Ok, I’m at a crossroads trying to figure out what to do with my culinary life. One road leads to potential disaster, and the other road leads to even greater potential disaster… So typical. I know what you’re thinking: “Mindy, just see what your gut tells you to do and then do the opposite.” I’ve tried that, but then I second guess myself and think, wait, is that what my gut is actually telling me? Or is doing the opposite of what my gut is telling me what my gut is telling me, thereby making the second gut choice the wrong one?
Whenever I’m faced with tough choices, I turn to my friends, family, and a good cocktail for counseling. Normally I enjoy something with whiskey or bourbon in it. However, with my friend, Angie, in town, I started reminiscing about my trip to see her in San Diego – land of sun, tacos, more sun, and a little (mega) place called Extraordinary Desserts (and reminiscing about food always helps distract me from important decisions, allowing me to partake in my second-favorite past time: procrastination through tangents). This place is genius – giant, whimsical desserts that bring ALL of San Diego running to try their salted-caramel ice cream and Angie’s favorite, chocolate croissant bread pudding. At Extraordinary Desserts, the smallest portion served is the size of my giant, doughy face. Yeah, extraordinary.
You’re instantly transported into childhood, specifically girlhood inside this upscale, Oompa Loompa-free Wonkaville. So as Angie and I sat at the bar and watched as the all-girl gaggle down the row ordered a round of sparkly, bubbly rose-tinted cocktails with something slightly gilded bobbing around inside the bottom of the champagne flute, our inner Marie Antoinettes forced us to order a pair for ourselves. Sparkling white wine was popped just for our beverages and two, Candied Hibiscus Kir Royales were delicately placed in front of us. Hibiscus syrup gently rested at the bottom of our flutes, delicately supporting candied and gold-leafed dried hibiscus flowers, while sparkling white wine floated on top.
These cocktails were desserts in themselves. At something like $14, they should have been. Some of that $14 cocktail, of course, ended up on my shirt as I tried to shimmy the yummy, mildly sweet, chewy hibiscus out of the glass and into my mouth… It was like the most expensive gummy candy that I’ve ever had.
Angie eyes the decadence
Mindy's Recipe For Disaster 