Poaching a whole chicken is a simple process, and the outcome is, even if one is a novice cook, always satisfying. Water, some herbs and vegetables and spices, and a bird, plus a little time, and you’re set.
I prepare a chicken in this manner perhaps once or twice a month, on average, and a week or so ago decided to add some dumplings to the mix. My grandmother, and her mother and mother-in-law, made this dish, and those meals were magical for the younger version of me, whether the kitchen and dining table were in Savannah or in the country in Collins, Georgia.
The other inspiration for the dumplings last week was Edna Lewis, a woman I wish I had known. A cake she made is one of my favorites, and her pastry-like dumplings were just as delicious.
A simple dough.
Don’t stress over the design, but if you wish, diamond shapes are a nice touch.
Hard-boiled eggs are a nice touch, and are in Lewis’ recipe, and I added spinach to the broth at the end. Kale would work, too.
Spinach and eggs, and a broth from poached chicken.
My grandmothers would have been proud.
I poached the chicken on a Wednesday, and we made tacos that night. I reduced the stock for five or six hours, and Thursday night we had chicken and dumplings.
Every year, as Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, I am the recipient of requests for wine recommendations for the holidays. It’s a job I take seriously, as Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year, for several reasons, chief among them being the food. Whether I’m making Mama Stamberg’s Cranberry Relish, Scooter’s Southwestern Dressing, brining and roasting a heritage turkey, ordering a smoked bird from Greenberg Turkey, or grilling lamb chops or a rib eye, what to drink with my feast is always on my mind. It’s not a small matter.
And then there’s Christmas (and New Year’s Eve and Day). Plenty of opportunities to try something new and to open and savor some of your tried-and-true favorites. It’s a wonderful time of the year …
My view on pairing wines with Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities is simple, and is aligned with what I often say: Drink what you find pleasurable. It really is that easy. You open a bottle of, say, Endless Crush Rosé of Pinot Noir, from Inman Family Wines — which is one of my recommendations this year — and snack on some cheese straws while drinking it. Perfect. The salty/spicy flavor profile of the delicious Southern staple (click here for a great recipe from Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock) marries well with the Rosé’s remarkable acidity, and all is well for you and your guests.
Now, you could as aptly open a bottle of Piquette from Noblemen Wines (another of my holiday selections this year) with those cheese straws, and I daresay your pleasure would in no way be diminished. Lively, low in alcohol, a great way to begin a day of celebration.
What I’m saying is this: Yes, there are a number of “rules” that most people are told they should (or must) follow when pairing wines with food, and some of them do have merit. There are wines that clash on the palate with salmon. I would not pair salmon with a boldly tannic California Cabernet Sauvignon (and here I am thinking of the 2018 Scattered Peaks Sage Ridge Vineyard Cabernet, which is also on this year’s holiday wine list). Neither would I drink an Auslese with a grilled rib eye or pasta with Bolognese sauce.
Gathering around a holiday table is one of life’s great pleasures, and wine plays a starring role. (Wikimedia Commons)
I could lay out a few more of these strictures, but you get the picture, and here is the main thing: Once you actually “taste” why a wine should not be be paired with a particular dish or type of food you can proceed to write your own set of rules. When that’s done, a certain sense of freedom opens and you are on your way to wine-pairing liberation. You will most likely not want to eat salmon and drink a Cabernet Sauvignon at the same time, but you will have the confidence to know which pairing rules apply to you.
So, on to my 2021 Holiday Wine Selections. As with previous years, this is a highly subjective and personal roster of wines, bottles that appeal to my palate and sensibilities. I am an eclectic consumer of wines — yes, Riesling is my true love, my passion, but you will find me drinking Albariño as often as Chenin Blanc; one day I crave Syrah, the next Cabernet Franc or a Barolo or Müller-Thurgau — and hope my approach appeals to you. (Of course, I would love to — and could easily — include many more bottles on this list, but space does not permit me that luxury.)
At the least, I urge you to never, ever paint yourself into a corner when it comes to what you drink. I’ve met too many people who profess to like Chardonnay only, or who tell me they drink wines only if they garnered “at least” 96 points from this or that critic. Such individuals are generally lackluster conversationalists whose culinary predilections mirror their wine dogmas. These people are best avoided.
To our list.
Sparkling and Rosé
I wrote above that a bottle of Piquette would be a great way to commence a holiday gathering, so that’s what we’ll do. I’ve chosen Noblemen Wines, a producer based in Kerrville, Texas, to supply our effervescent, low-alcohol (7 percent), refreshing, and thirst-quenching Piquette, and it’s a worthy and fun entry on the Sparkling and Rosé category. It will cost you $20 a bottle from Noblemen. Mourvedre and Teroldego skins, plus some added carbonation, are the ingredients behind this unfiltered offering.
I recently had the pleasure of tasting with Remi Cohen at Domaine Carneros, and the 2016 Ultra Brut ($48) from that California house is our next wine. Cohen, the CEO of Domaine Carneros, guided a small group through some excellent bottles on a rainy October afternoon, and I was not alone in picking the Ultra Brut as my favorite on the day (the 2014 Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs was no slouch, of course). Crisp and fresh, this Chardonnay (53 percent)/Pinot Noir (43 percent) bottling should stand beside your seafood tower, because it was made for raw oysters and butter-poached lobster.
Drink this sparkling wine with a bevy of oysters. (Courtesy Domaine Carneros)
A Champagne is next, the Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve ($70), a vintage beauty of a wine whose finish will (should) stun you. I think it represents a great value in the rarefied world of Champagne. You can spend more, much more, on a bottle (say, $350 for a 2013 Louis Roederer Cristal), but this Heidsieck selection will more than satisfy your needs. It’s a blend of 60 crus, and it’s full of superb white fruits.
We go back to California now, and to the 2016 Frank Family Vineyards Brut Rosé ($55). You and your guests will love to look at this bottle, because the wine possesses a seducing, tantalizing coral hue. Brioche and raspberries dominate the aroma, and you’ll appreciate the crispness and minerality here. I opened a bottle recently and paired it with a room-temperature round of Brie, and you might enjoy doing the same. (And for those interested in the business of wine, here’s some news about a recent transaction involving Frank Family.)
This sparkling wine will pair wonderfully with fried crustaceans.
To round out this section, the 2020 Endless Crush Rosé ($38) from Inman Family Wines. Estate fruit from the Olivet Grange Vineyard, low alcohol (12 percent), and luscious flavors of strawberries and white flowers. This wine is one of my go-to Rosés, and I recommend it on a regular basis. Kathleen Inman is the winemaker, and her story is a good one … you can learn more about her here.
White Wines
The thoughts of most people gravitate toward white wines when they think of pairings for turkey, and they are not wrong. As you’ll see in these selections, however, turkey is not the sole food on the menu during the holidays. Oysters, stuffing or dressing, lobster, mushrooms, and caviar (to name but a few items) are also in the mix, and white wines are great with all of these things. Again, taste and taste, and come up with your own rules.
Let’s begin with a Russian River Valley Chardonnay that is a perennial solid choice. It’s from Jordan Vineyard & Winery, and the 2019 vintage sells for $36; older vintages are also available, and this wine ages gracefully. (I profiled Maggie Kruse, Jordan’s head winemaker, in Wine Talk back in 2019, and she’s now firmly in control of the estate’s program.) I sampled this vintage several weeks ago and would gladly pair it with a roasted turkey at my table.
A Russian River Valley Chardonnay that pairs well with turkey and chicken, not to mention quail and pheasant.
Washington State is the source of our next wine, and I’m excited about this one. It’s the 2019 Öömrang Estate Siegerrebe ($75), a lovely, delicate expression of the German grape. (Siegerrebe can be translated to “Champion Vine” or “Victory Vine” and its name refers to its ability to produce high yields.) This wine is highly aromatic, with a supple mouthfeel … and it’s fun to drink. I enjoyed it with a mushroom risotto, and if you’ve never tasted a Siegerrebe, don’t skip this one. (I’ll have a profile of the producer in the coming weeks.)
This is one of my favorite wines of the year.
Chenin Blanc is never a bad idea, and the 2020 Domaine Huët Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie is an excellent idea. I’ve seen it offered for between $69 and $75 recently, and to be frank, anything from this producer is worth your time, attention, and money. Your turkey and stuffing will both pair well with this wine, and your guests will envy your taste.
An Albariño hailing from Lodi is next, from Mettler Family Vineyards. The 2020 vintage was recently released, and you’ll likely find it and the 2019 for the grand price of $20. Buy them both if you can, and you’ll have no regrets. The Mettler family has been farming grapes in the Lodi AVA since the late 1880s, and have been selling their fruit to other producers for a long time. And, they make their own wine, obviously. I like their Old Vine Zinfandel as well, but this Albariño speaks to me in an eloquent and fun manner.
This Albariño, from Lodi, should be on your holiday wine lineup.
The Riesling on my 2021 list is from New Zealand, the 2019 Eden Valley Dry Riesling ($18) from Pewsey Vale. Previous vintages of this wine have been mainstays in my inventory, and for the price it is something I recommend by the caseful. Some of the fruit in this wine comes from vines planted in 1961, and the people behind Pewsey Vale run an exacting program. I will be drinking this wine for years to come, happily. If you are serving a piquant green bean casserole this holiday season pair this wine with it.
Red Wines
On to the reds, and a few bottles that will appeal to those seeking wines to pair with turkey, steak, lamb, ham, and other festive foods. As with wine rules, no one should feel fenced in when it comes to holiday menus. If you want to cook a leg of lamb for Thanksgiving, do so. Some of these reds display lively acidity, others are suited for heavier dishes, but they are all quality bottles that you won’t regret opening.
William Allen’s approach to winemaking is to my liking.
First up, the 2019 Two Shepherds Pinot Meunier ($40). This wine, made by William Allen, the founder of Two Shepherds, is on my list this year because it’s a wine that will pair well with turkey, ham, and roasted vegetables. If you drink Pinot Noir, try this wine. We’re talking 13.5 percent alcohol and layers of complexity, an easy-to-drink, well-made bottle. Allen is an iconoclastic crafter of wines, and if you find yourself in Healdsburg, be sure to visit his warehouse winery in nearby Windsor. You’ll enjoy conversing with him, trust me.
Joel Aiken is the man behind our next wine. In 1985, he was named lead winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyards, becoming the youngest person to hold that position at the historic estate. He was winemaker at Amici Cellars from 2009 to 2015, and founded Aiken Wine Consulting in 2009. He has also held positions with Provenance, Acacia, and Glen Ellen in California, and Navarro Correas in Argentina. His 2018 Scattered Peaks Sage Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($125) is a serious wine that I’ll serve with a grilled rib eye this holiday season. It spends 22 months in French oak, possesses a richness that I love, and will, of course, age with aplomb.
Seavey makes stellar Merlot.
We’ll stay in California for one more wine, and that is the 2014 Seavey Merlot ($85), a beautiful expression of this grape. If you are planning to prepare a pork roast this holiday season, drink this wine with it. The tannins will amaze, as will the lush mouthfeel. Seavey Merlots are among my favorite Napa wines, and I advise you to take possession of several bottles and age at least two of them for a decade or so. Jim Duane and Philippe Melka made this.
On to Italy. I chose this wine after sampling the 2018 vintage recently, and, at $15 a bottle, there’s no reason to not buy La Valentina Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC by the case. I also added it to my 2021 Holiday list for those who will be grilling or smoking meats between now and the end of the year, say, lamb chops, pork butt, or brisket. Uncork this wine and enjoy an uncomplicated yet satisfying pairing for your meat dishes.
Let’s close the red section with, yes, a Pinot Noir, one with elegance, great acidity, and wonderful depth. The 2018 ROAR Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot ($70) is a worthy companion for your turkey, and will also pair wonderfully with game birds (pheasant, duck) and wild boar. The Franscioni family knows from wine, and this bottle demonstrates that well. Give it 20 minutes to breathe after you pull the cork.
That’s a wrap. The wines on this list represent diverse styles of winemaking, and everyone should find at least one bottle on it to their liking. I’ve forgone the normal “stick to wines with just the right amount of acidity” holiday advice here, not because I disagree with that statement, but because I want to recommend wines that pair well with more than turkey. We are a diverse nation, and our holiday tables hold more than poultry, something about which we should be proud and grateful.
Ask for these wines at your favorite merchant, and order directly from the producer if possible.
And one final note: At the end of your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, toast yourself, your great taste, and your guests with Amaro Averna.
Perhaps you’ve had a wonderful 2017; then again, you might be of the opinion that the year has been a bad one. I, as often as I can, try to remind myself that good and bad are intermingled, twined, eternally debating and by turns battling it out for dominance, good on top for a while, then losing to bad, which takes its place at the top for a time. Then there are those days and nights during which good and bad share the roost. Those might seem strange periods, but the wise among us know it’s aways that way.
I imagine 2018 will bring more of the same, as human years always have. Our minds either figure out how to assimilate and understand the dualities of good and bad, and stay above lazy despair or vapid elation, or fight against the bad, a struggle that — and these latter types of minds, in my opinion, never realize that their crusade for “their” good results in the killing of the self — is futile and cripples the struggler, often mortally.
Wake up and smell the coffee in 2018.
The first day of a year, as arbitrary as that day might in actuality be, is a good time to decide which mind you want to have. It’s January 1, 2018, and I’m thinking of Edna Lewis, who had a great mind and soul. I’m thinking of her because Angela made A Very Good Chocolate Cake yesterday, and today I’m making cornbread. The recipes for both come from Lewis, a woman with whom I wish I had been able to share a table at least once, a beautiful woman with soul and spirit and grace and talent who conquered New York City with her food and hospitality. She also: made a dress for Marilyn Monroe; worked with Dorcas Avedon (Richard’s wife) as a dress copier; and, perhaps most famously, presided over the kitchen at Café Nicholson, where she served Truman Capote, Marlon Brando, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Diana Vreeland, and Marlene Dietrich, to name but a few of the many who found nourishment for their bodies and souls at her table. If you know Miss Lewis, celebrate her memory by creating something from one of her cookbooks. If you do know not know of her, now’s the time.
Angela (and Edna Lewis) did this.
I’ve made A Very Good Chocolate Cake many times, and have enjoyed hearing from others who made it at my urging, or after reading this. I’ll go ahead and persuade you to make it, because it is nothing but good.
I come from a long line of Southern cooks (that’s that terribly interesting and crazy and beautiful and frustrating region in the United States of America that’s produced some of the best writers known to man, along with some of the best food and cooks anywhere) who begin planning their Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts every year on December 26, people who never miss a date with a giant pot of black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year’s Day. Tradition, spiced up by something new every year, a recipe or dish that my mother wanted to make, was the comforting norm, and that is a good thing. I taste still my grandmother Ida’s cornbread stuffing, and it’s been 15 years since I’ve actually put a spoonful of it in my mouth.
This year is going to be a bit different, however. Christmas Eve dinner’s main course will star pork and rice noodles and lots of bok choy (plus garlic and ginger and Thai chiles and cilantro and scallions and a good bottle or two of Riesling). Angela and I will be cooking with a friend who lost her mother this year; she also dealt with the death of her dog. Loss is everywhere all the time, of course, but this woman, whom I met only recently, is full of life and spirit and hope. It’s a lesson to me, her determination to tackle her grief while at the same time saying “yes” to life, embracing and respecting the sadness but pushing for communion and solace. She invited Angela and me into her home to cook and share a meal, and that’s as good a tradition as any.
I’m missing my parents this year — I spent Christmas with them last year — and making the distance worse is the reality that my father is dealing with a disease that has forced him to use a walker. He doesn’t sing any longer, but the songs are still in his smiling eyes. I’ll travel down to Florida next year to be with them in December, and I hope to start planning the meal with my mother soon. I want to recreate one of our holiday meals of yore, with all the trimmings. And I’ll bake the best chocolate cake that’s ever existed.
Here’s the recipe for the pork and rice noodles, if you want to make your own. I based it on one I found in The New York Times.
Ingredients:
5 heads baby bok choy
2 ounces ginger root (choose one that fills the palm of your hand)
10 ounces thick rice noodles
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1.5 pounds ground pork
1.5 cups soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3/4 cup sliced scallions
4 garlic cloves sliced thinly (so one can see through them)
1 thai chile, stemmed and seeded (or 2 chilis, if you prefer if hotter)
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons (or more) sesame oil
cilantro or basil, torn
black vinegar (feel free to use balsamic vinegar as a substitute)
How to cook it:
Wash bok choy thoroughly, and shake off excess water. Cut green leaves from the stalks, then slice the stems thinly (discard the woody, thick bottoms of the stalks). Peel a good chunk of the ginger, perhaps 2 ounces of it, and finely chop half of it and matchstick the rest.
Heat half of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add pork and cook until browned and cooked through, using a fork or spoon to break it into small pieces. Season with salt, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar. Stir well and taste, then remove mixture to a bowl.
Bowl water in a kettle; put rice noodles in a large bowl (heat it first in water if you are worried about the heat cracking it). Pour bowling water over noodles and stir, then let them sit for one minute. Drain the noodles, then rinse them in cold water and let them drain again, well.
Pour the remaining peanut oil into the skillet and turn heat to medium. Next, add half of the scallions, the garlic, the chile, and the chopped ginger. Cook for 2 minutes or so, allowing the flavors to mingle and intensify. Now’s when you add the bok choy stalks, and more oil if desired. Cook the stalks until they begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Next, add the bok choy leaves and the pork to the skillet, and stir and cook all a few minutes longer.
Add the noodles to the skillet a bit at a time, so they untangle, along with the remainder of the soy sauce and the rice wine vinegar. Heat through gently, taste for salt, and season as you desire. (I add more soy and rice wine vinegar, most of the time.)
When the mixture is hot, pour it into a large serving bowl, then toss the torn cilantro or basil on top and bring to table. Lay the ginger matchsticks in a small bowl and pour the black or (balsamic) vinegar over them, put the scallions in a small bowl, and sit down. Pour more wine, and enjoy.
Whatever you are cooking and drinking this year for the holidays, do it with love and share it all with good people.
It’s a house in the Montrose section of Houston, the home of dear friends. It’s a lovely place, with a pool and lots of art. And it was the venue for The Brockhaus’s premiere evening, back in September of 2014. Eight guests, engaging and stimulating conversation, lots of laughter, and, of course, food and wine. We attracted a bit of attention, made some new friends, and went on to stage dinners on Nantucket, in the Galleria area, in the Heights of Houston, near Dallas, and, back in Houston, in Memorial (evenings in two homes there). May 7 was the date of the most recent event, and 10 guests gathered around the table then. There were truffles and lobster and, again, some great wines.
The First Supper menu
That house in Montrose kept calling to me, and now it’s time for a return engagement. On November 12, The Brockhaus will cook again at the bungalow, in what will be a homecoming of sorts, a homecoming and an evening in honor of late chefs and cooks who have inspired us. We’ll remember Charlie Trotter and Fernand Point, Julia Child and Edna Lewis, plus Craig Claiborne and Michel Richard. Their lives and passions, and their approach to food. This is an homage, a celebration, not a re-creation. The menu was inspired by these greats, and it’s a progression of courses that we are certain would please them all.
Snapper, zucchini agrodolce
Without further ado, the menu (and as always, there will be surprises):
THE BROCKHAUS HOMECOMING November 12, 2016
1. Billi Bi Craig Claiborne
San Salvatore “Pian di Stio” Campania 2015 (Fiano) — Special bottling of Fiano in a 500-ml bottle, back-to-back Tre Bicchieri from Gambero Rosso. Imagine a crisp mineral-driven white with the secondary notes of young Sherry.
2. Butter-Poached Lobster Charlie Trotter
Terlano “Nova Domus” Alto-Adige 2008 Magnum (60 percent Pinot Bianco, 30 percent Chardonnay, 10 percent Sauvignon) — The winery has produced this stellar blend since 1893. It’s a wine built to age. .
3. Corn Nugget Crab Cakes Michel Richard
Michele Satta Viognier Bolgheri 2013 — A Tuscan from the man who planted some of the most famous vineyards in the world. An incredible Viognier with broad appeal.
4. Quail in Champagne Fernand Point
Pietro Cassina “Ca’ daj Tàss” Coste delle Sesia DOC 2011 — Super-soft style of Nebbiolo from Lessona in northwest Piedmont.
5. Wagyu Ribeye with Chimichurri Julia Child
Donatella Cinelli Colombini Casato “Prime Donne” Brunello di Montalcino 2010 ~ First-all female winery in Italy, a silky/complex style of Brunello; the winery is in (far) north Montalcino. Special blend assembled by five women hailing from four different countries. The 2010 is considered the best one ever (so far).
6. Very Good Chocolate Cake Edna Lewis
Tolaini “Valdisanti” 2011 (75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent Sangiovese 5 percent Cabernet Franc) — Michel Rolland and Diego Bonato made this Super Tuscan in a specific part of Chianti Classico famous for producing powerful reds.
The Brockhaus is pleased to be partnering with Jeremy W. Hart, regional manager for Banville Wine Merchants. I have enjoyed talking with Jeremy about wines, and know you will, too. He’s based in Houston, and covers Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Colorado, and recently announced a wine-and-dining tour that will take place in several cities. Live and Let Dine will feature dinners at Commander’s Palace, Italic, Galatoire’s, Hunky Dory, June’s, and many more. Go to liveandletdinetour.com for further information. The Brockhaus is looking forward to experiencing Live and Let Dine.
$145 per person/wine pairing with each course/mirth/new friends
Whenever I make “the cake” I am invariably met with something along the lines of what Angela uttered on first tasting a piece of it: That’s the best cake I have ever had.
Well, I will say it is among the five best cakes I have ever had, and it very well could, on any given day, indeed be the best.
A cake with a fine and beloved pedigree
Coffee and chocolate
I made one last night, my mother assisting (she had never made this one, and wanted to learn the recipe). I call it “the cake” for two reason. One, because it is my favorite cake to make. It is delicious. And because the recipe comes to us from one of my favorite cooks and chefs of all time: Edna Lewis.
A Grande Dame (Estate of Edna Lewis)
Ms. Lewis was born in Virginia and left this life in Georgia, in 2006, at 89, after spending years in New York (where in 1949 she helped found Café Nicholson, which for a time was “the” place to eat, according to frequent diners Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal, Marlene Dietrich, and Richard Avedon, among many others, famous and not so famous).
After New York, Ms. Lewis headed back home, to the South, making stops to cook in, to name but two locales, Charleston and Chapel Hill.
She was quoted in a 1989 interview with The New York Times thusly: “As a child in Virginia I thought all food tasted delicious. After growing up, I didn’t think food tasted the same, so it has been my lifelong effort to try and recapture those good flavors of the past.”
She made people very happy (Estate of Edna Lewis)
Here is her recipe for a cake with so much more than merely good flavors. It is found in The Gift of Southern Cooking (Knopf, 2003), which Ms. Lewis co-authored with Chef Scott Peacock. You should make this cake, and you should learn as much about Edna Lewis as you can.
Sitting pretty
Very Good Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
THE CAKE
2 cups granulated sugar; 1 1/2 cups cake flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt ; 3/4 teaspoon baking soda ; 1 cup double-strength brewed coffee ; 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped; 2 eggs, at room temperature; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
THE FROSTING
1 cup heavy cream ; 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped; 1/4 cup hot double-strength brewed coffee; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
To make the cake: Sift together sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Pour the hot coffee over the finely chopped chocolate, and allow chocolate to melt completely.
In a separate bowl, whisk together until well blended eggs and vegetable oil, followed by the sour cream, vanilla, and coffee-chocolate mixture. Stir this liquid mixture into the dry ingredients by thirds, stirring well after each addition until completely blended. Divide the batter evenly between two buttered and floured parchment-lined 9-inch cake pans. Drop each cake pan once onto the counter from a height of 3 inches, to remove any large air pockets, which could cause holes or tunnels in the baked cake layers. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until the cake springs back slightly when gently tapped in the center or a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove immediately to cooling racks, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before turning out of the pans.
To make the frosting: Heat the cream, butter, sugar, and salt in a heavy saucepan until the butter is melted. Add the chocolate and cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, just until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and blend in coffee and vanilla. Transfer frosting to a bowl to cool, stirring occasionally, until it is of a spreading consistency – about 1 hour, depending on the temperature of the kitchen. (If your kitchen is very warm, move the frosting to a cooler area to cool and thicken, but do not refrigerate or chill over ice water. Chocolate and butter solidify at different temperatures, and harsh chilling could cause the frosting to separate and turn grainy.)
To assemble the cake: When the frosting is of a spreading consistency and the cake layers are completely cooled, put one cake layer on a serving platter, bottom side up, and frost the surface thickly. Top with the other layer, bottom side down, and frost the top and sides. For best results, allow the cake to sit for 2 or more hours before slicing. Store, covered, at room temperature.
NOTE: For the richest, darkest frosting possible, resist the urge to whisk or beat to cool faster. Excessive stirring incorporates air, which will cool and set the frosting more quickly, but will also dilute its dark color and flavor. And because it takes a little while to cool to the proper consistency, have all of the ingredients ready and make the frosting as soon as the cake layers are in the oven to bake.
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