firefly...a box set WorTh catcHing

i know that some of you folks are HUGE sci-fi fans...and the rest of you just stopped reading this blog! if you're still reading, there's a great tv series on dvd only that i think you'll enjoy. Firefly only lasted 1 season on the WB before getting the axe. if you liked Buffy, the vampire slayer, or star trek, or enjoy a well written show, then this is the series for you. it is a sci-fi western (yes, a western!) that includes some great moments of comedy, romance, and suspense. the 14 episodes center around a ship called Serenity, the captain, Mal, his renegade crew, and their adventures. if you're not so sure you want to add all 4 discs (or even just the first one) to your Netflix list, then get Serenity (the movie) instead. it is the same story with not as much detail, and is a little more complete than the tv show - so don't be surprised that you don't learn as much about some of the characters in the episodes. here's the one thing that you've got to promise: if you rent firefly, then you have to ignore the intro song. just skip to the next scene. hmmm...maybe the song is why the show got cut?

HeaVen...soft cenTered chocoLaTE cake

we just got back from 5 glorious days in Kaua'i. we, upon an excellent recommendation, tasted the food at Roy's in Poipu on friday night. they have this wonderful chocolate souffle that reminded me of the recipe that i have for soft-centered chocolate cakes. here's the recipe (from the Williams-Sonoma San Francisco cookbook with a few modifications). it is really easy to make and will impress your guests if you serve this at the end of a dinner. enjoy! (of course, w-s sells the pre-made mix too so you can always just buy and make...)

Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (5oz/155g) Unsalted butter + a little more for buttering ramekins (Note: using a little parchment paper on the bottoms helps get the cakes out)
- 5 oz (155g) "top-quality" bittersweet chocolate, chopped (Note: I have used Baker's Secret squares and had good results)
- 2 large whole eggs
- 1 large egg white
- 3/4 cup (6oz/185g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (2oz/60g) sifted all-purpose (plain) flour + a little more for ramekins

Cookware - 4 ramekins, 1 saucepan, 1 large mixing bowl, and 1 baking sheet

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of four 1-cup (8-fl oz) ramekins. Dust with flour, then tap out excess.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and add in the chocolate. Let stand until the chocolate softens, then stir until smooth.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg white, and sugar until well blended. Add the chocolate mixture and incorporate thoroughly. Gently fold in the flour. Divide among the prepared ramekins, then place the ramekins on a baking sheet.
4. Bake the cakes until they are puffed and cracked on top, 26-28 minutes. Remove from the oven and, working with 1 cake at a time, gently invert onto a dessert plate. Turn right side up, let cool for about 3 minutes, and then serve with ice cream (espresso or coffee ice cream works well with this cake).

Skin...a macabre comPilation

when you were a kid, did you read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or James and the Giant Peach? at the very least, you've seen clips of the latest film of CCF with johnny depp and thought, why does that movie seem so bizarre? right?! well, before these stories became movies, Roald Dahl also wrote short stories for adults. i picked up my copy of Skin and Other Stories a few months ago and have been slowly reading my way through this book. (i've kinda looked at them as treats, so i'm pacing myself!) these stories are probably great for teenagers but they are so gruesome, bizarre and well written that no matter what age you are, you'll enjoy then. the stories have a broad range of horrifying from a desperate man who gets caught up in a ghastly art dealer's scheme, to a murderer who gets away with... well, murder. you'll definitely think that dahl could have been a writer for the twilight zone. not every story has an amazing twist at the end, like the back cover implies, but they are so entertaining that you'll have to finish them once you've started. i highly recommend this collection - for under $10, it shouldn't be missed.

(btw- if you haven't realized this, the titles to some of my entries are useful links.)