The birthday girl's menu

Oh well, so I turned 27. Not a tragedy - after all LOL
So, on my birthday I certainly need some spoiling, right? And that I got from this menu.
Birthday celebrations are tricky in my family. Our flat is too small to invite over family (even such a small one, as mine), so the celebration takes place at my parents' house. That's where I take the cake which I usually bake for myself - I don't mind ;). But hubby and I have our own celebration together for which I intended to make something I never made before: lamb! I'm not sure why I'm so hooked on lamb, I haven't tasted so many versions before because it's not too available here. It is kind of exotic for me - maybe that's why?
My dearest was attentive enough to get me a whole lamb - in pieces, of course - not too long ago, which had sat in the freezer waiting for me to find out which of the numerous lamb recipes I have I was going to try first. The choice is great - think of Nigella, Bill, Tessa and many more! - and I'm not too good at making decisions LOL But the evening before the dinner the great decision was made: Tessa's leg of lamb with lemon and oregano from Falling Cloudberries.
The recipe - if it can be called a recipe at all - is simplicity itself. Get a leg of lamb, rub in the juice of 2 lemons (since hubby's not too keen on lemon and meat and I'm a chicken, too, when it comes to citrus fruits with meat, I only used 1 lemon), salt and pepper, sprinkle with oregano generously(I used the one I brought from Corfu - after all this is a Greek dish), add dots of butter and some olive oil, and it can go in a hot oven, with some water. After browning both sides, you add some diced potato, cover the whole dish with foil and turn down the heat to moderate and forget about it for a good 2 and a half hours or so, except that you need to turn it over once or twice in the meantime. Remove the foil for the last half an hour and you get a melt-in-the-mouth meat with a crispy outside, mmmm! I found that I should have used 2 lemons as the recipe suggested and even more oregano. However, I must say that both the lemon and the oregano flavour were absorbed amazingly in the potato, which was the best I have ever tasted, I'm sure!
A dish highly recommended for all!

While I was hesitating so much over the main meal, the cake didn't require plenty to think about. I'd been looking forward to making Mannix's Diablo once again ever since I first tasted it, about one year ago - I'm still ashamed of waiting that long to have this cake again! To be honest, though, I came up with a tamed Diablo after all. The reason is very simple: my red food colouring was past its best before date and I couldn't be bothered to make a trip to Tesco's, the only place where it's available, on an early Sunday morning.
Somehow this birthday seemed to be about simplicity, for this cake doesn't require much effort either (not more than a cupcake) - however, the effort to stop eating it is not something most people can easily make! It is moist, chewy, extremely chocolatey, combined with the sweetness of the cream cheese frosting (note: I used cca 100g less icing sugar than the recipe suggested, so you'd better be careful if you don't like too sweet either) and the freshness (and appetizing sight) of the luscious red raspberries... It went down a treat, so much so, that my hubby, who mostly says "perhaps later" when it comes to dessert after a meal - which in his dictionary means "I don't want any at all" - asked for a second slice! Oh well, do I need to waste another word on how gorgeous this cake is? Perhaps two more: Mannix rules!!

The tamed beast in close-up:

And a not too well-composed flower and cake piece :) Tulips are my other weakness, you know...

So before giving you the link to this pure indulgence, let me give you a word of warning: I know many people who are victims of Mannix's delirious creations, so if you're not one of them yet, I beg you to click at your own risk only. And remember: I told you...
Diablo