Don’t anybody tell him, but Faye Delicious has a crush on Food Dude (Will Greenberg). I just saw him for the first time on a web channel for men, called Spike.   He was making a “Dirt Cake”– packaged chocolate cake crumbled into a flower pot, layered with packaged chocolate pudding with a rose stuck in there “to impress the lady.” For the food he suggested going to your local Italian restaurant to buy a bunch of stuff to throw in your own pans and call your own.
I like that way.
Cook’s interpretation because that’s my job:
Penne with Raw Tomatoes and Basil
Chocolate Wafer Refrigerator Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream
For the pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the best penne you can find. The individual pieces of pasta should look rough instead of smooth and have a brushed effect on the exterior. Cook only until you think it’s not quite ready, then drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Meanwhile, chop up ripe tomatoes that you have growing in your garden, or borrow from your neighbor’s. Rip up a pile of basil leaves. Chop one big clove of garlic, super finely. Mix this all up in a bowl with extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and a grind of black pepper. Taste it for deliciousness. When the pasta is ready, and you have drained it really well, mix it with the tomato mixture. Add a few drops of the reserved pasta water or a little more olive oil if you need to. Taste again for pepper and salt. Cut pieces of parmesan over the top, using a small sharp knife.
For the cake: Crumble thin chocolate wafers into a loaf pan that you have lined with wax paper. Whip a bowl of heavy cream, just until it begins to thicken. Layer that on top of the cookies. Repeat a few times. Pit a cup of fresh cherries. Reduce a half cup of red wine with 1/4 cup of sugar and a piece of orange zest. When it is close to syrupy, add the cherries layer them on top of the cream. Keep going with a few more layers of chocolate crumbs and cream and then refrigerate. When you are ready to serve, Rest a plate on top of the loaf and flip.