A teenaged boy by the name of Kenny was given a copy of The Victor as a birthday present. He just recently began reading it and while his mom and Iwere IMing back and forth over my imminent visit to her church to speak to homeschoolers, she reported to me that Ken was absolutely drooling over the description of “Prunella’s almond cakes”. To his immense shock and delight I IMd that the fictional pastries were actually based on a real pastry that only could be gotten from a little mini-Antonello’s restaurant located on the upper floor of South Coast Plaza.
He was so thrilled (and obsessed) at the idea that they actually existed in real life that I made a special trip there today just to pick up half a dozen of them for our trip tomorrow where I will get to personally present them to him myself. Here below follows the excerpt from the book describing the cakes:
Once back in camp and safely within their tent, Joshua withdrew their sticky treasures and placed a thick, golden-brown one in Ardon’s outstretched palm. Sprinkled over the top were slivers of sugared, thinly sliced almonds drizzled with honey. Ardon grinned at Joshua then stuffed it whole into his mouth, unable to help groaning aloud with pleasure. The inside was filled with nuts and finely ground almond paste. The taste was beyond description! Light and delicate but with a sweet nutty flavor that, with every bite, made him crave more. Where had these been all the days he had grown up at court? With his mouth full and eyes rolling in ecstasy, he stuffed another and another into his mouth until his cheeks bulged like a squirrel’s, conceding his argument with gluttonous enthusiasm.
Below are photos of the famous cakes themselves and Ken’s reaction upon seeing and eating them.
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