Ham Sandwich Indicted!

That's a really terrible picture, but hopefully the intoxicating deliciousness of this cake will make up for my lack of food photography skills. (I was working on a deadline, people wanted to eat it.) Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, here's a chocolaty, boozy, cake that will do you right by St. Patrick, Leprechauns, and the IRA. (Just kidding, bomb jokes are not funny. But seriously, this cake will blow you away. Ok, I'm done. Seriously.)  I made this for my friend's birthday last week...as it seems we've developed a bit of a pattern of baked goods-as-gifts. (Last year, it was these peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes .)  The cake was still warm when I applied the glaze, so it didn't quite stay on as well as I would have liked.  Thankfully, it could be ladled up off the plate. It's a riff on this cake that I wrote about last year....and I think it's an excellent improvement.  The Guinness gives it a rich depth of flavor, and the B...

Last night, yours truly and her partner-in-crime, the Bro-in-Law hit up MiddleWest Spirits for their Wednesday evening $5 tour and tasting. If you've not heard of MiddleWest and their exceptional spirits, come on out from under that rock, find a bar that serves their OYO (oh-why-oh) products, and prepare to have your idea of clear, "flavorless" vodka redefined. Started by Brady Konya and Ryan Lang, MiddleWest is the first microdistillery in the city, and dedicated to producing distinctly local spirits: ones whose tastes reflect the very nature of Ohio, while at the same time promote sustainable manufacturing processes and encourage local enterprise. What is inspiring and most notable about Brady and Ryan is how passionate they are about product: they believe profoundly in what they're making, and they believe in making it the best they possibly can. ...And if Maxim , the Beverage Tasting Institute , and glowing write-ups in out-of-state papers , are correct, then th...

....is actually tomorrow (January 27th). But since the Ham Sandwich has other obligations to attend to this evening, she is honoring the day a tad early and letting her coworkers reap the delicious benefits. And damn if it isn't delicious. From the endless source of ideas that is Epicurious.com, I present to you my interpretation of their Chocolate Whiskey Bundt cake: Chocolate Whiskey & Kahlua Bundt Cake (because more booze = more better) Ingredients Cake: 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process) plus 3 tablespoons for dusting pan 1 1/2 cups brewed coffee 1/4 cup whiskey 1/4 cup Kahlua (or other coffee liquor) 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 cups sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla Ganache: 3/4-1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup milk 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon instant coffee/espresso powder Special equipment: a 10-inch bundt pan (3 1/4 inches deep; 3-qt ...