Save Me the Plums - Ruth Reichl Page 0,23

a yaffy.”

“But it’s the only chocolate recipe in the May issue.” Zanne turned to explain to me. “The readers love chocolate. Our bestselling issue of all time had a chocolate cake on the cover.”

“Let me shoot it.” Romulo gave the art director a challenging look. “It’s a very pretty cake and I could really romance it.”

The redhead made a deprecating sound, deep in her throat. The photographer’s fingers twitched, but he said nothing and his adversary started for the door. There was another awkward silence.

This, I thought, would be a good moment to step in. “Please,” I said. “What’s a yaffy?”

Zanne gave me a grateful smile. “You Asked For It. Y.A.F.I. It’s one of our most popular features, one that’s been a Gourmet staple since the very beginning.”

“But there’s something about yaffys you don’t like.”

“You noticed! The truth is, chefs are terrible at paring their recipes down for home cooks. The ones they send us never work, and we end up having to do them again and again to get them right.”

“Must get expensive,” I said.

“That’s one of the things I want to talk to you about.” She eased me gently out the door. “Got a minute?”

Just outside was a table laden with food. “We put it out here so everyone can taste what we’re working on,” she explained. “It gives the editors a way of participating in the life of the kitchen.”

“Nice touch,” I said. “I love the way your kitchen feels. So open. And the cooks—”

Zanne interrupted me. “We call them food editors.”

“Well, they’re cooks to me, and that’s a compliment. I don’t think you can be a good cook unless you have a generous soul. But that tasting process seems brutal; do you go through it for all the recipes or just the yaffys?”

“All of them. We test our recipes until they can’t possibly get better. Sometimes we’ll test a recipe twenty times.”

“Twenty times?” It struck me as obsessive to the point of insanity, but Zanne ignored my obvious shock. “How on earth,” she asked, “did you know that the cake was English? And don’t give me any more baloney about the English not overdoing sugar. For that matter, how did you guess the recipe was short on eggs?”

“My impeccable palate, of course.”

She stopped and stared, regarding me with new respect. “You’re really good! The food editors were blown away.”

I was tempted, for just a moment, to let it lie. But nobody’s palate is that good. “It was crazy luck,” I admitted. “Last year when we were in London, Nick ordered chocolate cake in a little café—I think it was called Café Mezzo. He liked it so much I asked for the recipe.”

“And you recognized it?”

“It’s an unusual recipe, and I’ve made it a few times. It really does taste better with Scharffen Berger. As I said, I got lucky….” We were walking again, but now I stopped her. “My turn to ask a question: What’s going on between Romulo and the art director?”

She inhaled sharply. “The situation’s poisonous. Romulo’s been here for years. We all love him; he’s really talented and he has the most wonderful sense of humor. He can mimic anyone—I can’t wait to see what he’ll do with you. But when our art director retired last year, Felicity came in and started giving all the plum jobs to other photographers. He’s miserable.” She stopped and then added, almost reluctantly, “And he’s not the only one. You’ll see.”

This cake is very easy, but the crushed-praline topping gives it a jewel-like quality that is rather spectacular. It’s hard to think of another dessert that offers so much for so little effort.

JEWELED CHOCOLATE CAKE

(Adapted from Café Mezzo)

•••

⅓ cup cocoa powder, plus more for dusting pan (not Dutch process)

3 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate

6 tablespoons butter

⅓ cup neutral vegetable oil

⅔ cup water

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

⅓ cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Butter a deep 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust it with cocoa powder.

Melt the chocolate with the cocoa, butter, oil, and water over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar.

Cool completely, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk into the chocolate mixture. Shake the buttermilk well, measure, and stir that in.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake