Carrot-Pineapple-Apple-Coconut-Walnut Cake

I decided to try a new carrot cake recipe a few weekends ago. We loved it! I had the ingredients in my pantry and frig and wanted a use for some of the Bob's Red Mill coconut.

I found this recipe online and yes, it is a great carrot cake. It might be a Mott's recipe to begin with. Perhaps not to "die for" but let's just take that figuratively and not literally.

The first time I made a three-layer cake and it was beautiful. I upped my favorite frosting recipe (see carrot cake on this blog) by 50%. This means, of course, that you will have a half package of cream cheese frosting to use the next week! Yum. My tips for the three-layer is to use 8" shallow cake pans and alternate them when you frost (one up, one down, one up). They bake very quickly. I always line my cake pans with parchment rounds.

The second time I made one small 4" cake (cut in half horizontally to make a two-layer cake) and Gerry I shared this one. For the rest of the batter, I filled a bundt pan, well-greased, about 2/3 or 3/4 full and ended up with a nice, compact, fruity cake. I just tested it every five minutes and perhaps baked it for 25-35 minutes.

So here's the recipe. I followed it but used more coconut and nuts than called for. I also used Bob's Red Mill Unsweetened Flaked Coconut (available at all Ocean State Job Lots) instead of shredded, sweetened coconut and chopped it with the whole or halved walnuts in my Cuisinart. I probably used 1 cup of coconut and 1 cup of walnuts. Next time, I will garnish the cake with coconut and nuts.


One -  Beat until nice and fluffy and yellow:
1-1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups sugar
3 eggs

Two - Mix together 2 cups of flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. cinnamon.

3 - Beat those wet and dry ingredients together until mixed.

Add in 2 cups of grated carrots, 1 cup of crushed pineapple in juice (not drained, so use the juice), 1 tsp. vanilla and the coconut/nuts.

Pour this into your pans, cook for about 25 minutes (test, test, test with a bamboo skewer or cake tester) at 350 degrees if using three layers. For other pans, just test until the skewer comes out clean.

Cool for ten minutes and then pop out of the pans. Continue to cool before frosting.

Hokkaido Milk Bread with Cheese Topping

My colleagues shared a recipe for this bread and I'm trying it this morning. The results are beautiful and delicious!

Makes: 8
Recipe Adapted From Alan Ooi (Malaysia)

Note: I happen to have both a digital scale and a gr/ml measuring cup. What looks really cool is this measuring cup scale. You can also use unit conversion, powered by UnitConversion.org to convert the measurements to other units.

Here's an article in the Washington Post and another in the Chicago Tribune about the benefits of starting breads with a sponge. I used to keep sourdough starter in my frig all the time when we lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. I don't make that much bread to keep one going anymore (you need to use and feed the starter every three days or at least once a week or you risk the starter getting gray and putrid.) Here's how to store and feed: Store the starter in a glass container (never metal) covered with an air tight lid in the frig. Maintain (feed) it once a week by stirring in 3 T flour and 3T water and allow it to wake up for about four hours on the counter before you either use it or return it to the frig. When you use one cup of starter, you need to replenish that cup with 1 cup flour and 1 cup water. Mix, cover and store. 

INGREDIENTS:
Sponge Dough
200 gram Bread Flour
130 ml Water
1/2 tsp Instant Dry Yeast

Mix Sponge Dough ingredients and lightly knead to form a dough. Covered and leave to ferment for 10 hours (maximum 24 hours) or overnight inside the fridge . Bring it out from fridge and leave it at room temperature 1 hour before using it.

After the 10-24 hours, when the sponge is ready, you can start the Second Dough.

Second Dough
350 gram Bread Flour
100 gram Fine Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Instant Dry Yeast
25 gram Milk Powder
110 ml Fresh Milk (chilled)
80 gram Fresh Cream (chilled) / Non Dairy Whipping Cream
1 Large Egg
40 gram Butter, cut into small cubes or grated when frozen.)

Put second dough ingredients (except butter) into a bread maker machine. Set the machine to Dough function to start the mixing and kneading process. When the ingredients are about to combine (about one to two minutes later when the milks and flours are combined), add butter.

Add Sponge dough into the machine when the second dough is formed. (I waited until the machine had rested about five minutes and just started up again.) Continue to knead to combine both dough until the kneading process ends. Let the final dough sit inside the machine to continue it’s proofing process for 50 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 8 portions, cover and let rest at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes. Roll out and stretch the dough into long piece with rolling pin, then roll back into a cylinder. Roll and stretch the dough into rope with both hands. Braid the ropes, pinching the ends and tuck them under to seal. Place the braids on a greased baking sheet. Space them at least 4″ apart. Cover them and leave them to rise for 50 minutes or until they are doubled in size.

Heat up the oven to 180 degrees C or 356 degrees F

Topping
1 egg (for egg-wash)
250 grams grated cheese

Lightly beat 1 egg to make the egg-wash and brush on the dough. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until nice and golden.
Remove from the oven and transfer onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Notes:

• You may use a stand mixer with dough hook if you do not have a bread maker machine. Mix all the dry ingredients in low speed then slowly add in wet ingredients (butter begin the last one to add) until they are well combine. Knead it with medium speed until the dough cleans itself from the side of the bowl. The dough should be smooth, elastic and non-sticky. You may do a windowpane test to check if the gluten is well developed.
• Do not add salt directly in contact with the instant dry yeast. Sugar and yeast can be in contact.
• Lightly grease your hand and roller pin if your dough is a bit sticky during shaping.

Prospect Street Pear-Vanilla-Rosemary Cocktail

We think we will call this the Prospect Street Pear-Vanilla-Rosemary Cocktail.

I'm recently concerned about salicylates in my diet that may be (are certainly) causing me some hives and facial rashes. Salicylates are high in many things - honey, nuts, tomatoes, apples, most fruits, sauces, condiments, spices, beer and wines. Salicylates are low or non-existent in fresh meats and seafood, eggs, pears, bananas, dairy products, mosts grains and legumes, and pasta.  And chocolate!

I'm drinking only vodka, gin and whiskey these days. And eating only pears and bananas for fruit. I'm limiting most fruits and vegetables, but adding fresh yogurt, cheeses, pastas, and meats.


Here's how to make this delicious cocktail we invented tonight!

1 part vanilla vodka
1 part pear nectar
Shake with ice and add a sprig of fresh rosemary

Fruitcake Biscotti ... or Anything Biscotti

We discovered this Martha Stewart recipe last year. It's a perfect dough for biscotti of any kind.

This one is for fruitcake biscotti. We love it with coffee. The grandchildren love it for dinner!

Mix up the recipe. We did. We made dried cherry/dark chocolate/walnut biscotti. Apricot/almond. You'll need to change up the spices and extracts. Be experimental.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 4 large eggs plus 1 beaten large egg white, divided
• 1 1/2 cups sliced blanched almonds
• 1 cup candied citrus peel
• 2 cups mixed dried fruit, diced small
• Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using paddle attachment, combine flour, granulated sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add butter and beat on medium-high until coarse crumbs form. With mixer on low, add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in almonds, citrus peel, and dried fruit.
2. On two parchment-lined baking sheets, shape dough into four logs about 3/4" to 1" high. Brush with egg white; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until just set in middle, 30 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. With a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into slices. Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets until just golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool on sheets on racks.

Green Salsa Verde

I made salsa verde this fall and used it in a soup for dinner today (see below). It's nice and spicy and adds that extra chile flavor to anything you want to add it to. The recipe is from BHG Canning-Preserving-Preserving & Drying Late Summer 2015. That magazine has been my go-to for so much of my canning since last summer.

You'll need to make this when you can find tomatillos plentiful in the grocery store or farmstand.

3 pounds of fresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed of their stickiness
4 fresh poblano chile peppers
4 fresh serrano chile peppers
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T salt
1 t sugar
2/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 chopped onion
1/4 c loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 lime juice

 Preheat the broiler and place the tomatillos and peppers in a foil-lined baking pan. Broil 4-5 inches from heat for 14-16 minutes or until charred, turning when necessary. Wrap peppers and foil and let stand about 20 minutes until you can handle them to remove the skins. Discard the stems and seeds of the peppers. Peel tomatillos if desired but do not de-seed. Cut all into manageable pieces and combine tomatillos with peppers, garlic, salt and sugar and process all in food processor but do not puree.

Transfer to large pot and stir in vinegar, onion, cilantro and lime juice. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer for 10 min. uncovered.

Ladle hot salsa into hot sterilized canning jars. Wipe jar rims and screw on lids. (I didn't process in water bath for 15 min. but kept the salsa in refrigerator.) Makes 3 pints.

Pork Poblano Corn Soup

I had slow-cooked some boneless pork chops a few weeks ago, adding spices in a crockpot overnight. Today, I took that frozen pork, 1 box of Trader Joe's Poblano Pepper and Creamy Corn soup, 1 cup of frozen sweet corn from this summer's cobs, two cans of white kidney (canellini) beans, 1 chopped onion, 1 box of chicken stock, and a couple of spoons of my Green Salsa Verde.

Best Food for a Boxer

Many people have asked us how we fed our beloved Boxer, Chuisle. Chuisle came to live with me on Labor Day weekend in 2005. She was rail thin and very sick with Boxer Colitis. A month or so later, after many doctors' visits and hospital stays, and frustrated that she was getting no better and was actually sicker, I insisted that we leave Tuft’s animal hospital for the last time. I took Chuisle home and began making the Best Food for a Boxer, experimenting as I went along. In the beginning, I peeled the sweet potatoes and cooked the beef and barley and oatmeal and eggs separately. Then I mixed it all together and stored them in empty cottage cheese and yogurt containers. When Chuisle was a bit over one and half-years old, I met Gerry and we began making her food at his house in Norfolk. We quickly realized we could cook it all (except the barley and eggs, cottage cheese or yogurt) without peeling the sweet potatoes in the crock pot. We needed more to last the week, though, so switched to a large soup pot and made about 18-20 cups each week.

So for a decade, we made her food every week in large batches. We mixed about 1-1/2 cups in the morning with cottage cheese cooked with an egg. In the evening, we topped her dish with plain yogurt. Chuisle lived healthily and happily until the week after Labor Day weekend in 2016. She had the healthiest, softest coat and a bounce in her prance. We lost our beautiful, faithful Boxer on September 12, 2016. We love her and miss her. We estimate that she ate over 3500 pounds of sweet potatoes, 1000 pounds of beef, and 600 large containers of cottage cheese and plain yogurt and 300-dozen eggs, over 1000 packages of barley, and 1000 cups of uncooked oatmeal in those 11 years!

Here's the final recipe we came to rely on:

A large pot and some water to partially cover about 7-8 large sweet potatoes, peel on and cut into 1/2 inch rounds or wedges.

About 1-1/2 cups of oatmeal (we used Trader Joe's)

1 to 2 pounds 80% fat ground beef

2 packages of Trader Joe's 10 minute barley

Simmer the sweet potatoes and oatmeal until they are soft but not mushy. Throw in some extra stock or broths that you might have hanging around. You want your end result to be mushy, not too firm or watery, so you'll have to experiment.

Toss in the ground beef and break up all of it with a large masher. (We used one that didn't totally mash up everything.) Simmer until beef is no longer pink.  Shut off the heat and pour in 1-2 packages of the barley. There should be enough water so that the barley is covered with potatoes and meat. If not, add very hot water to the simmering pot. Cover and leave for about a half hour. Mix it all up and store it in the frig in individual meal dishes or one big container.

You can toss in some leftovers with the barley. Extra veggies, chicken or lamb meat. Bacon fat. Whatever. It's good for them! (We cooked chicken carcasses and lamb bones and stored the small bits of meat and broth for our Best Food for a Boxer cooking days.)

Sweet Corn Pancakes from Smitten Kitchen

These were posted on Smitten Kitchen's Facebook page and I couldn't resist. I love sweet corn off the cob. I save the cobs separately to simmer with milk for chowders. I freeze both. For the pancakes: 2 T butter plus some additional for brushing 3/4 cup kernels cut from one large ear of sweet corn (or use what you have frozen) 1/8 t. salt plus some for seasoning the corn 1 large egg 1-1/4 cup buttermilk (I use the dry reconstituted with water; I keep it in the refrigerator) 1/4 t. vanilla 1 T sugar 3/4 c. flour 1/4 c. cornmeal 1 t. baking powder 1/2 t. baking soda Melt the butter in a skillet and add corn. Saute for 4-5 minutes until it browns ever so slightly. Sprinkle with salt and let cool. Wipe out the skillet. Or if you are using a large griddle, clean the skillet! Lightly beat the egg in the bottom of a large bowl, whisk in the buttermilk, corn, vanilla, and sugar. In a smaller bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Stir all the dry into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. It will still be lumpy in appearance. Heat a skillet or griddle. Brush it with butter. Ladle 1/4 c. batter at a time. When the pancakes have bubbles on them but are slightly dry around the edges, flip them over and cook them until they are golden brown underneath. Lower heat if necessary. I served these with fresh strawberries tossed into a saucepan with hot strawberry jam. Yummy!