Mmmmmmmm. Cake.

I know I said I was going to make cake yesterday but didn't get around to it.  Today, after scouring the interweb for a "great" sheet cake recipe and only finding only "ok" or unrated recipes on the usual sites, I consulted my trusty "Joy of Cooking" for help and boy did Joy come through for me.

I made what is listed as "1-2-3-4 Yellow Cake" in my edition but is also called "Four egg yellow cake" in more updated editions.  Hollah!!  It came out great!  I made the batter as called for but instead of using 3-8x2 round pans used one 13x8 pan.  I didn't put all of the batter in - left about 2 cups of the batter out but I probably could have fit it all in, cooked it a little longer and it would have been fine.  I am envisioning this cake as THE cake for my sister's baby shower in a couple of weeks. Two-13x8s layered with strawberries and homemade whipped cream... YUM!  No pictures becuase I didn't ice it and it looks sort of naked but trust me it tastes great.  It's light, fluffy and has a distinct vanilla taste with a tiny undertone of almond.

So, speaking of Joy of Cooking, in class this week we were given a handout with the Top Ten Books for Future Chefs (this list was originally published by "Working World" magazine in 2005 so there are probably some others to add).  I am happy to say I've read or own three of the ten (starred below) and have put in a request to the LA Public Library to hold some of the others for me.  Drum roll please.....

Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
Becoming a Chef by Andrew Dornenburg and Jaren Page
*Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
*The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer
Larousse Gastronomique, A Culinary Encyclopedia
Le Guide Culinaire by August Escoffier
*The Making of a Chef by Michael Rulhman
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee
The Professional Chef, published by the Culinary Institute of America

Also recommended by my prof is The Soul of a Chef by Michael Rulhman.  I LOVED Anthony Bourdain's book - he's such a smart ass and tells it like it is. 

Do you have any favorite cookbooks that you use often or do you rely solely on the internet for recipes?  What are some of your favorite websites for finding new and interesting recipes?  I probably go to http://www.foodtv.com/, http://www.epicurious.com/ and http://www.myrecipes.com/ most often.

Happy Sunday - enjoy the Oscars!!

Chow for now. :)