近來臭小子一反以前還沒到放假就開始血液沸騰想出門的狀態，除了跟樂隊出遊，假期都不願去哪裏，他說那麽好整段整段練琴的機會，出去玩了多可惜。我一開始還信以為真，欣慰之外隱約擔心他太宅太書呆，誰知整個假期家裏人流不斷，有時候一天三撥！琴倒還真有得練，人說玩室內樂也算練琴的撒。飼養員我當然也就得忙著做飼料了。
兒子對我說，朋友們都惦記著上次的烤牛排，過兩天來家裏，能不能再做牛肉給他們吃？不過這麽大塊吃肉，姑娘們怕吃相不好看，而且不在飯點上，能不能做其他樣子的？ 
好吧，那就做一口的惠靈頓牛肉試試？ 做了一半發現酥皮木有了，那就用phyllo dough 代替吧，牛肉還在，偷工減料的皮，就叫心火屯牛肉好了。
左麵是酥皮的，右麵是phyllo 皮的
這是蜜三刀姐姐的方子，雖然她現在已經不再做葷菜的帖子，我還是會常常去那裏轉轉：－）
不能光吃肉啊，弄得我們茹毛飲血似的，那就文明點，第二天咱給他們一人砸塊“磚” （brik) 。
Phyllo 皮層層刷油，蟹肉調味，放到phyllo 皮上，中間挖個洞，打個蛋進去，再蓋點蟹肉上去，用Phyllo dough 包住，外層再刷點油，放到烤箱裏，400 度F 烤到金黃就可以啦。上麵再澆點醬汁，這次我用的蛋黃醬還加了點辣椒醬的。
還有兩天下午排練，三點多休息，那就吃個三文魚鹹蛋糕。有天本想做點酥皮肉餅，怕小洋鬼子們吃不慣，趕緊換成意大利香腸餡的。再打點燕麥藜麥烤點黃油餅幹，差不多tea time 就能糊弄過去了。
有兩天小家夥們突然想繼續排練，過午總得給他們整點吃的，那就一人一個土豆，管飽。後來學乖了，燉了一鍋子豬肉防患於未然，過午也不怕了，給他們夾了麵包吃，也管飽。
根莖蔬菜切塊，和土豆一起用微波爐蒸熟，土豆不要斷底切片，把培根嵌進去，撒點香料，放到根莖菜塊上，一起去烤到培根熟脆，就可以了。我還放點牛油果，冷的熱的紅的綠的都有啦。
說他們宅其實也不完全對，人家還有一起去街上練攤的，多少有點收成，臭小子說要給我買禮物，我說，他這些比最低工資線才高那麽一點點的收入自己留起來，將來追女孩子要用的，於是帶他去銀行開了個賬戶存錢，還帶了張借貸卡放皮夾裏。小人晚上就用上了，捐款給殘疾兒童。老媽我私底下覺得，這一定是老媽的某種飼料成份對了。那就繼續努力咯！
Meringue
3/4 cup blanched sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Buttercream
3/4 cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons amaretto or water
1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Ganache
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons corn syrup
12 whole hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
1 cup blanched sliced almonds, toasted
For the meringue:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Using ruler and pencil, draw 13 by 10 1/2-inch rectangle on piece of parchment paper. Grease baking sheet and place parchment on it, ink side down.
Process almonds, hazelnuts, cornstarch, and salt in food processor until nuts are finely ground, 15 to 20 seconds. Add 1/2 cup sugar and pulse to combine, 1 to 2 pulse.
Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip whites to soft, billowy mounds, about 1 minute. With mixer running at medium-high speed, slowly add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue to whip until glossy, stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold nut mixture into egg whites in 2 batches.
With offset spatula, spread meringue evenly into 13 by 10 1/2-inch rectangle on parchment, using lines on parchment as guide. Using spray bottle, evenly mist surface of meringue with water until glistening. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off oven and allow meringue to cool in oven for 1 1/2 hours. (Do not open oven during baking and cooling.) Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. (Cooled meringue can be kept at room temperature, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.)
For the buttercream:
Heat milk in small saucepan over medium heat until just simmering. Meanwhile, whisk yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in bowl until smooth. Remove milk from heat and, whisking constantly, add half of milk to yolk mixture to temper. Whisking constantly, return tempered yolk mixture to remaining milk in saucepan. Return saucepan to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is bubbling and thickens to consistency of warm pudding, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer pastry cream to bowl. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Before using, warm gently to room temperature in microwave at 50 percent power, stirring every 10 seconds.
Stir together amaretto and espresso powder; set aside. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter at medium speed until smooth and light, 3 to 4 minutes. Add pastry cream in 3 batches, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Add amaretto mixture and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes longer, scraping down bowl thoroughly halfway through mixing.
For the ganache:
Place chocolate in heatproof bowl. Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Pour cream mixture over chocolate and let stand for 1 minute. Stir mixture until smooth. Set aside to cool until chocolate mounds slightly when dripped from spoon, about 5 minutes.
Carefully invert meringue and peel off parchment. Reinvert meringue and place on cutting board. Using serrated knife and gentle, repeated scoring motion, trim edges of meringue to form 12 by 10-inch rectangle. Discard trimmings. With long side of rectangle parallel to counter, use ruler to mark both long edges of meringue at 3-inch intervals. Using serrated knife, score surface of meringue by drawing knife toward you from mark on top edge to corresponding mark on bottom edge. Repeat scoring until meringue is fully cut through. Repeat until you have four 10 by 3-inch rectangles. (If any meringues break during cutting, use them as middle layers.)
Place 3 rectangles on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Using offset spatula, spread 1/4 cup ganache evenly over surface of each meringue. Refrigerate until ganache is firm, about 15 minutes. Set aside remaining ganache.
Using offset spatula, spread top of remaining rectangle with 1/2 cup buttercream; place on wire rack with ganache-coated meringues. Invert 1 ganache-coated meringue, place on top of buttercream, and press gently to level. Repeat, spreading meringue with 1/2 cup buttercream and topping with inverted ganache-coated meringue. Spread top with buttercream. Invert final ganache-coated strip on top of cake. Use 1 hand to steady top of cake and spread half of remaining buttercream to lightly coat sides of cake, then use remaining buttercream to coat top of cake. Smooth until cake resembles box. Refrigerate until buttercream is firm, about 2 hours. (Once buttercream is firm, assembled cake may be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
Warm remaining ganache in heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until mixture is very fluid but not hot. Keeping assembled cake on wire rack, pour ganache over top of cake. Using offset spatula, spread ganache in thin, even layer over top of cake, letting excess flow down sides. Spread ganache over sides in thin layer (top must be completely covered, but some small gaps on sides are OK).
Garnish top of cake with hazelnuts. Holding bottom of cake with 1 hand, gently press almonds onto sides with other hand. Chill on wire rack, uncovered, for at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours. Transfer to platter. Cut into slices with sharp knife that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry before each slice. Serve.
