My brood of animals are currently on display at the wonderful, Diavola! Stop by and enjoy a pizza in good company! 21021 Geyserville Ave, Geyserville, CA 95441

Serves 8 to 12

1¾ cups all purpose flour
  2  cups sugar
 ¾  cup unsweetened cocoa
1½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
  1  teaspoon salt
  2  eggs
  1  cup milk
 ½  cup vegetable oil
  1  teaspoon vanilla
  1  cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by rubbing with butter, sprinkling with flour and tapping out extra. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon then set aside. In small bowl combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat well with hand mixer. Slowly add boiling water and mix. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and fold and stir until smooth. Pour batter into pans, dividing evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove cake from pans and cool on racks.

Topping/filling

  2  to 4 tablespoons strawberry jam
  1  pint strawberries, tops removed, thinly sliced
      reserve 3 strawberries, tops removed
 ½  cup sugar
 ½  cup blueberries

In a bowl combine thinly sliced strawberries with sugar. Cover; let stand in refrigerator for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place first layer of cake on cake stand. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of strawberry jam evenly over surface. Lay a thin layer of strawberries evenly over jam, place second layer of cake over strawberries. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of strawberry jam evenly over surface. Make a ring of strawberries along the outer edge of cake, fill in with blueberries. Place remaining 3 strawberries at the center of cake.

♥ Miss Bojambo

Like many Americans on the fourth of July, I committed myself to the time old tradition of barbecuing. That's right, my friends, no crafting on Independence Day! I brought my best effort to the kitchen and had a blast making, eating and photographing my BBQ dinner.

With BBQ season in front of us, I thought I would share some awesome and easy summer dishes. Check Back for my chocolate layer cake dessert. Enjoy!

Serves 8
Olivada, an Italian olive spread, add flavor and color to this side dish.

   1 garlic clove, peeled
   2 cups coarsely chopped pitted green olives
   3 tablespoons capers, drained
   1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
   1 teaspoon anchovy paste
   1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
 ¼ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
 ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
   1 pound gemelli, fusilli, or rotelle pasta
   1 8-ounce paclage small (cherry-size) fresh mozzarella balls in water
   2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

With machine running, add garlic clove to processor through feed tube and process until finely chopped; turn off machine. Add 1 cup chopped olives, capers, red wine vinegar, anchovy paste, mustard, and crushed red pepper. Using 6 on/off turns, process to chop coarsely. With machine running gradually add ½ cup olive oil, forming coarse puree. Transfer to bowl; stir in remaining 1 cup olives. Season olivada to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Olivada can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
   Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Transfer drained pasta to a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil over pasta; toss to coat. Cool, stirring occasionally.
   Add olivada, halved tomatoes, mozzarella, and oregano to pasta; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 8
A kernel of truth: Don't grill corn in the husk. The high, dry heat of the grill caramelizes the sugars, imparting an amazing smoky flavor, but only when you expose the kernels directly to the fire.

   8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
   1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
   1 teaspoon ground cumin
   1 tablespoon honey
 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
 ½ teaspoon coarse kisher salt
 ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
 ¼ teaspoon onion powder
   8 ears of corn, husked

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add chile powder and cumin; stir 10 seconds. Transfer to a bowl; stir in honey and cool.
   Add oregano, coarse salt, granulated garlic, onion powder, and 6 tablespoons butter to butter mixture. Mix until smooth. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature.
   Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill corn until charred in spots, turning often, about 13 minutes. Transfer corn to platter. Serve with honey-ancho butter.

Serves 4
30 minutes plus marinating

1¾ pounds boneless chicken thighs with skin on, cut into 32 pieces
 ½ cup dry white wine
  2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil for grill - For a cool way to oil the grate, impale half onion on the end of a long fork, dip it in vegetable oil, and run it across the bars of grate.
   1 cup finely chopped peeled and seeded cucumber (from 1 medium)
 ⅓ cup finely chopped arugula
 ⅓ cup finely chopped pitted Gaeta or Kalamata olives
 ¾ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
 ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

In a large bowl, combine chicken, wine, garlic, and rosemary; stir to combine. Cover mixture and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
   Prepare a charcoal grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas).
   Thread chicken onto 8 skewers; season with salt and pepper. Grill skewers on lightly oiled grill rack, turning frequently, until chicken is evenly cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer skewers to a large serving plate.
   In a bowl, stir together cucumber, arugula, olives, thyme and red pepper flakes. Spoon mixture over skewers.

♥ Miss Bojambo

This Saturday, the BF and I vacated the fine city of San Francisco to drive up North and taste some wine with his parents in wine country- just for an afternoon. We specifically wanted to taste whites because we've been conducting our own tastings as of late with ... you guessed it - white wines!

We went to two different wineries: Ferrari-Carano Vineyard and Winery and Dry Creek Vineyard, both of which had beautiful gardens and yummy wines. While at Dry Creek Vineyard, the BF and I were split in our taste preference between two Sauvignon Blancs, a 2008 Fumé Blanc and whatever it was that he liked, neither of us can remember! In any case, we ended up leaving with a deliciously rich 2006 Chardonnay that we both liked. That said, my Sauvignon Blanc recommendation is the $12.00 2008 Fumé Blanc from Dry Creek Vineyard. It was delicious - give it a try!

We had a lovely time tasting wines, enjoying the beautiful vistas, and gardens. I was very impressed by how well manicured the gardens were and feel inspired to shape up my own little slice of earth. Oh, and I loved seeing the allium and wisteria in the garden at the Ferrari-Carano Vineyard and Winery. I would like to incorporate these into my garden somehow. On that note, I will leave you with wishes for a wonderful week and a few lovely little floral photos taken during my adventure.

♥ Miss Bojambo

Happy Thursday! I am so looking forward to the weekend, as the bf and I are going to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D! For those of you planning Mad Hatter tea parties, I've got the perfect fruit tart recipe. And if you are not in to Alice and her mad tea parties then, this recipe is sure to get you excited for spring, as if you weren't hungry for it already! 

Serves: 8
Active Time: 30min 
Start to Finish: 2hr 30min
(includes cooling)

For Tart Shell
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
Rounded 1/4 tsp salt
7 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp cold water

For Filling
1 1/2 lb strawberries (about 1 1/2 qt), trimmed and halved lengthwise 
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup ruby Port
1 lb mascarpone (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
 
Equipment: a 10-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom; pie weights or dried beans. (I used a cake pan, as I am fresh out of tart pans and I used plain rice instead of pie weights)

Make Tart Shell: Blend together flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-sized butter lumps. Beat together yolk, vanilla, lemon juice, and water with a fork (or pulse) until mixture comes together. 

Gently knead with floured hands on a  lightly floured surface until a dough forms, then gently knead 4 or 5 times. Press  into a 5-inch disk. Place in center of tart pan and cover with plastic wrap. Using your fingers and bottom of a flat-bottomed measuring cup, spread and push dough to evenly cover bottom and side of pan. Prick bottom of tart shell all over with a fork and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F with rack in middle. Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale gold, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and continue to back until the shell is deep golden all over, about 20 minutes more. Cool in pan, about 45 minutes. 

Make Filling While Tart Shell Cools: Stir together strawberries and granulated sugar in a bowl and let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Strain in a sieve set over a small saucepan, reserving berries. Add port to liquid in saucepan and boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk together mascarpone, confectioners sugar, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until stiff.

Assemble Tart: Spread mascarpone mixture evenly in cooled tart shell, then top with strawberries. Drizzle Port glaze all over tart.

Cooks' Note: Tart Shell can be baked 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature.

I hope you enjoy the wonderfully refreshing fruit tart as much as I do. I've also added a few Etsy finds to inspire your mad tea parties! The first listing is from thelooseleaf and they are offering a set of four teas (15-20 cups each). There is a great variety of teas to choose from to suit your different needs and ailments. The second item is a beautiful vintage cup and saucer, a silver plated spoon, and a lace mini matte from GloamingDesigns. Tea for one? Absolutely! Treat yourself daily with this charming solo tea set. And lastly, I've added a beautiful hand screen-printed 100% linen tea towel created by FormosaDesigns. The original illustration was inspired by the birds and plants at the Meroo National Park of Australia's east coast. Please enjoy your weekends, my friends!

-Miss Bojambo

It has become a tradition, on Sunday, for my bf to prepare his recipe for a ragü  He leaves the sauce to simmer on the stove, temping both of us throughout the entire afternoon. In the evening, when we both can’t wait any longer, we prepare pasta and enjoy his deliciously rich ragu. Mmm. I love that we are molding our Sunday traditions. On Sunday, there are currently three things that I can always count on:


1.) The New York Times will be waiting at the front door

2.) Espresso will be had

3.) Dinner will be the ragu I dreamt about all week long

As we are molding traditions, I find myself all over the place on Sunday. If it's not studio time, it's thrifting, or a movie day, or anything, which is just fine, but I would really like to discover a special way to fill my Sunday afternoons because I so look forward to our current rituals. This Sunday I tried on Pastry Chef - I decided to bake glazed mocha cookies (mmm) and minty chocolate kisses (failed.) After returning home empty handed from Whole Foods (who knew they don't stock essence of mint) I pillaged the fresh mint from my garden of herbs, but I should have taken the hint from Whole Foods. Long story short, the little minty airplanes didn't turn out because my frosting never set properly, but they still look cute. I kept catching myself making silly plane noises haha. There was no funny business to be had over the glazed mocha cookies. They turned out beautifully - I am already excited to make them all over again. Chocolate and espresso - clearly a winning combination. 

Overall, I think the lesson learned is that baking two types of cookies in one day should be reserved for the holidays. Whew. However, since the glazed mocha cookies were such a success, I am going to try baking one dreamy dessert each Sunday as part of my effort to enrich my Sunday experience… Oh, and don’t worry, this isn’t going to turn into a baking diary, like Julie & Julia, although I did see that movie and have to say it was pretty cute J  

Ingredients List:

Cookies
3 oz semisweet (dark) chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp espresso coffee powder 
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter, softened 
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze
1 1/3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp espresso coffee powder
2 tbsps hot water



Cookies: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Mix the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the mixed dry ingredients and chocolate. Divide the dough in two. Form into two 9 x 2-inch logs,, wrap in plastic wrap (cling film), and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter two baking sheet. Slice the dough 2/3 incn think and place 1 inch apart on the prepared backing sheets. Bake until the edges are firm and the bottoms lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet until the cookies slightly firm, about 5 min. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 
Glaze: Mix the confectioners' sugar and coffee in a small bowl. Stir in enough hot water to obtain a drizzle consistency. Drizzle over the cookies and let set.


Makes about 22, prep  time 45 min + 2 hours to chill, cooking 12-15 min.

- Miss Bojambo