Another one bites the dust

The problem with cooking food that everyone likes is that it's harder to find restaurants it's worth paying the money to eat at. (Note that it is okay to end your sentences with a preposition. So there is no need to add ", asshole" to the end of a sentence that would otherwise sound better with a preposition at the end.) Add to that my food snobbishness and the requirement that the food be good and gluten-free and/or vegetarian, and I can count on one hand the number of restaurants that we'll enthusiastically visit regularly in C'ville: Bodo's; Dr. Ho's; Revolutionary Soup, and the mighty Ivy Inn. (I saw Angelo (who still calls me "Coach") at the City Market recently and told him "my" trick for making foolproof boiled corn. Brad and Cass laughed at my chutzpah in giving something resembling cooking advice to the best chef in town.)

Of course, Bodo's is not very friendly to the gluten free. Mom doesn't usually complain, but we all feel bad looking at her sorry meal of a NoBull Burger (made with spelt) on a plate with melted cheddar cheese and a smooshed-up avocado, with no yummy Bodo's bagel to eat it on. So that's one pretty much off the list if we're going out as a family.

And now it looks like another one has bitten the dust (cue the Queen), leaving us with Rev Soup as our only budget option. Yesterday, we decided to have our anniversary dinner at Dr. Ho's with Brad and Cass (our time at home with you cherubs is dwindling). Mom opened the menu, which looked exactly the same as it always has, only to find that her favorite gluten-free option, the catfish, was nowhere to be found. Which made for a sad, and possibly final, family meal at Dr. Ho's Humble Pie. RIP.

Since we're always way too stuffed to even consider eating dessert at Dr. Ho's, Cassie and I made some of these pots de crème before going to dinner so they'd be ready later. We were looking for something that doesn't require turning the oven on (summer in the east), and this is super quick and easy and who doesn't love chocolate? On second thought, these do taste a little like a homemade ganache frosting, which may not be to Dylan's taste.

10-Minute Mocha Pots de Crème

Adapted from The Weekend Baker (2005) by Abigail Johnson Dodge

You can definitely taste the liqueur in these. If you don’t like a boozy taste or don’t keep liquor on hand, you can skip it and they’ll still be just as good.

Pots de Crème
4 ounces/113 grams bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used 9 squares of Trader Joe’s Pound Plus 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate)
3 tablespoons (38 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules (any type will do, even decaf)
1 cup (232 grams) heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur; or substitute bourbon or rum (see note)

Topping (optional)
½ cup (116 grams) heavy cream
1½ teaspoons confectioners’ sugar
grated or shaved chocolate

    1. Place 4 small ramekins or teacups just slightly larger than ½ cup each onto the smallest baking sheet you have that will fit them all (I used an old toaster oven tray). This is a no-bake recipe so the ramekins or cups don’t have to be ovenproof.
    2. Place the chopped chocolate, sugar, and espresso powder into your blender.
    3. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over no more than medium heat just until boiling. Watch carefully.
    4. When the cream is just boiling, pour it into the blender. Put the lid on, and blend on medium-high speed until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is frothy and smooth. Add the vanilla and liqueur, if using, and mix until blended, about 10 seconds.
    5. Use a small spoon to skim any foam off the top of the mixture. Pour the mixture into the ramekins or cups, as neatly and evenly as possible. Cover with plastic wrap, trying not to let the wrap touch the top of the mixture in any of the ramekins. Transfer carefully to the fridge, and let chill for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. 
    6. For the topping: When you’re ready to serve, whip the cream and sugar to soft peaks in a large bowl—it’ll only take a minute or two if you do it by hand and you'll feel like a kitchen whiz. Place a dollop of whipped cream on top of each serving. Use a Microplane to grate a little chocolate over the top of each; or you can use a vegetable peeler to make more substantial chocolate shavings if you prefer. Makes four ½-cup servings.