. The upside to experimental cooking, however, is that I bet HWWLLB stumbles on random genius flavors sometimes.....
ReplyDelete