by TheLastWonton | Jun 4, 2016 | Baking & Desserts, Breakfast & Brunch, Fruits, Treats
Easy peasy, old-fashioned, moist buttermilk cake riddled with the tart sweetness of plump, ripe raspberries. Humble deliciousness.
This unfussy, rustic-ish cake comes together almost effortlessy and boasts that moist, kind of coarse crumb finish, like the cakes our grandmas made in the olden days. And those beautiful berries make it pop with a taste of summer.
It's the kind of cake that you don't need the excuse of a special occasion to whip up. Well unless you count morning coffee, or a mid-afternoon break, or a lazy Sunday evening. You might say it's a pull-up-a-chair-and-make-yourself-at-home kind of cake.
And you know what else? It's been beautifully summery here in the Okanagan the last few days. Today we're headed for 36C. Bursting with those jewel-like puddles of raspberry goodness, I can tell you from very, very recent experience that this cake goes down with the refreshing deliciousness of a summer breeze, and leaves you craving for more.
But (…says she, excitedly wiggling with the goodness of the thought and the anticipation that lies therein) I'd bet you dollars to doughnuts that this Raspberry Buttermilk Cake would be the perfect comfort treat on a blustery winter day. Oooohhh yeah mama!!
Could it be, could it really be, that this simple little cake is a definitive Cake For All Seasons?
This homespun cake, with it's sugary, crusty exterior is so good, just as it is. Almost bewitching in it's simplicity.
But, boy oh boy, I just found out that it is oooh-la-la delicious all dressed up with more berries and whipped cream. A rather flawless shortcake that would have dinner guests smiling, foolishly.
Next time I'm going to make it with blackberries.
Or wait, maybe strawberries.
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Big, big, big thank-yous, yet again, to Deb of Smitten Kitchen
for another crazy good recipe!! I simply love the way you rock the kitchen!
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RASPBERRY BUTTERMILK CAKE – Makes one thin 9-inch cake.
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar, plus another 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk**
1 generous cup fresh raspberries
Preheat oven to 400F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla and zest. Add egg and beat well.
At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries (some upside down, some right side up) evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.
Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into centre comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool to warm, 10-15 minutes more. Invert onto plate. Serve.
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Makes one thin 9-inch cake that might just serve 8, unless of course you and your best friend start nibbling.
Scatter raspberries over batter. The ones with their round-bumps up were almost all swallowed by the batter. The ones with their little 'o's on top mostly stayed empty, like little cups. Both were delicious.
Sometimes you just need cake. It's the berries.
(sorry I didn't get a photo of the full-out raspberry shortcake version, all smothered with Grand Marnier laced raspberries and wee mountains of whipped cream. I was busy, um, really, really, busy with important, um, yeah, super important stuff, to get a photo.)
**Make your own buttermilk – No need to buy buttermilk, if you don't have it on hand. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to the 1/2 cup of milk and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Magic, buttermilk!::
THE END
by TheLastWonton | May 14, 2016 | Appetizers & Snacks, Mexican, Sauces, Dips & Condiments, Sides, Veggies
Blushing, plump tomatoes, aromatic cilantro, the zing zap of fresh lime juice and of course fiery peppers all buzz-buzzed together to create a vibrant muddle of goodness.
We put this ****** on ever-y-thing! Always have. Always will.
As far back as I can remember homemade salsa has just been there, in the fridge, on the dinner table, on the buffet table, on the patio table.
When I was growing up my Mom and Dad vacationed in Mexico. How they loved Mexico. Especially Mom. So us girls reaped the benefits of Mom's passion for Mexico, her love of good food and natural talent in the kitchen. Often our family lunches and dinners were deliciously graced with homemade enchiladas, chilaquiles, tacos, frijoles, guacamole and, of course, salsa.
Mom made the chunkier Pico de Gallo style often. And over the years, because I'm wholeheartedly of the 'smoother', pureed, salsa persuasion, I just melded those fresh ingredients Mom always used, into my stand-by, make-it-all-the-time salsa.
I'm here to tell you, right now, that if you're into salsa, this stuff is ambrosial.
To this day, almost every time I make it, which is often, Forest Grump says, "I could drink this stuff it's so good!"
There's no magic here, just fresh-from-the-garden goodness buzzed up in the food processor, or blender to create a kick-ass condiment that will make your taste buds say, "Arriba, arriba! Ándale! Ándale!"
Pass the chips please!
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SALSA FRESCA
We like our salsa quite hot so I leave the seeds intact in the peppers. If you want to tone down the heat, you can omit the Serrano completely and remove the seeds from the jalapeno.
4 plump, fresh tomatoes, stem removed, quartered
1/2 large sweet onion, peeled and cut into chunks
1/3 – 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 – 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 jalapeno, cut in chunks
1 Serrano pepper, cut in chunks
1 tablespoon sea salt
Toss all ingredients into a blender or food processor and buzz, buzz, buzz, until you have a damn fine pureed consistency. Refrigerate for at least an hour so the flavours can get muy contento. Serve with nachos, warm tortilla chips, chile rellenos, tossed into mac & cheese, over fried eggs, ummm..…. Will keep in a covered container in the fridge, up to 4 days.
by TheLastWonton | May 13, 2016 | Appetizers & Snacks, Salads & Bowls, Sauces, Dips & Condiments, Sides, Vegetarian, Veggies
Gloriously creamy, lusciously garlicky with a robust burst of lemon, this dressing begs to be your all time fave!
Who would of thunk?
I totally believed that I was a true traditionalist when it came to Caesar salad dressing. No short cuts!! It's gotta' be the real deal or nothing at all.
You'd think when you switch this important a horse mid-stream that you'd remember the very instant things changed. Changed forever more! But, it's all a blur as to when this un-traditional shortcut-ish version of Caesar salad dressing came to be the holy grail in our house.
Now a days, I don't even consider making the 'other'. Uh uh! Why would I, when this cheaters version sums up everything a Caesar dressing should be, without even a sideways glance of concern that the eggs and oil might not fuse into a perfect emulsion.
This dressing comes together like a dream, an easy peasy, creamy, garlic and Parm riddled dream. And, I daresay it's rather brazen in it's deliciousness.
We sometimes do up the more conventional salad salad, tearing the romaine leaves, tossing in some homemade croutons and garnishing bountifully with crumbles of briny sheep feta. But more often, whether for ourselves or for company, we set out bowls of this plush dressing for dipping, on a platter or plate with oodles of crunchy fresh romaine heart leaves. Guests seem to just love this way of Caesar-ing.
And sometimes for parties I'll plunk 2-3 nice little, crispy romaine leaves in a wine or other glass with dressing in the bottom, and a breadstick to mimic the croutons, and set them out for a salad-in-the-hand offering. They always go quickly and I've caught more than one person swooping their finger inside the glass, after all is gone and eaten, to make sure they don't leave any dressing behind.
Can salad dressing be finger licking good? I think maybe you should whisk some up and let me know!
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CHEATERS CAESAR SALAD DRESSING
This recipe can easily be doubled. In fact I don't think I ever 'single' it anymore.
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3 plump garlic cloves, minced
1 generous tablespoon anchovy paste
4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 generous teaspoon Dijon mustard (I use whole grain)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
Squirt of Tabasco or sriracha
Good schwack of freshly ground black pepper
Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk, whisk, whisk, until well combined. Best if refrigerated at least a couple of hours before serving so the flavours mingle and get all umami. Toss it, slather it, dish it, dunk it. Keeps well in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. (yeah right, 2 weeks, hahahaha!)
by TheLastWonton | May 13, 2016 | Appetizers & Snacks, Baking & Desserts, Candy, Holiday & Seasonal, Treats
Cinnamon sugar blessed, crunchy, sweet, salty, toasty, quietly spicy, snackin' nuts, worth writing home about.
TOP TEN REASONS TO MAKE CANDIED PECANS
10. They're bloody good with a glass of wine.
9. They'll convert the die-hardest, non-candied-nut-liking person, at first nibble.
8. Did I mention cinnamon sugar?
7. The soft after thought of heat on your taste buds, is nothing short of bewitching.
6. Besides just for munching, they're dee-licious on salads, cheese trays, dessert plates, sundaes.
5. Your house will smell enticingly fantastic when you are baking these nuts.
4. They make a boom-shaka-laka hostess gift.
3. Your friends and family will appreciate you just a teensy weensy bit more.
2. You can't eat just one.
1. They will make you smile out loud when you serve them. Or nibble them. Or scarf them down.
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Yesterday was a very good day. When I was at The Mediterranean Market, one of my favorite supply stores, this as yet untasted cheese screamed out to me from behind their gloriously tempting deli counter. So out the door went I with a bodacious wedge of Chaumes. And a loaf of Potato Butter Milk bread, that was still warm when I bought it from Save On.
Home again, home again, jiggity jig. Before long, a crust-end slice of fresh-baked bread, smooched with cold-from-the-fridge butter with little chunks of creamy, dreamy soft Chaumes squished on top, was in my happy hands. Bite, munch, nibble, chomp, chomp. (small, soft, moans of pleasure)
And then I had an epiphany!! I went a grabbed a handful of the candied pecans I'd made earlier and placed one carefully on top of my next bite of cheese topped bread and the world stopped, for just a second. OHHH Mama!!
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Thanks Gimme Some Oven Food Blog for this great nut recipe.
They're amazing, really.
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CANDIED PECANS – Makes about 6 cups
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 – 3/4 teaspoon cayenne (you pick your spicy kick quotient. But always use at least 1/8 teaspoon!)
4 cups nice plump, pecan halves, unsalted
1 egg white, whisked
Preheat oven to 300F.
Add the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and cayenne to a large bowl, or ziplock bag. Toss or whisk until evenly combined. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, add pecans and the egg white, and gently toss, toss, toss until the pecans are evenly coated. Add in the sugar mixture and stir and toss until evenly combined.
Spread the mixture out in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (If your baking sheet is not that large, you may need to split the batch onto two baking sheets.) Bake for 25 minutes, then stir and bake for another 20 minutes, until the pecans are fragrant and the sugar coating is cooked. (The coating will harden more once the pecans are out of the oven.)
Remove from the oven and let the baking sheet cool on a cooling rack until the nuts reach room temperature. Try one, now. Told you about #2 on the Top 10 reasons!!!
Transfer them to a sealed container to store.
by TheLastWonton | May 4, 2016 | Appetizers & Snacks, Hawaiian, Mexican, Sauces, Dips & Condiments, Sides, Vegetarian
A creamy green, fresh and fiery salsa that begs to be dipped, slathered, scooped and swooped.
Did you know that over 200 varieties of avocados grow in the Hawaiian Islands? And that the Kona area, especially in and around Kona Coffee Country, is historically the premier growing area of avocados for all of Hawaii.
Back in the earlier days of avocado cultivation on the Big Island, Japanese Kona Coffee farmers quickly discovered how this delectable new crop flourished in Hawaii's fertile, volcanic soil and endless sunshine. The rest is history.
Nowadays Hawaii roadside stands and Farmers Markets offer harvests of this irresistible green fruit, with names directly reflective of those proud Kona Coffee and avocado farmers, like Ohata, Yamagata and Nishikawa.
Buttery, round, oval, huge, tiny, smooth, bumpy, light green, dark green, tangy, creamy, you name it, Hawaii's got it. Cool, huh?
And…..Did you know that when you dig into a bowl of guac or salsa, made from a just-picked, sun-warmed Big Island avocado with a generous squeezing of just-picked, sun-warmed Big Island lime or lemon juice that your eyes close and small soft sounds of divine, delicious pleasure emit from your kisser?
It's true. I am living, smiling, avocado aficionado, proof.
Which brings me to yesterday when I threw together this family fave salsa that I started making years ago, when we had the amazing good fortune to call the beguiling Big Island, home. My mind wanders effortlessly back to those days when we lived up Kaloko mauka, on the verdant slopes of Mt. Hualalai, about 10 minutes or so from Kailua-Kona village, in a house plunked in the middle of a young avocado orchard, overlooking the famed Kona Coast.
I kept a cooking/foodie kine journal, of sorts, in those days. Here is an old entry from that very journal:
"Dear Journal – I went out into the yard of our place up Kaloko yesterday to pick avocados for the first time. The wild turkeys gobble-gobbled and kept a watchful eye as I giddily trespassed on their grazing grounds looking for ripe avos. I was on a brand new, earthly high as my rubbah slippahs clucked across the meadow. With the sun-heated roughness of the avocado skins pressed against me, I thanked the 'aina (earth) for these glorious, buttery, green gems. Smiling, I went into the kitchen and did the bounty of my garden justice, making a rather sultry salsa"
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KALOKO SALSA
1 ripe, just soft, medium to large-ish avocado, cut into chunks
1 small can (7-ounce) tomatillo salsa (most grocery stores carry La Costena brand 'Green Mexican Sauce')
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Put all ingredients in bowl of food processor and buzz, buzz, buzz, until mostly smooth. Serve immediately, or let laze, in the fridge for 1-2 hours for flavours to mingle and mellow. Serve with fresh cut tortilla chips, nachos, tacos or your favourite dippers. Will keep 3 days in refrigerator, but it won't last that long!
