Let Them Eat (Coffee) Cake!

Photo courtesy Barbara Johnson Whisenhunt

Apples are very much a part of culture and society, probably because of the numerous myths surrounding them, both ancient and contemporary. In addition to being myth-laden, apples are also a wonderful part of fall and winter baking--pies, tarts and cakes are only the beginning as there are numerous iterations suited to every taste. For me, apple pie topped with whipped cream or ice cream is an amazing treat. But, fresh apple coffee cake combines the wonderful concept of apple pie with the traditional coffee cake into something that is as enjoyable in the morning as it is after a fall/winter supper of soup or stew. This recipe is one of my favorites and I love the smell of the house as it bakes. With a few small changes, I was able to adapt the recipe for baking as individual cakes, which look great with a brunch spread or on a small plate to share at the office. The secret ingredient here is cream cheese which results in a cake with a soft, tender crumb.

Recipe: Fresh Apple Coffee Cake

1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. cream cheese (low-fat is okay, but i wouldn't use fat free), softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups chopped, peeled apples (I like to use a combination of Granny Smith and Jonagold, about 3 medium to large apples)

Combine 1/4 cup sugar with cinnamon. Place apples and 2 tbsp. sugar/cinnamon mixture in a heavy sauce pan and cook, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes, or until the apples have softened. Cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a big yellow bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter, vanilla and cream cheese together at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture to butter/cream cheese mixture, beating at low speed until well blended. Stir in cooked apples by hand.

Divide batter between 12 greased (or cooking spray) coated muffin tins. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly dry. Cool in the pan and remove with a spatula.

Mangez!

Cookies from the Pros Who Knows

From left: moi, Rachel, Anne, Gabrielle, Kristina and Jennifer, all with gifts in hand--or around neck, in my case.

For our department holiday party, we gathered at my boss' house for cookie making, each of us baking a personal favorite. Before we started in the kitchen, we exchanged our Secret Santa presents which had to feature some sort of homemade option and also the color green. I received the most beautiful hand-knitted scarf from Anne, (Thank you!) and it was a lot of fun to see what everyone had come up with.


The burned goat cheese.


Little big-tomato-butt-man.

Everyone brought something savory to nosh while we prepared the cookies and sipped on champagne, wine and port. Anne was making a salad with cherries that are plumped in port and served with a warm goat cheese. But, distracted by our beautiful prezzies, we didn't even notice the burning smell until it was far too late. The holidays are not a time to be brought down by burnt cheese and everyone carried on, with Lisa leading in the creation of a little big-tomato-butt-man from the crudite and other snacks.


Dueling spatulas.

Sacrifices like the one made by the cheese are what makes the rest of the day run like clockwork--a little bloodshed for a lot of happiness. Seven people, two cats and one dog in the kitchen? Pretty crazy, I must say, but we all worked together, passing ingredients and tools to the left, to the right, and flipping them over our heads--a veritable curlinary Cirque de Soleil. Everyone kept an eye on the stove and we turned out tray after tray of delectable treats. The recipes--some classics, some family favorites--are published here for your enjoyment.

Kristina elected to make a classic--Nestle Toll House--and she made them just like my mother always did: some with nuts and some without. It may sound bizarre since I confess my undying love of the pecan crispy below, but I prefer a chocolate chip cookie to be nut free.

Recipe: The real, the original, the authentic Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups (12-ounce package) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla together in a big yellow bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and pecans.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.



Gabrielle created a twist on a classic by using cherries instead of raisins. These may be wholesome, but they're still delicious, which means you can enjoy them tonight, but feel good about yourself in the morning.

Recipe: Wholesome Oatmeal Cherry Cookies
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a big yellow bowl, cream together the brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, oat bran, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture and stir until just blended. Mix in the dried cherries.

Drop the dough in scant 1/4 cup mount about 3 inches apart and flatten slightly with moistened finger--about six cookies per baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, until brown and just firm to the touch. When first removed from the oven, these cookies will be soft and delicate. Carefully transfer them to racks to cool. Makes 10-12 large cookies



Cookies with booze in them?! Alright! Tanks Annnne, thes ar greet.

Recipe: Rum Balls
2 cups fine 'Nilla Wafer crumbs
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp. cocoa
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
1/3 cup rum
1 tsp. orange rind

Combine crumbs, sugar and cocoa. Add corn syrup and rum. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Store for several days in a tight tin to develop flavor. Roll again in powdered sugar before serving.





Your peanut butter is on my chocolate! Your chocolate is in my peanut butter! Who cares who's fault it is, these cookies that Rachel made are a classic combination of flavors.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, softened.
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
extra sugar
Hershey kisses

Preheat over to 375 degrees.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Beat margarine and peanut butter together, add sugars and beat until well-blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture until combined. Roll dough into one-inch ball and cover in sugar.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 12 minutes. Press an unwrapped kiss into the top of each warm cookie. Makes 3 dozen.


A classic holiday cookie, Jennifer had us all cutting out fun shapes to bake and adorn--but it got too late and we never did decorate. Next time!

Recipe: King Arthur's Special Sugar Cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup (4 oz.) cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. to 3/4 tsp. orange oil OR 1 tsp. vanilla plus 1 tsp. almond extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

In a big yellow bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the orange oil (or vanilla and almond extracts) and stir in dry ingredients. Divide the dough in half, wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Between two pieces of wax paper lightly coated with flour, roll one portion of dough out to 1/8-inch thickness. Place the sheet of dough in the freezer (use a baking sheet to support if necessary) for 10-15 minutes while you roll out the second portion of dough. Use a cookie cutter lightly coated with flour, cut into desired shapes and remove to baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until light brown. Remove from sheet and cool on a rack. Decorate as desired.


This is one of my favorite cookie recipes, which is surprising since it contains no chocolate. The flavor is addictive and it makes enough to feed a crowd at work or at a party.

Recipe: Pecan Crispies
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans

In a big yellow bowl, beat the shortening and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, baking soda, and salt; beat until the mixture is combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs until combined. Beat in the flour on low until combined. Stir in pecans.

Drop dough by round teaspoon about 2 inches apart onto a greased cookies sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned and edges are set. The cookies will be puffed, but as they cool will turn crisp with a lovely crackly top. Makes at least 60 cookies.

Mangez!

Dippy, Spready, Nibbly Things

With the holidays upon us, its time to entertain and everyone is looking for something new and perfect to serve. These are some recipes I like and think you'll enjoy making and serving to friends or family. One of my favorites to make, serve and eat is this delicious cherry-shallot confit. It has that sweet/savory combination of flavors that I love: wonderful, carmelized onion and shallots mixed with cherries and the subtle hint of thyme. Perfect on crusty bread slathered with a simple cheese.



One of the most amazing things about living in Austin is of course Central Market and I'm lucky enough to live just around the corner from the original. I had all of the making for the confit, but needed to pick out the cheese to go with out. Of course, their cheese department is larger than my apartment and I was instantly baffled. I usually serve it with a Machego or Parmesan, but confronted with all of the selection....I balked. Thankfully, CM has the a wonderful staff. The cheese lady asked what I was looking for and I told her about the confit. She suggested several things, but we finally settled on a Camembert made from both sheep and goats milk. Wanting to make sure that it was going to work, she opened on the packages and gave me a taste. Dense and creamy, it was the perfect foil for the confit. There are lots of cheeses that you could use, be adventurous and selective....once the onions and shallots are chopped, this goes together quickly, perfuming the house as it simmers.

Recipe: Cherry-Shallot Confit

2 tbsp. unsalted butter
8 ounces shallots, trimmed and quartered
3-4 medium onions, cut into 8 wedges (sweet if you can find them, but anything works)
1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
6 sprigs fresh thyme
6 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup Champagne vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots, onion, cherries, and thyme. Cover, and cook until shallots and onion are soft and beginning to caramelize, 12 to 14 minutes. Stir in sugar. Continue to cook, covered, until shallots and onion are caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add vinegar and 1/2 cup warm water. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and mixture is deep brown, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature. Confit can be refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 1 week.


(Now, if you're lucky enough to have a little leftover, there are several things you can do with it, but for me its grilled cheese. Use the leftover cheese if you have some, or try and spreadable goat or a good melting cheese like fontina. Butter one side of each piece of bread, slather it with cheese and top with the confit. Fry until golden brown and the cheese is nice and melty. Divine!)

Barb-a-licious makes this dip for her annual fall party and other times during the years. It's great with Wheat Thins or some other small cracker, but I think it would also be delicious on cucumber rounds or with celery sticks for the carb-concious. She was kind enough to lend the recipe and let me publish it here. You can use the chutney of your choice, mango may be the standard, but this year she used apple and I thought it was perfect.

Recipe: Chutney Cream Cheese Spread

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup chutney, apple is good
1-2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon each curry, cumin, coriander

Combine all ingredients in food processor until smooth, or a little chunky.

Other recipes on this site you might try are the pimento cheese spread or my mushroom-pecan pate.

The BEST Gingershaps

I got this recipe from Teri, the executive secretary at the Wichita Art Museum, who nabbed it from a catalog from Aspen Traders--a trendy women's store. They really are the best I've ever tasted, so I made a batch to take to the work as my first baked goods. I did have a few problems (still trying to get to know my oven) but enough of them emerged unscathed as to constitute a worthy batch.

Recipe: Gingersnaps

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine:
5 cups flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves

Whisk to combine.

Cream together:
3/4 lb. butter
2 cups sugar
Then add:
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
Mix until smooth, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Roll dough into 1 inch balls (or use a scoop) and then roll in sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes at least 4 dozen.

Mangez!

Respite

Last week I had a nice little vaca in Chicago/Michigan, the highlight of which include a concert with Tori Amos; Paris photo exhibition at the AIC (not the Toulouse-Lautrec. blech! not blech on T-L, but the exhibition was just boring.); a weekend at Margaret's family's lake house with a whole gaggle of fun people; thrift shopping with Michael, Ryan and Emily; and dinner at Green Zebra (more below). It was nice to leave all of the stress and disorder of packing and moving behind for a couple of days and just....relax.

At the lake house, which is in Holland, Michigan right on the edge of the faucean (faux+ocean=faucean) that is Lake Michigan, everyone pitches in to cook. There is always plenty of sweets, some salting things and more than the crew could possibly eat in three days. On Saturday night, there was some sort of pork on the grill and fresh corn from the farmers markets, plus new potatoes, and Tracy's Asian salad. Sean made a fun Champagne cocktail that was pretty as well as delicious.



I made some peanut noodles that we munched on for the weekend as well as pecan crispies, which are my favorite cookie, despite the fact that they contain no chocolate. Sunday night, John and I cooked a classic southern menu that included mac 'n cheese; Oklahoma hushpuppies (okra fritters); tomato salad; cucumbers in vinegar and fried zucchini. We started with pimento cheese which I molded into the State of Texas per Christine's creative suggestion. For dessert, it was Sex in a Pan, which is the name my college friends gave to one of my mom's classic dessert she calls Four Layer Pie. It really is that good.



Back in Chicago and running around with Michael and Ryan, I had one my favorite dishes from the newly remodeled Joy's Noodles and Rice in Lakeview: Phuket Noodles. I've never seen these on another menu and can't manage to track down a recipe, but they are comprised of delicious spinach noodles, vegetables and tofu in a yellow curry. MMMMM.

Tuesday night we went to Green Zebra which is the new restaurant by Shawn McClain, chef of Spring, and has a vegetable focused menu. It's the reversal of most menus in that it has one or two meat-based dishes and the rest are vegetarian. There are three small-plate course to choose from, which progress from light to heavy, each involving a unique twist on fine ingredients. I started with the avocado panna cotta which was rich and heavenly and topped with spicy, sweet onions. My second course was the crispy sweet potato dumplings in a dandelion miso broth which was followed by the grilled mushrooms with polenta. We each tasted the other's choices and the stand outs were the inside-out coconut spring rolls (not on the on-line menu), the blue-cheese cake and the....let's face it, everything was very good and aesthetically presented. It is a little costly and not somewhere you would eat every week, but well worth a visit. On-line reviews remarked that the service was spotty, which we didn't find to be the case until we were ready to pay the bill. Where do those waiters go once your credit card is on the table?

Returning home, I have a lot of food memories to comfort me as I pack and move.

Recipe: Champagne cocktail


Recipe: Sex in a Pan, aka Four Layer Pie
This is one of my mother's classic desserts. In addition to the chocolate version, she also make lemon and banana. Often, I would return to school from home with a pan of this to share with friends who thought it was so good they dubbed "sex in a pan." It is very good, but it should be pointed out that most of them were virgins.

Crust, Layer One:
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cut together with knives or a pastry cutter and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown.

Layer Two:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6-7 oz. Cool Whip
1 cup powdered sugar

In a big, yellow bowl, mix together all three ingredients and spread on top of COOLED crust.

Layer Three:
One large chocolate Jell-O pudding mix, COOLED.

Layer Four:
6-7 ounce Cool Whip.

Chill and garnish with additional chopped pecans, chocolate shavings, etc.

Recipe: Pimento Cheese Spread
This version of the recipe is from Frank Stitt's Southern Table, but you can't go wrong with your own combination of cheddar cheese, mayo (John insists on Miracle Whip, which has a sharper flavor, but its all about preference) and pimentos. The cream cheese in this version is a nice addition.

1 lb. yellow cheddar, grated
1/4 lb. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. white pepper
3 roasted bell peppers from a jar, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup mayo or Miracle Whip
1 tsp. sugar
Splash of hot sauce
1/8 tsp. cayenne

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Serve with celery stick or crackers. It also makes a wonderful sandwich filling, especially on toasted bread.

Mangez!

Dining in Madison

Mitchell, Barb and I escaped the hot, humid climes of Kansas for a long weekend in Madison, WI to visit our friends Jessie and Dave. It was my first trip and we had a wonderful time and consumed lots of great food. Here are the highlights:

We had breakfast on Saturday at the Monty's Blue Plate Diner, which served a fantastic breakfast, plus had pies of all sorts and array of vegetarian sandwiches. These included a bar-b-qued seitan sandwich and the Sheldon, Reuben's vegetarian cousin which we sampled later in the trip. The decor was fun and kitschy, with kettles, blenders and other kitchen gadgets outfitted with neon.



For dinner, it was slightly more exotic fare as we sampled east African delights at Buraka. Barb had a Dark & Stormy, which was spiced rum in ginger beer, setting her off on the trail for the best ginger in Wisconsin. (We sampled several before the trip was over) Jessie had a Tusker beer, the flavor of which was a little je n'ais sai quoi? The label, however, was fabulous. Wanting to sample everything, I ordered a combination plate with vegetarian peanut stew and misirwot, served on a piece of their wonderful sourdough flatbread called injera. Tasty and delicious, the misirwrot was a spicy concoction of vegetables and I loved every bite.





Afterwards, we hit Ella's Deli for some ice cream. This kosher establishment not only serves wonderful food, but does it in an environment that is insane. All around you, creatures bob and move, including the family of feet pictured below. The scheme includes giant bananas, sinister clowns and is replete with its own merry-go-round out front (sorry, ice cream not allowed.) And the ice cream?! I had the dark chocolate made with three different kinds of chocolate and it was perfectly creamy and smooth.







Sunday morning means brunch, but at an Asian restaurant? Firefly is a chic little eatery that serves an exotic brunch menu tinged with the flavors of the east. The draw was marscapone stuffed French toast, but I ended up getting the Breakfast Moo Shoo which was eggs, vegetables and hoisin sauce with the little pancakes to wrap them in. A wonderful twist on one my favorite dishes. And did I mention the mimosas? Exotic flavors like guava and pomegranate...





I think everyone's favorite meal was at Himal Chuli, one of two sister Nepalese restaurants in Madison. The food is mostly Indian in flavor and form, with a touch of Chinese. I started with some samosas, which were delicious, crispy and light. A small cup of dal followed and for the main course I had a seitan kabob: perfect pieces of seitan that had been cooked in a spicy mixture of tumeric and curry. Whole wheat flatbread on the side. Everyone agreed that if we'd eaten here on the first day, we wouldn't have eaten anywhere else. After dinner, we headed over to Crave Restaurant and Lounge for a nightcap. This corner bar has swanky sofas, great lights and an amazing list of cocktails. I ordered a Mandarin Martini (even though I try and resist any cocktail named a martini that isn't) which was fantastic though--fresh squeezed oj with a kick.







One of the best meals of the trip was at Jessie and Dave's cute apartment. Dave made vegetarian koftas which were very tasty and Jessie put together a lemon spaghetti from Giadi De Laurentiis' cookbook that was a birthday gift from us this year. Both were absolutely wonderful and it was a pleasure to sit around a table with friends and enjoy good wine, food and conversation.

Recipe: Zucchini-Tofu Koftas (comments are Jessie's)

Super fresh and yummy from the Moosewood Cookbook. For all of the herbs and spices they don't normally have on hand, J&D went to the co-op where they sell them in bulk and got only what we needed.

2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
6 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced (but Dave used 2 tbsp. of minced packed garlic)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground fennel seeds
4 tsp. ground cumin seeds
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. dried mint (or 1 tbsp. fresh)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne
2 blocks tofu, pressed and dried
2 tbsp. unbleached white flour
1/2 cup chopped cashews, walnuts or pistachios (we like the cashews!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a heavy skillet,saute the zucchini and garlic in the oil, stirring often until most of the moisture has evaporated (5-10 minutes.) Add the spices and cook for one more minute, stirring constantly. Place in a bowl. Crumble in the tofu, add the flour and nuts, and mix well.

Form the mix into golf ball-sized balls (they said walnut, but I think more people can relate to a golf ball than a walnut. Hmf.) Place on an oiled baking sheet and bake until firm, about 20 to 30 minutes. Use this time to make all sorts of ball jokes.

Moosewood suggests the Sweet and Sour Tamarind sauce on page 312. We put out soy sauce and Annie's Sea Veggie and Sesame Vinaigrette, which is the greatest dressing of all time, and it was dee-lish!

Recipe: Lemon Spaghetti

A great meal for those nights that your kitchen is hot and you're in no mood to cook. For non-veggies, goes well with grilled fish. For veggies, really good with koftas or Katie's crunchy tofu.

2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or we use Asiago)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
3/4 tsp. salt + more to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
16 oz. dried spaghetti
1/3 cup fresh basil (we can't keep basil, so we always omit)
1 tsp. grated lemon zest (from your 2 juiced lemons)

In a big YELLOW bowl, whisk the oil, cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper to blend. Set sauce aside. (It can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temp before using.)

Cook spaghetti, and when draining, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add spaghetti to the lemon sauce and toss with the basil and lemon zest. Toss with enough reserved cooking liquid ( 1/4 c at a time) to moisten. Season pasta with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!!!

**I omit the basil and the cooking liquid. I find that the pasta and olive oil blend well together as is, and do not need to be moistened. Maybe if you were making it ahead of time, but we have always ignored this step.

Mangez!

Perfect Summer Meal

People often make fun of me because I seem more interested in documenting the table setting or food, rather than the guests. For this dinner I made a concerted effort to wait until everyone was seated before photographing all of the wonderful food on the table, but something went awry and I somehow didn't end up with a photo. Promise I did it.

What is the perfect summer meal, you ask? I would say that it is one made of garden-fresh produce and shared with friends. On Saturday, my parents came for a visit and we did fun things like fix my garage door and replace the lights in the garage. But, dad also brought three sacks of goodies: tomatoes, squash and okra. We had been talking about going out for dinner, but instead I put together a quick meal for friends who responded to a hasty invitation.

The menu was simple and thrown together quickly, with the centerpiece being the aforementioned vegetables. Here goes:

Olive and pickly things
Pimento cheese stuffed celery (a Southern staple)
Simple salad greens dressed with oil, red wine vinegar and garlic
Pan seared zucchini and squash
Mixed tomato salad with feta and basil, dressed with lemon olive oil and champagne vinegar
Deviled eggs
Oklahoma Hushpuppies

The last entry was really the star of the evening and is in actuality a recipe for 'okra pancakes' from Scott Peacock (what a great name) and Edna Lewis' book The Gift of Southern Cooking: Recipes and Revelations from Two Great Southern Cooks. If you aren't familiar with these two cooks, I advise you to pick up a copy of this book as both are experts on Southern cookery and have a rare friendship despite the multiple decades that separate their ages. Barb took one bite of the pancakes and said, "These are Oklahoma hushpuppies, " and I quite agree. There are many wonderful methods for preparing okra, but I think this is one of the simplest and not surisingly, most delicious. Even if you think you don't like okra, which I can't imagine, I'm sure this recipe will seduce you.

Recipe: Oklahoma Hushpuppies

1/2 cup stone-ground white cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 1/2 salt (separated)
2 cups thinly sliced okra (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Peanut oil, for frying

In a big yellow bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the baking powder. Whisk to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1/2 cup water. Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl season okra with remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Toss to combine, and fold into the batter.

Heat 1/2 to 1 inch of oil to very hot. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, spoon the batter by 1/8 cup into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with additional salt if desired, and serve immediately.

Mangez!

One Million Chocolate Cakes

There are at least one million chocolate cake recipes out there in the big wide world, and I hope that in my life I get to sample all of them. My mother makes a mean Texas sheet cake that we call Mrs. Buchanan's (BUCK-anan's) Chocolate Cake after the woman who gave the recipe to my grandmother. I've made chocolate Bundt cakes, chocolate cheese cakes, and a variety of chocolate layer cakes. But this cake recipe, THIS CAKE, from Everyday Food is absolutely wonderful, not to mention versatile. I've baked it as a layer cake, cupcakes, a Bundt cake and today, mini-cupcakes. Each iteration as delicious as the last. Try it for yourself, it's moist and dense, yet light and delicious. You can top it with a chocolate glaze, cream cheese frosting, vanilla ice cream or simply lightly-sweetened whipped cream. This cake is the stuff that dreams are made of...













Recipe: Everyday Chocolate Cake
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter the baking dish of your choosing. (See below.)










In a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flower, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and beat to combine. With mixer on low, add half of flour mixture, then sour cream, and finally rest of flour mixture. Spread batter in pan and tap to remove bubbles.











Bake all until toothpick comes out clean according to following times for pans:

For an 8-inch round pan: bake for 30-35 minutes and cool 10 minuts before removing.
For regular size cupcakes: divide between a twelve-cup muffin tin lined with paper liners, 20-25 minutes, cool for 10 minutes before removing.
For mini-muffin tins: fill mini tins with 3/4 full. bake 12-13 minutes. makes approximately 36.
For Bundt cake: double recipe and bake for 50-60 minutes.










Top with:

Chocolate glaze
4 oz. chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat cream in sauce pan until steaming, pour over chocolate then whisk to combine. Pour over 8-inch round cake and smooth sides or drizzle onto Bundt cake.

Easy white icing:
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
1 lb. box confectioners' (powdered) sugar

Combine in bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Add 1 to 2 tbsp. milk if too thick.

Mangez!