Eleven out of Ten

I hope you’ll forgive me as I add another dish to my already full list of Ten Favorite Restaurant Dishes. Just because I’m an accounting professor doesn’t mean I can count.

I’m not really a dessert person – I don’t like making them and I’m not a particular fan of eating them either – though there are a few I enjoy. Last night, I made an exception in honor of my friend’s birthday.

We were eating at Hungry Mother in Cambridge – an interesting blend of traditional southern flavors prepared with local New England ingredients, served in a causal, fine dining atmosphere. They’ve received many accolades and are booked solid every night of the week.

The limited dessert menu had the usual suspects – chocolate, fruit and cake. What stood out was the Salted Caramel Cake served with Anglaise and Candied Bacon. They put my two favorite ingredients, salt and bacon, and turned it into dessert. How could I not order it???

And how could I share it? Given that it was David’s birthday, the polite thing to do would have been to offer a bite. But I found myself inching the plate closer to me, a spoon in my left hand and my right arm draped around the plate creating a protective barrier from anyone trying to get a taste.

The salt infused into the caramel perfectly, adding depth to the burnt sweetness. And while it was sweet, it wasn’t cloying. The layers of cake were yellow and moist. And a sweet, smoky, salty slice of bacon was the proverbial cherry top.

Thanks to David for indulging me my piggy behavior and for taking the photo.