Blueberry Boy Bait

I am a huge sucker for fruit. Any type of fruit. I have been known before to buy fruit that's out of season at a ridiculously high markup because I need to have it in my cereal, I have to be baking with it, or I need it to complete my lunch. Sometimes, frozen fruit just won't cut it for me.

Okay, this probably makes me sound crazy. But you need to keep this in mind, with blueberries being pretty much out of season right now. You will still want to make this with fresh, not frozen, blueberries. You could make it with frozen berries, but I just don't think it'll taste the same. But that's just me. With that being said, it would probably be okay with any type of berry-it's a versatile cake. You may even be able to get away with substituting some sort of chocolate, if that's your thing. Hell, it's gearing up to be fall-I bet this would be great with cranberries.

I digress, because I made this recipe awhile ago. I neglected to post it at the time because I wasn't sitting down long enough at my computer to be able to post it-which is a good thing. Between the fact that I got a new job that so far is awesome and have been hanging out with excellent company and having fun adventures, it's good that I haven't been posting. This, I'm sure, leads you to your next question: why am I posting today, in the middle of the afternoon?

Well, it's simple, really. I'm feeling lousy, have been home sick from work the past few days, and just woke up from what seems like a two day nap (no, really, I've actually been sleeping on and off solidly since Monday night) and in an effort to keep from boredom and also try to get myself back on a regular sleep/wake schedule (and hate myself in the process, because I really am aching to go back to sleep right now), I've been looking through old pictures and found ones that were supposed to go with this blog post. Since my appetite is less than stellar at the moment I figured the least I could do was feast with the eyes rather than my stomach, although I do very vividly remember this being outstanding when I made it.

I was told at the time that I made this that the name of this dessert was unnecessary, for I already have the boy, deeming 'bait' unnecessary. Fair enough, but that's what the dish is called, so that's what this post is titled.


This recipe reminds me very much of that buttermilk cake I posted about a few months ago. Very lush cake, with so very much butter.




I'm telling you, Mom would be proud of the butter that went into this.

I wish I could show you pictures of what it looked like after it was cut into, but I can't, because the entire thing just...disappeared. Evaporated into thin air. Crumbs and all.
I guess it's the sign of a good dessert.





It is the kind of dessert that you have to be careful of. Because if you're not careful, the thing will just sneak up on you. No lies, friends. It is amazing. And amazingly addictive. I love this because it's almost as fun to make as it is to eat.

Blueberry Boy Bait (recipe obtained from www.smittenkitchen.com)
2 c. plus 1 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks of softened unsalted butter
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 c. whole milk
1/2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen (I prefer fresh wherever possible.)

Topping
1/2 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

Mix two cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, roughly about two minutes or so. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated together. Reduce speed to medium and beat in one-third of flour mixture until incorporated and then beat in half of milk, and continue in that fashion, ending with flour. Combine the blueberries with remaining one teaspoon flour. Gently fold 1/2 c. of blueberries in the batter. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Scatter the remaining blueberries over top of batter. Stir sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the cake. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then place on serving platter with the topping side up. If it even makes it out of the pan... :)

Scalloped Tomatoes

I know what you're thinking. Scalloped doesn't go with tomatoes, it goes with potatoes.

(I also know all of you are all "what? two posts in a row?" Indeed, friends, it is true.)

In honor of a tomato festival that's happening at Wilson Farm this weekend, I thought it appropriate to post about a recipe I actually made a few weeks ago, but only decided to post tonight. I really shouldn't have waited, though I guess if I didn't wait, some of you might have asked me to share.



This dish, I couldn't share. This one was all mine.



I have never had a dish like this. It was simultaneously fantastic, light, and flavorful. I liked that there weren't too many steps to it, and that it was something that was interchangeable: I ate it with some chicken for dinner, then had it with a poached egg the next morning for breakfast.



Sometimes, I'll get sick of eating the same leftovers day after day until I get rid of them. This was one dish that I actually felt sad about scraping the bottom of the pan and polishing off. I loved, loved, loved this dish. I'm contemplating making an extra one and freezing it for later. I loved how the basil stood out and made an appearance, complimenting the tomatoes perfectly (basil and tomatoes just work together, anyway). Best of all, I loved how I could eat it for days and it would just get better with each meal.



Do not wait. Do not pass go until you have cooked this dish. You will absolutely not be sorry.

Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons (recipe found on the Smitten Kitchen website)
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 c. bread from a French-like boule bread, in a 1/2-inch dice, crusts removed-if you have extra, that's okay!
2 1/2 lbs plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp.)
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 c. thinly slivered basil leaves, lightly packed
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the bread cubes and stir so that they are evenly coated with oil. Cook cubes until toasty on all sides, roughly about 5 minutes.

Combine tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are toasted, add the tomato mixture and cook them together, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Pour into a shallow pan and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm.

Zucchini Bread

Let's talk bread for a minute.

Sweet breads are one of my favorite things to make and eat. For one, they're pretty hard to mess up, and for two, they're incredibly easy. I had seen this recipe quite a few weeks ago, and bookmarked it to make on a rainy day (or at least a cooler one!). I waited. And waited. And waited. Of course it didn't cool down quite enough for me to feel comfortable turning on the oven. I figured I'd have to hold off on this recipe, that is, until a friend of mine sent me an email one day. The email had the subject "This looks good!" and in it was a recipe.

The same recipe I had bookmarked several weeks prior.

(said friend sends me recipes every now and then, since she knows I'll typically try them pretty quickly after reading it. In this particular case, I suppose great minds were thinking alike.)

This weekend, I decided I'd go ahead and make the bread. It cooled off outside just enough for me to justify turning on the oven to do something other than dinner, and I also had several zucchinis sitting in the refrigerator begging to be used. How could I not?









I've never tried to make zucchini bread before, but I remember my sister a few years ago made chocolate zucchini bread, and it was pretty tasty, so I was game to give this one a shot. It was incredibly moist and quite good, if I do say so myself. I've never put yogurt in a bread before, and never yogurt and applesauce in at the same time, but I do think it made a world of difference. I brought this bread to work the next day, and by the end of the day found only crumbs and my coworkers saying "was that bread from you? Will you make it again?" Success.



Next time, I might branch out and make it with cranberries. Or chocolate (because everything's better with chocolate). Or maybe even both. The possibilities are endless!

Zucchini Bread (recipe from the Whole Foods Market website)

1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour (I didn't have pastry flour, so I used regular whole wheat flour. I didn't notice any difference)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 egg
1/3 c. canola oil
1/3 c. unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp. nonfat plain yogurt (I used greek yogurt)
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. grated zucchini
1/3 c. finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8 inch loaf pan and set aside.

In one bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. In another bowl, whisk together egg, oil, applesauce, yogurt, sugar and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until well combined. Fold in zucchini and walnuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the bread is golden brown, about 50 to 60 minutes.

See what I mean? Easy peasy, and good too! :)

Blueberry Angel Muffins

I got a new cookbook last week. It was like Christmas morning when the package from Amazon.com arrived.

I know, I get excited about cookbooks. I like to think I enjoy the little things.

The reason why I got excited about this cookbook was a recipe I saw in it that was showcased on Boston.com's food page last week, for Blueberry Angel Muffins. I read it, clicked the links to see the cookbook, and proceeded to get so hungry, and so excited over the prospect of making such tasty sweet treats that I ordered the book on the spot. I *never* do that (no, really. I often take the easy way and google the recipe instead). The pictures looked so good though, and the recipes looked even better, that I just couldn't resist.

Last week, during a particularly hot and humid day, I went to work.

It was an uncomfortable day to bake, but damn, if I wasn't determined.



And damn, was I not disappointed. These muffins were so different, but so awesome. They tasted like little angel food cakes. They were light and airy, not really the way a muffin usually is! I'll admit I've never made a meringue to go into muffins. It is more like a dessert than a breakfast. But not to worry-I ate them for both meals, so they're versatile. :)








My only concern was that I ran out of blueberries in the middle of this, so I had to add in a few raspberries, so they became a bit tart. Blueberry-raspberry is certainly a flavor of choice, but I was not intending for them to be that way, which is why the pictures don't necessarily add up to the recipe. Feel free to add whatever fruit you would like!

All told, this is the perfect summer dessert. Or breakfast. Or snack.

Blueberry Angel Muffins (recipe obtained from "The Perfect Finish: Special Desserts for Every Occasion" by Bill Yosses and Melissa Clark)

2/3 c. cake flour
1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. fresh blueberries
2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Extra sugar (for sprinkling)

Preheat the oven at 375 degrees. Line 18 cups in 2 muffin tins with paper cups.

In a separate bowl, mix the cake flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt.

In another bowl, toss the blueberries and vanilla.

Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar using an electric mixer on medium-low speed until frothy. Add 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar and continue to beat at medium speed until you get soft peaks to form. Beat in the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, and raise the speed to high. Beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks.

Sprinkle the flour mixture and lemon rind on the egg whites. With a rubber spatula, fold them in, working carefully to avoid deflating the whites. Fold in half of the blueberries. Then fold in the other half.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups so that each one is 2/3 full. Place a few more blueberries on top of each muffin (or fruit of choice-I used a raspberry on top for each muffin) and sprinkle each with a little more granulated sugar.

Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the muffins are lightly golden. Cool on a baking rack.

Cheese Whizzers

This one was interesting.

So back around Easter time (I know, I'm backtracking myself), I got a call from my dad. At family holidays we are all always assigned a dish-whether appetizer, side, or dessert. This year I was assigned a side dish (green bean casserole) and an appetizer (guacamole-see, I told you-that guac comes out for *everything*). Well, that was what I was assigned until I got a phone call from dad, about Tuesday prior to the big holiday. He started off by saying, "do you remember about the cheese whizzers?"



um, no.

"Your mother used to make these things called cheese whizzers, and they're really great. It's bread and cheese whiz, wrapped in bacon. You don't remember them?"



um, no.

"Well, I've been thinking about those a lot lately. I used to love those. Maybe you can look through the recipes you have of hers and maybe make those for Sunday too? I mean, no big deal if you can't, but I really liked those..."

That's code for "Please, I've had a craving for these things, bring them on Sunday and you'll get the status of 'favorite child'" (apologies to my sister).

So, that weekend, I made cheese whizzers. It was most interesting. It really was as my dad had said: Bread, cheese whiz, all wrapped in bacon, and then broiled in the oven. It tasted like a grilled cheese in bacon. Very tasty, and I can understand both a) why my dad likes it so much-I mean, come on! The thing has cheese and bacon! What's not to like? and b)why he doesn't have it anymore-the thing is made with cheese whiz! and bacon! I can feel my arteries clogging on the thought alone. On the other hand, having it once in a while won't kill you. It's a good appetizer, and pretty simple to throw together. Have some for your next barbecue, or for your next family gathering. Then make sure your dad remembers it and asks you to make it again 20 years later.



Cheese Whizzers (origins of recipe unknown, credit for directions and ingredients go to my dad)

One loaf of soft white sandwich bread
One jar of cheese whiz
One pound of thick center cut bacon

Take a slice of soft sandwich bread and roll it with a rolling pin until flattened. You should then be able to slice it into three long strips (lengthwise).
Spread a thin layer of cheese whiz on each strip, then roll each strip up.
Take a slice of bacon, and cut it in half. Wrap a half strip around each sandwich roll, and secure with a toothpick.

Repeat until all the bread and bacon have been used. It's entirely possible you'll have a good amount of cheese whiz left.

Broil the cheese whizzers until bacon is golden and cooked. Check early and often so that it doesn't burn. I have no time frame for this, as each oven is different, but make sure you continue to check!

Guacamole

Ah, Guacamole. The dip that signifies summer. I love guacamole, and for some reason this particular recipe is my favorite-my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I can't exactly recall what the reason was that I asked for it from my friend E so long ago, but I'm glad I did every time I remake the dish.





This recipe has proven to be a tried and true hit with family and friends alike. I brought this guacamole to a Christmas celebration one year after getting my annual Christmas avocado (among other things, my dad gets plantain chips and these gigantic avocados every year from a client of his, and hands them out to everyone in the family-I love that tradition) and am now requested to bring it to every.family.function. All the time. Then there was the time I made it over the fourth of July down in Dallas, got scoffed at by my friends there for bringing it, and by the middle of the party found the bowl nearly licked clean with comments about how the "Yankee" makes some good guac (all jokes, of course). This guacamole's even an award winner-when I worked at Tufts the teachers and staff had a "guac-off", so there were about 9 bowls of guacamole in the kitchen, and mine tied for first (I think it only tied because I was going against almost a pureed guacamole).



This is some good stuff.



I used to follow this with the recipe I wrote down-over the years I've ditched that method, and instead just glance at it before I begin, only to add more where I think I need it. It's one of the few recipes I'll do without a paper in front of me, and one of the few where I will continually experiment. Sometimes it's got too much lemon juice in it, so I'll add more salt. Too much garlic? Add a little more cilantro or lemon juice. Maybe one day I'll put in less onion than I'm normally used to, just because I don't feel like a lot of onion that day.

All I know is that it's really, really, really tasty and very fast. Start to finish I'd say it takes no more than ten minutes. I love this stuff-I'd eat it right out of the bowl with a spoon (wait, I would? Let's change that to I have.). And the best part is that it reminds me of sitting outside on a really hot summer day with friends, drinking beer or something else, just enjoying ourselves. Even if I am eating it with a full foot of snow on the ground outside.

Guacamole (origins unknown)

2 ripe avocados
juice from one lemon (maybe slightly less-depends on your taste)
1-2 cloves of garlic (I often use a spoonful of minced garlic)
1/4 c. cilantro, choped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
jalepeno pepper, finely chopped, ribs and seeds removed (optional-I never use it)

pit and scoop the avocado out of it's peel. combine the all of the ingredients in a bowl, and mash and combine until desired consistency (I like it on the chunkier side). Taste as you go, adding more of ingredients as you feel you want them (I often feel like I need more lemon juice and salt, but you might want more garlic. Whatever floats your boat).
I usually serve this with corn chips, not tortilla chips, but they're good with either. Or on top of a burger, or in a chicken sandwich. It is stupendous, if I do say so myself.

Lime-Mango Sorbet and Raspberry-Blackberry Buttermilk Cake

It's been awhile. Sorry about that. That's what happens when I stop giving myself rules to post to this thing daily. But I resolve to get better, friends. I've really got no excuse-I've been cooking, and baking, and experimenting. But I haven't followed through on the writing up part.

This will be fixed, believe me. I have lots of good recipes to share.

This weekend was beautiful in the Northeast. I managed to celebrate birthdays for three of my favorite people and spend a good time outside-the weather was perfect. All. Weekend. Yesterday, it was so nice that I decided that summer was here (even if it's not) and do some summer grilling. I grilled up some sweet potato fries, some marinated swordfish, and steamed up some broccolini, and then for dessert I tried something new: Lime-Mango Sorbet and Raspberry-Blackberry Buttermilk cake.

Okay, the cake's not really a new thing. I made it before, last week, and it disappeared so fast I decided I wanted it again (and no, I actually didn't eat the cake. I managed to have a sliver before it just got snatched up by people around me. I guess that's a compliment!)

So I started in on the Lime-Mango Sorbet first. I'm not sure why I decided to make it-mango's not my favorite fruit for that sort of thing-but it was different. So I gave it a whirl. Literally.



*As a side note, why didn't anyone tell me how hard it is to actually get the fruit from a mango? I have to google how to cut one, and once I got it nearly took some of my own fingers off trying to chisle the mango meat from the peel. It took forever. There's a reason why Stop and Shop sells it already peeled and cut in the store. Next time I'll totally do that.









The recipe is not that difficult-peeling of mango aside. It involves making some sugar water, lime juice and rind, and mango, and then blending the whole thing together and cooling it down, and then when ready for the ice cream maker you add a bit of tequila. Because I hadn't already had enough alcohol this weekend.

The sorbet is tangy and smooth, all at the same time. And it's orange, which would please my youngest niece to no end. Although it's still almost not quite the right weather for it, I can completely see myself eating this on a 95 degree day! and the flavors work really well with the cake that went with it.

While the mango puree was cooling down, I went for the cake. The last time I made it I used only raspberries, but since I had both those and blackberries in my fridge, I combined them. I cannot stress enough how simple this cake is. It's so simple that I threw it together, realized I had added too much buttermilk the first time around, chucked the batter and made it again, all before my oven completely preheated. This is such an easy cake. The site I got it from calls it an "everyday cake". I like to call this occasion "I-ran-four-miles-and-I'm-starving" cake. Or a "It's-feeling-like-summer-and-I'm-celebrating-by-scorching-myself-in-the-sun" cake. Or a "I'm-hungover-from-a-fun-birthday-party-and-I-need-sugar" cake. It is addictive, tasty, and easy enough that you could make several different ones at the same time and not break a sweat.







When I inverted the cake pan to let the cake cool on the rack, some of the cake got stuck to the pan. Normally I'll throw it in the sink and wash it anyway. This was the kind of cake that found me reaching in a drawer for a spoon to eat the remnants that got stuck to the pan. Awesome.



The cake? Perfect any time of year. Sorbet? Great, but maybe wait until the days are just a bit warmer. But a perfect ending to a perfect weekend, nonetheless.

Lime-Mango Sorbet (from www.simplyrecipes.com)

* 1 c. sugar
* 1 c. water
* Zest from one lime
* 3 ripe mangos (about 2 1/2 pounds) (I wound up using 4)
* 1/2 c. lime juice
* Pinch salt
* 3 Tbsp tequila

Heat the sugar, water, and lime zest in a pot until the sugar has completely dissolved, roughly a few minutes. Set aside.

While the sugar water is heating and cooling, cut the flesh from the mangoes.

Place mango pieces, sugar water, lime juice, and salt into a blender. Blend/puree until completely smooth. Pour into a container with a lid and refrigerate until completely chilled.

When ready to put the chilled purée mixture into an ice cream maker, mix in the tequila. Process the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the directions. Transfer mixture to a plastic storage container and place in freezer until firm, at least a few hours.


Blackberry-Raspberry Buttermilk Cake (from www.smittenkitchen.com)

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 c. plus 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, divided
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 large egg
1/2 c. well-shaken buttermilk
1 c. fresh raspberries/blackberries (or you could use one or the other. Or a totally different fruit. Do whatever floats your boat!)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl 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, about two minutes, then beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Add egg and mix 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 greased, floured (I just greased the pan) cake pan. Spread fruit pieces evenly over the top of the batter and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar.

Bake until cake is golden, about 20 to 25 minutes (also stick a toothpick in to make sure it comes out clean). Let it sit in the pan 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack and cool. Keep a spoon or a fork ready to just dive in as soon as it is cool enough to not scorch the roof of your mouth while you eat it.