The Morning Star B&B Update

THE MORNING STAR BED & BREAKFAST, LLC

617 Houston Street · Manhattan, KS 66502
info@morningstarbandb.com · morningstarbandb.com

The Morning Star Update February 2011

Welcome to The Morning Star Update!

Greetings!

    January was certainly a cold and snowy month here in Manhattan, Kansas, though nothing like what the East Coast had. February, too, is off to a blustery start with North winds today at 28 mph, single digit temperatures, and 4 more inches of snow expected. I keep telling myself that the snow has been good for the gardens and hope that in March I will have a garden report for you.
    In the meantime, even during the winter weather when it seems as though life is on hold, we are always looking for ways to improve the quality of service that we provide at The Morning Star. In January, we introduced a new, plush line of towels for our guest rooms. You'll love drying off with these softies the next time that you are here.
    There are a lot of activities in Manhattan this month, so be sure to read "Dates to Remember". I hope that you enjoy this issue of The Update!

Bite-Size, Ganache-Covered, Jam-Filled Cakes

The name is a mouthful, but these little cakes are worth it. These are prettiest when made right before serving.

1 (11 oz.) pound cake*
1/4 seedless jam of your choice
3 oz. good bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 oz. sour cream (at room temperature)
1 T. liqueur such as Cointreau, Chambord or Amaretto (optional)
desired garnish such as fresh raspberries, strawberries, apricot slices, or sliced almonds

Slice pound cake into slices 1/2" thick. (You should have 12 slices). Spread jam on one side of half of the slices. Top with remaining slices to form 6 sandwiches. Cut each in half. Place cakes on a wire rack with waxed paper under it. Set aside. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in a microwave, being careful not to burn it. Be sure to stir well to remove all lumps. Meanwhile, if using liqueur, stir it into the sour cream until thoroughly combined. While the melted chocolate is still warm, stir the sour cream into the chocolate until the ganache is perfectly uniform in color. Spread the ganache around the sides and over the tops of the cakes. Garnish with fresh raspberries, strawberries, slivered apricot slices or sliced almonds. Makes 12 cake bites.

* You can use a store bought frozen pound cake or you can bake a cake in a loaf pan and then trim the top so that it is level.

I am always looking for ideas for the next newsletter. If you have a particular type of recipe that you would like to see in March issue, let me know.

An Equal Music: A Novel by Vikram Seth

    An Equal Music came highly recommended to me by Linda from Kansas. Linda told me that she picked up the book because she does not know a lot about music and thought that for that reason the novel would be interesting. She said that she thought that the book was fascinating because of all of the different directions that it goes off in.
    On one level, An Equal Music is a classic love story full of yearning, hurt, and happiness; but it is as much about love of music as it is about romantic love. Michael, the protagonist, is the second violinist with the Maggiore Quartet in London. An Equal Music follows Michaels struggles to hold onto the the great loves in his life: Julia, the beautiful pianist who is going deaf; his Carlo Tononi violin which is on long term loan from the aging Mrs. Fromby; and playing music.
Like Linda, I found the book gripping. After reading it, I thought someone with a stronger background in classical music than I have would probably have gotten more out of the extended passages about music. However, this isn't because I didn't enjoy them, but rather because I am sure that there are nuances to the narrative that I wasn't knowledgeable enough to have picked up on. I enjoyed the book nevertheless because it was a piece of good storytelling filled with complex characters living complicated lives.
    To pass along your book recommendations, click here.

One of the things that I really take pleasure in while producting The Update each month is the opportunity to work on getting great images for the newsletter. It took me about 100 shots over several days to get this photo of Penny because the pillow was just too much fun for her to play with. (My other subjects this month were much more cooperative.) As always, I hope that you have enjoyed this issue of The Morning Star Update as much as I have enjoyed creating it! I look forward to hearing from you!

Wishing you mild weather and a great February ...

Laurie Pieper
The Morning Star B&B
Penny with Be Mine Pillow