Bruce Bogtrotter's Over-the-top Decedent Chocolate Cake

Bruce Bogtrotter was the little boy that stole a piece of chocolate cake from the Trunchbull in Roald Dahl’s book, Matilda. As punishment, he then had to consume an entire cake in front of the whole school! This is that delicious cake – a sinfully sweet, ‘flourless’ chocolate cake coated in a thick, rich, semisweet chocolate ganache icing that puts this dessert way-over-the-top as a decedent indulgence. From the cookbook - Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes

- 8 ounces good–quality semisweet chocolate
- 1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup all–purpose flour
- 6 eggs, separated, yolks lightly beaten

Ganache icing:
- 8 ounces good–quality semisweet chocolate (I always use Ghirardelli)
- 8 ounces heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line the cake pan with wax paper and butter the bottom and sides of the paper.
3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on low heat. Mix in the butter and stir until melted.
4. Transfer to a large bowl and add the sugar, flour, and lightly beaten egg yolks.
5. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold half of the whites into the chocolate mixture, blending thoroughly, then fold in the remaining whites.
6. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for about 35 minutes. There will be a thin crust on top of the cake, and if tested with a toothpick the inside will appear undercooked (don't worry, the cake will get firmer as it cools). Remove from the oven, and let cool in the pan on a wire rack.
7. While the cake is cooling, make the icing. Melt the chocolate with the cream in a heavy–bottomed saucepan over lowest heat, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is fully melted and blended with the cream. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
8. When the cake is cool enough to handle, remove it from the pan and discard the wax paper. The cake is prone to sinking slightly in the middle, so flip it upside down before icing by placing a plate on top and carefully turning over the cake pan and plate together.
9. Carefully spread the chocolate icing all over the cake with a spatula.

Bubble and Squeak

I ordered this as a side dish at English pub in Toronto once just because of the name. It is a traditional English recipe named for the sound it makes when you prepare it - the potatoes bubble as you boil them and the cabbage squeaks as you fry it.) It’s a delicious easy-to-make Monday side dish that uses Sunday (or St. Patrick’s Day) dinner’s left-over veggies. Ireland’s Colcannon is similar as is Rumbledethumps from Scotland. 


- 4 strips of bacon fried and chopped
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 cups of leftover mashed potatoes
- ½ cabbage head (chopped)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fry the bacon in a large pan and set aside. Add the chopped onion and cabbage into the left-over drippings and fry gently for 3 mins or until soft. Add the potatoes and crumbled bacon turning over, ensuring it is thoroughly mixed and reheated.
You can serve it at this point but some would let it cool, press the mixture into patties and re-fry them in butter until they have a crispy crust. (I didn't say it was low calorie.)

The Frugal Gourmet's New York Cheesecake

From Jeff Smith's cookbook On Our Immigrant Ancestors: Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother. It's made in a flash using just a food processor and a springform pan. It's not the faciest or prettiest cheesecake I make, but it is quick, easy, and the most authentic New York style cheesecake I have ever tasted - and absolutely delicious.

- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 3/4 cup sugar (1/4 c for crust and 1/2 c for cheesecake)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of melted butter
- 1&1/2 cups of sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 pound (2 packages) cream cheese (PHILADELPHIA® brand, of course )

Blend the cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter, and line the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch ungreased spring form pan. Blend the sour cream, 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a food blender for 1 minute. Add the cream cheese cut into smaller pieces. Blend until smooth. Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter through the top of the machine. Pour into the spring-form pan. Bake in the lower third of a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes.

When baking is finished, remove from oven, and turn oven on to broil. Broil the cheesecake just until the top begins to show attractive spots of brown. Watch it closely - it doesn't take long.  Refrigerate for at lease 4 hours (or better overnight) before cutting and serving.