And Then Sometimes It's Fall

Well, not really. Not yet anyway, but it kind of feels like it, doesn't it? Now, please don't get me wrong. I'm a summer person. I always want to feel the sun on my skin. I always want berries and tomatoes to be in the market. And I usually want to drink watermelon aguas frescas.


Sorry to get carried away. Back to the season it currently feels like.

It's around this time each year that I usually start craving the cooking techniques of Fall. I want to braise meats and greens. I want to make soups and stews and polentas and risottos. I want to gratin potatoes and roast chickens and begin my annual ritual of swearing to myself that I will actually make latkes this winter. And then sometimes, I get a strange itch and decide I really want to bake.



I made a promise, not just to you guys - dear readers, but also to my Sidekick, that as soon as I could stand to turn the oven back on, I would bake Smitten Kitchen's plum cake.

And that I did.


It didn't turn out quite as beautifully as Smitten Kitchen's drool-inducing images, but you guys, it tasted REALLY good.

I made a few McPickles-esque changes. By that I mean, I used the wrong-sized pan because I do not bake, added extra spices (including cayenne pepper, which my Sidekick will not stop laughing about - "You add pepper to EVERYTHING!") and used regular sugar instead of brown because that's what I had on hand. I can tell you that this recipe is very difficult to screw up and has proportions that I can ALMOST remember by heart. It is buttery, crumbly, comforting, tart from the plums and has been my Sidekick's breakfast every day since.


That said, here are the changes I made that you should ignore: if you have the correct-sized pan, use it. I think this cake will taste best when it has room to spread out and get really sticky. Also, I think using brown sugar will really help to make this even more buttery and caramely. You and I should both just buy some so we have it and don't have to learn these things the hard way. Happy baking!

Dimply Plum Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted it, barely, from Baking: From My Home to Yours

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
pinch cayenne pepper (I KNOW.)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup olive oil (you can use canola or something with less flavor, if you like)
Grated zest of 1 orange, lemon or lime
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 purple or red plums halved and pitted (I used Italian prune plums since they were at my market, but this is also great with nectarines, blackberries, your imagination is the limit)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan, dust the inside with flour, tap out the excess and put the pan on a baking sheet.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cayenne and cinnamon together.

Working with a mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until it’s soft and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes, then add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for a minute after each egg goes in. Still working on medium speed, beat in the oil, zest and vanilla; the batter will look smooth and creamy, almost satiny. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated.

Run a spatula around the bowl and under the batter, just to make sure there are no dry spots, then scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Arrange the plums cut side up in the batter–without over-crowding, you want your cake to have room to spread out–jiggling the plums a tad just so they settle comfortably into the batter.

Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes (check early and often), or until the top is just brown and puffed around the plums and a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 15 minutes during which time the plums juices will seep back into the cake then run a knife around the sides of the pan and unmold the cake. Invert and cool right side up.

Thanks, Smitten!

Triumphant Return of a Married Eater

Hi everyone! So, I'm someone's wife now, which is pretty cool.


Here is something else that is cool. Our wedding cake:


Yeah. It's all cake. ALL of it. This was made by our dear friend, the magnificent Alex Bliss. Who also, as it happens, made me a pretty effing spectacular bridal shower cake as well.


I'm serious, you guys. Having talented friends is one of the best things in the universe. Both of these cakes succeeded in tasting even better than they looked, which is no small feat.

Coming up: a run-down of the rest of the wedding delicacies, including an original cocktail by my Sidekick (ahem, HUSBAND), more pickles than anyone knew what to do with and - as promised - the weather cooled down and I actually baked a cake.

Happy to be back!

Pre-Wedding Food Porn

I'll be out of pocket for the next week or so, getting effing hitched! In the meantime, wanted to leave you with the gist of what will be going into our stomachs. Enjoy!












I know! I'm sorry if you haven't eaten lunch yet. ACTUAL wedding food porn to commence after I giddily make my Sidekick my HUSBAND.

And Then Sometimes You Eat Baklava for Breakfast

The problem with living above one of the best Arabic restaurants in Brooklyn is that there are often lots of leftovers.


And then sometimes you eat baklava for breakfast.

So, in case you're wondering, baklava and iced Stumptown are a really good combination.

Gosh, William Carlos Williams, I Know

This Is Just To Say
by William Carlos Williams

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

via smitten kitchen

Coming as soon as I can turn the oven on again.

A Lovely Surprise

Garlic. Flowers.


How is it possible that I've never seen these before? Aside from the fact that I instantly wished they could be my wedding bouquet (they'll be out of season by the end of August), finding these at our farmer's market this weekend was such a lovely surprise.

I have no idea what to do with them. Anyone have any bright ideas? The farmer said she doesn't even bother chopping them, just crumbles them up with her fingers and uses them like fresh garlic. Needless to say, it's on. I'll let you know how it goes.


Until then, these lovelies will be right here on my counter. I wish all flowers smelled this good.

Reflections on Ramp Season

So guys, you know I love these things, right?


If you don't, there's a good chance that we've never spoken. Or that you've never been to the beach with me. As I have one pretty conspicuously tattooed on my ribs. (Sorry ancestors and grandmas.)


I went characteristically ramp-crazy this spring, but noticed that while nearly everyone I know has been forced to try them in my presence and (I hope) enjoyed them, there's been a lot of ramp backlash lately. I've heard grumblings of fad-ism, that people only go crazy for them because they're tough to get, even during their unfairly short season. These grumblers also mention that these 'foodies' really only like ramps because it seems pretty cool to be ferociously hungry for something that hardly anyone knows about. A secret, stinky little club. (Let's take a quick minute to discuss how much I kind of detest the word 'foodie'. We're people. We eat food. Being excited about it shouldn't get a diminutive 'ie' tacked onto the end of it. There, I said it.)

Anyway. My adoration is undeterred.


I was taught to love onions, garlic and all things in the allium family by two people. My mother, who cooked them into nearly every meal I ever ate as a child, not to mention as a grown-up, and my father, who SHOCKED me by chomping straight into a raw green onion right before my eyes. I was never the same.

So, it is in their honor that I continue to go totally allium crazy at all times of year, but especially ramp season. We (Sidekick and I) started with butter grilled ramps atop one of his most impeccable burgers. He makes the best burgers, did I mention that?


I moved on swiftly to the tastiest deviled eggs.


I, inevitably, moved on to pickles, which were gobbled up all too soon.


I also have some ramp butter relaxing coolly in the freezer. Just waiting to delight us come fall and winter - if I can wait that long.


Ramp Deviled Eggs

12 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream (plus a few spoons of crème fraiche if you have it)
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
8 - 10 ramp tops (use the bulbs and lovely pink stems for something else, like PICKLES)
knob of butter
salt
white pepper
smoked paprika

Cover eggs with cold water by 1 1/2 inches in a 4- to 5-quart pot and bring to a rolling boil. As soon as the water boils, take the pot off the heat, cover tightly and let sit for exactly 12 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the ramp tops and saute with the butter and a pinch of salt until tender, but still bright green. Let them cool and TRY not to eat them all. When the eggs are finished, rinse them under lots of cold water to stop cooking.

Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks and push them through a fine mesh strainer with your fingers over a mixing bowl (I know it sounds silly, but these will be the creamiest, lightest deviled eggs you've ever eaten). To the yolks, add sour cream, crème fraiche, mustard, ramps and stir with fork until combined well. Add the vinegar, mix gently. If you want the filling to be little looser, add a little more vinegar. Season to taste with salt and white pepper, then spoon into egg whites.

Sprinkle the smoked paprika over and serve them to grateful friends, significant others, or yourself with a cold Lillet.

Spring, At Long Last

GUYS. I missed you.

So much has happened! Want to see?

There were dinners with friends.



The above delight was put together by Luke and Jennifer from the FANTASTIC Ad Hoc at Home cookbook.

I (prepare yourselves) baked a chocolate mousse cake that DID NOT suck at all. No, seriously, look!



Mitch and Suzy got married!



(Coincidentally, on this same night, my Sidekick and I got extremely drunk.)

These guys got EVEN CUTER:



Then, rhubarb came back in season!



This happened for a month or so...



I got a new job! The Sidekick and I got engaged! And best of all, ramps are back!



Now you're up to speed. Check back for upcoming catering debacles, more booze and pickles!