No, this isn't a recipe, though perhaps it was a recipe for disaster. I dare you to find the original in a cookbook or on the internet. It existed, once, really.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I visited my dear friend - Jeff - at the University of Virginia. My best friend Annie rode shotgun and we made the trip with no mishaps, if you don't count being forced off a two-lane road by a speeding Cadillac and the Virginia State trooper who was in chase.

Jeff always invited a few friends over for dinner when Annie and I visited. Nothing fancy, just good conversation and decent food. We gals were usually in charge, since we both learned to cook about the time we were knee-high to a grasshopper. But this time we had a little surprise in store.

Jeff: "We're having Jell-O® Baked Alaska for dessert! I just bought a copy of The Joys of Jello at the used book store downtown, and this looks fun. Help me with the meringue.

Me: "We can help you more than that! Let's make something else. It's not going to work."

Jeff: "Where's your spirit of adventure? We have things to do!"

Gelatin was made and chilled, cake was sliced. In layers: cake, Jello, and uncooked meringue to seal the deal. Into the broiler it went. The end result: green gelatin melted over cake, with an uncooked meringue topping. It was good for one thing - a laugh. And we did laugh.

And what are the morals to this little story? Beware of speeding Cadillacs (and Virginia State Troopers), don't put gelatin in an oven, and never lose your sense of adventure in the kitchen. And never forget your old friends.

BQ2016: 295

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