This is a terrible photo (I’m just learning how to use a digital camera, not to mention learning how to stage food) of my dud lemon cake loaf (see previous post) – the one baked in the Pyrex. You can see that the very bottom of the loaf is a bit underdone. Master Chow assures me, however, that the taste and texture were in no way adversely affected.

Yesterday, I went to my “to try” recipe file and pulled out a Lemon Cake recipe by Ina Garten. Master Chow said to put it on the repeat list. It’s like a lemon drop; very sweet at first, then you get hit by a tart aftertaste. I’m a citrus fanatic, so I am pleased to find a very lemony cake recipe.

**Update- I forgot to mention that this loaf is very moist, and the crust caramelizes to a chewy consistency, with crunchy little brown edges. Delicious.**

Lemon Cake

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the glaze:

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

The Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired. (Note – I highly recommend you use the parchment paper).

Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

The Syrup

Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves.

When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely before you glaze.

The Glaze

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

Notes:

• Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature – the batter will be more uniformly blended if you do so, and the texture of the cake will be good. If you forgot to pull the eggs out in advance, just put them in a bowl of warm water (not hot!) for 10-15 minutes.
• Sift the confectioner’s sugar! I forgot to do that and ended up with interesting little white polka dots in the icing. I choose to blame my goof on my canine companions, who were underfoot the entire time, hoping for a goodie.
• Don’t be in a hurry to remove the cakes from the pans – let them sit for 10-12 full minutes before you unmold them. I had two different loaf pans – one was “nonstick,” and the other one was Pyrex. Even though I buttered and floured both pans, I had a big sticking problem with the Pyrex. Next time, I will use the parchment paper.
• Another strange incident with the Pyrex pan: Even though I tested both cakes for doneness with a bamboo skewer, the cake baked in the Pyrex was slightly undercooked in the middle (exactly where I tested!). This may be due to the vagaries of my particular oven. In any event, follow your own cooking instincts, and take into account the type of pans you are using and the idiosyncrasies of your oven.

These are excellent, courtesy of Alton Brown’s show, Good Eats. In fact, Master Chow, a meat-lover if ever there was one, actually preferred these to the pork potstickers. I was stunned by the admission.

The key here is to dice everything, including the tofu, very finely, so that you get a little bit of everything in every bite. A food processor works well for this.

You can also make these into potstickers by pan frying them instead of steaming them.

Vegetarian Steamed Dumplings

Adapted from Alton Brown’s “Good Eats“

1/2 pound extra firm tofu
1/2 cup coarsely grated carrots. After grating, rough chop a bit more with a chef’s knife.
1/2 cup shredded Napa cabbage
2 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bowl of water, plus additional water for steamer
35 to 40 small wonton wrappers
Non-stick vegetable spray, for the steamer. Or you can line the bottome of the steamer with a leaf from the Napa cabbage.

Cut the tofu in half horizontally and lay between layers of paper towels. Place on a plate, top with another plate, and place a weight on top (a 14-ounce can of vegetables works well). Let stand 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, cut the tofu into 1/4-inch cubes (I cut them even smaller than that – about 1/8-inch cubes) and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the carrots, cabbage, red pepper, scallions, ginger, cilantro, soy sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, egg, salt, and pepper. Lightly stir to combine.

To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Place 1/2 rounded teaspoon of the tofu mixture in the center of the wrapper. Shape as desired. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone. Do not overfill or your dumplings will burst open!

Using a steaming apparatus of your choice, bring 1/4 to 1/2-inch of water to a simmer over medium heat. Spray the steamer’s surface lightly with the non-stick vegetable spray to prevent sticking. Place as many dumplings as will fit into a steamer, without touching each other. Cover and steam for 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat. Remove the dumplings from the steamer to a platter. Repeat until all dumplings are cooked.

Coming from a multi-ethnic family, I grew up eating a lot of Italian food. Specifically, since my father was an immigrant of mixed Italian-Spanish-Basque (with a wee bit of French) heritage, my mother cooked the northern Italian dishes familiar to him. Italian-American food was a mystery to me.

My mom was a wonderful cook, and I have been trying to duplicate and improve her chicken cacciatore. I finally found a recipe that I love more than any others that I’ve tried, and after tweaking it a bit, share it with you.

Chicken Cacciatore

Adapted from Eleanora’s Kitchen, by Eleanora Scarpetta

1/4 c olive oil
3 (or to taste) garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 t dried oregano
2 t dried parsley
1/4 t dried rosemary, minced
1/4 t red pepper flakes, dried (or to taste)
1/4 c tomato paste
4 chicken thighs and drumsticks, about 3 pounds
2 whole split chicken breasts, about 2 pounds
1/2 c red wine vinegar

32 ounces crushed whole plum tomatoes
1/4 c dry white wine
1/2 c pitted good quality olives – Kalamata or Gaeta
2 or more red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch strips
4 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and quartered
1/4 roughly chopped fresh basic leaves
2-3 T fresh chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Warm the olive oil in a large skillet (or dutch oven) over medium heat, until you see ripples in the oil. Salt and pepper the chicken. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides. Remove to plate. Leave about 2-3 tablespoon of oil in the pan, and pour off the rest.

2. Reduce heat. And the onion, 1 t oregano, basil, rosemary, dried red pepper, parsley, and tomato paste. Stir often, until the onion is translucent but not browned. Deglaze the pan with the 1/4 c of vinegar. Cook, stirring, for about one minute. Sometimes I add a little bit of white wine, if I seem to need a bit more liquid to deglaze.

3. Take the pan off the heat while you proceed to step four.

4. Add the garlic to the pan. Then, skin the chicken. That’s right – get rid of the skin. If you do not like the flabby, wet, nasty texture you end up with after braising chicken, just get rid of it. If you do, then leave it on.

5. Add the chicken, juices from the plate, the remaining 1 t of oregano, and the tomatoes to the pan. Place back on low heat and cook until the tomatoes have reduced and slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. If the sauce is too thick for your tastes, add water until you reach the texture that you prefer.

6. Add the basil, wine, olives, sweet red peppers, and mushrooms. Cook until the peppers have softened and the chicken is very tender, about 15- 20 minutes.

7. Serve over rice or pasta.

Notes:

• This is a very forgiving dish. You can use all thighs or drumsticks, and it will turn out well. No mushrooms? Leave them out, or substitute another type. Missing one of the herbs? The dish has such bold flavors, other herbs will pick up the slack.
• Add more or less of garlic or herbs, to your taste. I am not a big fan of dried red hot pepper, so I use very little of it.
• Be careful with the salt. Most canned tomatoes are salted, and the olives can be very salty. Be cautious, taste as you go, and adjust seasoning accordingly.
• Remember to pit the olives!
• If you deglaze the pan with the white wine, remove the pan from the heat, first.

One of the cooking blogs I enjoy reading is Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen. Julie always has a funny quote or interesting factoid. Today I tuned in and found this in the sidebar:

Frasier

Niles: I’ll have a grande half-caf latte, with a whisper of cinnamon, and for my father, plain coffee. I cannot emphasize the word “plain” enough. No foam, no cinnamon, no exotic flavors. If it is not plain, I take no responsibility for the consequences.

Waitress: How about a biscotti?

Niles: All right. But when you bring it, call it a cookie.

I’m still laughing!

This past weekend, Master Chow and I tasted the Williams-Sonoma sticky buns that I mentioned before. He says they’re the best sticky buns he’s ever had.

They are delicious, but you should have a bit more information before you leap to your computer and order them. First, they are made with a croissant dough, so they are light and flaky. If heavy, doughy buns are your fantasy, you may not care for these. Then again, Master Chow loves Cinnabon, and he thought these pastries were outstanding.

Second, the caramel and nuts are on the light side, and are not cloyingly sweet. That’s one reason I liked these so much – they were not too sweet, and they didn’t make my teeth ache or pull out my fillings. But you may enjoy trips to the dentist!

Finally, the instructions tell you to let the buns rest a minute before you turn them out on a plate. After you do that, I would recommend letting the buns sit for another 5-10 minutes to help firm up the caramel and develop the flavors a bit.

Definitely on the repeat list.

Follow the instructions exactly, and you will end up with a rich, buttery, dense, white masterpiece. Master Chow absolutely loved this. I used a bundt pan. Courtesy of Gourmet September 2005, which said the following about this recipe: “This is the best pound cake we have ever tasted. Its tender appeal is owed in part to cake flour and cream, and in part to beating the batter an extra 5 minutes.”

Elvis Presley’s Favorite Pound

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan
3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) plus additional for dusting
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar
7 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup heavy cream

Special equipment: a 10-inch tube pan (4 1/2 inches deep; not with a removable bottom) or a 10-inch bundt pan (3 1/4 inches deep; 3-qt capacity).

Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven. Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour. Sift together sifted flour (3 cups) and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total).

Beat together butter (2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla.

Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny. Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles.

Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely. Cooks’ note: Cake keeps, covered well with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, at room temperature 5 days. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

La Tienda is a Williamsburg, Virginia store that specializes in food items imported from Spain. Among other things, they carry Serrano ham, many varieties of paprika, and paella supplies. They also have an amazing 36-inch paella pan!

If you want better, try Europe. Absolutely amazing. We’ve tried the plain croissants, and the sticky buns are next on our list. And, no, I do not get a kickback from Williams-Sonoma. They are pricey, but the taste is extraordinary – buttery, with depth, and a wonderful flaky crust. Photo: Williams-Sonoma.

Having tried pumkin pie recipes on and off over the years, I was less than enthused by the results. All that changed in 2004, when my mother-in-law sent me the following wonderful recipe. Yum.

Orange-Spice Pumpkin Pie

Pie crust dough for shell
2 T finely chopped crystallized ginger (Note: this means finely chopped, or you’ll bit into little chunks if you don’t strain the mixture)
1-15 oz can pure pumpkin
1 t ground cinnamon
1 cups packed brown sugar
1 t grated orange peel
3 large eggs
¼ t ground nutmeg
1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
¼ t salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12”round. Transfer to 9” diameter glass pie dish. Fold overhang under and crimp decoratively. Pierce dough all over w/fork. Freeze 15 minutes. Line crust with foil, and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until sides are set, about 12 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust begins to color, pressing with the back of a fork if the crust bubbles, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to rack.

Reduce temperature to 350 degrees.

Whisk pumpkin and brown sugar in medium bowl to blend. Add all remaining ingredients and whisk until blended. Pour filling into crust. Bake pie until filling is set in center, about 1 hour. Transfer pie to rack, cool 30 minutes. Chill uncovered until cold, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead.) Cover and keep chilled.

Notes: I’ve also made this pie using half-and-half instead of whipping cream, and it still turned out wonderful, just a bit lighter, with a cleaner mouth feel.