Celebratory Chocolate Overdose Cake

When something amazing happens, we all know that the best way to celebrate is by baking something delicious, decorating the heck out of it with colorful sprinkles and icing and giving them to a friend...or stuffing our own faces. So, as the end of the year draws nearer, I'm sure we all have plenty to rejoice and be thankful for. The end of finals, for one thing. Maybe the end of college for others, or the start of a summer internship. Whatever it is that you're celebrating, you can be sure that this cake will taste every bit as good your victory feels.

This cake is a bit of work, but it's worth every bite...

Broken down, you'll have three recipes. One of the chocolate cake, one for the chocolate ganache filling, and one for the chocolate buttercream icing. It's a triple threat, so get your aprons on, and get ready for...

CHOCOLATE OVERDOSE CAKE!

Ingredients for the cake:

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup boiling water

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups sifted cake flour (regular flour is acceptable)

1/2 cup butter

2 cups white sugar

3 egg whites

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa and the water, set aside. In another small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the sour cream by stirring them together. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, gradually mixing the sour cream and cocoa mixtures in alternatively as well as the dry ingredients. Beat until fluffy. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into batter with the vanilla extract. Grease a large 9 x 13 pan or two small rounds and pour the batter in. For the large pan, bake at 300 F for 50 minutes, or for the rounds, around 30 minutes.

*You can check the cake's status by sticking a toothpick in it while it's still in the oven. If the toothpick comes out with sticky batter on the end, the cake's not done. If the toothpick looks clean, the cake is done baking!

Now, on to the filling.

Ingredients for chocolate ganache:

8 ounces semisweet or bitter chocolate chopped into pieces

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Heat the cream and butter in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Bring just barely to a boil, do not over-heat! The cream will get scorched and burnt. Place a damp towel on your counter, place the pan of hot cream on the towel, and then add the chopped chocolate to the cream. Let it stand for five minutes, then stir with a whisk until smooth.

*When you take your cake out, you can simply use the ganache as the topping, pouring it on the top, or you can get fancy and get the cake in half and pour it into the middle, replacing the top half of the cake after, and making it the filling. If you prefer the later, continue on for the icing!

Ingredients for chocolate buttercream icing:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons milk

cocoa (optional-how much you use depends on how chocolate-y you want your icing. Plain buttercream tastes delicious too!)

*if you're making plain buttercream icing, you can add food coloring!

Cream room temperature butter with a hand mixer, or by hand with a spoon until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract. (If you want chocolate flavor, add your cocoa now) Pour in milk and beat an additional 3-4 minutes. Add food coloring if you're using it, and beat an additional thirty seconds. Ice cake and enjoy!

Enjoy...and feel free to overdose on the cake (;

Get your (non-alcoholic) drank on!

Anyone else feeling a bit chilly? Coffee tends to wind me up too much, and tea can get boring cup after cup. There's nothing like a great cup of hot cocoa. It takes me back to Texas winters where I would turn the AC up and pretend it's freezing cold, just to drink a hot mug of creamy chocolatey goodness. Warm yourself up with one of these steamy recipes…

Raspberry Hot Cocoa

Heat three cups 2% milk in a small saucepan over medium hear until bubbles form around the outside of the pan (do not boil). Place 1 cup thawed, frozen unsweetened raspberries (you can find these at Trader Joes!), 6 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate, and 2 tsp. sugar in a blender; cover. While processing, gradually add hot milk in a steady stream. Strain, discard seeds. Serve hot.

Makes four servings, so share with your suitemates!

Mocha White Chocolate

Heat one and a half cups 2% milk over medium heat until bubbles form around the sides of the pan (do not boil). Place 3 ounces chopped white baking chocolate, 2 tbsp instant coffee granules, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract in a blender. Add hot milk; cover and process until frothy. Serve in mugs. Garnish with whip cream and baking cocoa if you're feelin' fancy.

This makes two servings, so share it with your roomie!

Simple Standards

Being an Italian lady, it's pretty much required that I know how to make the standard Italian dishes. But until recently, I hadn't really tried my hand at something simple that I see all over New York: PIZZA. Who doesn't love pizza?! Exactly. And after trying these two recipes, you won't be able to find anyone that doesn't agree. The dough takes thirty minutes to rise, and the sauce should sit for about twenty minutes to really blend all the flavors. Thus, I start with the dough, and by the time I'm done with the sauce, it's just enough time to wash the dishes and preheat the oven.

Made this one on a real pizza stone. Looks legit, right?  

So Simple It's Scary Pizza Dough:

1 package (.25 ounce) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2 cups bread flour (I use self-rising enriched flour, and it works just fine.)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons white sugar

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the cup of warm water. Let it stand until it's creamy, or for about ten minutes. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Then add the olive oil and yeast/water mixture. Beat well until a stiff dough has formed. I find that using my hands is just fine to do this, also it allows me to add more flour if I think it needs it. Shape the dough into a giant ball in the center of the bowl, then cover it and let it rise until it has doubled in volume, about thirty minutes. Now, move on to the sauce!

*Don't forget to preheat the oven to a toasty 350 degrees F.

Savory and Completely Customizable Pizza Sauce:

*All my spice choices are optional, really. Consider them a starting p

oint to grow from, dependent on your own personal tastes.

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

6 fluid ounces warm water (use the can to measure!)

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons honey

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

salt to taste

*1 teaspoon anchovy paste (completely optional! I'm not a fan of anchovies, and didn't use any and my pizza tasted great…)

You'll also need some shredded cheese to top the sauce with later, I stick with the standard shredded mozzarella.

You can add anything else you like; mushrooms, onions, peppe

rs, pepperoni, etc.

In a bowl, combine it all together, making sure to whisk it a little to break up any cheese chunks. Let it sit for about twenty minutes, then spread it on the pizza dough and prepare your pizza to your hearts desire! This recipe makes enough to make one cookie sheet sized pizza. I don't own a pizza stone, so I just spread my pizza out on a cookie sheet, spread out the sauce, add my desired cheese and toppings and pop it in the oven at 350 F for about twenty minutes.

Manga!

Gramercy Gives Back

Tonight, Gramercy is starting something very special!  As your RA's were deciding how we could give back this semester, RA Twig suggested we buy an acre of the rainforest!  We all loved the idea and who doesn't want to save some cute animals in need!

Who wouldn't want to save that face?!

So, this is where we ask for your help!  We are going to be collecting change to adopt our Gramercy Acre!  Tonight, at 9:30pm in the Lounge, we will decorate a few jars that you will see scattered around the building for the remainder of the semester.  If you find yourself walking into the building with a few extra pennies in your pocket, PLEASE drop them in the jar.  Every little bit helps!

Peas can I haz ur moniez?!

We will also be having an event at the end of the semester to help raise money towards our acre, so keep an eye out for that!  For now, we need help kicking it off!  So we'll see you ladies tonight!  Twig and I will be bringing snacks, so get excited!!!

Out with the blah, in with better options!

It's a new year ladies, and I've decided after a semester of good food and recipe sharing it's time for some thought about what we're actually putting back into our bodies. To start out with, I'd like to share with you seven of the worst foods that you should never eat...

1. Canned tomatoes.

Why? The metal linings of the cans contain a synthetic estrogen connected to heart disease, diabetes and obesity that becomes released through the high acidity of the tomatoes.

Instead: Buy your tomatoes in glass bottles, or Tetra Paks (Trader Joes carries them!). Also, it's always much more delicious to simply buy fresh tomatoes for use in your sauces and cooking.

2. Corn-fed beef.

Why? Cows are natural grazing herbivores, but when kept in pens are fed corn and grains. This leads to different nutritional content in their meat. In a national study conducted by the USDA, grass-fed beef is contains a higher content of beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega 3s, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and are lower in saturated fats-which are linked to heart disease!

Instead: Grass-fed beef. It's a bit more pricey, but easily found nationally at Whole Foods and speciality markets. If you don't see it, ask the butcher.

3. Microwave popcorn.

Why? The lining of the bags contains an acid known to cause cancer in lab rats. This acid is becomes vapor in the microwave and migrates to your popcorn, to then be ingested and sadly, stick around. Scientist say this build-up could lead to cancer, and thus all of these acid bags will be phased out by 2015. But there's a few years (and a lot of movies demanding popcorn) between now and then.

Instead: Pop kernels the old-fashioned way-in a skillet. This is also dirt cheap in comparison…plus you get to control exactly what spices and flavorings you put on. Not too much salt!

4. Nonorganic potatoes.

Why? Potatoes are grown in soil that has been sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. That's a lot of chemicals. Because the vegetable is grown underground, it absorbs those same chemicals through the water it takes in. Later, they are sprayed with more chemicals to stop them from sprouting the store. You can wash all that off the surface, but you can't get it out of the flesh itself.

Instead: Just spend the extra dollar or two and buy organic potatoes. It's a better investment in your health in the long run.

5. Farmed salmon.

Why? Nature didn't intend for salmon to live in small pens and eat poultry litter. Or be fed high levels of antibiotics and pesticides…which you also get dosed with when you eat farmed salmon. As a result of farming, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D, and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardant, and pesticides such as dioxin, and DDT-linked to diabetes and obesity.

Instead: There are NO commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon. If the packaging says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon, or canned salmon almost exclusively from wild catch, which comes at almost $3 a can.

6. Milk produced with artificial hormones.

Why? The growth hormone that milk producers treat their dairy cattle with allows them to produce more milk…but also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. This also leads to an increase in a hormone directly linked to causing breast, prostate, an colon cancers. While there isn't 100% that this is increasing cancer in humans, it's still banned from most industrialized countries. Ban it from your fridge too.

Instead: Look for labels that indicate hormone free products, such as 'produced without artificial hormones', 'organic', and 'rBGH-free or rBST-free)'.

7. Conventional apples.

Why? Apples are are descended from the same tree, grafted down to maintain their individual flavors. Because of this, they don't develop a resistance to pests and diseases, earning them award for 'most doused in pesticides.'

Instead: Buy organic apples. And if you can't, be sure to wash and peel them.

Click Read More for a yummy recipe to start the year off right! -With organic potatoes of course.

Bus Trippin'

This past weekend I made my very first adventure to New Jersey.

And not just any part, but Seaside, NJ. That's right, the Jersey Shore.

It's a little different than you see on TV this time of year. The boardwalk was empty of people except for a few bundled up joggers. The beach was clear, with only a few visitors, and all the shops and little restaurants were closed or boarded up for the winter. It was strangely empty and very beautiful. I couldn't go and not get in the water though, so in below forty degree temperature, I attempted my own mini Polar Bear Plunge. For th

ose of you who have never heard of that before, Wiki describes a Polar Bear Plunge as "...an event held during the winter where participants enter a body of water despite the low temperature. In the United States polar bear plunges are usually held to raise money for a charitable organization, while in Canada they are associated with New Year's Day."

For me, it was just running into the water half naked and shooting a picture, and shrieking curses the entire time because I was so cold. You get the picture. If not, I actually made a photograph while doing it....

All in all, my mini vacation from the city was fist-pump free...and freezing. I concluded my trip with a visit to Wawa, where I enjoyed my first New Jersey style hoagie. It was muy delicioso. I'm looking forward to getting out and visiting Jersey again, as well as other areas around New York. It's nice to get out of the busy streets of Manhattan for a little while...

Badass Banana Bread

I'm not gonna lie, I'm as busy as the next art student. I have class Monday through Friday, and I have shoots and homework assignments every weekend. But all work and no play makes Twig a very irritable person. So, I play when I can. One of the best ways to do this, is to combine it with something else I already have to do. Like eat. I've already shared my favorite cookie recipe with y'all, so I thought I might move on to something a little more practical for eating on the daily.

After attending the Gramercy Goes Bananas program, I become the inheritor of a few lovely bananas. I tend to forget about fruit sometimes, so they were just starting to go ripe when I remembered their existence and decided upon their final fates. Without further ado, I give you my recipe for the most simple and badass banana b

read! It takes about five minutes to whip together, an hour to bake, and seconds to scarf down fresh out of the oven.

BADASS Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed (I go with 4 because I like a little extra banana bam!)

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup sugar (you can do 3/4 cup if you need to watch the sugar!)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

a pinch of salt

1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

cinnamon sugar (optional, but super delici

ous!)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas, and slowly add the melted butter. Next, mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the bowl and stir in. Add the flour last, and mix. There's really no need for a mixer, just use some good old fashioned muscle power. Pour th

e mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. You can butter the pan using a small pad of butter, wiping the inside walls and bottom of the pan until a super thing layer covers them. Here's where you use the secret weapon, cinnamon sugar. Taking a nice dash (about 1 teaspoon), sprinkle over the top of the uncooked loaf. It will bake into the top of the loaf, adding a nice cinnamon kick to the crust. Bake for one hour, and let cool.

That's my masterpiece.

A good trick to know when it's done baking is to take a small toothpick, stick it as far into the loaf as you can, and remove it. If it has gooey mixture attached to it, you know the insides of the loaf haven't fully baked yet. If small crumbs, or better yet, nothing, is attached to the toothpick, you're done! When you remove it from the pan, you can slice it up and serve it hot, or add spread some peanut butter on it for a truly yummy experience that will have your taste buds going bananas!

SlutWalk NYC 2011!

That's me with my sign, neat handwriting courtesy of Kerin (:

Thank you to the lovely ladies who joined me at SlutWalk in Union Square! It was such an amazing experience to be a part of, and I cannot express how truly important it was to see such great support filling the streets. Talking with y'all about your various reasons for getting involved really reminded me what a diverse group we have at Gramercy. It was an honor marching, yelling, and protesting alongside so many beautiful men and woman, united against the injustices of rape culture. Can't wait to see what happens this year, and will definitely be walking again next year!

Good 'Ole Southern Comfort

They say that the surest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Coming from a girl that grew up around cowboys with large hearts (and even larger stomaches), I can attest to the basic sentiment of that statement being true. And that basic truth is, we all love food.

Some people love to try new foods, some people really love certain foods, and some of us really enjoy making food. Not only am I from Texas, I'm also Italian. Many a holiday I have spent my time rolling out pasta, taste-testing sauces, or forking raviolis closed. It's a surefire way to bring people together, and it tastes pretty damn good too.

I lead a double life.

RA/Artist by day, Defender of Gramercy by night.

"I will fight off this trash monster and save Gramercy!"

Howdy Y'all... I'm RA Twig!

I suppose the best place to start with these things is at the beginning. My name is Twig.

Wait, let me do this properly. My 'real' name is Hannah Nicole Capra. I like to go by the name Twig, just because I can, and you're more apt to remember it. It's in fact a childhood nickname gleaned from the pages Faeries. My eight-year-old mind understood that real names mean nothing in comparison to the names we give ourselves. I think this is especially true today...and I’m sure that Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta would agree.

Now we'll skip through the middle section. (I'll condense it for you and tell you it's a montage of growing up in Texas, taking lots of pictures, and doing country stuff, like driving a tractor) You don't really need to see all that, not today at least. So after skipping down memory lane, we've arrived at our present moment, in New York City, at the School of Visual Arts. I'm a photo major (makes sense now, right?) and I'm a first year RA at the Gramercy Residence. Being the baby of my own family, it's fairly natural to accept that role in the House of Gramercy. Everyone here is really great though, not like my siblings at all. Cue video of my brother and sister getting into she the scapegoat. Anyways, I'm really excited to be here, albeit here is very far from where I'm from.

Being a Texan in New York is fairly entertaining. Apart from always being asked if 'everything really is bigger in Texas,' and always being responsible for that whole Bush thing, I've come to love the preconceptions that North Easterners have about my lovely state and its inhabitants. No, we don't all ride horses to school. No, we don't all drive trucks. No, we don't all think we should secede from the Union and become a country again (although that does sound cool, then I could be a foreign exchange student)! However, we do say “y'all,” and it is completely proper. Seriously. You all. Y'all. Which is more fun to say? That's right. Come to the dark side, y'all.

Prior to calling NYC home, my roots were planted in the red dirt of Abilene. For those of you unfamiliar with at's located in Texas (kinda goes along with everything I've been saying). It's a long way from New York, and has been my home for the past eighteen years. Abilene boasts 318 churches in the phonebook, and is the proverbial buckle of the Bible Belt. It was a good place to grow up in, but not the easiest place to stretch your wings (and don't even think about wearing black lipstick in public).Growing up in the country was much more entertaining than Hollywood will have you believe.