The Pumpkin Apple Cake Experience, for Ms. Short

Sometimes, a good cake just happens.

I have a recipe for a Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake that has been made in my family for about twenty-five years.  It is a simple recipe - canned pumpkin, chocolate chips, flour, sugar, eggs, oil, leavening and salt.  It usually gets made in November, if not for Thanksgiving, then for my sister's birthday.  The batter is made in one bowl, baked in a bundt pan, and is delicious as a dessert, a breakfast cake, or with tea in the afternoon.  I sometimes wonder why I don't make it more often.

I've tinkered with my preferred version over the years - adding fresh grated ginger and some spices, trying mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate in lieu of the average Nestle Toll House Morsel, baking it as a layer cake or cupcakes.  But the tinkering has been mostly intentional.

Until this Thanksgiving.

I celebrated Thanksgiving this year in Atlanta.  When I arrived, I found out the agenda included having a group of friends over for Bacon Pancakes (call them "Man-Cakes") with Beer-Maple Syrup -  a recipe I had sent to my sister months before, enthusiastically wishing to make them on my next trip to visit.  And while I was excited to make and eat them, I worried that word would get out about these fantastic Man-Cakes, and we'd run out of food.  What to do?

Make a Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake!

I knew there were a few extra cans of pumpkin in the pantry, so I started throwing ingredients into a mixing bowl - eggs, oil, sugar, pumpkin.  Stir, stir, stir.  Flour, leavening, ginger, spices, salt...um, where are the chocolate chips?

In my house, I always have two or three bags of chocolate chips on hand.  If I use a bag, it usually gets replaced within 24 hours.  I don't run out of chocolate chips like most people don't run out of toilet paper.

Which, I realized, is not the case in all households.

So there I was, with most of the batter for a Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake, and no chocolate chips.

Time to improvise.

Now, you might think that omitting something like chocolate chips from a cake recipe wouldn't make a big difference.  But consider this - a bag of chocolate chips is twelve ounces.  That's three-quarters of a pound.  That's significant when it comes to volume in a bundt pan.  And who knew how many people were showing up for breakfast?  Twelve ounces could be three or four more servings!  Time to improvise.

The day before I had made a Tarte Tatin, and there were several apples left in the fruit bowl.  Remembering that my mom sometimes substituted applesauce for the oil, I decided it was a reasonable gamble.  I grabbed a peeler and got to work.

I decided that grated apple might work better than chopped apple, not only because chopped apple might fall to the bottom of the batter during baking, but also because it would take less time to grate than chop the apples.  And I could grate the apples right into the batter bowl.

Four Fujis later, the batter was in the pan and the pan was in the oven.

And the results were tremendous.  The cake was more moist than I had ever remembered it.  And it had a sweet-tangy taste that worked very well with the ginger and spices.

The next day, the cake wasn't really needed.  There were plenty of pancakes, and syrup, and bacon.  And though our merry band noshed on some of the cake, most of it stayed quietly on the counter.

Enter Ms. Short.  Short is not a foodie.  She does not swoon over food.  And when she comes over for a meal, it's not so much about the food as the company.  That's one of the things I really like about Short.  So when she came in, had a little bite of cake and exclaimed, "oh my!  What is this?  It's the best thing I've ever put in my mouth!", I knew the new cake variation was a winner.

And so, Ms. Short, here is the recipe.  I know you don't cook or (heaven forbid) bake, so I made two cakes and left them for you in my sister's freezer.  Enjoy them, my friend.  And have a very Merry Christmas.

Pumpkin Apple Cake 

4 large eggs

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 can (15 oz) canned pumpkin

2 or 3 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger root

About 2 cups grated fresh apple (Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, or similar)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

any other spices you like, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour one bundt pan or two large loaf pans.

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar.  Whisk until well blended.  Add oil and pumpkin.  Whisk again until well blended.  Add ginger root and grated apple.  Mix with a rubber spatula until well blended.  Add remaining ingredients.  Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, scraping the sides of the bowl often, until batter is fully incorporated.  Pour batter into prepared pans.  Place pans in preheated 350 degree F oven.

Bake bundt for 50 - 60 minutes.  Bake loaves for 35 - 45 minutes.  Cakes are done when the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the midpoint of the cake is removed without any wet batter.

Cool cake for at least 30 minutes before removing from pan.  Allow cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.  Cake can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to a week, or wrapped and frozen for up to two months.  

This cake tastes best when baked about  12 - 24 hours before it is served.

Bake bundt pan for about 

 

Lamenting the End of Salads of Summer

The only salad that was seen at the dinner table in my Midwestern childhood was that of chopped iceberg lettuce with wedged beefsteak tomatoes. Occasionally, a sliced cucumber would make an appearance. Bottled salad dressing - usually French or Italian - stood to the side of the salad bowl. Summer picnics and potlucks and barbecues exposed me to a greater variety of Midwest backyard salads: pasta salads, potato salads, coleslaw. These were the salads of my earliest memories.

As I grew up, and my palate developed, I came to love summer specifically for the variety of salads that fresh summer produce would bring. Nothing beats fresh tomatoes, right off the vine, sliced and tossed with a little olive oil, arugula and salt. Or sliced radishes with chunks of avocado and Bibb lettuce with a citrus vinaigrette. Or fresh corn and mango with red onion and baby spinach.

Oh, Summer, you were so good to me this year. I will miss you.

As the culinary season segues into autumn, many people have requested suggestions for a good fall salad. This weekend, much of the Midwest, East Coast, and parts of the South will experience the first hard frost of the season. Although lettuces and tomatoes and other produce will still be shipped from warmer climes to your local grocery store, summer salads will seem out of place on the table (unless you live in those warmer climes).

I submit, for your consideration, this humble little Wild Rice Salad. It is basically cooked wild rice tossed with a vinaigrette and some other tasty bits to make it interesting. Rice salads are perfect as a side dish for fish or meat. This recipe happens to also be vegan and gluten-free.

You can use any kind of wild rice (or brown rice) that is available to you. My preference is a medium grain purple rice, which has a slight nutty sweetness, a firm texture, and a lovely color. Because not all wild rices have the same cooking instructions or yield, the quantity listed in the recipe is of already cooked rice. Luckily, this is a loosey-goosey salad when it comes to measurements. If you end up cooking more rice than is called for, you can throw it in and just make a little more vinaigrette. Use a much larger bowl (I use a stock pot) than you think you will need to mix this salad together. It is very important that everything is well blended. Hold the salad in the larger bowl/pot so you can toss it again just before serving, as some of the vinaigrette will likely pool to the bottom.

Wild Rice Salad

(for quick pickled onions and carrots)

1 small red onion, diced fine

1/2 cup carrot, diced fine

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

(for vinaigrette)

1 tbsp Dijon or brown mustard

3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cumin

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

salt, fresh cracked pepper, and orange zest to taste

4 cups cooked wild rice (freshly cooked is best)

1/4 cup sliced green onion

2/3 cup golden raisins or currants

1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced fine

1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

To make the quick pickled onions and carrots:

In a small pot, heat apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt together until sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Add onion, carrot, and cumin, stirring very well until everything is combined. Let pickle for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

To make the vinaigrette:

Combine mustard, garlic, cumin and sugar in a large bowl, whisking well to combine. Add orange juice and vinegar and mix well to combine. Using a whisk or an immersion blender, add oil in a slow stream, whisking/mixing constantly to achieve emulsification. Add salt, pepper and orange zest to taste.

To assemble the salad:

In a very large mixing bowl or stock pot, pour vinaigrette over the rice and mix very well to combine. Add pickled vegetables and their juice, mixing well to combine, then let sit at room temperature for at least an hour, or refrigerate over night, so the flavors can marry.

Before serving, bring salad to room temperature. Mix very well to ensure that vinaigrette is evenly distributed. Then toss in remaining ingredients until well combined. Adjust seasonings and serve at room temperature.

Salsa Happens

The word "salsa," in Spanish, means "sauce." It is derived from the Latin word "salsus," meaning "salty." Generally thought to be a savory, saucy condiment, salsa can take on many forms.

This past weekend, at a 3rd of July party, I found myself in the kitchen with some extraneous produce: avocados, mangos, tomatoes, a few ears of corn. What happened next? Salsa.

3rd of July Salsa

2 champagne or honey mangos

2 ripe but firm avocados

2 medium tomatoes

2 ears of sweet corn

juice of one lime

white wine vinegar

salt (non-iodized)

Cut the flesh of the mangos and avocados into pieces about as big as a kernel of corn. Slice the tomatoes into slightly larger pieces, removing and discarding the seeds as you go. Cut corn off the cob. Combine in a mixing bowl and mix well. Add the juice of one lime, mixing gently to combine. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt and white wine vinegar. Serve immediately as a side for grilled chicken or fish, on fresh tacos, or with tortilla chips.

Making Dinner "Out of Scratch"

I believe that everybody has a special skill that makes them unique in all the world. A skill that makes them a superhero to someone. A skill that can seem like magic.

My special skill is making dinner "out of scratch."

I am very lucky to live close enough to one of my sisters that I can stop by and hang out with her and her lovely children on any given warmer-than-usual, late February, Thursday afternoon--such as today. Her husband was working late, and my sister was working on costumes for a production of Annie which both of my nieces are in next month. She asked me if I wanted to stay for dinner.

"Sure," I replied. "What are we having?"

"I have absolutely no idea!" she exclaimed with more exasperation than seemed necessary.

But then I opened her fridge.

She had milk and butter and eggs and cheese. And seltzer water. And quite a few condiments. Not much else.

Hmmmm.

That's when I decided it was time to pull out my special skill set and take charge in the kitchen.

It started with biscuits. My grandmother always made biscuits, and some of my favorite memories of big family holiday meals were of eating her biscuits. I'm sure lots of other food was on the table, but to me, the biscuits were the meal. If there are biscuits, there is dinner.

Flour, baking powder, spices, salt, butter, cheese, egg, milk: everything I needed was there in my sister's kitchen. In the fifteen minutes it took to preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, the dough was made and ready for the oven.

In the twenty minutes it took to bake the biscuits, I found some salmon fillets and asparagus in the freezer.

And just as the biscuits were coming out of the oven, there was pan roasted wild salmon with lemon butter and fresh cracked pepper, roasted asparagus, and two rogue sausages for my youngest niece, who has not yet developed a taste for fish.

As we sat down to dinner, my niece's eyes were wide with wonder, as if she was experiencing some deep, mystical magic. "Wow," she breathed, "did you make these out of scratch?"

"Yes, Michele, I sure did."

This recipe is not my grandmother's. I only have one of her biscuit recipes written down--one for "Angel Biscuits" which call for yeast and baking powder. She used to make them at her church for their weekly suppers, but that is another story.

This recipe is for cheesy garlic biscuits, which I first started making with my youngest sister when we were both living in the Pacific Northwest many many moons ago. It is best to buy block cheese and grate it yourself (as packaged grated cheese are coated with an anti-caking agent which prevents it from melting properly; it also doesn't taste as good). I like to vary this recipe by throwing in a variety of fresh herbs when I can, and switching up the cheeses. But here is the recipe as I made it last night.

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits "Out of Scratch"

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp salt (non-iodized)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 stick (8 tbsp) butter, cut into 16 equal sized pieces
1/2 cup finely shredded yellow cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 400 F

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Mix well to combine.

2. Rub in the butter with your fingers until well incorporated. There should be small pieces about the size of a flake of oatmeal, and larger pieces about the size of a pea. This is as it should be.

3. Add the shredded cheeses. Using a fork, gently toss the cheese into the flour mixture until well incorporated.

4. In a separate small bowl, combine the egg and milk and whisk well.

5. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Pour in the milk mixture. Using a fork, lightly stir just until the dough holds together.

6. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Using a spoon, drop the dough into 12 equal sized biscuits (about a scant 1/4 cup each), leaving space between them on the baking sheet. Lightly brush the tops with melted butter, or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.

7. Bake in preheated 400 F oven until they smell delicious and are lightly golden, about 20 minutes.

My Best Scrambled Eggs

I learned how to scramble eggs when I was seven years old. My dad taught me how to beat the eggs with salt and cream, and cook them up with an obscene amount of butter in an electric skillet. They were quite tasty.

Over the years I've cooked many an egg, and have finessed my own personal method of how to scramble an egg. Truth be told, I prefer my eggs to be scrambled, but I rarely order them that way when I eat out. I like my scrambled eggs--soft with an almost creamy consistency, salty and buttery but not too heavy.

I spent Christmas with family--all of them very discerning with their food preferences. One of my sisters swears she hates eggs, but she'll eat my scrambled eggs every time I make them. I whipped up a large batch of scrambled eggs on Christmas morning. My mom marveled at them and said, "These are the best scrambled eggs I've ever eaten. What did you put into them?" My answer, which was the simple truth of the matter: "Butter and love."

I hesitate to describe my method of cooking scrambled eggs for the simple reason that the debate over how to "properly" cook an egg has a long and tempestuous history among culinary professionals and enthusiasts. I flatly refuse to engage in any conversation that argues the points of egg cookery (the only exception to date being a humorous and informative exchange of information on the topic with Harold McGee). Lifetime grudges have ensued from passionate disagreements between chefs on this topic. Battle lines have been drawn in kitchens on this point. It isn't pretty.

And so I put forth this method not as *The* best method, but as *My* best method to make scrambled eggs--the eggs I enjoy cooking, and eating, and serving to family and friends. I do this for my Mama, who called me this morning and asked me to walk her through making scrambled eggs, which I did. And just so you can make them again, Mom, here you go.

My Best Scrambled Eggs

2 large eggs at room temperature*

3-finger pinch of kosher salt (NOT iodized)

a bowl big enough to beat the eggs in (one that holds at least 2 cups)

a fork to beat the eggs

1 tbsp butter

love

7" or 8" non-stick frying pan

rubber scraper spatula

a plate to remove the eggs to when they are done cooking

a fork (different from the one above) with which to eat the eggs

It is very important to have all of the things listed ready to go before you start cooking. Making scrambled eggs is a very time sensitive business. If you don't have a plate ready to remove the eggs when they are done cooking, you will have overcooked eggs, which are not my best scrambled eggs. On this point I can not be too emphatic of the importance.

*If you keep your eggs in the refrigerator, take two out before you go to bed and let them sit at room temperature overnight. Don't let the FDA or USDA scare you--eggs in their uncracked shell keep quite well for a few weeks at cool room temperature (68F to 73F). If you are uncomfortable with the idea of leaving your eggs out, you can bring them up to temperature by placing the eggs (in their shells) in a bowl that holds at least 6 cups, then running hot tap water (up to 120F--any hotter and you may scald yourself) into the bowl and letting the eggs sit for 5-10 minutes.

To see if the egg has warmed up sufficiently, hold it in the palm of your hand and gently cup in with your fingers for about 20-30 seconds. If you can discern the egg shell becoming cooler in that time, the inside of the egg has not sufficiently warmed up. Return to the hot water bath, refreshing with more hot water if necessary, until the egg held in your hand feels at least as warm as room temperature.

Once your eggs are ready, and you have assembled all of the above ingredients and equipment, you are about three minutes away from having scrambled eggs ready to eat. If you attempt this method, I would suggest you try it exactly as written just for the first time. The directions are written in a very specific order for purposes of timing. You will find that once the eggs hit the pan, they will be cooked enough to remove to the plate in a little less than a minute. If you move steps around or don't have ingredients/equipment ready, the eggs may overcook and become rubbery.

First, crack the eggs into a bowl big enough to beat them in (one that holds at least two cups). Discard the egg shells.

Place the skillet over medium high heat.

Add a three-finger pinch of kosher salt to the eggs. (A "three-finger pinch" employs your thumb, index and middle fingers. Reach into a container of kosher salt and "pinch" with those three fingers. What you get goes right into the egg bowl). Beat well with a fork until salt is well mixed, and yolks and whites are well blended. This should take you about 30-45 seconds.

Set the bowl aside and test your pan. If you hold your hand flat and bring it to about one inch above the bottom of the pan, it should feel extremely warm but not uncomfortably hot. When the butter goes into the pan you want it to melt but not sizzle; It should definitely not brown. To take out a little insurance, you can get your hand wet from the faucet and shake a few drops into the skillet. The should land in the pan and sort of simmer. If they turn immediately to steam, you have heated your skillet too long.

So add the butter to the pan when the skillet is ready. Let the butter melt and tilt the pan so the butter spread around to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the butter has must melted, pour the eggs into the pan.

The eggs should begin to set very quickly, within 5-10 seconds. Using the flat side of rubber scraper spatula, gently pull the cooked part of the egg away from the side of the skillet and toward the center of the pan, letting the still liquidy uncooked part of the eggs slide beneath the cooked part to the bottom of the pan. Do this at the 10 o'clock, 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock points of the pan, working quickly (it should take you no more than 15 seconds). Then remove the pan from the heat source. (Yes, you read that right. The carry over heat from the pan and in the eggs will continue to cook them).

Continue stirring the eggs, folding them over if necessary. Cook them until they still look a little moist then transfer them to a plate. (Yes, you read that right. If you wait until the eggs look cooked in the pan, they will be overcooked and rubbery on the plate. If you've done it the way I do it, the eggs will have been in the pan for about 60 seconds.)

If you think you might want toast with your eggs, put the bread in the toaster before you start the egg making process. When you get to the part where you crack the eggs, start the toaster. The toast will be ready for buttering when you plate the eggs, and the minute it takes to butter the toast will allow the eggs to "coast" to the perfect temperature and doneness.

Et voilà! My best scrambled eggs. Can you taste the love?