No Doubt, A Better Brownie

I am learning to navigate on Twitter and along the way found some admired foodie writers to follow. My regard for Francis Lam was spawned when he spoke out for protecting Bristol Bay and its wild salmon resource during his days at Salon.com. While he was there I tried many of his recipes that really proved out and also provided some useful techniques that I have added to my kitchen repertoire. Since his departure, Salon has a noticeable hole in their line-up due to the absence food topics in their newsreel. Twitter led me to his new home at Gilt Taste, “an online magazine and market for food and wine lovers.” Lam’s role as Features Editor finds him working again with former Gourmet Magazine Editor, Ruth Reichl. Reichl has the role of Editorial Advisor at Gilt Taste and also contributes a “Better” series of recipes to the site; i.e. how to make a better roast chicken, better brownies, etc.

Out of any magazine subscription I have ever had, my Gourmet subscription was the most read. I would leap to read Reichl’s Letter from the Editor when my subscription would arrive in the mail and that is a part of magazines that I do not usually bother with. When a friend of mine loaned me one of Reichl’s memoirs, Garlic and Sapphires, I was more than pleased to know that I didn’t have to wait until next month’s Gourmet to read more of her writing. She has a way of writing that makes her reader feel that she really cares whether or not she is communicating beyond the page. When I found Gilt Taste, started exploring the site, and found the How to Make a Better Brownie piece, I felt compelled to see for myself because of my love for brownies. The byline, “The secret is knowing when to whip and when to stir” spurred me on as well. The whipping involves 10 minutes of beating the eggs and sugar in a stand mixer before blending the chocolate in at a low speed and then folding the flour in until just mixed. I have never whipped a brownie batter so hard, but I must say that I was very happy with the results. You end up with a thin and crackly crust on the outside of the brownie with a rich and chewy center that makes for a wonderfully textured treat. Click here for the recipe.

The day after making the brownies and enjoying them some more I decided, on a whim, to tweet Ruth Reichl and let her know how much I enjoyed her recipe. To my surprise, she turned right around and re-tweeted my message with a link to the recipe. I felt as if I was in touch with a star and got a little twitter-pated.

When it comes to matching a wine with this chocolate confection I suggest that you go with Banfi Rosa Regale. It is a sparkling rosé from Italy that is on the sweet spectrum, but definitely on the lighter side of sweet. The bubbles are not as persistent as Champagne bubbles, but there is enough effervescence to refresh your palate as you eat through your treat. The wine is aptly named as there is a slight rose petal taste combined with berry flavors. It seems as if this sparkler was made with chocolate in mind.

I feel as if I am gaining weight just thinking about these goodies, time to head up to Eaglecrest and get on my skis.

Mel