Like Buttah

cake
Originally uploaded by madrobins

Saturday was the Julia Child Birthday Bake-Off at the Balboa Theatre and, as suggested by several faithful readers here and on Facebook, butter was the theme of the day (for me, anyway). Behold the cake. It's a classic yellow pound cake, dense and sweet (flavored with cognac and lemon peel rather than vanilla, per James Beard).

I'm still working on 1) getting my fondant to lie flat without bulging; 2) getting the right "matte" finish for my fondant (despite the fact that I polished it quite vigorously!; and 3) taking photographs that show off the details without being too bright.

cake2
Originally uploaded by madrobins

Here's another view.

Although we went to see Ponyo instead of Julie and Julia, the nice doorkeepers let us in for free anyway, and Ponyo was likewise delicious. By the time we left the movie, the cake was all gone--except for a sliver of the end, which I ate.

Happy birthday, Madame Child.

Patrick Stewart on Domestic Violence

Via ophelianoiepas (aka Sarcasm Girl), Patrick Stewart talks about the effect of domestic violence on children--in particular on himself as a child. It's heartbreaking.