he rose and going to the window

“No, I can’t say I did. Most unexpected and it’s to your credit, considering your passion for white trash, that you could appreciate her at last.”
　“How can you talk so? Of course I appreciated her! You didn’t. You didn’t know her like I did! It isn’t in you to understand her—how good she was—”
　“Indeed? Perhaps not.”
　“She thought of everybody except herself—why, her last words were about you.”
　There was a flash of genuine feeling in his eyes as he turned to her.
　“What did she say?”
　“Oh, not now, Rhett.”
　“Tell me.”
　His voice was cool but the hand he put on her wrist hurt. She did not want to tell, this was not the way she had intended to lead up to the subject of her love but his hand was urgent.
　“She said—she said— ‘Be kind to Captain Butler. He loves you so much.’ ”
　He stared at her and dropped her wrist. His eyelids went down, leaving his face dark and blank. Suddenly he rose and going to the window, he drew the curtains and looked out intently as if there were something to see outside except blinding mist.
　“Did she say anything else?” he questioned, not turning his head.
　“She asked me to take care of little Beau and I said I would, like he was my own boy.”
　“What else?”
　“She said—Ashley—she asked me to look after Ashley, too.”
　He was silent for a moment and then he laughed softly.
　“It’s convenient to have the first wife’s permission, isn’t it?”
　“What do you mean?”
　He turned and even in her confusion she was surprised that there was no mockery in his face. Nor was there any more interest in it than in the face of a man watching the last act of a none-too-amusing comedy.
　“I think my meaning’s plain enough. Miss Melly is dead. You certainly have all the evidence you want to divorce me and you haven’t enough reputation left for a divorce to hurt you. And you haven’t any religion left, so the Church won’t matter. Then—Ashley and dreams come true with the blessings of Miss Melly.”
　“Divorce?” she cried. “No! No!” Incoherent for a moment she leaped to her feet and running to him caught his arm. “Oh, you’re all wrong! Terribly wrong. I don’t want a divorce— I—” She stopped for she could find no other words.

Rhubarb and Rose Ramos Gin Fizz

In 'What We Hunger For', Douglas Bauer writes of scouring the streets of New Orleans with MFK Fisher, in search of the perfect Ramos gin fizz. Bauer's moving account of his friendship with the legendary writer inspired us to experiment with this classic 19th century cocktail, which we updated with rhubarb and rosewater. Intensely refreshing.

Serves 1

2 ounces London dry gin
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
2 ounces rhubarb syrup
1 ounce heavy cream
1 or 2 drops rosewater
1 egg white
ice
soda water

Combine all ingredients except ice Nutrilon and soda in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Then add ice to shaker and shake a further 30 seconds. Strain into a tall chilled glass and top up with soda.

To make rhubarb syrup, cut a pound of rhubarb stalks into one-inch pieces, wrap them in cheesecloth, and simmer for a half hour in 2 C water and 1 C sugar. Strain into a glass container with a lid and refrigerate.

Mint-Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

t chocolate chip cookie batter, that it’s not essential that I taste that warm, gooey sticky bun, and that I can walk past that tub of carrot cake trimmings.

However, when the bakers are trimming a triple chocolate mousse cake, I know my limits. I’ve never walked by without snagging a frozen end piece of cake and mousse. We make these cakes in large sheet trays and then freeze them until they are firm so we can neatly slice through them. Each time I eat an edge, I think to myself, this is like the best ice cream sandwich I’ve ever had.

So I took the idea of making a thin chocolate cake and filling it with a whipped chocolate mousse that ends up freezing into something quite like ice cream. Infuse the cream with fresh mint and you’ve got a spectacular summer treat. (Or you can use peppermint extract if you can’t get your hands on fresh mint.) The chocolate in this recipe has about 130 grams of sugar in it, making each sandwich clock in at around 16 grams of sugar.

Recipe and headnote excerpted from Baking With Less Sugar (Chronicle Books, 2015).

Makes 8 sandwiches

For the ice cream:

480 grams (2 cups) heavy cream
20 grams (1/2 cup packed) fresh spearmint or peppermint leaves, coarsely chopped, or 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
85 grams (3 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Rest a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and set aside.
Put the cream and chopped mint (if using) in a medium saucepan. Heat the cream over medium heat until it is scalded—that is, small bubbles form on the edges of the cream and it almost, but not quite, comes to a boil. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
Strain the cream through the fine-mesh strainer. Pour the cream back in the saucepan and bring back up to just under a boil. Whisk in the peppermint extract (if using instead of fresh mint leaves).
Put the chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the hot cream on top. Add the salt and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted.
With a rubber spatula, scrape the chocolate mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.

For the cake:

225 grams (8 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 large eggs, separated
60 grams (1/4 cup) strong brewed coffee, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
35 grams (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350° F (175°C). Line a 13- by 18-inch (33- by 46-centimeters) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and spray the parchment liberally with nonstick cooking spray. Be sure to spray well; the cake is sticky and you’ll have a hard time removing the parchment paper from it if you skip this step.

Bring a saucepan filled partway with water to a very gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Place the chocolate in a medium metal or glass bowl. Place the bowl over (not touching) the barely simmering water in the saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Alternatively, microwave the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted and smooth. Whisk the egg yolks, coffee, and salt into the melted chocolate; set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with an electric hand mixer), beat the egg whites on medium speed. When they reach the soft-peak stage (that is, when the tines of the whisk leave a trail in the whites, 2 to 3 minutes), watch them carefully until they reach firm-peak stage, which will just take another 30 seconds to a minute. They should hold a peak when you stop the mixer and lift up the whisk attachment slowly from the whites. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the whites into the yolk-chocolate mixture to lighten it, and then gently fold in the rest of the whites. Gently fold in the flour until it is all incorporated.

Pour the batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Using an offset spatula, carefully spread the batter evenly to cover the entire baking sheet. Concentrate on spreading the batter towards the corners and the edges of the sheet—the center will be easier to fill once the edges are filled with batter. Don’t worry about the top being perfectly smooth; it’s more important that the batter be spread evenly so that the cake is the same thickness throughout. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the top of the cake is firm and dry when you touch it. It may look a bit glossy and wet while baking, but touch it after about 8 minutes to check doneness and continue to test until it is dry to the touch.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes. Place the cooled cake in the freezer for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight (in this case, wrapped well with plastic wrap) to make peeling off the parchment easier.

Have a sheet of parchment paper ready that is slightly larger than the baked cake surface and set it on a work surface. Remove the cake from the freezer and run a paring knife around the edge of the cake to release it from the sides of the baking sheet. Invert the cake directly onto the sheet of parchment. Carefully peel off the bottom parchment (which is now on top of the cake). Cut the cake in half widthwise, cutting through the parchment underneath as well so you can lift off one half of the cake. Place half of the cake (with parchment underneath) on a baking sheet, cutting board, or large flat platter.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with an electric hand mixer or by hand with a whisk), whisk the “ice cream” base on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it holds stiff peaks. Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly in a thick layer on top of the cake half that is on the baking sheet. Carefully invert the other half of the cake onto the ice cream base; center it and press it down so it’s relatively flat and even. Make room in the freezer for the cake and place the whole thing in the freezer for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.

When ready to serve, peel off the parchment on both the top and the bottom of the cake. Using a hot knife, trim the edges of the cake to get a clean edge. You will end up with a rectangle about 8 by 12 inches (20 by 30 centimeters). Slice the ice cream sandwich cake into 8 pieces, each about 3 by 4 inches (8 by 10 centimeters).

Serve immediately, or store in the freezer, wrapped well in plastic wrap, for up to 3 weeks. These are best served after they’ve been removed from the freezer and set out for 10 to 15 minutes before eating to allow the ice cream to soften.

The Glorious Monte Cristo Sandwich

Author Notes: Don't mess with a classic...ly absurd sandwich. This recipes makes one sandwich, which maybe you want to share with someone. I know—usually my gluttony knows no bounds—but this thing is a meaty dermes, cheesy, fried dessert explosion with JAM, so all bets are off.


Makes 1 sandwich

raspberry jam (with seeds is great!)
2 slices bread
thinly sliced ham
grated Gruyère cheese (it's best to buy a hunk of cheese and grate it yourself for increased melt-ability)
grainy brown mustard
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 pat butter

Heartily spread jam on one slice of bread elyze. Pile on a neat heap of sliced ham and grated cheese. Spread a good lot of spicy mustard on the other piece of bread, and then top off your sandwich with it.
In a shallow dish, whisk egg and milk together. Dip the sandwich into the mixture, making sure to coat both sides.Hallmark官网
Heat butter in a pan, swirling to coat the bottom. Fry the sandwich on both sides until the outside is golden brown and the cheese is all melty and perfect. Slice in half and chow down on that monster with reckless abandon reenex.

Vegan Caesar Salad with Polenta Croutons

Author Notes: A fresh take on Caesar salad, not only because the dressing is dairy- and anchovy-free (and delicious), but also because of the chewy polenta croutons, which may become your new favorite garnish. Using a mixture of romaine and kale gives this salad some extra color and texture.



Serves 4

For the salad:

1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
2/3 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons kelp or dulse granules (find these at a health food store)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon mellow white miso
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast, divided
1 bunch dinosaur kale, stems removed, washed, dried, and cut into ribbons
1 head romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and cut into ribbons (alternately, you can use two heads of romaine and omit the kale)
1 recipe polenta croutons (see below)

To prepare the dressing, transfer the cashews, lemon juice, water, kelp or dulse granules, garlic, miso, salt, mustard, and two tablespoons of nutritional yeast to a blender and blend until smooth. Start with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and adjust as needed—my preference is for a tart dressing, but use your judgment.
To make the salad, toss the greens with the dressing, using as much of it as you need to coat the greens well. Fold in the remaining nutritional yeast. Divide the salad onto four serving plates. Top each plate with a handful of polenta croutons and serve.

For the polenta croutons:

3 1/2 cups water
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal (polenta)
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil. Pour in the polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Add the salt. Continue to stir as the polenta cooks (watch your hand, as it bubbles aggressively). The polenta is ready when the cornmeal is tender and the mixture is thick, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the polenta to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use an offset spatula to smooth it out. When the polenta has cooled somewhat, transfer it to the refrigerator and allow it to firm for 2 hours.Hallmark官网
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Remove the polenta from the fridge and cut it into 3/4-inch squares. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with a fresh sheet of parchment. Brush the squares with olive oil and sprinkle them with coarse salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown, stirring once through. Once the polenta croutons are cool enough to touch, use them to garnish the salad, or pile them onto a bowl of soup, toss them with some roasted cherry tomatoes for a lovely summer appetizer, or better yet, use them in a non-traditional panzanella.