My Birthday Cake. L'il Miss Cakes

I never celebrate my birthday with cake. It’s always apple pie for me because I can’t think of a dessert I like better. And my grandson, who doesn’t like to eat much of anything loves my homemade apple pie, so of course I want to have one when he’s here.

But this year I added cake too, for a couple of reasons. First, because it was one of those round numbered birthdays and it felt as if dessert should be more festive, even though the birthday has passed and we actually ate the cake on Father’s Day because that’s when we all got together at my house.

Second, because a blogger colleague of mine, Melissa Kaye, bakes such gorgeous cakes that I wonder at the artwork every time I read one of her blog posts and see what she has created for some client.

I had to have one of her cakes for my birthday.

That’s it, in the photo. Isn’t is beautiful? Simple, elegant and tasteful.

The kids shared the flower (Melissa had made another one first that she didn’t think was good enough and I took that one home too, which was good because little kids always like the flower best).

The cake itself was white cake (at my request); in between were layers of chocolate.

But she will bake any kind of cake you might want. Also cookies, snack cakes, bundt cakes and such. You can see some of her other creations here.

If you are in the market for a delicious and gorgeous cake, here’s how to reach her: lilmisscakes.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Breakfast. They say it is the most important meal. 

It can also be the most stressful. Especially when you have kids and you want to be sure they’re starting the day right.

Yes, school is almost over now so you may not have the same morning rush with the usual arguments about what they’re going to eat while trying to get them out the door on time, properly filled.

But there may be camp. Or gymnastics or art class. Or a doctor appointment. Or a train to catch. Life goes on, whether or not school’s in session.

And school will start again in a few months anyway (the summer always seems to fly by doesn’t it?).

So, how to have a healthy, peaceful, tasty breakfast?

There are all sorts of ways to handle it. When I was a kid my Dad would make cooked cereal and add sugar, cinnamon, chocolate chips, butter and cream.

It did the trick of course. But I can’t recommend that in good conscience.

Here’s what I am recommending: a new app called LaLa Breakfast.

First, to confess, LaLa Breakfast is the creation of my daughter Gillian.

Her first app, LaLa Lunchbox — a best-seller — which helps parents and kids choose healthy lunches, got rave reviews and requests for her to do the same thing for breakfast.

So she came up with LaLa Breakfast, which takes the stress out of the breakfast routine. 

Like all parents, Gillian doesn’t want to spend needless time cooking breakfast nor does she want to meet unreasonable demands. She controls the items that are available for the meal. And she and her children make the breakfast decisions in advance. 

You can do the same with LaLa Breakfast. Your children choose what they want to eat before the morning. That way they don’t get cranky about what you picked — a waffle, say — when what they really wanted was oatmeal.

Gillian recommends that, whatever the choices, prepare as much as you can in advance. Like pouring cereal into a bowl and setting it out on the table (covered). Or washing and cutting up fruit. It’s easy to get that stuff out of the way when you know in advance what the meal is going to be.

In addition to having breakfast “ordered” and partially prepped, with LaLa Breakfast your children learn not only to pick healthy breakfast but also to understand what it means to make decisions and stick by them.

The app is really cute, with attractive looking “monsters” to help guide children in their choices. There are four categories they can select from: Eggs, Produce, Grains and Protein. After you make your choices, the app creates a shopping list of items you need. And for those who have both LaLa Breakfast and LaLa Lunchbox, the two grocery lists can be seamlessly synced into one and accessible via multiple devices. 

One of the things I learned as a parent making breakfast was that sometimes children like the same item over and over, even in the same week. So I recommend making some items in bulk and keeping them for a few days. For example, if you make oatmeal, make more than one portion and use the leftovers to make oatmeal pancakes (the batter will last for about 3 days, refrigerated).

Oatmeal Pancakes

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup leftover oatmeal

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

butter to cook the pancakes

Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. Place the oatmeal in a bowl. Add the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and melted butter and mix the ingredients to blend them thoroughly. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix them in to make a relatively smooth batter. Melt a small amount of butter in a saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, drop about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the pan for each pancake. Leave space between each pancake. Cook the pancake for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Turn the pancakes over and cook on the second side for 1-2 minutes or until browned. Serve plain or with syrup.

Makes about 18-20 pancakes.

Mango Soup with Mint and Chili Pepper

I used to test kitchen appliances and write about them for various magazines, so I learned a lot about what to look for and about the best uses for the tools we buy for our kitchens. Also some history as to why or how they got invented.

Like the Blender. We take it for granted these days, but it was the first real “modern” kitchen tool. It began as barware back in the 1930s, designed to blend the likes of cocktails like Daiquiris and Brandy Alexanders.

But in the 1950s, when the real housewives of America got hold of it, they quickly understood how useful it could be in the kitchen.

Women’s lib. At least when it came to chopping, blending and pureeing ingredients. 

Among the first “blender recipes” were cold soups. It was so easy — put cut up soft fruit or vegetables in a blender, add liquid and seasonings and puree away.

The process isn’t much different today, except now we have immersion blenders and food processors also.

What is different now is that we now have a zillion more ingredients that women back in the 50s probably never heard of or would think to use because they were unavailable or outside their cultural comfort zone. Like yogurt. Mango. Avocado. Chili peppers. Ingredients that are now as commonplace as apples and milk and packaged bread.

I recently had a few too many mangoes so I decided to get out my trusty old blender and give it a whirl for cold fruit soup. It was as reliable as ever. The soup took just a few minutes to prepare and it was incredibly refreshing.

It’s a perfect dish on a hot, hot, humid day.

If you make this soup in advance and store it in the fridge, take it out about a half hour before you serve it. Fruit soups are best when chilled but not utterly cold.

Mango Soup with Mint and Chili Pepper

2 large mangoes, about 2 pounds

1 cup milk, approximately

1 cup plain Greek style yogurt

1 small Serrano pepper, about 1 teaspoon finely chopped

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

juice of half a lime

salt to taste

gratings of nutmeg

Peel the mango and cut the flesh into chunks. Place the mango, milk, yogurt, Serrano pepper, honey, mint and lime juice in a food processor or blender (or use a deep vessel and hand blender) and puree the ingredients. Season to taste with salt. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Garnish with a few sprinkles of freshly grated nutmeg and mint sprigs. If the soup seems too thick, stir in enough milk to achieve the desired consistency. Makes 4 servings

Roasted Potato Salad

There’s an old saying: “you can never be too rich or too thin.”

But when it comes to aphorisms, my own personal one is “you can never have too many recipes for potato salad.” I must have a zillion of them. Almost as many as the number of recipes I have for banana bread.

Potato Salad is, of course, the American summer classic. How could you not have it on Father’s Day, especially if you’re going to be eating barbecued chicken or burgers and things like that. And even if you aren’t, well, potato salad goes with so many entrees, you really can’t go wrong serving it.

I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with potato salads because I didn’t start out with a good family recipe. My mother made it with cut up all-purpose potatoes and Miracle Whip; it was one of the only dishes of hers that I didn’t like. 

But I knew, instinctively, there’d be a recipe I’d love. After all, the dish begins with potato, one of my favorite foods. 

After many experiments I know that small, waxy potatoes are best for potato salad. They hold up better, so the texture is firmer and more resilient.

And, sue me, I hate Miracle Whip. Most of my potato salad dressings are variations on vinaigrette.

Recently I decided to try a new approach. I roasted the potatoes first. Winner!

The potato edges were crispy and brown. I gave them a light, mustardy white wine vinegar dressing, just tart enough to complement the mild potato flesh.

Try this salad for Father’s Day! Pour the dressing onto the potatoes when they’re still warm. If you make the salad ahead and refrigerate it, get it to room temperature for serving.

Roasted Potato Salad

1-1/2 pounds “new” waxy potatoes (such as Red Bliss or baby Yukon Golds)

4 tablespoons olive oil

salt to taste

2 scallions, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes and cut them into bite size pieces. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the potatoes on the paper. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the potatoes, toss them to coat all sides and sprinkle with salt. Roast the potatoes for about 25 minutes, mixing them once or twice, or until tender and crispy. Place the potatoes in a bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, add the scallions and parsley. Mix the remaining olive oil, white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard. Pour over the potatoes. Toss the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Makes 6-8 servings

Za’atar

Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I love to use herbs and spices. It’s not that I am against mild food. It’s just that my tastes prefer stuff that’s more assertive or interesting.

I’ve tried all sorts of spices and blends for all sorts of foods. One of my favorites is Za’atar, an Arabic specialty.

There are lots of ingredient combinations to make this recipe but invariably, basic Za’atar is a mixture of sumac, sesame and thyme (in the Middle East it is made with an herb called za’atar that tastes like thyme). Some recipes include ground up pistachios or other nuts; some call for ground cumin and/or dried oregano or marjoram. 

I fell in love with Za’atar years ago. It is so incredibly useful that I have several different versions of it in my spice cabinet. I sprinkle it on hummus and eggplant dip. I make homemade flatbread crisps with it (brush pita rounds with olive oil, add a few sprinkles of Za’atar and bake in a 400 degree oven until the bread is crisp). I’ve added it to marinades for grilled chicken, sprinkled it on top of roasted winter squash and beets.

Recently I decided to sprinkle Za’atar onto challah rolls. I got the idea from a colleague of mine, Melinda Strauss, who wrote about Za’atar braided bread on her blog, Kitchen Tested.

It was an inspired thought on her part. So I proceeded to make my usual challah rolls, brushed the unbaked surface with vegetable oil, sprinkled with spice and baked.

Voila! More than delicious bread for sandwiches or for breakfast with eggs or to eat with Shakshouka or buttered and nibbled with coffee. You can figure all that out.

Za’atar

2 tablespoons dried sumac

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Mix ingredients well. Makes about 1/3 cup

Roasted Cornish Hens with Baharat and Mango

The first time my then-boyfriend-now-husband Ed decided to buy a birthday gift for me he wanted it to be something very very special. We had been seeing each other for some time and things were now “serious.” The gift had to be good.

So he consulted with his older, married sister who advised him to get something “personal.”

Which he did.

He gave me two spice racks filled with spice bottles (27 for each rack, which equals 54 bottles of spice).

His sister was appalled.

I was thrilled beyond belief.

To me, the spice racks plus 54 bottles was personal. Even then I loved to cook and invent new recipes and taste new ingredients and use all sorts of seasonings.

He knew me. 

That was, still is, critical to any lasting relationship.

I can’t remember all the spices (and dried herbs) he chose, but of course there were the usual cinnamon, ginger and cloves; rosemary, thyme and oregano.

These days, years later, my spice racks are still filled. And I still use many of the “usual” — freshly grated nutmeg for cake, ground cumin to jazz up lamburgers and such.

But the bottles number way more than 54 (I have a whole “seasonings” cabinet now). Because there’s a world of spices, herbs and interesting blends to try that we didn’t know about then and that I want to experiment with.

Like Za’atar. I have 3 or 4 different versions of commercial blends. Same goes for Ras el Hanout, Dukkah and Baharat. And others.

I also have many other spice blends that are homemade (I spoon them in a small spice bottles so they look store-bought).

Today is my birthday. I don’t know what birthday gift is in store for me this year.

I do know that the older you get the more you think about birthdays past.

So I am remembering that first one with Ed. His gift, those spice racks and bottles, started us on a delicious culinary journey together.

We’re still travelling.

Mostly I am still enjoying the pleasure of knowing that Ed got that gift so right.

Roasted Cornish Hens with Baharat and Mango

2 large Rock Cornish hens (about 1-1/2 pounds each)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1-1/2 teaspoons Baharat

1 cup mango juice 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and dry the hens. Rub the skin with the vegetable oil and sprinkle them with salt, pepper and Baharat. Place the hens breast side down on a rack in a roasting pan. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Pour the juice over the hens. Roast for another 15 minutes, baste and turn the hens breast side up. Raise the heat to 425 degrees. Roast for 15 minutes, baste the ingredients and roast for another 10 minutes or until the hens are cooked through and the skin is crispy. Makes 4 servings

Mary Todd Lincoln Courtin’ Cake

I saw the movie “Lincoln” and loved it, despite the inaccuracies. But the brouhaha about the details got me to thinking about other factual errors concerning Lincoln including the myth about Mary Todd Lincoln’s “Courtin’ Cake,” sometimes referred to as Mary Todd Lincoln White Cake.

The story goes that Mary baked this cake for Abe while they were courting and that he liked it so much that either it got him to propose or that she made it frequently after they were married. And so on and so on.

None of it has actually been documented. And in fact, Mary came from a wealthy, slave-owning family and so it is doubtful she ever cooked before she was married.

Well, I say, who cares?

Cake is cake and this one, attributed to her, is a particularly delicious one. I don’t care if she got the recipe from a cookbook or a bakery or whatever. Or whether she ever actually baked it or it was baked for her and Mr. Lincoln by someone else.

There are many variations on Mrs. Lincoln’s recipe. Some are for layer cake with marshmallow frosting but most are bundt types with just a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar as decoration. I like those best. This cake is rich and moist, almost like a tea bread, and icing or frosting might be overkill.

This is a good cake anytime, for “courting” (does anyone use that term anymore??) or a party or even a wedding or bridal shower.

Mary Todd Lincoln Courtin’ Cake

1 cup chopped almonds

2-1/4 cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

6 large egg whites

confectioner’s sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan and set aside. Place the almonds in a food processor and process until the almonds are very finely chopped and uniform in consistency. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Sift these ingredients another two times. Mix in the ground almonds and set aside. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, beating after each addition until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Stir in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they stand in stiff, glossy peaks. Fold into the batter. Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for about one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven to a cake rack and cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto the cake rack to cool completely. Decorate with sifted confectioner’s flour. Makes one cake

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

If summer comes can fruit crisps be far behind?

I think that Percy Bysshe Shelley’s hair would stand on end if he read that last question (my paraphrase of the last line of his “Ode to the West Wind”).

I know he wasn’t thinking about food when he wrote this poem.

But his message was inspiring, positive and uplifting: warm, sunny days invariably follow a cold, dark, harsh winter. There are good times and bad, our lives are filled with both suffering and silver linings. So, keep the faith.

Here we are, right at the very start of a light-filled, sun-drenched season. When a harvest of juicy, flavor-filled local fruit is beginning to appear at the market. It’s ours for the eating, our silver lining after the ice-and-snowy days behind us.

We should take advantage while it lasts. 

How about a luscious Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp?

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

filling:

4 cups 1” sliced rhubarb (1-1/2 pounds)

2 cups sliced strawberries

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, optional

1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel

topping:

2/3 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup quick cooking oats

6 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the rhubarb, strawberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon peel in a bowl and toss to distribute the ingredients evenly. Place the mixture into a deep baking dish. Make the streusel: Combine the brown sugar, 3/4 cup flour and oats in a bowl and mix together. Add the butter and work into the dry ingredients until they are crumbly. Spoon the oat mixture on top of the fruit. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Makes 6-8 servings

German Apple Cake

German Apple Cake 

I was away recently, traveling through Germany and the Czech Republic, which means two things.

First, it was a great trip and I had a good time, learned a lot, saw a lot and met a lot of nice people.

Two, I gained weight.

Of course I gained weight. That’s what happens on a vacation.

Is it just me or does everyone add a few pounds this way?

I gained weight even though I walked probably 6-8 miles each day. Think of what would have happened if I taxi-ed all over the place!

But when you’re in a place that’s famous for its Apple Kuchen, schlag, dark beer and potatoes, well, you’re gonna gain weight. Especially if you like Apple Kuchen, schlag, dark beer and potatoes.

Which I do.

Okay, so I have to lose four pounds that got added on over 22 days.

But how do I do that when I felt absolutely compelled to try out recipes for Apple Kuchen?

Like the kind we had at a marvelous little coffee house in Potsdam.

The cake was tender and vaguely lemony, with a layer of soft baked sliced apples and crusted with mocha-brown crumbles of streusel.

Perfect.

Like this:

German Apple Cake

Streusel:

• 1/4 pound unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. Place the sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and mix until well blended. Pour in the butter and blend it in. Let stand for 4-5 minutes, then crumble the mixture using your fingers. Set aside.

Cake:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup milk

• 2 tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored and sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the streusel and set it aside. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon peel in the bowl of an electric mixer. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk and melted butter. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and stir only to combine: do not overbeat. Turn the batter into the prepared cake pan. Top with the apple slices. Cover with the streusel. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the outer ring from the pan and let the cake cool completely.

Makes one cake

Grilled Lamb Kebabs

Lamb Kebabs

'Tis the season to be grilling.

Finally.

After a long, cold, snowy winter that seemed as if it were going to last forever, I didn’t even mind spending over an hour cleaning the grill. Btw, along those lines, let me recommend Greased Lightning, a product that is the most amazing cleaner there is (please don’t tell me if it’s toxic, carginogenic or anything else horrendous because this stuff is so wonderful I can’t imagine not using it).

So I’m ready for Memorial Day weekend, when my cousins come, we sit and do nothing at all for three days and eat good warm weather food and grill almost every meal.

Here’s one of our weekend dishes:

Grilled Lamb Kebabs

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless lamb

• 3 tablespoons orange marmalade

• 2 tablespoons apricot jam

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh hot chili pepper

• salt to taste

Place the lamb in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the marmalade, jam, mustard, garlic, ginger, rosemary and chili pepper. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Mix well and spoon over the lamb. Toss the meat in the jam mixture to coat all the pieces. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Preheat an outdoor grill (or oven broiler). Thread the meat pieces onto 4 skewers. Grill for about 8-10 minutes, turning the kebabs occasionally, or until nicely browned. (You can use an oven broiler.)

Makes 4 servings