Bubba’s Cake Baking for the Holidays
After the age of 50 some of us begin to assume different character traits. Some of these traits may be due to a smaller dose of testosterone flowing through our bodies or it may be we have just mellowed over the years. The kids are grown, weddings are done, and retirement is just around the corner. Now is the time for those hobbies and pastimes we never took time for as younger individuals. Some of us have even taken to reading Southern Living Magazine. (There are some good looking young women in this magazine, and they cover SEC football during the fall of the year.) Southern Living also has features on golf courses and they always have several articles on one of our favorite pastimes…………FOOD.
Now the good news about cooking when you reach the double nickel (age 55) would be that your wife no longer tries to tell you how to cook or what you are doing wrong. She does not generally care if you cook a whole pound of bacon or use a pound of butter on one dish. My spouse is so happy she does not have to make another decision about food or a meal she says absolutely nothing about any of my cooking. Let me tell you guys who think you have to be a girly-man to cook. Get a grip. This is the ideal time to partake of your favorite adult beverage. The female of the species does not think it is inappropriate for men to drink while slaving over a hot grill or gas range.
Another benefit to cooking is the trip to the local grocery. I have become fast friends with the wine section in my Kroger and women of all ages believe if you are a man and shopping for food that you will have the answers to all their cooking questions. Go figure! I do not cheat on my wife but it is always entertaining to offer sage advice to women and the occasional man regarding the proper preparation and cooking time for various dishes. I try to stick to the basics such as pork tenderloin, chicken, steak and specialty burgers but every now and then I will offer advice on complicated dishes of which I know absolutely nothing.
This past Thanksgiving I determined that I would make a special chocolate cake for friends and family. The ingredients alone cost me $45. Did I mention the recipe called for Bourbon and I figured what the hell, I may as well buy a half gallon since I was already at the store. One can never tell when a friend or two might drop by while you are cooking and it would be downright inhospitable not to offer a libation or two. Most of my friends like sour mash bourbon anyway and if they find out I am cooking they will make a special trip to: number one, watch me make a mess, and number two, to have a couple of drinks and solve the worlds mysteries.
The aforementioned cake includes 1/3 cup of bourbon (or was it 1 cup, I do not remember) but it was a great cake and eaten by all my friends and family. I do remember the cake, frosting and glaze took a total of 1 pound of butter and 1 pound of sugar and ½ pound of brown sugar. In addition there was buttermilk and powdered sugar included. Needless to say the thing melted in your mouth and was totally consumed.
The only bad news to the whole story is the necessity of clean up once you are finished. When grilling the clean up is simple, burn the grease off of the grill, throw away the tin foil and disposable plates and clean up the beer cans. Cooking inside is a totally different animal. Your wife or significant other expects you to wash all the pans and utensils used during the cooking and to wipe off the stove and counter. Why is that? You would think they would be so happy we cooked a meal or dessert that they would at least volunteer to clean up – I mean really – cleaning up ain’t brain surgery. Not gonna happen. Just go ahead and do it.
Bubba Terry
Life Ain't Brain Surgery 