My 40th Year on Earth: The Queen of Sheba

Whenever I make a loaf of banana bread or a batch of sugar cookies from my grandmother's recipe, I always think about the convenience of modern baking equipment. The first stand mixers were sold mostly to professional bakers starting in 1914. Home versions came a few years later, but were expensive, around $200(which would be around $3K today, calculating for inflation). Later models were smaller, more efficient, and more affordable. The more more affordable versions were still expensive, so electric hand mixers were often a more cost friendly choice, but man would it suck to use a hand mixer for certain types of recipes. One of the most famous stand mixers, Julia Child's blue KitchenAid, is on display at the Smithsonian's American History Museum. It's part of a permanent display of her kitchen. If you haven't seen it in person, I highly recommend a visit.

I love my stand mixer, Stanny. My parents gave him to me as a 30th birthday present after my previous stand mixer (my mom's 25+ year old one) decided it had mixed enough things in its life. Stanny makes marshmallows possible. He's moved cross country with me, living in his own box because he's so heavy. The convenience of Stanny cannot be understated. 

However, Stanny doesn't always have a place in a recipe, and that includes the subject of today's entry into my 40th year on Earth. When I made my original list of things I would do during this momentous year, I planned to make a four-course meal featuring recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck. April has been surprisingly busy, so I had to re-plan a bit, and settled on making one recipe instead...the Reine de Saba, or Queen of Sheba, cake.

Let's be 100% honest: this is really the only recipe I want to make in this cookbook. I bough my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking not long after reading My Life in France, a wonderful book written by Julia Child and her great nephew, Alex Prud'homme, focusing on Julia and Paul's arrival in France and her immersion into the world of French cooking. I love this book and I love Julia Child. She wanted to make French cooking, veiled in so much history and snobbery, accessible to home cooks. Both volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking contain more than recipes; Julia and her co-authors are teaching the reader how to cook. Techniques are broken down, equipment is explained, and ingredients are discussed at length. One recipe leads you to at least three other sections of the cookbook. Julia has a technique for everything. It's best if you follow her suggestions; she knows things.

Quick aside: My Life in France is also featured in the movie version of Julie & Julia; it's the basis of the Julia Child portions. If you haven't watched the movie or read Julie Powell's memoir, I give you permission to skip both. Or to only watch the Julia Child parts of the movie; they're the best parts. Originally, I was going to focus more on this, but why bother writing about my negative reaction to both? If you ask me nicely, I'll share my full opinion with you, preferably while drinking a really good glass of wine at 1 pm on a Tuesday. It'll be oh so very French.

Back to the Queen of Sheba cake. It's one of the last recipes in MTAOFC and is a surprisingly short cake recipe. There are ten ingredients in the cake, and five references to other sections of the cookbook for instructions on a particular technique. These include:

• How to butter and flour a cake pan
• How to cream butter and sugar
• How to beat egg whites
• How to scoop and level flour for measuring
• How to pulverize almonds (new one for me)

I read all five of these helpful tutorials. I've been baking since my pre-teens, and have, miraculously, been doing four of the five of these correctly the whole time. Pulverizing almonds was new for me; add sugar before pulsing in a food processor so the oil from the almonds doesn't become lumpy. Who knew? 

The Reine de Saba cake was supposedly the first French cake Julia Child enjoyed upon her arrival in France. I have no idea if this is true, but what an experience it must have been! This isn't the chocolate cake we're all so used to. It's meant to be slightly underdone, making it creamier in the center. It's not the type of cake that requires filling. It's often left naked, without frosting or glaze, or with a simple dusting of powered sugar. Frosted versions are decorated with almonds. It was named for the Queen of Sheba, a ruler from the 11th century BCE (probably), who ruled what is today Ethiopia and Yemen. She was a visitor to King Solomon's court, and may have had a son with him. To paraphrase something I read about her, her parts of the Bible are pretty boring so they probably actually happened. She also appears in Islamic stories and figures prominently in the folklore of Ethiopia. If you're an American Gods fan, Bilquis is another incarnation of the Queen of Sheba. This concludes your history lesson for today.

The French often named confections after famous or infamous figures from history. The Queen of Sheba cake falls into this category. It's a rich chocolate cake with almonds in the batter and as decoration. It's almost flourless, and based on the tastes I had as I was baking it, super decadent. It seems fitting to name it after a queen who "sped" to Solomon's court in three years time (it was a seven year trip), bringing gold and riches with her. 

What's most interesting about making this cake isn't the history, but getting used to the way the recipe is written. I guess I've become accustom to the way recipes appear online or in modern cookbooks; everything is detailed in one place. I always read a recipe multiple times before baking, and this was no exception. I also read my five how-tos several times, just to make sure I was doing everything to Julia's specifications. I browsed through a few versions of the recipe online too, mostly for tips since that's really what internet recipes are for. This was a poor decision. You see, I got so comfortable with how I do things, that I neglected one of the most important things about making a recipe from MTAOFC:

Julia Child knows things. And she is always right when it comes to technique.

Julie Powell discovered this during her year spent cooking and baking her way through MTAOFC. You have to do things the way Julia tells you. This includes, but is not limited to, drying the pieces of beef for beef bourguignon, the temperature of eggs, the way in which you whisk anything, and how to kill a lobster. Even when she makes a mistake, Julia makes it a learning moment. As I was making the cake last night, I followed the instructions from one of the online versions of the recipes for melting the chocolate. I wasn't sure my pans would work the way Julia wanted them to work. I don't temper chocolate ever, so I don't have a double boiler or metal or glass bowls for melting over simmering water. Julia's method is just a small saucepan resting in a larger saucepan. I should have listened to Julia. I melted the chocolate as I do for similar recipes and it was an absolute failure. It didn't melt, but clumped. This would not do.

So I threw it out and started again, following Julia's instructions. Of course, it worked perfectly the second time. MTAOFC was a multi-year writing project because Julia, Simone, and Louise tested every recipe and technique multiple times. They didn't put anything in the book that didn't work. I should know better, but I'm set in my ways and know things too. Just not as many things. And apparently not how to properly melt baking chocolate.

Once I got the chocolate situation under control, the recipe was a breeze. There's very little flour, only 1/2 cup of cake flour, and minimal sugar. The pulverized almonds take the place of more flour and give the cake a nice flavor. It bakes in 25 minutes (20 minutes in my oven), so a quick bake. I let the cake sit over night before adding the icing. The icing is even easier: just chocolate, coffee, and butter. I used the pan within a pan method for melting the chocolate then hand mixed butter to give it a creamy consistency. The last step was moving the pan into an ice bath, stirring until the icing got to the right consistency for spreading. I've never done this before, and it's an amazing technique. It takes almost no time and is easy to control from a mixing standpoint. Icing and frosting can quickly go south if you beat it too much. This method makes that less of a concern. It was easy to work with once it was ready and I finished the cake with almond decorations.

A few of my friends came over today for wine and crafts, and we enjoyed the cake. It's definitely denser than most chocolate cakes I've made. It's like a cross between a torte and a brownie, creamier in the center, but not hard to eat. It's not overly sweet, but not bitter because of the semi-sweet chocolate. The coffee and almonds make a difference; you can definitely taste both.

I will definitely make this cake again, but follow Julia's directions from start to finish. There's no reason to not follow her recipe. She knows how to make an elevated, fancy recipe approachable. Julia Child knows things. Trust Julia Child.

Rockin' the Suburbs, Part Two: Record Store Day in Exotic Silver Spring

If you live outside of the DMV (how the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region is referred to in the region), you may not be aware of a weird divide between Maryland and Virginia. Physically, it's the Potomac River. People tend not to cross the river unless they have to and when they do, they spend most of their time complaining about how terrible drivers from the other state are (real talk: both states contain terrible drivers). I've never really understood this divide, probably because I'm not really from Virginia. I just happen to live here. I don't go to Maryland often, but I make the trip when the occasion calls. And Record Store Day 2019 (RSD) is just that occasion.

A few weeks ago, I was having a super crappy week, which culminated with a stress-induced phone call (who even talks on the phone anymore?) to my partner in crime, my RSD buddy, Anita. We talked through all the things and decided we'd maybe meet for dinner the next day if I was up to it/wanted to get out of my apartment. We ended up having dinner at Hula Girl because Hawaiian food cures all (this is a fact and I will fight you about it). After establishing that I wasn't going to have another stress-induced crying fest in public, our conversation turned towards planning our annual RSD trip. We don't have "rules" for where we go; we prefer a day trip (1-2 hours drive) and to visit places we haven't been before if possible. Anita started looking up options, and slowly a list of potential stores emerged. When she mentioned many of them were in Silver Spring, MD, I immediately suggested going to my favorite New Orleans coffee shop that just opened a store in Silver Spring. It's like the RSD gods were smiling on us, giving me a reason to drive 40+ minutes for an iced mocha. It all came together, as Penny Lane would say. And so, we journeyed to exotic Silver Spring, MD to once again rock the suburbs.

Our planned stops:

• Record Exchange of Silver Spring
• Joe's Record Paradise
• Bump 'n Grind Coffee and Music
• Purple Narwhal Music & Manga (in the booming metropolis of Rockville, MD)
• Crooked Beat Records (in Alexandria, VA - this was a bonus stop because we did so well on time today)

I'm surprised by the fact that there are two record stores within walking distance of one another in Silver Spring. I could walk from the Fillmore to both stores and stop for coffee at PJ's. It's what I imagine being a teenager in the 1980s must have felt like; a record shop on a major street, coffee, freedom, and rock and roll. Unlike past RSDs, we had not real RSD goals. We wanted to hit at least four record stores (we technically went to five - more on this in a moment), and we wanted to go to PJ's, have lunch, and end with our traditional RSD adult beverage and reflection. Anita works in the area so she was in charge of getting us there. I made breakfast cupcakes (muffins, please update your vocabulary). We both had RSD list items we wouldn't mind finding, but would be fine if we didn't find them. It was the first "wherever RSD takes us" RSD we've attempted.

And this worked out just fine. We started at Record Exchange, a smallish store right near AFI (if you're familiar with downtown Silver Spring). Anita had visited before, on a Black Friday, and not had the greatest experience. If you hesitate to visit record stores because of the clerks, you'd be right about her previous visit. However, we had a very polite visit. I don't know if it was the fun and frivolity (as frivolous as record collectors can get) of Record Store Day, but it was the most polite record store I've ever visited. Everyone wanted to know if we were doing okay, finding what we needed. One of the employee's daughter was in the store, acting as the honorary store greeter, which was adorable. The DJ was playing good music. I found the Lou Reed and the Violent Femmes special releases (Miracle!). We got to listen to a song from The Goofy Movie. The clerk was shocked that the Lou Reed album was still there. My only negative about this place was that their organization methods left much to be desired. There record stacks were only on one side, so it was crowded and not particularly efficient. Apparently, my new thing is going to be criticizing record store organization. This must be the natural progression of old lady concert rules. Or something.

Since Silver Spring is so delightfully walkable, we moved on from Record Exchange to the greatest thing to happen to Maryland since, well, I don't know. I'm not from Maryland, so I probably don't get to have an opinion here. PJ's Coffee is my favorite coffee shop from New Orleans. I have dreams about this coffee. I order it online and will stock up when I visit. I follow PJ's on LinkedIn and saw an article about the Silver Spring store opening, and have been waiting to go for a visit. I've been telling Anita about this coffee for 20 years; that's how deep this love is. We stopped on our way to Joe's Record Exchange. We had iced mochas. We sat outside. We chatted with the lovely staff. I bought two pounds of coffee. As Anita said, "Miss Congeniality was wrong. The perfect day is not April 25th. It's this moment." It was glorious.

After our coffee break, we ventured on to Joe's Record Paradise. This particular shop is in the basement of a bank building and is exactly what you would expect from a record store in the basement of a bank building. Joe's has been open at some location since 1974, making it the oldest store we visited today. The current location is the fifth location and it's overwhelming in the best way possible. If you want to spend an afternoon browsing through the stacks and getting lost in the possibilities of music, Joe's is the place for you. The shop is really open, so you don't feel like you're on top of the person browsing next to you. The organization is amazing; labels are helpful and direct you to where you need to go. I keep a running list of music I want at all times, so I definitely had options here. I'm also on the hunt for East LA punk bands from the 70s and 80s (think The Brat, The Plugz, and The Undertakers), and thought I'd find them here, but no luck. I did find a great collection of New Wave and Art rock bands. I need to go back and spend more time there. Joe's also recycles vinyl that can't be sold, sending it to Nashville to be pressed back into new vinyl. That's pretty cool. Anita bought the Star Wars disco album, and we went on our way. 

After a quick lunch at the Tastee Diner, we left our beautiful parking spot and drove over to Bump 'n Grind Coffee and Music. Bump 'n Grind is a coffee house that sells records and has music themed events. What's unique is that it's mostly/all dance/electronic/reggae music, so basically nothing either of us are interested in owning. The coffee is amazing (yes, we had a lot of coffee); order a flat white. You'll love it. But honestly, this was a disappointment from a music perspective. If you're going to be a coffee/music shop, commit. The music side of things feels incredibly manufactured, like it's for that one hipster guy who lives down the street and sues a magazine for using his hipster photo but it's not him. (This is a real thing that happened, and that is precisely the guy who would buy a record from this place.) Maybe I just don't get DJ culture or electronic music. Did I mention the coffee is really good? So while we did browse the records, we can't really count this as a record store. I'll call it half a store. Did I mention the coffee is really good? 

Our final Maryland stop of the day was the delightful Purple Narwhal Music & Manga in Rockville. It's tucked away in a shopping center, so it's very possible to miss the store if you're not watching for their signs. They've been in business for a few years now, and have a mix of used vinyl and CDs and manga stuff. I know nothing about manga, but it looked like they had a nice collection of items for fans. Their vinyl section is great, neatly organized and a good mix of genres and artists. They had some RSD items left by the time we got there, but none of the other items we were looking for. I did find a used copy of "Heroes" my favorite of the Berlin-era Bowie albums, so I added that to my life. The owners were super nice. It was a nice way to end the Maryland portion of our day. 

Over lunch, we decided we would end our day in Virginia with a visit to Crooked Beat. They moved to Alexandria a few years ago, and I haven't checked out the new space. We visited their old space in DC and it was a good experience. Crooked Beat specializes in new vinyl, with some used, and probably have one of the best RSD selections in the area (Soundgarden in Baltimore has the best). They always have extra security on RSD, and this year we were treated to his musings on the Masters. At first, I thought he was talking about either the Stanley Cup playoffs or the NBA playoffs, but had the realization that it was about golf. I've never experienced a conversation about golf in a record store, so yay, RSD first! I didn't buy anything, but want to come back and spend more time here. Crooked Beat has their own record label, with a focus on DC bands and musicians. They also stock a lot of obscure or less mainstream labels. It's a great place, and not that far from my house so I need to be better about visiting.

We finished our day at Beckett's Pub in Shirlington. This was the first RSD were there wasn't a theme by the middle of the day or a quest. It was just a beautiful April day spent hanging around other music fans and drinking coffee. If that's not a perfect day (said in a very Lou Reed way), I don't know what is.

Hope you got out and enjoyed your favorite local record store! If not, there's still time. It's called today or Tuesday or next Saturday. You don't need RSD to go visit, just go visit. You'll thank me for it later.

Seriously, he posed for this picture. I think he should be next year's RSD mascot.