Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

A Martini for the February Bloggers

Back on January 26th Angie (AKA Tuscanartist), an incredibly talented artist living in Paris, posted this on a slowtravel message board:

Today I decided to blog everyday for a month. Anybody want to join me?

There are a lot of people out there that blog more than me but some do less too. So maybe we can motivate each other in this midwinter. I'm starting today

The group you see listed on the side as the February Bloggers are the folks who accepted the challenge. So starting on February 1st these folks: an Australian, three Canadians, some Americans, an American living in Paris, and a Norwegian living in Baltimore, filled countless hours sharing their thoughts, experiences, and stories on-line. Today, being the last day of February, the challenge is complete.

I confess that I felt a cheat joining in . . . I have blogged every day since January, 02, 2007. However, I am always one to join a party so the group kindly allowed me to join.

In honour of the group's accomplishment, I post a martini recipe which was created by . . . drumroll please . . . me! Like mant good things, it was created by accident. I felt like making a chocolate martini but had no dark chocolate liqueur. I did find some white chocolate liqueur (I know, I know . . . white chocolate isn't really chocolate) which I poured into a shaker with some other indigents.

When I poured it out for Paul he raved 'this is amazing, just like a Banana Cream Pie!'

Now, I don't like banana flavoured drinks as a rule but managed to quaff this back with a smile.

Banana Cream Pie Martini

1 oz Vanilla Vodka
1 oz White Chocolate Liqueur
1 oz Creme de Banana
1/2 oz White Creme de Cacao

Pour over ice in a martini shaker. Shake until well chilled.

Strain into martini glasses.

We garnished the glass with pieces of sliced banana which had been dipped in chocolate.

Cheers to the wonderful February Bloggers, be proud of your accomplishment!

Chicken-and-Brie Sandwich with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

 

This is my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging round up. This blogging event was started by Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen.This week's host is Zorra from Kochtopf- be sure to pop by to see what other bloggers have come up with.

Over the Christmas 'madness' I convinced myself that there would be wine and cheese extravaganzas galore so when I made my dash through Costco I bought 2 huge wheels of Brie. Of course. I never used them because I had purchased close to 12 pounds of various cheeses in my various uncontrolled shopping sprees.

I don't associate Brie with low-fat so now that I'm trying to be careful with what I eat I thought I'd have to throw them out. Happily I asked a friend who convinced me that it was possible to eat Brie cheese and not fall off of the wagon. This recipe has only 440 calories and 12.3 g of fat. Coupled with a bowl of soup or a piece of fruit it is a filling dinner.

I'll admit that it is one of the more complex sandwiches that I have made but the flavour combinations are incredible! A good balsamic vinegar makes all the difference in the roasted tomatoes, whose heat will immediately melt the soft Brie. There's no need to cut the rind off the Brie, since it's edible.

Chicken-and-Brie Sandwich with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (16-ounce) loaf French bread, cut in half horizontally
3 ounces Brie cheese, sliced
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups fresh spinach

Preheat oven to 300°.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes; cook 4 minutes, stirring once. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons vinegar. Sprinkle tomatoes with thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Wrap handle of pan with foil; bake at 300° for 15 minutes. Keep warm.

Combine mayonnaise, mustard, and garlic in a small bowl. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over top half of bread loaf. Spoon tomatoes evenly over bottom half of loaf. Arrange Brie over tomatoes; top with chicken. Combine 2 teaspoons oil, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add spinach, tossing gently to coat. Top chicken with spinach mixture; replace top half of bread. Cut loaf into 6 pieces.

Yield:

6 servings

CALORIES 440 (25% from fat); FAT 12.3g (sat 4.2g,mono 4.9g,poly 1.9g); PROTEIN 34.3g; CHOLESTEROL 78mg; CALCIUM 119mg; SODIUM 826mg; FIBER 3.9g; IRON 3.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.7g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2001

Jamie Oliver's Roasted White Fish Wrapped in Bacon with Lemon Mayonnaise and Asparagus

My sister gave Paul this cookbook for Christmas. It is Jamie Oliver's attempt to help everyone learn to be a better cook. We were very happy with Jamie's last cookbook Jamie's Italy so we were excited to receive this one. The book is fairly well-written (once you get used to Jamie's hyper and casual style) with some great recipes.

Over the weekend Paul was flipping through the book looking for something to make for 'his' dinner (he cooks one night a week to give me a break). He stopped on page 222 and said 'I think I'd like to make that.' So make it, he did.

He found the recipe to be fairly easy to follow and I can attest to the fact that it tasted great! The flavour combinations of the fish with the lemon, rosemary, and salty bacon were wonderful. As Paul said 'this is a keeper'.

This recipe would work well with any robust white fish such as haddock (which we used), monkfish, whiting, or pollack. You can use bacon or pancetta. We went with the pancetta. We served this with rice.

Jamie Oliver's Roasted White Fish Wrapped in Bacon with Lemon Mayonnaise and Asparagus

4×200g/7oz white fish fillets, cut 2.5cm/1 inch thick, skinned and pinboned
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and very finely chopped
zest of 2 lemons
freshly ground black pepper
16 rashers of thinly sliced, smoked streaky bacon or pancetta
Olive oil
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 large bunches of asparagus

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas 6.
2. Season the fillets with the rosemary, grated lemon zest, and freshly ground pepper
3. Lay 4 pieces of the bacon overlapping, put a fish fillet on top and wrap the rashers around it, repeat with the remaining bacon and fish.
4. Gently heat a ovenproof frying pan, add a splash of olive oil and lay the fish with the best looking side facing up.
5. Fry for a minute, then place in the oven for 10-12 minutes til the fish is cooked and the bacon is crisp and golden.
6. While the fish is cooking in the oven mix the mayo with the lemon juce and some freshly ground pepper.
7. Cook the asparagus to your preferred tenderness.
8. Serve with the mayo dizzled over the fish and asparagus.

Strip Loin Steak with Blue Cheese Crust and Red Wine Sauce

For Valentine's Day (has it been two weeks already?) dinner Palma posted about serving steaks with gorgonzola on top. I immediately started craving the wonderful flavour combination of red meat combined with blue cheese. When it was Paul's next turn to cook dinner he asked me what I wanted and I said steaks with a blue cheese crust!

He searched about on the net and found this recipe at the Bon Appetit Magazine site. The recipe originally appeared back in 2003 in their RSVP section. This is the section where readers write about a wonderful meal they enjoyed at a restaurant and request the magazine to obtain a particular recipe.

This was one of the menu items enjoyed by a reader at Redstone American Grill in Minnetonka, Minnesota. It is also an item much enjoyed by us here at home. Paul followed the recipe as described below with one exception, we used 1 inch thick strip loin steaks rather than filet.

Blue-cheese-crusted Steaks with Red Wine Sauce

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) chilled butter
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3/4 cup low-salt beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup coarsely crumbled Maytag blue cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)*
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

4 1-inch-thick filet mignon steaks (each 6 to 8 ounces)

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, shallot, and thyme. Sauté until shallot is tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth and wine. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 12 minutes. Set sauce aside.

Blend cheese, panko, and parsley in small bowl to coat cheese evenly with panko.

(Sauce and cheese mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.)

Preheat broiler.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Add steaks to skillet and cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to rimmed baking sheet; reserve skillet. Press cheese mixture onto top of steaks, dividing equally. Broil until cheese browns, about 2 minutes. Transfer steaks to plates.

Pour sauce into reserved skillet.

Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Boil 2 minutes. Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce around steaks and serve.

*Available at Asian markets and in the Asian section of some supermarkets.

The Oscars

I don’t know about you, but after staying up until almost midnight on a work night, all those nominees and winners get all jumbled in my head, and the next morning I have trouble remembering who won what. Is it just me? Maybe I should lay off the red wine and martini combination. Whatever it was I had a difficult time focusing at work today.

Here are the winners from last night’s ceremony:

Best Picture: No Country For Old Men
Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose
Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
Best Animated Feature: Ratatouille
Best Director: Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Best Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, Juno
Best Adapted Screenplay, Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Best Art Direction: Dante Ferretti/Franscesca Lo Schiavo, Sweeney Todd
Best Cinematography: Robert Elswit, There Will Be Blood
Best Costume Design: Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Best Makeup Effects: Didier Lavergne, Jan Archibald, La Vie En Rose
Best Visual Effects: The Golden Compass
Best Sound Editing: Karen Baker Landers, Per Hallberg, The Bourne Ultimatum
Best Sound Mixing: Scott Millan, David Parker, Kirk Francis, The Bourne Ultimatum
Best Film Editing: Christopher Rouse, The Bourne Ultimatum
Best Original Song: “Falling slowly,” from Once
Best Score: Dario Romanelli, Atonement
Best documentary: Taxi to the Dark Side
Best Documentary, short feature: Freeheld
Best Foreign Film: The Counterfeiters (Austria)
Lifetime Achievement: Robert Boyle (Art director)

The Bourne Ultimatum took home three awards for sound and editing, which was a surprise. Another big surprise: Transformers was actually nominated in three categories. No Country For Old men racked up four awards - Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture.

While most of the wins went the way experts predicted, there were some interesting choices. Last night's biggest upsets were in the actress categories: Marion Cotillard won Best Actress for La Vie En Rose (a movie seen by nobody), in a year when everyone thought Julie Christie would take the statue for Away From Her. Michael Clayton’s cold-as-ice villainness, Tilda Swinton (who?), won for Best Supporting Actress, when Cate Blanchett was the favorite for her work as Bob Dylan in I’m Not There.

There were several references to the recent strike by the Writers Guild of America, which, if it had continued, might have meant canceling the 80th Oscars altogether or putting on a much reduced and postponed show later in the year. Actually, that might have been a pleasant change and a blessed relief from the bloated show and the effusive windbags making speeches that movie lovers and catty fashion reviewers endure annually, even as the number of other awards shows on television has grown exponentially.

Highlights:

Javier Bardem, who won for Best Supporting Actor in the Best Picture winner, "No Country for Old Men," did move the crowd when he concluded his speech with a message to his mother in his native Spanish. She was sitting in the audience, surrounded by the usual suspects and celebrities. Sadly she had decided to wear the entire output from a Spanish silver mine on her hands, neck, and arms.

This was the 'United Nations' Oscars. All of the acting Oscars went to foreign-born actors for only the second time in the show's 80-year history. Some have complained bitterly of this. Personally I think it is a reflection of the fact that many Americans are obsessed with Britney, Paris, or Lindsey.

Helen Mirren announcing the best Actor Oscar - my god she could show the rest how to do it. She had grace, class, and poise. She has more talent in her little finger than Cameron Diaz, Jessica Alba, and Anne Hathaway put together.

Low moments:

We all know that Diablo Cody, winner for best screenplay, is a former exotic dancer. She apparently has moved into a different field now. Unfortunately her dress for the evening was calling out to be flung into the audience and a pole to descend to the stage . . .

Jon Stewart, the cable TV comic brought in to host, did only a fair task, and in fact threatened to ruin the poignancy of Bardem's speech by later informing the audience, "That was a moment," sardonic doesn't work when a son unleashes a torrent of love to his mom in a very public manner.

Renne Zellweger looked so uncomfortable. I hope that she never does to that hairstylist again - she spent her entire time trying to tuck it behind her ears and pushing it from her eyes. Speaking of her eyes . . . does she ever open them?

Ryan Seacrest asking Jessica Alba if she planned on breastfeeding.

Something I never thought I'd say - I miss Joan Rivers . . .

Something I found at the sun-times site:

The Oscars by the numbers:

1 million: Value, in dollars, of the shoes that screenwriter Diablo Cody was offered — but refused — to wear.
5,829: Academy Awards voting members.
1993: Last year a black-and-white film won the best-picture Oscar — ‘‘Schindler’s List.’’
1951: Year the first film in color, ‘‘An American in Paris,’’ won the best-picture Oscar.
83: Age of supporting actor nominee Hal Holbrook and supporting actress nominee Ruby Dee.
63: Countries submitting foreign-language films.
43: People remembered during the In Memoriam segment.
21: Age of ‘‘Juno’’ star and best-actress nominee Ellen Page.
17: Days it took to shoot the film ‘‘Once.’’
13.5: Height, in inches, of an Oscar statuette.
13: Age of ‘‘Atonement’’ star and supporting-actress nominee Saoirse Ronan.
12: Length of acceptance speech, in seconds, by Alexandra Byrne, winner of the costume design Oscar.
6: Prominent stars wearing a scarlet red dress.
4: Sponsors highlighted in the opening of the telecast.
3: Visibly pregnant actresses who appeared on-screen.
1: Number of times Cameron Diaz fumbled her pronunciation of ‘‘cinematographer’’ while presenting the category’s Oscar.
0: Number of times veteran sound mixer Kevin O’Connell has won an Oscar after 20 nominations.

Bean Soup with Kale

 

This is my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging round up. This blogging event was started by Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen.This week's host is Lia from Swirling Notions - be sure to pop by to see what other bloggers have come up with.

It is still soup weather here (man, I hope I can say it's burger and potato salad weather here soon!) I know, it's February in Canada you pinhead, get over it. We Canadians have made complaining about our weather a national sport. Anyways, as per habit I have wandered a tad here.

Where was I? Oh yes, it is soup weather. Yesterday, before my unfortunate incident with our Internet connection which ended up costing 100 bucks for a new router, lots of stress, strong words at the cable guy, and a double martini to recover, I was looking for a nice soup recipe for dinner. I found this one on the Cooking Light web site. It didn't take a long time to prepare and had excellent reviews.

We loved this soup! The roasted garlic added a robust flavor to this nourishing bean soup. If you're not a fan of kale, try Swiss chard. We had never tried kale before so we didn't know if we were a fan or not - it was a great addition.

White Bean Soup with Kale

1 whole garlic head
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped peeled potato
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups Vegetable Stock
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained
4 cups chopped fresh kale
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Having decided that we do, in fact, enjoy kale, I googled about to find out some more information about it. Previously we had only known it as the ornamental I grew in my fall planters. A vegetable . . . who knew?

Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate the cloves). Brush with 1 teaspoon olive oil; wrap in foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins.

Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium-heat. Add onion and salt; sauté 5 minutes. Add carrot and the next 4 ingredients (carrot through tomato paste); cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add Vegetable Stock and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Stir in garlic and kale; simmer 10 minutes or until kale is tender. Stir in lemon juice and pepper. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

CALORIES 242 (22% from fat); FAT 5.8g (sat 0.7g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 9.5g; CALCIUM 176mg; SODIUM 823mg; FIBER 9g; IRON 3.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.5g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2002

Having decided that we did, in fact, enjoy the taste of kale I decided to google about a bit to find out more information about the leafy vegetable. We thought it had an earthy and cabbagey taste, very similar to other cruciferous vegetables. It was nice to discover that we were correct because kale is from the same family.

The beautiful leaves of the kale plant provide an earthy flavor and more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food around. Although it can be found in markets throughout the year, it is in season from the middle of winter through the beginning of spring when it has a sweeter taste and is more widely available.

Kale is a leafy green vegetable that belongs to the Brassica family, a group of vegetables including cabbage, collards and Brussels sprouts that have gained recent widespread attention due to their health promoting, sulfur-containing phytonutrients. It is easy to grow and can grow in colder temperatures where a light frost will produce especially sweet kale leaves.

Kale is a great food if you're looking to protect your health and enjoy a delicious food at the same time. It's the organosulfur compounds in this food that have been main subject of phytonutrient research, and these include the glucosinolates and the methyl cysteine sulfoxides.

Although there are over 100 different glucosinolates in plants, only 10-15 are present in kale and other Brassicas. Yet these 10-15 glucosinolates appear able to lessen the occurrence of a wide variety of cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers.

Kale is also an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and manganese. It is also a very good source of dietary fiber, copper, calcium, vitamin B6 and potassium.

Obay

Lately some unusual ads have been popping up in the area on the sides of buses, transit shelters, and on the subway. They have generated some buzz . . .

No product name is mentioned. No identifiers. Googling 'Obay' reveals nothing (OK - I have far too much time on my hands apparently - I guess I should be planning a trip or something). Actually that isn't true - if you turn safe search off and Google you have some sites turn up with wildly inappropriate pics and lots of folk who can't spell obey.

There is a lesson for you - poor spelling = cheesy porn. Parents, make sure your children can spell.

Some folks claim that the campaign is being funded by the Church of Scientology. Their 'logic'? Who else could afford to run a massive 'anti-drug' campaign.

Please. I imagine that these folk are the some ones who believe that NASA really did fake the moon landing and that Jimmy Hoffa, President Kennedy, and Elvis are all living to a ripe old age in a secure location in Boca Rotan.

After doing some research (hello . . . life . . . are you out there?) I discovered that this is an example if viral marketing. Is it just me or does this sounds like something you catch after an unfortunate incident in your wayward youth?

Hmmm, more research.

What does a virus have to do with marketing? Viral marketing describes any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. Like viruses, such strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode the message to thousands, to millions.

Yes, I am aware that by posting this I have contributed to the spread of the 'virus'.

Apparently someone, who has less of a life than I (YEAH), has actually tracked down the source of the ad campaign. It is sponsored, not by the Scientologists, but by Colleges Ontario. It is a part of a campaign directed at parents reminding them to let kids life their own dreams.

Yesterday when I was on the subway I was engaging in my favourite commuter sport: listening in on others' conversations and judging them. (I've already admitted to being shallow, move on, at least I admit my faults *smile*) I listened to a woman talking about the ad with her friend. Her comment 'I wonder if I can get some of that without a prescription at WalMart?'

Was she being ironic? Funny?

No.

She was serious. It seems that her daughter actually wants to travel before heading off to university - a gap year type of experience. Oh no! The world is coming to an end.

I hope that when the next phase of this campaign comes out it isn't as subtle. Apparently some folk missed the message.

White Chocolate Martini

We haven't had a martini post here for awhile. Now, before the 'martini purists' thrash me about the head, I do understand that there is only one real martini (perhaps two if you can agree upon a vodka or gin version) and that the rest are just cocktails served in a martini glass. There, no need to be critical.

The whole world has been trending to a more expansive definition of the word martini and who am I to go against that flow?

I made these martinis for our Valentine's Dinner last week. Prior to making the martinis I melted some semi-sweet chocolate and drizzled it on the inside of the glass. They were garnished with fresh raspberries.

White Chocolate Martini

1 1/2 oz vanilla vodka
1 oz white chocolate liqueur
1/2 oz white creme de cacao

Combine all ingredients in an ice filled martini shaker. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Montisi Dreaming

This afternoon, as I raced out of the office to catch my train, one of my colleagues called me into her office to tell me about an event she was planning for May. 'Sounds interesting,' I said 'but I'll be out of the country!'

That is all it took. For the rest of my journey home I was Montisi dreaming . . .

In May we will be spending a week in Montisi as a part of Gail's Great Escapes. She has us booked into a luxurious villa in the town and has arranged for some wonderful experiences. When I heard about the trip it seemed to be the perfect way to celebrate our 10th anniversary - I figure that anyone who has tolerated me for 10 years deserves a week of luxury and fun in Tuscany!

Me? I just deserve a trip.

I had the pleasure of meeting Gail in Palm Desert this fall. Heck, I even shared a bathroom with her and her husband John. She is one of those truly amazing people with whom you could spend hours and not realize that time has gone by. She puts you at ease immediately and before you know it you are friends for life. Paul and I will be in such wonderful hands while in Tuscany.

 

Gail is the one on the left. Don't ask about the boas, don't ask.

Now Gail is more than a fabulous person. Yes, she is. She is a celebrity. Now she isn't like Britney or Paris. . . . I think she wears undergarments.

Seriously, last week she was featured in an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. It was an article about someone who really loves and excels at her job, entitled . . . drum roll please . . .

Why I Love My Job.

Lord, the wonderful use of metaphors and adjectives they teach in southern journalism schools these days is astounding!

Is it any wonder that I am Montisi dreaming these days?

Of course, the fact that we get to spend the week with the incredible trio of Sandi, Palma, and Brad just makes it even better. All I can say is that if we carry on half as much as we did in Palm Desert the trusting folk of Montisi just won't know what has hit them.

It gets better.

A few weeks back we received a package in the mail from Sandi. When I opened it up there was a cookbook she had written (more on my uber talented friend later) but I also pulled out a letter 'S' and an 'I'.

Paul looked on and wondered aloud  'why the hell would Sandi send you an 'IS'?'

The mystery was solved when I pulled out some more letters.

Now I think about Montisi as I lay in bed at night and again when I wake up in the morning.

Oh oh. If I get any more excited my friends and colleagues who shall remain here in Canada shall shun me.

Warm Chocolate Cake

I was originally going to make this for our Valentine's Dinner but decided not to when I was struck with laziness. Sad really because it was bloody easy to pull together! In fairness, the mousse cake I purchased was light and refreshing - a perfect ending to a full meal.

We whipped these together for dinner with mom on Sunday. This cake is often called a chocolate volcano because of its rich, solid exterior, and oozing, saucy interior. We served them with some fresh raspberries and vanilla gelato. It was a great finish to our dinner.

Individual Warm Chocolate Cakes

6 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
3 egg yolks
2 egg whites
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

Butter 5 deep, non-stick muffin cups and set aside (we used ramekins).

Melt chocolate and butter together in a heavy pot over low heat. Cool slightly.

Beat together sugar and egg yolks with an electric mixer until thick and creamy, about 3 minutes.

Pour in the chocolate mixture and beat together for 5 minutes or until the mixture lightens in colour and thickens.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Fold into the egg yolk mixture along with the flour.

Divide the batter between the prepared cups. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until the edges are just cooked and the centre is still jiggily.

Cool for 5 minutes in the cups. Carefully remove to serving dishes.