PW Weekend: food, food, food

Are you tired of hearing about my weekend with the Pioneer Woman yet?

It’s only taken me a month to spit it all out.

This is the next to last installment, and I am lumping together accounts of what amounted to a treasure trove of food.

The very first night we were hit up the side of the head with her chocolate sheet cake, which we devoured warm from the oven.

For anyone who doubts the existence of this woman, let me reaffirm that we watched her whip up this cake with our own two eyes.

And she served me a piece with her own two hands.

Here, Jenna–have a piece of chocolate cake. I insist!

Why thanks, P-Dub. I think I’ll have seconds.

It was delightful for breakfast as well. I speak from experience.

The next day chefs Lia and Tiffany whipped up some toffee.

Whipped, whipped, whipped. I can’t stop using that verb, but it’s a perfect description of what these women did in the kitchen. They made it look so easy. However, just to avoid an F– on my English composition scores, I think I should come up with a synonym for ‘whipped.’ Let’s make one up. How about ‘zaboomed’ or ‘razzifrazzed’.

You can click here for the toffee recipe–you won’t be sorry.

And then Lia showed us how to make truffles.

It was all very scientific, with tons of useful facts. This woman knows her chocolate, what makes it fall apart, what makes it get that weird chalky white color sometimes, and what makes it go ‘zing.’ But all I can remember is that she tests the temperature of her tempered chocolate by touching some to the point under your lips where your chin begins. Apparently it’s a very heat-sensitive spot. Next time I’ll take notes. Though wait–there will be no next time! *weeping into sleeve* Oh well, I’ll console myself by making the truffles by myself and talking to my imaginary friend the P-Dub as if she were there. Imaginary friends totally worked when I was a kid–why not now? And why can’t one of them be exactly like Ree?

You can click here for the truffles recipe as well as a thorough step by step documentation by the P-Dub herself.

We all donned non-Laytex glove thingies, dipped our hands in chocolate, and rolled the truffles in between our palms. I would have photographed the occasion, however being covered in chocolate and holding my DSLR were not compatible states of being. So I chose the chocolate. It was an existentialist moment.

Lia also showed us how to make these chocolate designs.

You pipe ’em on a sheet of parchment paper, let ’em dry, and then stick ’em on a truffle. Or a bowl of ice cream. Or something. Gorgeous.

There’s nothing like watching a woman at her craft. Lia knows everything about chocolate, and I mean everything. High school chemistry teachers would do well to invite her to guest speak in their classrooms. That would have snapped me out of my chemistry-induced high school head fog, I’m telling you. It brings meaning and sense to a discipline that I heretoforth had seen as inapplicable to my life.

For dinner, Ree counteracted our heavy consumption of cookies, truffles, and toffee with a nice slab of beef tenderloin.

It looked more raw than I would have thought was appetizing–but it was actually melt-in-your-mouth perfect. Mark my words.

On a tangent, don’t you love Ree’s ring and bracelet?

We ate the tenderloin with a generous heap of seafood pasta and a perfect salad.

It was heavenly. I wish I had that pasta recipe . . . Lia and Tiffany razzifrazzed it up from the remains of the seafood they used for our salad lunch.

In fact, Christy couldn’t finish her pasta. So I pulled out my trademark move. “Um, are you going to finish that?”

You think I’m joking. But I’m not. Thanks for the rest of your pasta, Christy. It was awesome.

There was a second tenderloin that got abandoned on the counter, so at night I snuck back to the kitchen and had at it.

You may also think I’m joking about this . . . but I’m not. I ate a nice chunk of it, in the dark, with only my Mom as a witness. She promised to take my secret to the grave.

I also expressed my love to Ree’s knife, her famed Wüsthoff.

I’m happy to say that the Wüsthoff reciprocated and said it had a fond place in its steely heart for me, too. It was a tender moment.

Look! I’m putting my feet on the P-Dub’s coffee table!

I leave you with a quote I came across on someone’s blog. I wish I could remember whose, because I love it.

Stay busy, get plenty of exercise, and don’t drink too much.  Then again, don’t drink too little.  ~Herman “Jackrabbit” Smith-Johannsen

24 thoughts on “PW Weekend: food, food, food”

  1. Circe

    Firstly, those chocolate designs are gorgeous, and you’re right about how that should be included in chemistry classes, it would make it much more accessible and interesting.

    Secondly, “razzifrazzed” is a great word, I may need to borrow it.

  2. Sarah

    so, i don’t really like beef that isn’t fully cooked, but that tenderloin looks amazing. you’re right, it must be because the pioneer woman made it 🙂

  3. Heather (The Menu Mama)

    Sigh. Once again I am filled with jealousy for your amazing trip. Then again, I’m so happy that you got to go because I love reading your blog posts about it. The pictures are great, you make me feel like I really did get to go. I am looking forward to reading the final installment!

    1. Jenna

      Hi Erica!!!! We should talk soon. About how you’re doing . . . but also about when you want to do your next guest post. I’m thinking potato soup . . . I’m thinking cranberry sauce . . . I’m thinking ratatouille . . .

  7. Amy @ Serve At Once

    1. You with the knife = amazing. I love that photo more than you know.

    2. I want to marry one of those chocolate designs. Too bad my boyfriend won’t let me.

    3. I’m still SO EXCITED that you got to go to the ranch. Seriously. You document your experiences with humor and grace.

    4. “Razzifrazzed” is now part of my vernacular. Thanks for that.

  8. Micheline Padella

    Hi Jenna! I am a new subscriber and I just have to tell you that “you know how things happen for a reason?”, well (I’ll try not to be too wordy) I found your blog on the wordpress site (out of how many zillions?) because of a recipe that looked good. I wanted to learn more about blogging (don’t laugh… I’m 50 – a lot of this is still new) so I subscribed. And I have so enjoyed your blog… Grandma’s Santa cards (what a hoot), recipes, etc. Then the Pioneer Woman series… ranch, cookies, wild mustangs, photography – what fun. And I have so enjoyed your posting. I have two daughters your age. Gotta run for now, but I’ll fill you in on the rest of the story!!!

  11. Sydney

    I’ve loved following your weekend with PW ever since you first announced it! I’m actually a little sad the stories are over…

  13. Melany

    Love these pics… ooh makes me hungry!! The chocolate butterfly is exquisite, and I agree with your friend- the picture of you kissing the knife is just great! 🙂

    Thanks also for stopping by and your comments on Letters from Rosebud. 🙂

  14. Veronica

    I love in the top photo that you’re the only one with your shoes off! You totally made yourself at home. Now I’m craving seafood pasta. Maybe I should razzifrazz some up. 😉

  17. alongtheohio

    I used to have the same quote in my “about” section 🙂 But I took it off a little while ago…still tweaking what I want to put in that area.

    Anyway…LOVED the yummy food pics. I am going to miss your p-dub posts when they end!

  18. Mads

    The idea of sneaking around in PW’s kitchen at night to grab a chunk of her homemade beef tenderloin makes my heart leap with joy. I can’t imagine spending a weekend chillin with one of my idols.

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