The BEST Cake. Ever. Fresh Fig, Walnut, and Rosemary Upside-Down Cake

Admittedly I am not much of a baker. It’s too precise, inflexible compared to the creativity tolerated in cooking, and just not something I typically do. Nor would I ever eat cake for breakfast. I rarely eat cake any time. That is until this weekend when I baked a fresh fig cake that made me take back those thoughts.

This is the moistest cake, with an amazingly light and airy crumb. It literally melts in your mouth. And I did eat it for breakfast yesterday. And I will eat it for breakfast again tomorrow if there’s any left. The fresh figs are caramelized in buttery brown sugar, and piney, fresh rosemary and tart lemon juice add pungency and savory flavors as a foil to the sweetness. Upside-down cake reminds me of Connor as a little boy when this kind of cake was his very fav, so it's a bit sentimental too. Unfortunately in St. Louis, the fresh fig season is short so take advantage of them and bake this today. Be forewarned, the recipe does dirty a lot bowls, but if you’re going to bake, go all out. This is the cake to bake.

Fresh Fig, Walnut, and Rosemary Upside-Down Cake
Adapted from Food52
Makes 8 servings

1/2 C butter (8 tablespoons)
1 C brown sugar
10 fresh, ripe figs of your choice, tips removed, halved – I used more because many of mine were small
4 t fresh rosemary, finely chopped, divided
2-3 T walnut pieces, or as many as needed
1/2 C all purpose flour

1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
3 eggs, separated
1 C granulated sugar – I used vanilla sugar
4 T fresh lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
1 t pure vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Add butter to a 9-inch-round baking pan, and place inside of a warm oven until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter. Add figs, flesh side down, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the rosemary. Fill in the nooks and crannies with walnut pieces.

In a medium bowl, combine sifted flour, baking powder and salt, and stir.

Using a hand mixer, in a metal or glass bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until fluffy. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add lemon juice, zest, vanilla extract, and remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary, and beat well. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and beat until well combined. Fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Pour cake mixture evenly over the fruit, and smooth with the spatula.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert carefully onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream and Cherry Crisp - The Best of Summer

We went to a July 4^th party last evening and took dessert. Feeling patriotic and summery, I decided to make Cooking Light's (sour) Cherry-Almond Walnut Crisp from our recent cherry picking expedition. Since ice cream pairs naturally with fruit crisp, we decided to make it too. I perused the web and a few cookbooks and settled on Mark Bittman’s French vanilla. Custard-based with a half dozen eggs and three cups of half-and-half, it was decadent, rich, creamy,with a wonderfully smooth texture, not at all icy like some homemade ice creams. The color was much more yellow and the vanilla flavor more intense than any commercial ice cream. But preparing it was indeed a labor of love, between whisking the egg yolks, heating the cream slowly to 175 degrees, and then chilling it even more slowly to 40 degrees before putting it in the ice cream maker. Everyone at the party loved it and couldn’t believe we made it. Bittman suggests add-ins such as maple syrup, coffee, or chocolate chips, which may be fun next time we make it. And it doubles well. A wonderful summer indulgence.

  

Basic French Vanilla Ice Cream

Adapted from Mark Bitten

Makes about one quart

1 vanilla bean or 2 t vanilla extract

2 C half-and-half or milk

1/2 C sugar

6 egg yolks

1 C half-and-half or cream or milk

Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. Reserve the bean for making vanilla sugar (see below).

Combine the seeds with the half-and-half and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until steam arises from the milk. Remove from the heat.

Using an electric mixer, beat 1/4 cup sugar with the egg yolks until the mixture is light yellow and thick, about four minutes.

Beat 1/2 cup hot half-and-half into the egg mixture, then gradually stir this mixture into the saucepan with the remaining half-and-half. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly, until the mixture reaches 175 to 180 degrees or is slightly thickened. Do not boil. There will be a thick coating on the back of a spoon that will hold the outline of your finger after you pass it through.

Stir in the remaining half-and-half. If using vanilla extract, add it now. Chill to 40 degrees. To hasten the chilling process, set the bowl in a large bowl filled with a mixture of ice and water, stirring occasionally.

Churn chilled mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately or freeze. Use within two days, “warming” in the frig for about 30 minutes before serving. This assumed it isn’t eaten immediately.



Strawberry Balsamic Salsa with Grilled Sea Bass

Last night Connor and I cooked together for Mother’s Day, which was a glorious mother’s day present in and of itself. We planned a very simple meal of grilled sea bass, creamy polenta, and grilled asparagus. It really resonated with me that simple is something I don’t do often enough, where the fresh and fabulous flavors of the ingredients shine. Easy clean up, too. 

The gorgeous, sustainable sea bass was from Whole Foods, and we had strawberries that needed to be used. I have fallen in love with macerated strawberries and balsamic vinegar this spring, so we made a balsamic strawberry salsa to serve with the fish. Strawberries and balsamic together are sophisticated and an Italian classic. It may sound strange, but they pair beautifully. The balsamic brings out the sweetness of the berries yet adds a tart bite. Be sure to use your very best aged balsamic. One that I love is from the Mountain Town Olive Oil Company in Park City, Utah, a traditional 18 year Modena balsamic. The other salsa ingredients add a touch of heat and crunch. WOWOWOWOW. After preparing and tasting it, we immediately made another batch because we knew it would not be enough. The salsa and soft goat cheese would also make an easy bruschetta.

A perfect meal for a lovely spring day.

Strawberry Balsamic Salsa with Grilled Sea Bass

1 small lime, zested
1/4 C finely chopped seeded jalapeno
2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 T fresh lime juice

1 T aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t cumin

1/2 t kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 C finely chopped strawberries

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime zest, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, and spices. Add the strawberries and combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the sea bass, we combined 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and thinly sliced two cloves of garlic in a pie pan and added the fish to coat and marinated in the refrigerator for about an hour. Just before grilling it, we sprinkled with salt and pepper and Connor grilled it to perfection, and 3 minutes per side.

Ooey Gooey Sticky Cinnamon Rolls and Warmed Poached Winter Fruit

I’ve made these cinnamon rolls for nearly twenty years, first for Easter, and in more recent times, as part of our Christmas brunch. These are sinful. They are so simple and rival any you’d find in a bakery – or from your grandmother’s oven. They melt in your mouth. Sweet, with a distinct cinnamon flavor, soft, but not doughy. Gooey and sticky. And your house smells so homey. Just the way cinnamon rolls should be. And they can be prepared a day ahead and baked just before serving.

I also made poached fruit for brunch that reminded me of childhood. My grandparents had a quince tree, and I loved the jelly my grandmother made.  If you have never tasted quince, it’s flavor is between an apple – but more spicy and robust than an apple –  a pear, cherries, with a hint of cloves. As far as I know, quinces are not eaten raw because they are very hard and quite sour, but mellow nicely when cooked and pair well with apples and pears. The original recipe from Cooking Light had this as a dessert, but it works perfectly for breakfast.

Sticky Cinnamon Rolls

Makes about 15

1 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 envelope rapid-rise yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup warm water (125°F. to 130°F.)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1 egg

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 stick + 1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins

Using electric mixer fitted with dough hook or paddle, mix first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add water, butter and egg and mix until smooth dough forms, about 4 minutes. Transfer dough to greased bowl. Cover with plastic and clean towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

Butter 9x13-inch baking dish. Bring 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter to boil in heavy small saucepan. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup walnuts. Pour into prepared dish. Punch dough down. Roll out on lightly floured surface to 15x9-inch rectangle. Spread dough evenly with remaining 1/3 cup butter. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup walnuts and raisins. Roll up jelly roll style, starting at one long side. Slice dough into 1-inch-thick rounds.

Arrange dough slices cut side down in prepared dish, spacing evenly. Cover with plastic. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 45 minutes. Yesterday I forgot I had them in the oven (turned off!) and they rose for likely two hours!

At this point, these can be refrigerated and baked the next morning. Bring to room temperature before baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Turn out onto platter. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

Spiced Winter Fruit

Serves 8

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar – I used white sugar today because I was out of brown

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

2 quinces, each cut into bite-size wedges (about 3/4 pound)

3 cups sliced peeled Bartlett or Anjou pear (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 1/2 cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cinnamon sticks (optional)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add quinces; cover and cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sugar mixture, pear, and apple; cover and cook 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper; garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired

This dish will hold up for up to 3 days if refrigerated in an airtight container. To serve, reheat over low heat.

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Grape Sauce - WOW

With great anxiety, we debated what we should do first with our new pork. Which cut should we select? How should we prepare it? What recipe is worthy of it? What if it doesn't live up to the high expectations we have for our local, sustainable, fresh, grass-fed, blah, blah pork?

We were greatly relieved in our choice of Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Grape Sauce. I had grapes to use from Saturday's Cheddar Crisps with Roasted Grape Relish appetizer and recalled seeing this last year in Eating Well (recipe modified). The sweetness of the grapes are intensified by roasting, but the sauce offers a sharpness with the Port and a bite from the Dijon, all coming together for an elegant, company-worthy dinner. We served a barley risotto plated underneath the pork (which nicely soaked up the sauce) and green beans roasted with garlic and cherry tomatoes.

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Grape Sauce

Cranberry Pesto Bleu Cheese Crostinis and Cheddar Crisps with Roasted Grape Relish

Last night was my 8th annual BCGC (Book Club Girls Club) Christmas dinner, when we "allow" our husbands to join in the fun. The group consists of three moms from Montessori preschool, a neighbor, and a friend Connor "picked up" at a local Mexican place when he was a mere seven years old. When I started the group, hardly anyone knew the others besides than me. Today we're all BFFs. What the walls could tell, and no one else knows. And we've certainly consumed some great (CASES) of wine through it all too.

Robyn and I were assigned the appetizer course, and she opted for some awesome cheeses. We decided to bring two appetizers complimentary to the cheeses and the meal, Chicken Marbella from The Silver Palate Cookbook. Interestingly, most of the women favored the Cranberry Pesto Bleu Cheese Crostinis, with the tart dried cranberries contrasting nicely with the creaminess of the blue cheese. Make sure to use a high quality blue since the flavor is predominant. It's easy. Throw everything into the food processor and toast baguette slices spritzed with olive oil.

Everyone was pretty thrilled with the novel concept of roasted grapes. Roasting brings out grapes' sweetness, something I've never done before, and the Cheddar Crisps with Roasted Grape Relish, modified from the new Gourmet Today cookbook, were also a hit. While the cheddar crisps themselves were not difficult to make, it was tricky getting them into the mini muffin pan and next time I need to ensure they have a "dish" to place the grape relish to serve.

Cheddar Crisps with Roasted Grape Relish and
Cranberry Pesto Bleu Cheese Crostini