Monthly Archives: September 2020

Orange Almond Cake

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I’m naturally attracted to any recipe that starts with boiling 2 oranges for 2 hours and then blitzting them skin, pith and all. My catnip is everyday ingredients used in unusual ways. This Claudia Rogen cake is a famous cake- it routinely makes the lists of world’s best cakes and I think that is partly due to the ingredients and partly due to the texture of the final cake. This cake has a very delicate but dense sponge- the almond flour becomes drier and more “orangey” the next day. I generally serve it with whipped cream mixed with a tbsp of orange zest.

Start by boiling 2 clean oranges for 2 hours or as I did pressure cook the 2 oranges for 40 minutes. The pectin becomes all gelatinous then- think marmalade. Cool oranges- cut down the center- remove seeds and blitz to a fine puree.

Next- heat oven to 375F. Prep a 9 inch pan- the recipe suggests a round pan with a springiform bottom, I used a 9×9 inch square pan and lots of parchment. This is a delicate cake- prepping the pan is essential. In a large bowl- whisk 6 large eggs with 250g sugar till the sugar is all dissolved (I used my stand mixer and it took about 4 minutes on medium). Add 250 g of almond flour and 1 tsp of baking powder. Mix well till mixture is homogenous. Add orange puree and pour the mixture (it will be fairly liquid) into the prepared pan. Bake at 375F for 45 minutes and start testing till a skewer comes out clean. It took 55 minutes in my oven. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove and cool on rack.

Serve with berries, cream, candied oranges – think of it as a pudding rather than a cake. It makes for an unusual end to a dinner party and it is delicious.

Spicy corn soup in coconut milk

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I’m always on the lookout for corn recipes. When people ask me why I live in Nebraska (and they ask me that a lot), I always tell them the corn is superb in summer. This recipe is delicious and feels great on the palate. The spiciness of the jalapeno is balanced by the creaminess of the coconut milk. The recipe is based off this NYT Sarah Jampel recipe. It’s vegan if you skip the butter and use oil.

Remove kernels from 5 corn cobs. With all due respect to Alton, this unitasker is essential in my kitchen. I love this corn stripper. In a large pot, add 2 tbsp of butter and about half a cup of finely diced red onion. Cook gently till the onions are golden brown and very soft (about 10-15 min). Add 1 tbsp of grated ginger and 1 tbsp of finely chopped garlic and 1 finely chopped jalapeno. Cook for 30 seconds. Add 2 large russet potatoes diced into inch dices (about 2 cups). Add 4 cups of vegetable broth ( I use better than bouillon). Boil for 10 minutes till potatoes are tender. Add 1 15 oz can of full fat coconut milk and add the corn kernels and boil for another 5 minutes or so.

Serve with a huge squeeze of lemon in each bowl and finely chopped cilantro. Finely chopped peanuts would be good as would more chillies.. I added rice noodles to each bowl to make it a complete meal.

Socca with Chickpea Salsa (from Ottolenghi)

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Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes appeal to me as a scientist- they are precise, use ingredients in ways that I’ve never used before and always deliver. For example- this recipe has 1/2 of a spring onion and 2 slices of lemon diced up small (pith and all). I’ve made socca before- it is a French-Moroccan chickpea crepe. Indians are very familiar with besan or chickpea flour and the alchemy of deliciouness when it is fried. But this recipe finally showed me why people rhapsodize about socca. Now I know what to expect when I finally visit the French riviera. The recipe is based off this Guardian recipe.

For the socca batter- In a 10 inch non stick oven safe pan- add 90 ml of olive oil and 3 finely diced shallots (or half of a large red onion diced) and cook over medium heat stirring every few minutes for 15-20 minutes till golden brown and very soft. Cool for 10 minutes. Whisk 150 g of chickpea flour, 370 ml of water, 1/2 tsp of baking powder together till smooth. Add 100 gm of cooked chickpeas (tinned or pressure cooked for 15 minutes after soaking for 12 hours), 1 tsp of fresh thyme, zest of 1 lemon, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the cooled oil and onion mixture and let the batter rest for 30 minutes. It will thicken up some.

For the chickpea salsa- To 100 g of cooked chickpeas, add 1 tsp of finely chopped rosemary, 1/2 tbsp of finely chopped parsley, 1/2 a clove of garlic (yes finely chopped or grated), 1/2 a spring onion (also finely chopped), salt, pepper and 60 ml of good olive oil. Squeeze the juice from the lemon you had zested into the bowl. Take another lemon and slice off 2 thin slices from the middle. Remove the seeds and finely chop the 2 lemon slices- pith and all and add to the salsa. Crush the chickpeas slightly so all of the flavors meld together and let it hang out.

Cook the socca-This is slightly tedious and requires trips to the oven and stove and back- this is a restaurant quality dish though.Heat oven to 350F. Wipe down the 10 inch oven proof non stick skillet and heat a tbsp of oil. Add 1/4 of the batter (about a cup or so) to the skillet. Cook stovetop for a minute or two and then in the oven for 5-6 minutes till the top is set and then back on stovetop- flip and cook another 3 minutes till the top is charred and the bottom is crispy and golden brown.

Split into quarters and serve with salsa. This is a truly outstanding dish. The next time- I will use 2 pans to alternate oven and stove to make dinner quicker.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake by Alton Brown

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This is my favorite cake (and husband’s favorite cake) from my favorite baking book – Alton Brown’s I’m just here for more food. I’ve made it for countless dinners and potlucks over the last 15 years- it is always a hit. Two things to remember- a cast iron pan is essential as is the pineappe in heavy syrup. Fresh pineapple and pineapple in juice will work in a pinch but the cake won’t be glorious. Cast iron pans are cheap and last for ever and are totally worth it. For the perfect toffee bottom and the delicious sponge on top- you need the cast iron pan and the pineapple in syrup

Preheat oven to 350F. Melt 1 stick of butter (8 tbsp) in a 10 inch cast iron pan and 1 cup of dark brown sugar together. It melts in about 5 minutes. Don’t burn this. Then scatter the pineapple pieces from 1 can of pineapple chunks in heavy syrup on top. Scatter 1/4 cups of chopped walnuts on top too along with 3 tbsp of the pineapple juice from the can. If you like- add a few maraschino cherries here and there. I skip those. This is the “top” of your upside down cake. Try to get the pineapple and the nuts in one layer so they will all get candied.

Wet ingredients: Whisk 3 eggs, 5 tbsp of pineapple juice and 1 cup of white granulated sugar till the sugar dissoves. Dry ingregients: Mix 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt

Mix the wet and dry together till they just come together- an occasional lump is fine. Dump batter into the cast iron pan. The butter will float to the top. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean and the internal temp should be 210F.

I’m all for instant gratification but this cake needs about 10 minutes for the hot sugar and butter to cool down. Invert on a cake platter and eat vast quantities of it with joy.