Last November, I tasted a magnificent coconut layer cake prepared by cookbook author Nancie McDermott at the Women Chefs and Restaurateur conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Aside from the tender crumb, delicate flavor, and rich frosting, what was remarkable was how Nancie showed the audience the best way to get the coconut flesh for her cake -- she cracked a coconut the old-fashioned Southeast Asian way, with a cleaver.
If you're not aware of Nancie, she's authored many Asian cookbooks, including the classic Real Thai, which I still use today. She just came out with a great Southern cake cookbook (a passionate deviation from her Asian body of work). Next Monday, Nancie will play the Cake Detective on Alton Brown's "Good Eats" show. Catch her on and at:
"Good Eats! with Alton Brown"
8 pm (ET/PT)
Monday July 9, 2007
The Food Network
Oh I watched this segment last night and it was quite good. Alton didn't crack the coconut with a cleaver, but I did see the cake detective though =) Coconut cake seems quite laborous to make.
Posted by: anh | July 10, 2007 at 09:47 AM
I know, no super action on the coconut. Darn. Yes, the cake is labor intensive, but it's one of those projects that you want to spend a day on -- for fun and then wow family and friends with a super special treat.
Posted by: Andrea Nguyen | July 10, 2007 at 11:49 AM