California Quail

We had a lovely early morning walk at nearby Long Marine Lab--lots of rabbits out nibbling their breakfast, a scattering of little hoppy birds I couldn't identify, and an actual bevy of quail. One of the reasons I love Blip is that it gives me a chance to use words that I would not use in normal conversation. The quail is sitting on the backbone of a concrete whale skeleton, keeping watch for his family, which went scurrying off into the shrubbery.  Isn't he a handsome thing!

I made a double chocolate zucchini cake that has the house smelling incredibly fabulous, because I also added espresso powder to the batter. It's still too warm to cut, but if it tastes half as good as it looks, we're in business! There was a flurry over the difference between regular powdered cocoa and Dutch processed--it's sciencey and has to do with the acidity of cocoa beans, the alkaline solution they may be processed in, and whether to subsequently use baking powder or baking soda. Oh yeah, and flavor, intensity and bitterness. They are or are not interchangeable, a moot point since the box on the shelf did not contain enough of either one to make the cake. Luckily I have a next door neighbor who doesnt mind bailing me out in exchange for some of the goods.