A black dress and a strand of pearls, a Mozart Symphony, Chanel No. 5, a fresh ocean breeze.... Simple things to savor and enjoy. Chef James Sly, of Sly's restaurant in Carpinteria, CA, makes a simple chocolate cake from the alchemy of eggs, sugar, flour, cocoa powder layered with a cocoa buttercream. It's simple but easily one of the best deserts I have ever enjoyed! It's moist, properly bittersweet, perfectly layered and presented. Chef Sly proffers the idea that he cooks "tired old favorites." I for one never tire of the classics well done. Classics are after all timeless by their very nature.
Modern chefs are often too enamored with the complicated, obtuse and overly fussed foods with exotic pedigrees. I feel like a pedestrian crossing Times Square at rush hours at times seeing the recipes that have three pages of ingredients and instruction. I ran across an ingredient the other day call sea truffles which turned out to be seaweed. Not something you find at the local super market. Simplicity has the challenge of not being able to hid behind the complex. The great master chef Escoffier said "faite simple," make it simple. Here is a "simple" classic Chocolate Layer Cake. Send me an email for the recipe. [email protected]