Swedish Visiting Cake

A co-worker recently passed along a fabulous recipe for Swedish visiting cake.  The idea is that when company shows up you can have the batter mixed up and in the oven before they get to your door.  25 minutes later it comes out of your oven and your house smells amazing.  My favorite thing about this recipe is that I always have all of the ingredients on hand. This recipe is by Dorrie Greenspan and is best eaten warm, which is not a problem because you will stand over the pan trying desperately not to eat it all.

1 cup sugar (plus more more sprinkling on top right before baking)
grated zest of one lemon
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1 stick melted butter, cooled
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the to 350F.  Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch cake pan or even a pie pan.

Pour the sugar into a medium bowl.  Add the lemon zest and blend together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and aromatic.  Whisk in the eggs in one at a time until well blended.  Whisk in the salt and the extracts.  Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour.  Finally, fold in the melted butter.

Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar.  If you're using a cake or pie pan, place the pan on a baking sheet.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside; the inside will remain moist.  Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and bottom of the cake to loosen it.  You can serve the cake warm or cooled, directly from the skillet or turned out onto a serving plate. Don't forget you made it for your visitors, share.

Hummus Is Yummus

In my precruise effort to slim down I decided a vat of hummus was necessary.  Grocery store hummus is overpriced and kind of like canned soup, why buy it when homemade is so good.

2 cans of garbanzo beans
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic Pressed
1 T Harrisa (my secret ingredient)
Paprika and Salt to taste

Put everything in the blender it makes it smoother than  the food processor, use the liquid from the garbanzo beans to thin it out.  If you like it spicy use more harrisa.  Eat with carrots, peppers or pita.  My favorite variation has some baba ganoushe blended in. I recently added 1/4c wing sauce, amazing.

Soup

I live in Florida where it's nice and cozy, but the thought of everyone north of me freezing brings on the soup cravings.  Soup is one of my favorite things to make because it's nearly impossible to screw up.  I have been trying to drop those few pounds I gained during the holidays so black bean soup seemed like a good hearty healthy choice.  Time to clean out the cupboards.
1 can FF vegetarian refried black beans
2 cans black beans drained and rinsed(organic ones aren't near as overcooked)
1 large onion
1 can rotell (tomatoes with chilies)
2c veggie or chx stock ( I use the veggie powder you shake with water)
1 lime

Saute the onion in a little olive oil, stir in some cumin, salt, paprika, hot sauce, and salsa verde if you have it.  When the onions are soft everybody else goes in the pool.  Simmer until the refried beans are melted and serve with plain yogurt for creaminess and cheese for yumminess.

Doughnuts

If you haven't heard Doughnuts are the new Cupcakes.  Every culture has some form of fried dough deliciousness.  Americans Donuts, Portuguese Malasadas, Arab Loukoumades, Mexican Sopapillas, French Croulers, Italian Ricotta.  I do not discriminate not even against the bags of fried biscuit dough the serve with Chinese takeout.  Today I caved and bought a donut (the easy way to spell it) baking sheet, seems healthier to bake them, and a donut cookbook.  I am so excited I could stay up all night baking and frying bits of dough.  The only problem is deciding which to make first, ricotta, red velvet, smore, banana bread, chocolate macaroon, or chai donuts.  I think I will sleep on it.  Pictures may come if I don't eat all the evidence.
doughnutcookbook.com

So I ate half of them before I took the picture.  I found a basic recipe online that used ingredients I had on hand, when done I dipped them in butter and cinn/sugar. Yummy

Favorite Things

My favorite foods to cook and of course Eat.

• Hummus is yummus, as is most middle eastern food
• Greek yogurt with mint and wild alaska salmon in any combination
• Real macaroni and cheese, lobster never hurts, I also love panko on top
• Potatoes, my potato salad cookbook is one of my favorites
• Coconut macaroons, coconut rice custard, coconut curry, coconut shrimp and onion rings, coconut coffee creamer, I like coconut
• Brie en cruet, I can make this a meal
• Portabello mushrooms with red and yellow peppers
• Tomatoes, roasted, grilled, fresh, fried green, I don't discriminate
• All fruits and veggies, when people say they don't like fruits or veggies I wonder what the heck do they eat.
• Croissants and Cheese sweet or savory are the two foods I could never live without

Health Advice

I obviously love food,  I also love being healthy.  People that know me well are intrigued that I can blabber on for hours about an amazing meal I once ate, yet repeat the same amount of health wisdom.  I love my life; I love my body.  It's all about balance.

A very short list of my health wisdom:

• If it comes in a box it isn't food
• Hydrogenated anything will stick to your insides like glue
• Fake sugar makes your body crave real sugar
• Farmed fish and factory meat should frighten even the to most careless
• Butter (cows) over Margarine (scientist) wins every time
• If you don't need it don't eat it

Food Porn

Vegetable Bouquet

Shrimp and Caramelized Onion Crepes

Smorgastarta



Disney's Jiko

Tart Case in Old Stockholm

Giant Prawns in Costa Rica

Hawaiian Shave Ice

Rainbow Roll, Kauai

Banana Caramel Walnut Pancakes

Soysage, Fried Eggs, Wheat Croissant

Glittery Cupcakes, Dublin

Christmas Crab

It is the eve of Christmas and we officially have made Christmas eve crab legs followed by Christmas morning crab Benedict a tradition.  The hard part is not eating all the crab.  Crab legs also happen to be easier than toast: warm in oven, throw down dishtowels, serve with melted butter and Hawaiian rolls.  I should disclose that I threw some shrimp, pineapple, and red pepper kabobs under the broiler for good measure.  If you are feeling the need for more slice a yellow pepper in half, give it a olive oil rub down, broil skin side up until slightly browning, flip and fill with shredded cheese, broil to melted gooey perfection. Bon Apetit