Rainy day. Operation Chocolate Cake. Bird in the Apartment.

It's a rainy day here in Salt Lake.
I know right! I wasn't sure it was possible either. Fact: It does rain in Utah.
It has been rainy (if not actually raining) sense I woke up this morning.
What does one do to entertain themselves during a rainy day in Utah.
Bake a chocolate cake of course!
Specifically this Chocolate Cake.
Of course there's a reason my usual recipe would not suffice.

I was at the State Wine Store the other day picking up some Port for our hamburgers; (Bobby Flay's "Blue Cheese Sirloin Burger with Red-Wine Onion Jam") (Yes I bought a bottle of Port for the purposes of dressing a burger. Please, Don't knock it till you've tried it.) when I deiced we would probably need a good beer as accompaniment. This required a decision on my part, as the selection at this particular store was only Imported or Local brews, none of which I was familiar with. I was weighing two options and finally went with less familiar (barley wine) more local (brewed right here in SLC) option and with 10.4% alc. by volume I figured I was getting more bang for my buck so to speak. ie: according to the all reliable Wikipedia:
" Current Utah law sets a limit of 3.2 percent alcohol by weight (4 percent by volume) in beer sold at grocery and convenience stores and at establishments operating under a "beer only" type license"


The burgers were delicious that night, the adventurous brew, unfortunately was not. Between the two of us I don't think we drank over 3oz. It was...strong. 
So with two bottles of this "beverage" on my hands and an entire rainy day ahead of me, i embarked on operation Chocolate Cake, aka don't waste the beer you probably paid too much for. (thank you to my friend Sigrid for the heads up on this recipe)
It's cooling now, I'll let you know how it turns out.


On another note, what does one do when a bird flies into their kitchen? 
Obvious suggestion would be to not leave the door wide open as to invite them in, but its too late for that. 
In my own personal experience (30 minutes ago to be exact) I was rendered completely terrified both for my fate and that of the birds, mumbling confused profanities under my breath until the equally terrified and confused (I'm certain of this of course) creature found its own way back out the door which is now partially closed and thus less welcoming to bees, man eating (sized)flies, and birds all of which have wandered into my home at various times. Perhaps I should invest in a screen. 





P.S.
Bobby Flay's Blue Cheese Sirloin Burger with Red-wine Onion Jam was probably the best burger I have had in a number of years, however it does not hold a candle to the Lurcat burger available at Bar Lurcat in Minneapolis, MN...and apparently in Naples Florida (though I have never been to that location)

P.S.S
If you didn't know about Smitten Kitchen (where the Chocolate Cake recipe came from)... you do now, one of my favorite places to find new recipes, check it out!