A friend of mine in Miami used to host a pot-luck dinner party every other month. Since his circle of friends is made up of people from all over the world (as is the city, frankly), the food often represented a pretty broad collection of of home countries. So not only did we get to make new friends and catch up with old ones at least every 2 months, I usually ate something that I had never tried before. Learning was pretty tasty!
These dinner parties were a regular occurrence by the time I started attending. As the new kid, I appreciated having food as a conversation starter. Asking someone the story behind their food is a brilliant opener – people love to talk about food, as it turns out. I still don’t know if it was because that person was the chef or because some of the recipes had been passed down through generations, but somehow food bonded us. Even just talking about food creates a connection for us, giving otherwise unrelated folks some common ground. It was so much fun.
As much as I love to cook, I’m really more of a baker. I blame it on my sweet tooth, but baking appeals to the Type A side of my personality. I think there’s something precise about baking. Cooking allows you to play with flavors, adding a dash of this or a splash of that, expressing some creativity and flexibility. Baking is more like a science experiment, with measured amounts of ingredients for a perfect end result. (There’s probably some psychoanalysis here that I can explore…) So as much as I enjoyed our dinner parties, I wanted to bring a dessert instead. It took a little cajoling, but I finally convinced my friend to host an all-sweets party one time. Oh, heaven!
This strawberry shortcake recipe is not for the faint of heart. It’s complicated, and has what feels like 2783 steps. Plus, I have to modify the original recipe to accommodate a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, which means there are zero shortcuts: absolutely everything is from scratch. I don’t make this cake often because it’s so time consuming, but it’s *amazing* when I do make it.
This is a special occasion cake. The strawberries in the middle layer have been macerated with Grand Marnier overnight, and the whipped cream has a hint of vanilla and coconut. I rarely get through the door with it before someone asks for a slice. I don’t think I’ve ever brought home leftovers.
Slicing it is a trick, too. I don’t worry too much about serving pretty pieces – it’s all about the flavor anyway, right? Here’s a link to the recipe, if you’re interested in trying it out!
Love your recipes, even though I am scared to make this, and will probably just ask Weezie to do it instead!
I think you can do it! Just make sure to leave yourself PLENTY of time! 🙂