Pink Blossoms and Chocolate Mousse

Ahh, the buds on the trees are this close to bursting into whites and pinks, and walking under the canopy of new blooms always makes my stroll to class delicious. From time to time, I take off my headphones and just try to soak it all up: the shimmering puddles, the teensy green buds, and that biting Chicago wind on my face.

What are your plans for this week? I can finally eat cheese again(!), so I'm buying ingredients to make a spinach and strawberry salad with goat cheese as well as orechiette with broccoli rabe, sweet Italian sausage, and parmigiano reggiano (the easiest recipe ever, and so, so yummy). And pizza, I'm definitely making myself an enormous pizza with gooey mozzarella, mushrooms, and onions. I've slid into this awful habit of eating frozen chicken patties with a side of frozen onion rings, and I feel like this is the perfect opportunity to stop.

I also found this spectacularly simple recipe for chocolate chantilly!
Chocolate Chantilly
(by Herve This and Heston Blumenthal, via Cafe Fernando)
9.35 oz bittersweet chocolate (ideally 70% cocoa) chopped
1 cup water
4 tbs sugar, optional

1. Fill a mixing bowl with ice and cold water. Place a slightly larger mixing bowl on top; be sure its bottom touches the ice.
2. Melt chocolate, water, and sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour melted chocolate into the top mixing bowl and whisk with a wire whisk (or electric handheld mixer) until the mixture thickens. Over-whipping will make a grainy mousse, in which case you can put it back on the stove, partially re-melt it, and whisk again.
4. Divide into cups and serve immediately; serves 4.


[photo cred to 1 via Dress Design Decor, 2 via Patterson Maker, and recipe via Oh Joy!'s pinboard]