Kat Cooks Bakes Eats

In Season

2020-02-18T21:18:00.000-08:00

I hope you know by now that winter in California is my favorite season. Not necessarily because of the weather-though I do love the years of rainy winters-but because winter is the height of citrus season. Give me all the Meyer lemons, Eurekas, limes, blood oranges, Cara Caras, kumquats, Satsumas, and Navels!

Do you have a tree that prolifically produces citrus? Don't know what to do with the overabundance? Well, I'm your girl! I will happily take the overflow off your hands. What will I do with it? I'll tell you. I'll make curd, marmalade, have fresh-squeezed orange juice for breakfast, and bake a cake. Or two. Or three.

A cake recipe that I come back to repeatedly is the yogurt cake. I first came upon it while reading 'On Rue Tatin' by Susan Hermann Loomis. It is my favorite kind of recipe. One or two bowls, mixing with nary a hand mixer or Kitchen Aid in sight, pour batter into a pan, bake. A yogurt cake is also the kind of cake that tastes better the next day, is totally appropriate to have for breakfast, and gives you the best reason to take tea time in the afternoon.

Don't believe me? Grab some of that winter citrus and try it.

Orange Yogurt Cake

Makes one 9 inch loaf

Adapted from Jo Cooks Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe

For cake batter:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup canola oil

For glaze:

1/3 cup orange or tangerine juice

1/3 sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Line a loaf pan with parchment, leaving a bit of an overhang to easily remove cake from pan. Grease short ends of pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a larger bowl, add eggs, sugar, oil, and orange zest. Whisk until incorporated. Add extract and yogurt, making sure all ingredients are mixed well. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix. Pour batter into loaf pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. While cake is baking, make a simple syrup with the 1/3 cup orange or tangerine juice and 1/3 cup sugar. Heat over medium flame until sugar melts. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

When cake is done, allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan. Place cake on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet. Poke a few holes into the top of the cake, then pour syrup over cake. Allow syrup to seep into cake.

Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve. You can make candied peel and garnish with that also.

More Pumpkin Things

2019-11-12T21:16:00.000-08:00

How did it get to be nearly Thanksgiving? I started this post, or at least the initial inspiration for this post, a year ago when it was just a few weeks away from Thanksgiving 2018. And here we are. A mere two-ish weeks away from Thanksgiving 2019.
So, before everything turns to the Peppermint Things, I am going to sneak in a Pumpkin Thing. And a Granola Thing, because in the years I've been writing this blog, how have I not shared a granola recipe??? It's so gloriously adaptable. Make it your way and you have no excuse to skip breakfast. It's healthy-ish. Add milk and you've got a lovely cereal. Add yogurt, a drizzle of honey, and some fruit and you have a Breakfast of Champions.
You can easily half this recipe as I initially made it to take to the neighborhood produce exchange that I never made it to. Or just keep the amounts as is and gift everyone at your Thanksgiving dinner to a take home treat.

Pumpkin Granola
Makes about 11 cups
Adapted from Nekisia Davis' Olive Oil & Maple Granola

6 cups rolled oats

1 cup pepitas

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup sliced almonds

1 1/2 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup canola oil

1 cups packed dark brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Kosher salt, a generous pinch

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, add rolled oats, pepitas, sunflower seeds, almonds, and coconut. Mix well. Gradually add maple syrup and canola oil. Mix well to incorporate liquids into dry ingredients. Once mixed, add brown sugar, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice (or your own combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger). Add salt to taste.

Split granola mixture between two parchment lined cookie sheets and bake on separate racks in oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Halfway through bake time, be sure to turn granola and rotate cookie sheets. Remove from oven when granola is golden brown. Allow to cool completely before storing in airtight containers. Will last for at least two weeks.

Muddle and Twist

2019-06-04T21:58:00.001-07:00

Who wants cake? Or should I ask, 'who wouldn't want cake?' because I can't imagine someone turning down a slice of cake. The home cook-centric site, Food52, opened a challenge called Recipe Off-Roading where taking liberties with the recipes and/or ingredients was encouraged. Four of Food52's most popular recipes were chosen for the challenge--Marcella Hazan's Four Ingredient Tomato Sauce, Martha Stewart's One Pan Pasta, Food52's co-founder, Amanda Hesser's Peach Tart, and New York City restaurant Maialino's Olive Oil Cake. Cooks signed up naming which of the four recipes they were taking off road. I chose Maialino's Olive Oil Cake. I LOVE olive oil cake. It's an easy recipe that doesn't require a mixer and comes together quickly.

After tossing ideas around with a friend about what to change, I decided to change the flavor profile just a bit. The Maialino's cake uses Grand Marnier, I used bourbon and muddled bitters, giving the cake the hint of an Old Fashioned. My favorite quality of a good olive oil cake is how it improves over time. While it's great on the day baked, go back a day or two later and it's amazing. The bourbon and bitters really came through on the second day. I also made the recipe in standard muffins and minis--a way to indulge without feeling guilty.

Be sure to check out the article showcasing all 71 off-road variations--including mine! If you haven't made an olive oil cake yet, get yourself in the kitchen soon!

Bourbon Old Fashioned Olive Oil Muffins
Makes about 24 standard muffins

2cups all purpose flour
1 1/2cups sugar
1 1/2teaspoons kosher salt
1/2teaspoon baking soda
1/2teaspoon baking powder
2sugar cubes
8dashes Angostura Bitters
3eggs, large
1 1/3cups olive oil
1 1/4cups milk
1tablespoon grated orange zest
1/4cup orange juice
1/4cup bourbon

Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. With a mortar and pestle, muddle 8 dashes of bitters with 2 sugar cubes. In a large bowl, add sugar cubes, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Mix well and set aside. In a medium bowl, add olive oil, milk, bourbon, orange juice, orange zest, and eggs. Whisk well to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Line two 12-muffins tins with paper liners or grease and flour pans. (Non-stick cooking spray with flour works well too. Gradually add wet ingredients to dry, mixing batter with a wooden spoon. Once all wet and dry ingredients are well-mixed, spoon batter into each muffin well to 2/3 full. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Start checking at 30 minutes. The tops may not crack like a cake will, but do check for the tops turning golden to light golden brown. Also check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or cake tester into centers of each. It will come out clean if done. Allow muffins to cool in pans for 20-25 minutes before turning out. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Do You Hear It?

2019-01-08T23:38:00.000-08:00

The vague sound of a brass section coming down the street? That's the sound of the bandwagon I'm about to jump on. For what, you ask? A soup that sounds totally unassuming as you're reading through the ingredients list. And while it looks good in the photos, you're thinking, 'but it's just soup'.

But it's not just soup. I suppose the first thing I should do is stop calling it 'soup' and start calling it 'stew.' #thestew, to be accurate. The hashtag currently has 3,108 posts attached to it on Instagram. I believe it is totally deserving of each and every one of them. New York Times Food/Bon Appetit writer, Alison Roman, first wrote about the stew in November. I'm here to tell you it's delicious. It's easy. It's hearty without being overly filling. We've had a couple of rainy, cold, and grey days here in Los Angeles (it's Winter, after all) and it was the perfect kind of weather for this stew.

You may have caught Alison on the 'Today Show' last week on one of their food segments. I missed the original NYT article, but happily caught her appearance. You can see it here. Watch it, then run to the kitchen and make #thestew. I'll be looking for your post on Instagram tomorrow night.

Alison Roman's Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut Milk that I riffed slightly.

Serves 2

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 inch piece of ginger (peeled and grated)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp tumeric
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can coconut milk, full fat
1 cup vegetable broth
1-1 1/2 cups kale, torn from stalk
cilantro, for serving
2 tbsp yogurt
salt and pepper

In a pot over medium heat, add olive oil, garlic, ginger, and onion. Saute until onion turns translucent and edges begin to brown. Add garbanzo beans, red pepper flakes, and tumeric. Allow garbanzo beans to get a little brown on them--8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside about a quarter cup for garnish. Add vegetable broth and coconut milk. Stir all ingredients and smash chickpeas as much as possible. Turn heat to simmer, stirring occasionally. Let cook for 30-35 minutes. You'll see the stew thicken around the 30 minute mark. Add kale, stir, and cook until softened, but still bright green. Ladle into bowls, garnish with cilantro, reserved chickpeas, and a dollop of yogurt.

The original recipe calls for mint, not cilantro, but I'm not a mint fan. Feel free to use it if you are. Also, the kale can be substituted with spinach, collard greens, Swiss chard, or any other leafy green you like. Add more red pepper flakes if you want to take the spicy up a notch or two. The original recipe also calls for serving with lavosh or pita. I found it to be unnecessary, but if you want to sop up all the stewy bits...go to town!

In other news, I want to wish you all an amazing and abundant 2019. And it will be.

The Season of the Pumpkin Things

2018-10-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

Bless me, Father...it has been roughly two years since my last rant on pumpkin spice-flavored things. I just scoured the blog to see how many posts I've written with recipes containing pumpkin. In the nearly eight year history of this blog, there have been exactly four recipes with pumpkin. Today I will bring you Number 5, but not before I go on another tiny rant.

Let me say that I am not anti-pumpkin. I know I am very late to the Pumpkin Appreciation Society party. I don't exactly understand the deep love that some have for pumpkin spice things. Every year it seems that the grocery stores have yet another endcap full of items flavored with the squash, and some mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. I'm not the only one who thinks the overabundance of pumpkin spiced things is a little over the top. You can see for yourself in this article published on Eater last year. I'm also sure that since this article was published, there have been even more pumpkin spice flavored foods created.

Despite not understanding the obsession, my appreciation is true. I just don't need a cabinet full of Pumpkin Spice Oreos, Pumpkin Spice Cheerios, Pumpkin Spice marshmallows in my hot chocolate, or Pumpkin Spice Creamer in my morning coffee. Or Pumpkin Spice Eggnog...just because.

But if you ask me what I think of a pumpkin bar with a spiced wafer crumb bottom and swirled with cream cheese? Well...I will say, yes, please, and thank you...do you mind if I have two? The cookie crumb will get even better the second day they're around (if they don't last that long...it's okay.) I made these in an 8x8 inch pan, which I love. It's manageable and still gives you enough to share if you feel like it.

I used my favorite Fall cookie here for the crumb. If you're in the greater Philadelphia, PA area, I suggest running to the grocery store and picking up a box or two of Sweetzel's Spiced Wafers. It's good to have family back East who send you your favorite Fall cookie. If you don't have them, gingersnaps would work just as well. You could also use graham crackers, but the spice in the crumb really makes these great. You can happily and easily use canned pumpkin (be sure it's not pumpkin pie filling) or grab a sugar pie/pie pumpkin from the grocer's or the farmers market and make your own puree. It's as easy as halving a pumpkin, scooping out the seeds, drizzling with some oil or butter, and roasting for 40 minutes in a hot oven. I just find making my own so satisfying.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Bars

Makes one 8x8 inch pan

Cookie Crust

1 ¾ c spiced wafers cookie crumbs

6 tbsp butter

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

Filling

¾ c sugar

4 tbsp flour

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs

12 oz pumpkin puree

1 tbsp milk

For the crust: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. If using whole cookies, break them into pieces, put in a food processor and process until fine crumbs. Put in a bowl with sugar and salt and mix well. Melt butter on stovetop, then add butter to crumbs, mixing well. Line the pan with parchment, pour the crumbs into the pan, pressing down and into corners with a spatula until crust is evenly spread. Bake for 6 minutes, remove from oven, and allow to cool. Turn oven up to 375 degrees for baking bars.

For the filling: In a medium bowl, cream sugar, flour, and cream cheese. Mix until smooth and reserve about a half cup of the mixture to the side. Add the pumpkin pie spice, eggs, and pumpkin puree, mixing until incorporated and smooth. Pour batter into 8x8 pan and spread evenly. Mix milk with reserved cream cheese mixture until smooth. Spoon sporadically onto batter and make swirl with the tip of a knife.

Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Approximately 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once mostly cool, chill for at least 4 hours or longer. Remember to run a knife edge along inner edges of bars if you plan on removing from pan.

Can You Be Obsessed...

2018-10-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

...with cake? Not just being pro-cake. More than just proclaiming, 'I much prefer cake over pie.' (That's me) But...can you be obsessed with a cake? Can you like a cake so much that you make it once and before it's been completely consumed--not solely by you, thank god--you are already thinking about making it again? Like NOW. It's similar to how I felt after I got my first tattoo. No sooner did I have the first one, not even fully healed, that my mind was swirling with ideas on what the next tattoo would be and where it would go.

If you make this yourself, you'll understand why I couldn't stop thinking about it. The original recipe is from Christopher Kimball's 'Milk Street' magazine. My absolute favorite part is that it's a one bowl recipe--all you need is a bowl and a whisk (and a cake pan, naturally). No mixer, no fancy gadgets. The best kind of recipe. For those of you who are gluten-free...guess what? It's gluten-free! The cake, hailing from Galicia, Spain, is known as tarta de Santiago. Traditionally, it is dusted with powdered sugar using a stencil of the cross of St. James the Great, who is reportedly buried in the region's cathedral.

It's a dense cake. On the Instagram post, someone commented that it is the perfect marriage of marzipan and meringue. (It IS!) It gets better the next day or even the day after that. A friend drizzled a piece with blackberry honey...and holy crap...it was good. You can pair it with whipped cream and berries as they do in 'Milk Street.' It would probably be awesome with vanilla bean ice cream. But, truthfully, I prefer it in it's simplicity. Just give me a good cup of coffee to accompany a slice.

The recipe in 'Milk Street' uses 1/4 tsp almond extract and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and no zest. After reading the article, I did a little Googling to learn more about the cake and decided I wanted to try adding citrus as it's a more traditional way of baking it. Either way, you'll love it.

Galician Almond Cake (Tarta de Santiago)
adapted from the recipe on Milk Street's site
makes one 9-inch layer cake

1 cup white sugar
3 large eggs
3 large egg whites
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
zest of one medium lemon
zest of one medium orange
3 tbsp turbinado sugar
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch cake pan with a circle of parchment and butter the sides. In a mixing bowl, add the white sugar, eggs, egg whites, almond extract, salt, and citrus zests (roughly 2 tbsp altogether). Whisk until well-mixed. Add almond flour and mix until incorporated.

Pour batter into lined cake pan. Sprinkle top with almonds and turbinado sugar. Try to alternate, so sugar will caramelize on top of cake and on almonds. Bake 50-55 minutes, until top browns. Cake should feel firm when tested with a slight press of finger. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife along inner edge of cake before turning out onto plate. Then invert on second plate.

Leprechauns and Sunshine

2018-03-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

Going on the premise that everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day, I thought some playing around with the bottle of Jameson Caskmates Irish whiskey would prepare me for celebrating on the 17th. Having been aged in craft beer barrels, the Caskmates Stout edition has notes of cocoa, coffee, and butterscotch.

With Winter being the height of citrus season, I tend to have more than a fair share of oranges in the fruit bowl. Orange and chocolate pair well, and with the chocolate bitters in the pantry, tools for a concoction were right at my fingertips. This Saturday, don a little green, make some colcannon, and whip up this easy cocktail that I've dubbed...the Sunkissed Leprechaun. A little Irish mixed with a dose of sunshine.

The Sunkissed Leprechaun

Makes 1 drink

1 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey (Stout Caskmates used)
2-3 oz orange juice
3 dashes chocolate bitters
orange slice for garnish, optional
ice

On the three occasions when I made this drink, I did not use a cocktail shaker. You absolutely could, if you wanted to. I mixed the whiskey and bitters together in a glass, added the orange juice, mixed again, and added an ice cube or two. If you use a shaker, mix all ingredients in shaker with ice, strain into glass and enjoy.

Another Valentine's Day...

2018-02-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

...and another visit from me saying 'hey there!' I know it's a little late in the game, but if you have an hour or two to spare and aren't planning on surprising your love first thing in the morning, you can make these shortbread cookies for giving later. Don't forget to save a couple for yourself.

What I love about shortbread cookies is how easy they are to bake and how you will most likely have everything already on hand. Now let me tell you what I love about this shortbread recipe--it uses brown sugar instead of granulated white. In other words, it takes the cookie a notch above the rest, giving it a little less crumble, a tiny bit more chew, and a touch of warmth from the molasses.

Brown Sugar and Orange Shortbread
Adapted from the Brown Sugar Shortbread recipe from Lick the Bowl Good by Monica Holland

1 cup butter, unsalted, room temperature

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp orange zest (about what you'll get from a medium sized orange)

Sugar sprinkles (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the zest and mix thoroughly. Gradually add the flour, etc until incorporated. Turn the dough out onto the counter until you produce a smooth dough. Between two sheets of parchment or wax paper, roll the dough out until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Chill for half an hour. Cut into desired shape---the original recipe was cut into 2x1 inch rectangles---I used an inch and half round cookie cutter. Makes hearts, diamonds, squares--whatever you want.

Prick the dough with a fork. If you're going to top them with sugar sprinkles, wash tops lightly with milk and sprinkle on sugar. I used King Arthur Flour's Sparkling White Sugar (red sugar sprinkles would be entirely appropriate too). Place about an inch apart on cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until bottoms are a light golden brown. Let cookies set for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack.

If you want to score bonus points, package them up in cute little Valentine's boxes or cello bags.

I know I haven't been around lately. Do I have a good reason? Not really. Life sometimes gets in the way. I'm hoping to make this more of a habit again. Let's do this!

Just in Time

2017-07-03T13:06:00.000-07:00

Hey! How are ya? How ya doin'? This was an unexpected hiatus. It's not like I stopped cooking. My writing motivation has been low...hell, practically nil. So, stick with me while I seek my writing muse to keep me going.

But, just in time for July 4th festivities, I bring you a drink that is perfect for your backyard bbq. Lemonade is the ubiquitous Summer beverage and what fruit screams 'Summer!' more than watermelon? Now how about we mix the two together?

I'm about to make a new batch of watermelon lemonade today. I predict it won't be the last for the season and I'd bet that it won't be yours either.

First off...I highly recommend making simple syrup and keeping it in your fridge. Who likes granules of sugar in their lemonade if not mixed thoroughly? I don't. Simple syrup sweetens perfectly and it comes in handy for adult beverages too. Win win for all.

Watermelon Lemonade
Makes just shy of a quart

1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup simple syrup (less or more to taste)
1 1/3 cups watermelon juice
1/2 cup water

In a blender, add roughly 4 cups of watermelon, cubed, and 1/2 cup water. Puree watermelon. Set up a sieve over a mixing bowl to strain the pulp from the juice. Combine the lemon juice, watermelon juice, water, and simple syrup together in a pitcher or bottle. Mix thoroughly. Feel free to adjust ingredients as you see fit. I personally love a tart lemonade, so my amount of simple syrup may still bring a big pucker to your lips.

For the simple syrup: Equal ratios of water to sugar. One cup of sugar to one cup of water over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Be sure to stir. Once dissolved, allow to cool before use. Will keep in fridge for at least a couple of weeks.

A Little Sweetness

2017-02-13T22:54:00.000-08:00

Another Valentine's Day has arrived with all its heralds of the holiday...chocolates, roses, hearts, red and pink for miles. I'm bringing you something sweet with jammy and buttery goodness. Keep this in mind for a birthday, a dinner party, weekend brunch, or yes, even Valentine's day.

The lastest issue of the King Arthur Flour catalog was in my mailbox a few weeks ago and in it was their recipe for pound cake. When was the last time you had pound cake? I remember an Entenmann's pound cake was frequently in the house when I was growing up. Rich with butter, it was perfect either topped with strawberries and whipped cream or just on its own, where you could savor the simplicity of it.

I kept thinking about that recipe and after I found a set of little heart cake pans while out shopping one day, I knew that was the impetus needed to finally bake that cake. Of course, I had to add a little of me to the cake and decided that making a filled cake would be the way to go. The great thing is that you can easily use a store bought jam, or take the extra few minutes and make your own.

King Arthur Flour Original Pound Cake Recipe

Quick Strawberry Preserves
Makes about a cup

1-2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup sugar
Juice of a quarter lemon
1/4 cup water

Put all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil. Once the mixture boils, lower the heat and allow to simmer until the fruit begins to break down. Feel free to help the process by crushing the fruit with a wooden spoon. When the mixtures has reduced by half, turn off the heat and allow to cool. It will thicken slightly as it cools.

For the cake:

You can make a classic loaf cake or a single 9-inch layer (maybe even a heart shaped layer). Slice the cake in half and spread a fairly thick layer of jam/preserves on the bottom half, gently replacing the top. Dust with confectioners' sugar or even a layer of whipped cream. This cake also gets better if you let the preserves seep into the cake, kind of like a jelly donut.

Here We Are.

2017-01-08T20:13:00.001-08:00

A week into 2017. A new year. A year of possibilities, clean slates, and brighter days. A year of uncertainty, fragile emotions, opportunities for change. Once again...I have no resolutions made, just the desire to change bad habits into smarter life choices. Happy to be finished with the holidays and too many days laden with sweets and more sugar than I knew what to do with. But...truth be told, I'm kicking this year off with a little sweetness, but not so overtly that it will give you a sugar headache.

I've been toying with the idea of giving up sugar, trying a Whole 30 kind of clean-eating deal, and giving up coffee...but honestly, it's just not gonna happen. Like I said...it's a time for smarter life choices. Moderation. Focusing. Being more aware of my actions. I've made the same promises to myself for the past few years and find myself in the same place. And deeply unsatisfied and unhappy. At some point over the past couple of months, I realized that I was eating to fill myself up, but it wasn't just the physical hunger I was trying to satisfy.

No, this isn't a counseling session, but it is me putting it out to the universe that the choices will be different this year. The wherewithal to move forward, continually, expect to stumble, and embrace those stumbles and mis-steps instead of getting discouraged and giving up.

So...I keep the sweetness in my life. And I share this one with you.

Sweet Onion and Apple Jam

1 large Vidalia or Sweet Maui onion, sliced thin (about 2 cups)

3 medium apples, peeled and grated (large hole on box grater, about 2-2 1/2 cups)

2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup water

juice of half a small lemon, preferably Meyer

Slice the onion as thin as you can and put into a medium saucepan along with the grated apples, ginger, brown sugar, water, and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower temperture and let simmer until mixture reduces. Be sure to stir so it doesn't stick. Refrigerate to keep for about a week. Notes: I used Golden Delicious apples, but feel free to use whatever you like or have on hand. Powdered ginger would work fine if it's what you have, but to me, nothing beats that zing of fresh ginger.

I made this as an accompaniment for a good cheddar on crackers (my mind is still in holiday party mode), but as you see below, this is pretty fabulous on a bagel and cream cheese. I'd try it on roasted chicken or pork (another suggestion), and it would probably make a great layer in a sandwich.

Autumn Tease

2016-10-25T10:16:00.001-07:00

Autum is my favorite season and one of the things I miss most about living back East. Leaves changing, that first true chill in the air, a chunky sweater, and the beginning of the baking season that runs through the holidays. In Los Angeles, Fall seems to kick off more times than not by waves of 90 degree plus days. Not the best way to kick off the season. We had a reprieve from the heatwave, so I took advantage of the cooler temps and turned on the oven to bake these scones. Apples scream Autumn and the scones did not disappoint, especially warm out of the oven with butter.

Apple Cinnamon Scones

Adapted from the 'Simple Scones Recipe' from King Arthur Flour
Makes 10-12

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) cold butter
2 cups minced apples (I used Honeycrisps)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons heavy cream, for brushing scones, optional

cinnamon sugar, optional

Preheat oven 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. After mincing apples, put in a small bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add cinnamon and stir to coat apple bits thoroughly.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly. Mix in apples. Whisk eggs, extract, and milk together in large measuring cup or small bowl. Gradually add the liquid mixture to the dry, mixing thoroughly until there's enough liquid to incorporate all the dry ingredients.

Using your hands or a tablespoon, drop mixture onto cookie sheet. Dust hands with extra flour to keep mixture from sticking to hands. I made mine about 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide, about an inch and a half high. Place about an inch and a half apart on baking sheet.

Brush tops of scones with heavy cream and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes. Serve with butter while still warm.

Just Because...

2016-05-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

There are days when you want to bake a cake. Not because there's a birthday to celebrate, a dinner party to bring dessert to, a cocktail party that needs a sweet ending...but just because. Just because you feel like cake, but not a fussy cake. No buttercream, 7-minute, or Swiss meringue frosting needed. No need to use any appliance more modern than a wooden spoon to mix the batter. The kind of cake that is perfectly acceptable as breakfast, is close to perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon, satifies that craving for something sweet before bed.

Also...apologies for the radio silence. I'm looking to get back to regular postings even though I have taken it upon myself to foster more kittens this Spring. My hands overfloweth with little balls of adorable fur.

In the meantime, make this cake. Please.

Raspberry Yogurt Cake
Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe
Makes one 8-inch round cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup raspberry preserves or jam
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used low-fat)
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
10x sugar for dusting
Butter and flour for greasing cake pan

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8-inch cake pan (I also like to line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper), and in a small bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients well with a whisk. Gradually add the flour mixture until combined, but don't over-mix. Electric/stand mixer not necessary, a wooden spoon will work just fine.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes in the cake pan before turning out onto a cooling rack. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

Fancy Dunkaroos

2016-02-13T16:55:00.001-08:00

What happens when you hand your friend a jar of Meyer lemon curd and a bag of candied orange biscotti? You're asked if you've just given her fancy Dunkaroos. Admittedly, Wikipedia educated me on what Dunkaroos are. I don't remember the cookies you dip in a little tub of icing, but if you want to dunk biscotti into lemon curd and call them Dunkaroos, who am I to stop you?

First, treat yourself to candied orange slices. Super easy to make and a sweet treat for your Valentine's Day love (hint hint). You could make them this afternoon and they'll be ready for gift-giving tomorrow. You could even go all out and dip them halfway in melted chocolate.

I don't know how many posts I've written on biscotti, but in my eyes, biscotti never gets old. How could I refrain from mixing the two together? Know what else you can dunk your biscotti in? Ice cream. I wouldn't stop you.

Candied Orange Slices
Makes about 12

2 oranges or tangerines (sliced a thin as you can)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Caster/superfine sugar for dusting

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the water and sugar, stirring until the sugar melts. When sugar has melted, lower heat and add 3 or 4 slices of orange to the syrup. Let slices simmer for 2-3 minutes then flip and do the same for the other side.

Remove from syrup and lay on parchment lined cookie sheet to cool and dry. Let dry for about 6-8 hours and dip in caster sugar.

[Don't forget to save the syrup. It will come in handy for cocktails.]

Candied Orange Biscotti
Makes about 30 cookies

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon bergamot extract
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup candied orange slices, chopped small
1 tbsp cornstarch

Pre-heat oven to 350° and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix the candied orange with the cornstarch to coat. Set aside. In a large bowl, add the eggs and sugar and beat for about 3 minutes. Add extract and mix well. Gradually add flour and baking powder incorporating wet and dry ingredients. Mix in candied orange.

This is a soft, sticky dough, and I highly suggest wetting your hands before handling the dough to prevent sticking. Form dough into two logs on baking sheet, at least 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bottoms turn golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Lower heat to 325°, slice logs into 1/2 inch cookies, laying cookies back on cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Turn cookies over and bake for an additional 12 minutes.

Remove and let cool.

[You can easily swap out orange or vanilla extract for the bergamot.]

Vintage Holidays

2015-12-24T20:54:00.004-08:00

I decided that since I have four kittens in the house this year that I would be crazy to put a Christmas tree up. Even if it is an artifical tree, I wasn't sure I wanted to wake up every morning/come home from work every evening/run a few errands and come home to 1) ornaments rolling across the floor; 2) kittens balanced on branches; 3) the tree laying on its side, a few times over the season or every day.

What I did do was stop at Lowe's one Saturday morning and ask the fellows trimming trees if I could raid their cut branches bin and take an armful. I made a swag for the front door and dug out a vintage Mason jar where I have half a dozen or so boughs draped in vintage red velvet ribbon and a handful of ornaments. All out of kitten range, of course, on top of a small bookcase.

The 'no Christmas tree' was a wise decision as I discovered that within seconds of taking the photo below, I heard the first ornamnent hit the floor and a walnut go 'swoosh' out of the bowl and onto the tile. Kitten paws have impressive batting power. The attention a makeshift tree garners from out of kitten sight to within kitten range is huge.

There was not a huge amount of baking done this year. Enough to get treats out to family and friends and a very small handful left for myself, though I'm thinking a half recipe of bourbon balls might be coming to fruition in the next few hours. Every year, I try to make something new, something different among the many batches of biscotti and other sweets made. I picked up a slim cookbook a couple of months ago, 'Treasured Honey Recipes' from the California Honey Advisory Board. The Honey Walnut Date Bars was this year's new recipe. I've made them four times this month. And each time they've been devoured. I'm always so happy when a vintage recipe still works after 40+ years.

Merry Christmas!

Did You Feel It?

2015-10-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

There was a shift in the seasons recently. That time of year when all things Summer--beach days, shorts, and backyard barbecues--is quietly packed up and set aside for the next 365 days. You may have spied it in store aisles--heralded by the dominant color scheme of oranges, yellows, and deep umbers. Yes...you know what I'm talking about...Pumpkin Spice Season.

Oh...you thought I was going to talk about Autumn? Or even Back to School? Nah...they seem to have fallen to the wayside over the past couple of years. The shift of seasons is measured by the launch of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. And much like the push for Christmas seems to be earlier every year, Pumpkin Spice season seemed to arrive earlier too. Didn't it happen before Labor Day? In the still sweltering days of August?

Pumpkin Spice lattes, pumpkin spice cream oreos, pumpkin spice flavored coffee, pumpkin spice cream filled Twinkies, even pumpkin spice sparkling juice. If you have a Trader Joe's in the neighborhood and receive their Fearless Flyer ad, you may have noticed in the latest edition that the first page featured pumpkin tortilla chips, and deeper within the issue there were SIX additional pages of pumpkin-this or pumpkin spice-that flavored foods.

It's pumpkin overload. Now...don't get me wrong. I'm not anti-pumpkin. I will occasionally enjoy a slice of pumpkin pie. I think pumpkin biscotti are pretty darn fabulous, and pumpkin gnocchi with butter and sage has a place in my recipe collection. But the pumpkin spice everything--when is too much, too much?

Before we attempt to answer that question, let me sneak in a recipe for pumpkin scones. Yes, there is spice in it. To take it up another notch...there's even chocolate. Enjoy the pumpkin for a few more weeks, because before you know it, Gingerbread and Peppermint seasons will soon be here.

Dark Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Scones
Makes 14-16 3 inch scones

2 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp butter, chilled, in small cubes
1/3 cup milk or cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup 100% pure pumpkin
1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate, preferably 64% cocoa

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together and set aside. In a small bowl, beat the milk and eggs. Add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients, mix in with either two forks or a pastry cutter until you have a pebbly texture. Mix in the eggs and milk. Add pumpkin and chocolate pieces, mixing until well combined. Scoop heaping teaspoons full onto cookie sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until bottoms are golden. Transfer to a cooling rack.

The glaze on the scones below is a quick melt of roughly a tablespoon of butter and 4-6 small squares of chocolate (an inch by half inch or so). Melt butter over low heat, add chocolate, turn off heat, and stir until chocolate pieces melt. Drizzle over scones. The chocolate glaze will harden slightly. These are also pretty awesome without the glaze.

Lemons, Berries, and Summer Sun

2015-07-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hey there! It's been awhile. A couple of months awhile. As it usually goes, the time away wasn't planned or intentional. But it happened, and it does happen every once in a blue moon. Let me show you why I took a break and found my hands full.

Yep...I became a kitten mamma. I brought in two feral litters that were born around the building I live in. Originally, there were seven. Unfortunately, I lost two...so I still have five kittens who are growing, eating huge amounts of food, and learning how to get into everything (and driving the older cats crazy!). It's been a learning experience for sure and as soon as they are up to date on vaccinations, and have been spayed/neutered, four of them will be finding new homes. Yes, I have a favourite who is staying with me. He's a scrappy little piece of fluff who I always found curled up by my neck every morning the first couple of weeks I had them inside. Meet Sonic. (As in the Hedgehog)

Since I managed to skip most of Spring on here...let's jump right into Summer, shall we? Being Independence Day, it's the perfect excuse (not like I need one) to bring out the lemonade. From my last produce co-op exchange, I brought home a huge amount of lemons since it seemed that everyone with trees had a bounty to cull from. And what's better to make from lemons than lemonade, except maybe lemon curd? An even nicer touch to lemonade is how it can easily go from a refreshing Summer drink to adult beverage with a little alcohol.

I took it a step further by adding blueberries, because I am a sucker for any lemonade with berries added. So when life hands you lemons and blueberries...make lemonade.

Have a happy and safe Independence Day! And keep your pets safe when the fireworks go off tonight!

Blueberry Lemonade

Adapted from a recipe on Allrecipes.com

Makes about half a gallon

1 1/2 cups sugar

8 cups water

1 1/2 cups lemon juice

1 5 oz clamshell blueberries

In a medium saucepan, add one cup water with the sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool. In a small saucepan, add the washed blueberries and a scant 1/4 cup water. Bring to a low boil, breaking berries with the back of a spoon until you have a thick fruit syrup.

In a container large enough, add the blueberry syrup, lemon juice, simple syrup, and the remaining water. Chill and serve over ice.

To make an adult beverage--add a shot of vodka to a 12 oz glass of lemonade. And maybe a spritz of tonic or club soda.

Cheers!

It's in the Stars

2015-04-23T23:15:00.002-07:00

Do you fancy chilies, ginger, horseradish, or mustard? Or maybe you have a fondness for lavender, aniseed, or caraway? So...what's your sign? I'm not trying to pick you up with a cheesy line, but I might guess that if you love spicy foods you could be an Aries; and if you sometimes start your mornings with a taste of anise in your espresso, you might be a Virgo (and also Italian!).

I'm kind of a sucker for astrology. Every morning I read my horoscope. The cookbook, A Taste of Astrology, by Lucy Ash is my pick for #tbt. From 1988, this book breaks down each astrological sign in typical ways (ruling planet, elements, characteristics, et al), but also includes the flora, herbs, spices, and cell salts for each sign. Ash also writes about the sign from the perspective of the kind of cook and the kind of dinner guest you could be. Of course, it wouldn't be a cookbook without recipes, so you'll find recipes for sides, appetizers, main courses, and desserts.

With the upcoming birthday weighing on my thoughts, I dug right into the Taurus chapter looking for something to try. I wasn't feeling the urge to do anything complicated or time consuming, so I decided to try the Baked Spinach Creams. I even made it twice, since I wasn't entirely pleased with the first try and figured I shouldn't cut too many corners and stick more to the original.

Not that the first attempt was bad, because it wasn't, but I thought it could be a great little dish if I didn't tweak too much. What I learned from the first dish to the second--the right amount of cream is really, really important--and don't skip the pureeing part. You can skip the croutons if you decide that garlic toasted sourdough rounds spread with nduja before being topped with baked spinach cream makes half of an awesome dinner, though.

Baked Spinach Creams

Adapted from 'A Taste of Astrology: The Cookbook'

Serves 2

6 oz frozen chopped spinach

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, one minced, one peeled and whole

5 fl oz heavy cream

2 tbsp Parmesan, grated

6-8 rounds of sourdough from a batard, thinly sliced

salt

cayenne

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees, In a medium saucepan, add frozen spinach and a pinch of salt, with enough water to cook spinach through, about 5-7 minutes. Drain water from spinach and saute with a tablespoon of the butter and the minced garlic. In a small skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil and rub each side of the bread with the whole garlic clove. Toast both sides of each slice to preference and set aside.

Add heavy cream to sauteed spinach and mix well. Puree in a food processor until spinach breaks down. In a small baking dish, or two ramekins, pour spinach puree into dish, topping with grated Parmesan, the remaining butter, and a healthy pinch of cayenne. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese melts slightly and spinach bubbles.

Spread on rounds and serve hot.

Note: If you don't want to serve it on toasted bread rounds, you can make croutons with the bread of your choice, about 1/3 cup worth, add them to the pureed spinach and bake it all together.

The Good, the Bad, and Sometimes, the Ugly

2015-04-16T22:51:00.004-07:00

I don't know what went screwy with cooking in the 60's and 70's. I almost came to you empty-handed this week, admitting failure to find a recipe from the 70's. I spent the past few days going through not one or two, but five cookbooks, looking for something. It was not easy. My friend in Ohio graciously put up with my texted photos of dishes from the 'Better Homes and Gardens Salad Book', where there's a chapter called, 'Salads from the Freezer.' And despite her insistence that I make a frozen salad...I just couldn't. I couldn't. But...hey, it's not summer yet, I may be inclined give it a go in a month or two...we'll see.

The decade strikes me as a time of brown food. I know I've mentioned it before. Look through any illustrated cookbook from then and tell me if you don't agree. Everything has a brown or overly warm tint. A very unappetizing tint, like they were trying to coordinate with every kitchen done in paneling and full of appliances and kitchenware in avocado green, mustard, or chocolate brown.

After trying to find a feasible recipe in book after book, I pulled the 'Tassajara Cooking' book down from the shelf. It even has a brown cover! Released by the Zen Center of San Franciso, it is a vegetarian cookbook that is more guide than traditional step by step recipes. From the first page, the laid back attitude is in evidence: 'The way to be a cook is to cook. The results don't have to be just right, measuring up to some imagined or ingrained taste...Just feed, satisfy, nourish.'

The recipe I chose is the Bulgur-Tahini Casserole. (Casseroles are so 70's.) As written, the ingredient list and directions barely make a full paragraph, with an additional two longer paragraphs of variations! So I varied. I substituted red winter wheat berries for the bulgur. The dish is not an attractive one once ready. It was very brown from the wheat berries. I'm tempted to try again using rice or millet. It's got a quiche-y kind of consistency from the eggs, but has a chewiness from the wheat berries. The tahini is a winning ingredient, because sesame is one of my favorite flavors. Serve with a salad and you're good to go.

If you decide to give this a try, I would LOVE to see photos or hear what you think of it.

Wheat Berries-Tahini Casserole

Adapted from the Bulgur-Tahini Casserole recipe in the Tasajara Cooking book

Serves 4

1 cup wheat berries (dry)

3 cups water

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup tahini

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

Bring water to a boil in saucepan, add wheat berries, and cook over a low simmer until done to chewiness. Drain any remaining water. Grease a casserole pan (I used an 8 inch round Pyrex baker), and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute onion and garlic in pan until translucent, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. In a medium bowl, crack eggs and beat lightly. Add milk, tahini, and salt, whisking until relatively smooth. Add onions and garlic, mixing well, then add wheat berries, stirring to thoroughly combine all ingredients.

Pour mix into casserole and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cook for a few minutes before serving.

Right On Time

2015-04-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

If I had stayed on schedule with the 'Throwback Thursday' posts I started in February, I should be posting a recipe from the 1980's this week. Everything happens for a reason though, right? Maybe it's not a coincidence that there were a couple of hiccups along the way and the week I cover the 60's is the same week that the final episodes of 'Mad Men' begin to air. I am a huge fan of the show and well, I have yet to fully admit to myself that after these last seven episodes, it will be over. Sometime in the near future, you may find me in a darkened room, bingeing on the series all over again.

This recipe is exactly the kind of dish I could see Betty Draper making as part of dinner where Don brings home a client to sweet talk into letting Sterling Cooper run their next advertising campaign. She'd be wearing something pastel with a coordinating chiffon hostess apron--a cigarette in one hand, a potholder in the other as she opens the oven door and pulls out a Pyrex casserole filled to every nook with onions, golden and baked to perfection. Simmering in a sauce of stock, honey, lemon, and butter, baked long enough that the onions keep their shape, but soften to the point where they practically melt in your mouth with each bite. A dish so simple to pull together, just right to serve with roast chicken. No...scratch that. Not chicken. Cornish hen. Each guest made to feel special by having their own. The kind of special gesture that convinces you that Don is your man.

The Spice Islands Cookbook, originally published in 1961, is a perfect example of a cookbook from the 60's. Kitschy graphics, helpful charts, and lovely recipes such as Eggs in Aspic. I wish I was kidding about that one. I'm not. But don't hold that recipe against the book. It was the 60's, after all.

Baked Onions
Adapted from a recipe in The Spice Islands Cookbook
Serves 2-4

2 large yellow onions
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp lemon zest, grated
1/4 tsp paprika
2 tbsp panko bread crumbs
1 tsp black sesame seeds

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Peel outer skins from onions and slice in half. Place in casserole of baking dish, large enough to hold onions, but not so small that onions are crowded. In a small bowl, whisk together the stock, one tablespoon of the butter, salt, honey, paprika, and lemon zest. Once mixed, pour oven onions. Cover baking dish with foil and bake until onions are tender, 50 minutes to an hour. In a small skillet, melt the remaining butter, adding the panko and sesame seeds, heating until slightly toasted. Remove foil from baking dish, sprinkle bread crumbs over onions, and bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes, until crumbs turn golden brown.

Serve on their own or over rice.

Nothing in the House But Eggs

2015-04-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

After being a little under the weather last week, where food was the last thing I wanted to think about, I am here and ready to tackle the next decade for the culinary #tbt series. This week's cookbook is 'Potluck Cookery' by Beverly Pepper (appropriate for a cookbook author, no?) from 1955. With the promise of being full of 'delightful ways to make a royal meal from leftovers or whatever you have on hand,' there are 320 recipes of what to do with leftover poultry, leftover vegetables, cheese, eggs, or cereals.

Recipe No. 305. Eggs Parmentier, under the 'Nothing in the House but Eggs' section. Parmentier. You may have seen a similar recipe called Hachis or Hache Parmentier, looking vaguely like Shephard's Pie, with mashed potatoes and roast beef. Keep the mashed potatoes, ditch the roast beef, add an egg or two, and you've got Eggs Parmentier. You also have a perfect weekend brunch dish, just add a salad and mimosas.

Eggs Parmentier
Adapted from 'Potluck Cookery'
Serves 2

3 medium potatoes, peeled and boiled
2 eggs
2 slices prosciutto, chopped and crisped
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese
pinch paprika

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a small baking dish or pie plate (about 6 inches in diameter). Boil peeled and cut potatoes until tender, about 8-12 minutes, depending on size. Drain water from potatoes, add 1 tbsp butter, salt, and 1/4 cup of the milk. Mash potatoes by hand or with electric mixer. Spread potatoes in baking dish, making two wells for eggs. In a small frying pan, crisp the prosciutto, draining any excess fat. Crumble prosciutto over potatoes and in wells. Crack an egg in each well (don't worry if the whites spread over the potatoes a bit). Sprinkle cheese and paprika over potatoes and eggs.

Bake until eggs are set to preference and edges of potatoes begin to brown, about 15-20 minutes.

The Household Seal of Approval

2015-03-19T11:20:00.002-07:00

Part of the attraction for me to vintage cookbooks and vintage books in general is the incredible amount of care that went into the designs. Think of pulp fiction novels from the 50's. The enduring attraction, to some extent, is the cover artwork. Vying for attention from shelves and newsstands of years gone by, they are brightly colored, titilating, and suggestive. Some cookbooks of decades ago hold that same attraction for me. So many cookbooks have amazing graphics and design--from embossed covers of intricate detail to illustrations with mid-century style and swagger. While surface beauty wasn't the only factor that led to this week's cookbook pick, it did make me linger a little longer over my choice.

From 1941, The Household Searchlight Recipe Book came out of Topeka, Kansas. I did a little research on The Household Magazine and discovered that it was pretty prolific for its time. In 1931, it had a subscription circulation of over 1 million readers. The Library of Congress even has an issue from 1926 in its digital archives, which is a treat to look through. The recipe book has an extensive index of options, with recipes tested and given the 'Searchlight Seal of Approval,' which must have been the Topeka version of the Good Housekeeping seal. The 'Sandwiches' section alone provided a plethora of options, which is what made it win out over the Trader Vic's cookbook that was also under consideration. A lot of ingenious combinations, a lot of downright odd combinations, all under the categories of open faced or closed sandwiches, with gentle suggestions on what bread to use and whether to keep crusts on or off.

I could have chosen Pineapple Peanut Sandwiches, Baked Bean Sandwiches, Black Walnut Sandwiches, or even Coconut Sandwiches. But I didn't. What I did choose was the Fig Nut Sandwiches and the Carrot Sandwiches. With some of the choices available here, your next tea party would be anything but ordinary.

I took liberty with the recipes since both called for a specific salad dressing to mix in. I used what I had on hand, or just shaved enough off the recipe to make it still work without having to make anything more.

Carrot Sandwiches
Adapted from The Household Searchlight Recipe Book
Recipe courtesy of Eulalie Weber, Marysville, KS

1 large carrot, washed, top and root end trimmed
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
Arugula, washed
2 tbsp tahini dressing
2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted

In a food processor, grind peanuts to fine consistency, but not peanut butter. With the shredder blade, add the carrot and pulse to combine. Add dressing to bring to spreadable consistency. You could easily use the same amount of vegetable or olive oil in place of the dressing. Spread on one slice of toast with arugula, top with second slice and cut into triangles.

Fig Nut Sandwiches
Adapted from The Household Searchlight Recipe Book

1 cup dried figs, about 8 or 9
1/4 cup almonds
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp mayonnaise
pinch of salt
baguette, sliced thin and grilled

Grind almonds in a food processor until minced but not ground too finely. Add figs and grind until combined. Add remaining ingredients and process until it becomes the consistenly of a chunky spread. Spread on bageutte slices.

#tbt Hiccup

2015-03-12T13:05:00.001-07:00

Order is once again restored...and here I am. Remember when I mentioned earlier this year that I knew 2015 was going to start off rough? Well...I may have underestimated just how rough. On top of a lot of little things that have just been piling up, I've been fretting over an upcoming surgery (which occurred this past Monday---I'm home, healing, and it was good news). Of course...I really did bake last week with the next recipe (it was a good distraction for a few hours), I just didn't feel like having to sit down and write about it.

So, again...here I am. Originally, I thought I may have been mistaken and didn't have any cookbooks from the 1930's. But I did have a Sunset magazine or two, both containing recipes, and I had even chosen which one I was going to make. Then...then I was tagged on Instagram (because there are people on there who know my love of vintage cookbooks and happily point out ones they think I may be interested in). Turns out, it was for a cookbook I actually already have! And the date was posted! 1934! Serendipituous! Right on cue!

My copy came off the bookshelf and after a flip or three through the pages--extremely worn, stained, torn, and battered pages-- I found the recipe for Coconut Ice Box Cookies. You know the great thing about ice box cookies? Anyone can make them. Anyone. And they'll be good, if not great. These are also the best cookie to stash a batch in the freezer and when you have friends stopping by, pull it out, slice what you want, bake, and voila! Cookies! Buttery, coconut-ty, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside.

The Easy Way Out via 1928

2015-02-26T09:42:00.003-08:00

'Any one can Bake,' according the cookbook of the same name from 1928, released by the Royal Baking Powder Company. One of the more recent acquisitions to my cookbook collection, this is really a little gem. I love the photos, table setting guides, and the recipes are pretty easy and straightforward. I really could have made something a little more involved, a little more elaborate, but I opted for biscuits. There is a recipe for a coffee cake that completely caught my attention, because who can turn down a good coffee cake? But after the decadence of the brownies I made over the weekend, I thought it best to stay away from another indulgence of cake.

Biscuits are always a good pick in my book. While they may be easy to make, I don't think they're always easy to be successful. You can have 'okay' biscuits, 'good' biscuits, and 'awesome' biscuits. I'm going to put this in the 'good' category. A little flaky with a decent rise. I halved the recipe and did use shortening. I may have rolled them out too thinly, but honestly, once they were baked, split, and topped with a fried egg...they were fabulous.

Baking Powder Biscuits
Adapted from the Royal Master Recipe for Baking Powder Biscuits
Makes 6

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp shortening
3 fl oz milk

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add shortening and cut in with pastry blender or forks. Gradually add milk to make a soft dough.

Roll dough out of about a half-inch thickness and cut out with biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until they are golden.

Serve warm with plenty of butter.

Wait! Stop What You're Doing!

2015-02-23T21:20:00.001-08:00

Maybe you're a lot like me and think brownies are only ho-hum, not too special, you know...brownies. Then you find yourself invited to an Oscars viewing party and you want to bring something. You have no idea what you're going to make, other than something dessert-ish. Then you're reading through your blogs feed and come across the latest post from Luisa Weiss, aka The Wednesday Chef. She's writing about something called Boston Brownies from a German baker named Gerhard Jenne. Brownies with cranberries in them. Cranberries. You think of your deep love of cranberries and think how right it is to combine the two. And she's raving about them. Raving...over brownies. And there you have it. You know what you're taking to that Oscars viewing party.

But that's not quite all of it. You decide to use the Special Dark cocoa. After the brownies are baked, still warm, fresh out of the pan, onto the cutting board where you're cutting them into their little squares, getting them ready for their party debut, you have to try a little piece to make sure they've turned out okay. You bite into it. You get a burst of cranberry as your teeth sink into the deep, dark chocolate. And you find yourself holding onto the edge of the counter and saying to yourself...oh, fuuuuuddddggggeeee... (But it's not really 'fudge' that you're saying.) It's that kind of brownie. And you think to yourself....'Why don't I make brownies more often?'

Dark Chocolate Brownies with Cranberries
Adapted from The Wednesday Chef's adaptation of Gerhard Jenne's recipe
Makes One 8x8 inch pan (about 16-20 brownies)

3 eggs
175 grams sugar (1 1/3 cups)
175 grams butter (6 1/4 oz)
150 grams chocolate, preferably dark, mine was 64% (5 1/3 oz)
175 grams flour (1 1/3 cups plus 1 tbsp)
4 tbsp cocoa powder, preferably Hershey's Special Dark
1 tsp espresso powder
1/4 tsp salt
175 grams cranberries (6 1/4 oz)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper. Chop the chocolate into small pieces. In a small bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Whisk and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and add sugar, whisking until combined and frothy. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, then turn off heat and add chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts. Add chocolate mixture to eggs and sugar, whisking until combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add cranberries and stir into batter. Pour batter into pan and bake for 25-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cut and serve.

Notes: I followed Luisa's example and weighed the ingredients this time around. I have a little kitchen scale that I got for $5.00. It does the trick. Regular cocoa will work just fine in this recipe, but I urge you to seek out the Special Dark. It takes the fudginess to a whole other level and when you get a bite of the dark cake and tart cranberry, it is just magic. Seriously. You can use frozen cranberries, but the batter will seize as you're mixing the fruit in. Luisa does mention this, also noting to work quickly, but I don't think I worked quickly enough, so a good 60-70% of my batter was a big seized lump. But...I figured it would melt as it warmed in the oven, so I didn't worry too much. Saying that, while Luisa says to bake for 25 minutes, mine baked for 40 minutes, maybe a little more (I also forgot to set a timer). I'd bet the longer length of time is because for the first 20 or so minutes, I was obsessively opening the oven and spreading the batter over the pan as it gradually warmed. So...my advice? Thaw your berries and make sure they're room temperature. Unless you want to deal with seized batter.

It's like this...really...