spring!

No, not the season. It is cold and rainy and un-springy in every way. Today, friends and I went to Tremont 647, looking forward to a rainy-day comfort food menu. Alas and alack, the new executive chef changed the menu to an Asian-inspired spring menu. Fail. (We still got the donuts, though - win!). No, sadly, no spring in the air. Just in our dinner.

The title is for the new springform pans that I got yesterday! I have seen the light. Springform pans are amazing. I am never using another pan again. Ever. Let lightning strike me down if I ever try and scrape a cake out of a cake pan again. If you do any baking of any kind and don't have one, go get one.

Anyway, the reason for the pan, was guests. We were having some friends stay with us on Sunday night and I broke my oldest rule. I tried out a new recipe on guests. Not only that, I waited until after dinner to even start making the cake. Scandalous.

Anyway, after a lasagna dinner, Shila and I went to work on Smitten's pear and chocolate cake. I had my doubts when I saw how little batter the recipe makes. This will be a whole cake? But the whipped eggs did their thing and enveloped the pears and chocolate in a soft, pillowy, moist embrace (that sounds dirty...). The pears' consistency complimented this airy cake so well, with a creamy bite from the chocolate on top. Perfection.