26 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY may 2-8, 2024 www.montereycountyweekly.com the edge of each, halfway up the side. I deemed one of the cake tops flat enough that there was no need to even it out. Yes, the stack leaned a bit. But it held together. Frosting the cake is apparently also a technique that needs to be mastered. It’s not a pretty sight. If Jim Culcasi spread a bumpy, rutted layer of chocolate cream on a cake at Rosine’s, he would instantly scrape it off and start over. I’ll just live with the motto, “Mistakes were made.” After frosting the top I glanced again at the recipe, satisfied that I had done everything. Then I noticed the “frost the sides” directive. No mention of the top. Oh, well. I did think to prepare the layer cake a day in advance. Fortunately, none of my shenanigans disturbed the flavor of the cake. From the Cafe Fina list I prepared Pasta Gianna, a dish named after Mercurio’s granddaughter. This is a rich, hearty and satisfying dish—meaty, with the rasp of garlic ever present, tingles of basil, an earthy undertone, pops of grassy sweetness from the peas, a creamy calm of mozzarella throughout—a lot going on. In the book, Mercurio notes, “It’s all my favorite things in a pasta.” No, the cake did not meet Rosine’s appearance standards. But the layers of chocolate, peanut butter and cream were divine. As Pope˛da—herself an accomplished home baker, who can also make cakes look good—later informed the staff, “It’s a goooood cake!” “We keep hearing that it’s exactly the same [as the restaurant],” Susan Culcasi observes. Yes, the flavors might be the same. But to visit Cafe Fina or Rosine’s adds more layers to the experience. There’s something compelling about service, about the atmosphere of a restaurant—not to mention the inescapable allure of that dessert case at the entrance of Rosine’s. There is another tradition, said to be shared by cooks and chefs alike. Many tales of a grandmother passing on a treasured recipe end in chagrin, when the recipient realizes the wise cook omitted a key ingredient or deliberately misstated the amount of spice to add. And even when they passed down an accurate account, the recipes often included gray areas. Just how much is “a pinch” or “a generous amount”? Murray compiled her recipes during the pandemic and they were all new— 22 fresh ideas, tested on her husband and son. There is nothing in the book from her tea shop. “I don’t want to give anything away,” she admits. Mercurio struggled with the idea of sharing, particularly when it came to family favorites. “The minestrone soup, the marinara sauce—those were hard to give away,” he says. Then he offers a shrug of resignation. “But these days you can look up anything you want.” The advantage of cookbooks, particularly the new one from Rosine’s and Cafe Fina, is that they also tell stories, and bring traditions to mind. And if you can’t make it look the same, the flavors take you to the places they wish to share. “The support from customers and family is amazing,” Mercurio says. “But I don’t know that I could do it again.” Rosine’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Makes 1 four-layer cake Ingredients: 2 9-inch chocolate cakes, baked according to package directions—except use 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup water and 3 eggs [in place of package recommendation] 1 qt. heavy whipping cream 2 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 small box of instant chocolate pudding 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter 3/4 cup chocolate syrup 1/3 cup peanuts, finely chopped 8 peanut butter cups STEPS: Slice cake layers into halves to make four thin layers. Place first cake layer on a cake plate. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip together cream, vanilla, sugar and instant pudding, wiping sides of bowl frequently until stiff. On cooktop or in a microwave, heat peanut butter until thin and pliable. Spread a thin layer onto first cake layer. Spread a thin layer of chocolate syrup over peanut butter, then sprinkle with one-third of the peanuts. Next, spread a ½-inch layer of chocolate cream. Place next cake layer over cream. Repeat these steps until all layers have been used. Frost sides of cake with remaining cream. Drizzle remaining chocolate syrup along top edge of cake, allowing syrup to flow down sides of cake. Stand each peanut butter cup around the top of the cake. Refrigerate until serving time. Bonus recipe Rosine’s Prawn Scampi Serves 2 Ingredients: 1/2 lb large prawns 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup butter 3 1/2 tsp fresh garlic, minced 2 tsp fresh shallots, minced 1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, diced 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup whipping cream 2/3 cup Béchamel sauce (recipe is included in the cookbook) 2 tsp lemon juice 2 Tbsp parsley, minced STEPS: Peel prawns, leaving the final shell section and tail intact. Devein by using a sharp knife to butterfly the back. Remove any vein material and rinse in cold water. Pat dry then dust in the flour. Heat the butter in a large sauté pan. When the butter is bubbly, add the prawns and sauté until pink in color and firm. Add the garlic, shallots and tomatoes, stirring to sauté evenly. Add the white wine and allow to reduce for 30 seconds. Add the cream and Béchamel sauce, stirring to combine well. Add the lemon juice and parsley. Allow to reduce and additional 30 seconds or so. Taste cream sauce for flavor and add salt and pepper if necessary. Pour into two individual casseroles or serve over fettuccine. Rosine’s is justifiably famous for its cakes. My attempt to duplicate Rosine’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake did not look the part. Again, however, the tasters were wowed. Daniel Dreifuss
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