I was going to write about the barbeque I had yesterday, the two new Irish girls I met who’re living downstairs for the next semester, and how lovely the weather’s been.
But it’s gotten cloudy, and I’m majorly pissed off at people who think degrading sexist remarks are ok to make, and people who would rather tell me to shut up for pulling someone up on it, than tell the person making the remarks to shut up. It’s not right, or reasonable. And “but I’m a man” isn’t an excuse. SAGE-IE is overwhelmingly male-dominated, but has a culture that marginalises the morons who make sexist remarks, rather than letting those morons marginalise the women who contribute.
That said – not all my readers are sexist idiots, and not all my readers are idiots who think it’s ok to let other idiots be sexist, as long as they’re not doing it themselves (hint: it’s not). So here’s the recipe for the super-simple, super-tasty ganache I made yesterday:
Boil 250ml cream (ideally double), by putting it in the microwave on high for approx 3 mins. Make sure it’s in a microwave-safe bowl, that’s plenty big enough (mine holds just over a pint, and was barely big enough). Alternatively, boil it in a heavy saucepan, on the hob. When it’s boiled, take it off the heat, or out of the microwave (carefully, the bowl will be hot!).
Add 300g dark (70%) chocolate, broken into small pieces. If you can find them, use chocolate chips instead – breaking it up is a serious pain in the fingers! Leave it to stand for five minutes – don’t worry about the cream getting a skin, just wait. Once your five minutes are done, slowly and carefully mix it all up, incorporating the milk cream into the chocolate until you have a wonderfully smooth, rich chocolate sauce.
Serve warm, by dipping strawberries in and enjoying 
God, did your description of making that ganache totally make my mouth water.. mmmm.. chocolate ganache.. drool!
And I totally agree with your rant about sexist comments. People let that shit slide way too often.
I am confused. Where did the milk come from?
I should lend you my cluebat for “educating” the morons.
Colin
Milk, cream… Whatever
Took me bloody long enough to find cream anyway – it doesn’t seem to be a big thing in Germany. But I could have had all the buttermilk I didn’t want…?
We do try and keep the SNR high, and sexist comments raise my hackles.
If we or I are lax in doing so, do let me know, and Steps Will Be Taken.
mmm. chocolate. I spent a summer making ganaches for filled chocolates, and the filled chocolates, in fact. My favourite to add to the ganache were coffee (a *very* small amount, it’s a strong flavour), vanilla, cinnamon and powdered chilli. I can highly recommend coffee, cinnamon and chilli together as the filling in a dark chocolate.