Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Bad Influence of Good Friends

I was inspired to write this as I sat at my computer eating a bowl of homemade Ganache. I whipped mine so that it was kind of foamy and fluffy. A few days ago I mixed some homemade strawberry jam into a small bowl of Ganache and ate it. I also used this combination on homemade wheat rolls. I even tried to make little candies by melting milk chocolate, making a circle on a piece of waxed paper, topping this with ganache and jam then covering the whole thing with more melted chocolate. They tasted great, although they wouldn't win any "pretty" awards.

The reason I even know about this heavenly and addictive substance is because of my friend, S. She makes the most amazing, most luxurious, rich, decadent desserts I have ever tasted! Like Millionaire's Shortbread. We have had a number of conversations about the importance of real butter, cream, "good" chocolate, etc. We share the ideology that if your going to eat, you might as well eat the good stuff!

My husband also has this philosophy. He prefers to eat expensive cuts of beef like Porterhouse and Tenderloin. With 7 kids, this isn't exactly economical. At the same time, an occasional dinner of bacon-wrapped tenderloins leaves us satisfied for months. It makes such treats special and more highly valued.

These rich and tasty treats are not, however, good for you. During those moments when I am eating Ganache for breakfast, I acknowledge my tight waistband and think "Curse you, S! How dare you expose me to such evil temptations!" Then I eat another bite and think "Wow! I sure am blessed to have friends that bring such sweetness and pleasure into my life!"

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