The Great Wall of Chocolate

On my birthday, Christie and I were lucky enough to go out to dinner with some friends at P.F. Changs. It's not somewhere we go often... one of our friends we dined with was actually surprised by my choice... but my main motivation for visiting was the dessert you can see in the picture below.

I'd read about it on the popular blog "eat this not that" that has spawned several books and other things. This was obviously in the "not that" category, but it was definitely worth it. Some of you know that I like cake and not frosting, and surprisingly this cake did not go overboard with the frosting. The sauce was a nice touch and more frosting probably would have taken away from that. In my own defense, I did not eat the whole thing myself. To see how bad it truely is, you can look at the following chart.

Emeril's Turkey Bolognese

We've been in the middle of packing up our apartment these last couple weeks, so I haven't found myself with a lot of time to throw new and exciting recipes onto the blog. Having gone for what I felt was too long without a post, I thought that I should find something to share even if it wasn't something that I had made recently.

Towards the end of May, Jen and George came up to wonderful Seattle for a visit. Always wanting to impress guests, I found this recipe that I would subject them to. I'm usually not a big fan of Emeril's recipes... don't get me wrong, the food always looks good on his show. But it's almost never anything that I tell myself that I have to try to make at home. Like a lot of chefs of his caliber, their ingredient list makes trying their recipes on a whim rather prohibitive. This one caught my eye for some reason, though and it's not overly complicated. It is however time consuming, so if you're going to give it a go remember to give yourself some time to work it all out. And best of all you won't be stuck with a lot of odds and ends in your pantry when you're finished.

The sauce was well received by our guests, by the way.

10 Slices Turkey Bacon, (6 Oz.), Finely Chopped
1 Large Onion, Finely Chopped
3 Carrots, Finely Chopped
2 Celery Stalks, Finely Chopped
Salt and Pepper
2 Lbs. Ground Turkey
¾ Cup Dry White Wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Can (6 Oz.) Tomato Paste
1 Can (14.5 Oz.) Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth
½ Cup Half-and-Half
¼ Cup Chopped Parsley

In a large dutch oven or heavy pot, cook bacon over medium until crisp, around 10 minutes. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, around another 10 minutes.

Add turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add wine and garlic, cooking until the wine has almost evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Add tomato paste, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

Add broth and half-and-half, bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until sauce is thick and creamy, about 30 minutes more.

Serve over pasta with parmesan and chopped parsley.

Makes around 6 cups

Recipe adapted from: Everyday Food, March 2009

Coming Soon (Hopefully): Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe