Duff Goldman's All-Meat Wedding Cake Came With A Gravy Fountain
You're at a wedding, maybe of a relative or a friend. It's pretty normal as far as weddings are concerned — there are people bringing in wedding gifts, vows of eternal love, confetti, and the whole shebang. At the afterparty, you find yourself at the refreshment table, helping yourself to some light appetizers when you notice that — joy of joys! — the bride and groom have shelled out for a chocolate fountain. Not one to waste a good chocolate fountain, that architectural marvel straight from the pages of Willy Wonka, you dip a piece of fruit into the rich, brown, flowing liquid and — wait, that's not chocolate at all!
Chocolate fountains may sound like some elaborate dessert display from bygone days of Baroque luxury, but they are actually somewhat new in our time. As Exclusive Chocolates explains, chocolate fountains came around as early as 1991 and soon became incredibly popular fixtures in ritzy hotels and resorts all across the country. These fountains operate through the use of a system called an "Archimedes' screw" to lift warm melted chocolate up through a tube, which then cascades down different tiers of the fountain and into a pool to be collected and sent back up the elevator in an endless waterfall (via How It Works). The idea of dipping fruit into cascading rivers of chocolate certainly makes for an appealing sight at any wedding or birthday party, right?
But, for ol' Duff Goldman, his chocolate fountain was less about chocolate and more about gravy.
Duff Goldman had a meat cake and gravy fountain
Celebrity chefs have this innate characteristic where they have to go big or go home. In an industry that demands showmanship, it's safe to say that these chefs have their skills cut out for them. Take, for example, the wedding of Duff Goldman, who decided to give a little bit of a meaty spin to the old wedding cake and chocolate fountain.
As Sporkful explains, Goldman's wedding party was something out of a culinary fairy tale — complete with a petting zoo. Perhaps the biggest attractions at Goldman's wedding were the cake and the "chocolate fountain." Rather than be made out of chocolate or vanilla, however, the cake was actually a complex assembly of meat, comprised of a layer of meatloaf, a layer of shawarma, a layer of meatballs, and finally a layer of scrapple. All of this was then iced in a mashed potato frosting and decorated in bacon roses and "bride and groom" hotdogs. The fountain, rather than piping chocolate, was a waterfall of canned gravy for guests to dip their meat-and-potato cake into.
Of course, guests didn't just eat meat-stuffed wedding cake. Guests were treated to an astounding four choices of cakes to choose from — and this wasn't even considering the sheet cakes made by Goldman's company, the sundae bar, and the two dozen cookies the 250 guests were asked to bring (via People).
As we said, celebrity chefs have to go big or go home.
Can you make your own gravy fountain?
Okay, you might not have the money to afford the cakes and full sundae bar like Duff Goldman could, but gravy is a different story. It's cheap, it's easy to make, and you can find it in just about any store. Is it possible, then, for you to make your own gravy fountain for all of your gravy-based needs?
According to Food and Wine, it's actually possible to prepare a gravy fountain in your home. Although Food and Wine gives a recipe for homemade gravy, you can easily substitute it with the pre-made gravy of your choice if you need to save time. The first step is to set up your fountain as you would any chocolate fountain, following the directions as stated until it is time to add the chocolate. Instead of chocolate, carefully add warmed, but slightly cool gravy and allow it to circulate through the fountain. It's recommended that you add 1/4 cup of hot water every 15 minutes to get the right consistency. It's also recommended that you allow the machine to run for 4 hours, before powering it down and discarding the gravy.
Using chocolate fountains to showcase other things aside from chocolate isn't anything new. eHow, for example, documents that you can use the fountain for many other liquids, such as cheese fondues, barbecue sauce, or caramel. A stunning centerpiece for any brunch, dinner, or event no matter what it is!