Sherry and Olive Oil Pound Cake

Alice Medrich's Sherry and Olive Oil Pound Cake marks the high point of my experiments with olive oil. The original recipe is featured in Pure Dessert. You can find the recipe online here and here. There are a couple creative versions with tangerines and clementines as well.

Heres what I did:
1. Followed the recipe to the letter, including all instructions about sifting, whisking, temperature of the eggs and such. sigh. How the mighty have fallen.
2. Baked in a two loaf pans, one glass and one metal.
3. Made the cakes the night before and served with strawberries in balsamic vinegar. Many thanks to the generous gifter of said balsamic vinegar.



The verdict:
Moist and fluffy, this cake has GREAT texture. The metal pan worked much better than the glass one. The sherry and orange came together beautifully. Its the perfect elegant well-behaved dessert. Not cloying, not brash. Tried the cakes toasted a couple days later and they were still very good. This will become the Leela Naidu of my dessert repertoire. Serene, classy and ages well.

Tartlette is hosting SHF # 43 - May 2008 with a Citrus theme! Hope to see you at the round up!

Pure Bread

I have been working with whole wheat flour which is always more hearty than all purpose flour. I can never tell if the crumb of my breads is dense because of my choice of ingredients or if its my technique.

And so I looked for alternatives. One option was to try baking with bread flour. Surely the higher gluten content would help improve the crumb. I used this recipe from Multi-Grain Bread, originally featured in Bon Appétit

Heres what I did:
1. Used a combination of wheat flakes and rolled oats for the unsweetened cereal.
2. Used half whole wheat bread flour (bought at Lori's) and half all purpose unbleached bread flour . 3. Used sunflower, flax, sesame and nigella seeds in the topping.

Technique notes:
1. The recipe instructions, especially proofing times work perfectly. Ambient temperature at 70-75 degrees F seems to guarantee the best rise.
2. Press the seeds into the load before baking if you're concerned that they will pop off as you slice the bread.
3. Don't forget to put the baking pan in the oven before you start pre-heating! There were small bubbles in the water by the time the bread entered the oven.

The verdict:
For the amount of effort that goes into it, this is my favorite bread recipe so far. Sure it uses a lot of yeast and also calls for bread flour. Both these ingredients go a long way in guaranteeing the success of the end-product. I was quite satisfied with the crumb, I'm sure I will keep trying different proportions of whole wheat to all purpose bread flour. I've used the bread for toast in the morning, for sandwiches or with soup at lunch or simply with some cheese. It also does well when toasted.

Update: Meet more bread-heads at the Sandwich Festival! Anupama, thank you for hosting!

Sprouted Moong with Pomegranate Molasses

The time has come to confess my unabashed infatuation with pomegranate molasses. Sigh. Its become the little black dress of my kitchen. Adds much style and is quite versatile.

Heres what I did:
1. Moong keeps well, so I always seem to have some dried beans around. I have a soft spot for sprouted moong. Its like magic - finding curly little sprouts emerge in 12 hours! Anyhoo, soak the dried beans for 8 hours. Drain water and store in a moist, dark environment. They will sprout in 8-12 hours.
2. You can eat 'em crunchy. In my (ahem) advanced years, I find that I like my moong tender (Now why does that sound evil?!) Chucked the sprouts in a pan, water and all, and put a lid on it. I usually don't add more than a scant quarter cup of water per cup of sprouted moong. I don't like cooking them to mush.
3. When they have reached the desired level of softness, allow them to cool a little.
4. Toss with pomegranate molasses. This is the secret ingredient that makes everything DELICIOUS! Tart and sweet. Yum.
5. Other ideas: One can always break out the chaat masala and/or lemon juice. Chop up some onions and coriander, if the mood stikes you. Serve with yoghurt on top.


The verdict:
Served with yoghurt, these little guys work nicely as a snack on a hot day or after a workout. I also take them for lunch, accompanied by baby spinach or couscous. No wonder my devotion to pomegranate molasses continues unabated.

Links and Resources
What to do with Pomegranate Molasses now that I have it:
1. I fell headlong in love with Kip and her blog, featuring Roasted Red Bell Peppers with Pomegranate Molasses
2. I've used beet greens and various kinds of chard in this recipe from the Slow Cook
3. Cumin and pomegranete molasses glazed squash, based on this recipe from Raspberry Eggplant has worked pretty well for me.

This one goes to Click! May 2008 - Beans and Lentils and to FoodBlogga for Beautiful Bones. Forgive me for regurgitating scientific information that I have no authority over. With that disclaimer, here are the reasons I think its appropriate for Beautiful Bones. While moong is not particularly calcium-rich, sprouting apparently enhances the calcium content of beans. The presence of trace nutrients in sprouted moong may enhance calcium absorption. Lastly, while calcium intake may be the 'necessary' condition, muscle activation and loading serve as the 'sufficient' condition for good bone health. Alright, time to step off the soapbox!

Microwave Chocolate Orange Raisin Cakes

The sheer simplicity of this recipe piqued my curiosity. The fact that it actually worked won me over! The promise of a chocolate treat (from scratch) in under 20 minutes? Surely, you jest! But I am happy to report that it works! and even better, that it works well.

Heres what I did:
1. Original recipe from Gourmet via Epicurious.com
2. Substituted whole wheat pastry flour for all purpose flour.
3. Tried various combinations of rum/Grand Marnier and raisins, dates, cranberries.
4. No glaze.

The verdict:
I got four servings out of the recipe. I didn't miss the glaze at all. Once cooled, the cakes were gooey, sweet and chocolatey. The cakes are best made in small portions as they don't hold up when frozen or refrigerated. Its a good recipe when you're strapped for time or just need a quick, comforting warm chocolate dessert thats not a sugar bomb. To cut to the chase, gentle reader, if I were stranded on a dessert island (ha ha) with a microwave, this is the recipe, I'd take with me.

I am quite enamored with this recipe - and could not resist sharing it. It goes to:
1. Since its so low on electric tools and requires under 5 minutes of total microwave time, its going to: Black Salt for Lights Out, Knives Out April 2. Srivalli at Cooking for All Seasons who is hosting Microwave Cooking: Cakes.
3. Lets nix the Grand Marnier and pinch some pennies. Substitute with orange juice and share it with Ginny at Just Get Floury for the Dollar Dish Duel!

Chocolate Hazelnut Teacakes

Shield your eyes, gentle reader, I've started another pottery class! As always, its with a fun group of people. In addition to my new-found infatuation with clay, I'm continuing my experiments with olive oil. As Beans and Caviar pointed out, choosing the right olive oil is critical.

I came across a recipe for Chocolate, Hazelnut, Banana and Olive Oil Teacakes at La Tartine Gourmand. She had me at "Chocolate"!! Her post was titled "A Healthy Sunday in March". sigh. I was whisking eggs by the time I reached "and Olive Oil Teacakes"!

Heres what I did:
1. The original recipe is featured here.
2. I substituted about a quarter cup dates, soaked in a little Grand Marnier for the banana. Since the dates were sweet, I reduced the sugar by a tablespoon.
3. Used walnuts instead of pecans.
4. Baked in a loaf pan instead of muffin cups.

The verdict:
The teacake is full of gentle sweetness and all kinds of goodness. Perfect for a late afternoon pick-me up with tea (ha), milk or hot chocolate. I ground the quinoa at home (as against buying quinoa flour) and so the texture of my teacake was a little grainy but otherwise I loved the end product. The cake gets its fluffiness from eggs. My favorite part about this cake is that its sweet but not a sugar-bomb. Plus its gluten-free. Nice change from my usual suspects!

Update: Made a modified version with 4 oz chocolate and no banana or dates. Used barley flour instead of quinoa flour and the results are still very good. Yum!



More Gluten Free alternatives at Gluten A Go Go! See you all at "Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten Free". The theme for April is Finger Food!

Barley Salad

I don't want to jinx myself, but I must admit that it feels like my baking disorder has passed. I no longer feel the urge to dice every fruit in sight, whisk in a little sugar / butter / egg and combine with flour and turn it into some sort of sweet baked treat. Thats the good news. Ahem. Invariably, one set of symptoms is replaced by another set of symptoms. Who is to say which set is normal - ha. Normal is a sine wave, if you ask me. However, I digress. The baking disorder has turned into whole grain madness. You probably saw this coming. I am so incredibly transparent.

Even as the baking disorder loosened its tentacles round my brain, a new stream of ideas started to take over. At the tail end of my infatutation with baked fruit, I found myself lingering over whole grains. Spelt, quinoa, millet, brown rice, you get the picture. I have traded smiling, summery sweetness of rustic fruit breads for hearty, robust whole grains.

The Real Food Daily Cookbook jumped into my hands - such a treasure trove of ideas! Some delightfully innovative flavor combinations lurk between those pages. The barley salad caught my eye.

Heres what I did:
1. Soaked and cooked a cup of pearled barley.
2. Chopped up half a cup of grape tomatoes, three green onions, a handful of kalamata olives and added it to the cooked barley. Tossed with lemon juice, parsley and cilantro. The original recipe called for dill. Topped with a little sprinkle of feta cheese.

The verdict:
Delicious! In a light, summery way. This one worked nicely as a salad for lunch and even as a side dish.

Don't miss the other lunchbox delights at Coffee and Vanilla!

Chocolate walnut cakes with passionfruit-star anise syrup

I find myself intrigued by cakes made with olive oil. I tried a few recipes, and the Walnut Orange Cake from Epicurious really opened me up to the possibilities. Sure, the rest were healthy but nothing to write home about.

Cakes using oil usually eliminate the need for butter. So some change in texture is to be expected. The orignal walnut orange cake turned out very well, perfectly flavored, subtle and sophisticated. Perfect to gift heart-health-conscious friends or folks who eschew butter for whatever reason.

(confession) I couldn't wait to try a version with chocolate in it! So I substituted a quarter cup unsweetened cocoa for flour in the original recipe. Also, I halved the recipe and made my version with whole wheat pastry flour. I was afraid that the changes I made would result in a dry cake and so I served cakes warm, with a passionfruit-star anise syrup.

Heres what I did:
1. Made the cakes in a silicone mini-muffin pan using this recipe.
2. Made the syrup by simmering passionfruit pulp and sugar to taste and star anise for 5 minutes.

The verdict
The cakes turned out light, fluffy and chocolatey. Not too sweet. The syrup was tart and sweet, quite delicious! The star anise lent an interesting spiciness - nice change from my usual suspects, cinnamon, cardamom and all.

The cakes are a lovely afternoon snack and would also work as a light dessert. They don't age well - I tried stashing them in the freezer and they did alright but they were best fresh.

Where to find passionfruit:
1. Wegmans carries fresh passionfruit but they are terribly expensive and looks like they may have flown a long way. I know what I look like after travelling for a few hours so I can't bring myself to buy (ahem) well-travelled, "fresh" passion fruit.
2. I've often found pulp in Asian stores in the frozen section

These will go to Abby at Eat the Right Stuff, who us hosting "Monthly Mingle - Spring Fruit Sensations". Hopefully Spring has arrived in your neck of the woods! Michelle at Greedy Gourmet is hosting Snackshots 3 with a Muffin theme . Don't miss the round-up!

Barley-Brown Rice Dosa

The inner kannadiga cannot be squelched. I've baked biscotti and stirred stews, tossed salads and dallied with more spices that you could sneeze at, but theres no escaping my dosa craving.

Fluffy, crisp dosas are of course, the result of careful soaking and grinding and what not. Sadly, such organization eludes me this week and I decided to wing it. Stop laughing. I can hear you.

(sigh) Alright, alright, I will confess that I have had more than my usual share of disasters in the recent past. For instance, I have only recently realized that it is best not to tinker with rava idlis. I've tried making them with bulghur. And one time, I even added some barley flour. They were edible but mere shadows of their former, fluffy selves. I vowed (Mahabharat music plays in the background, kitschy special effects), never to tinker with rava idli or any of the "classics". Uddina dosa, Rava dosa, Neer dosa are all off limits.

Thats when I stumbled upon this version of Barley and Brown Rice dosa! A ha! It was a sign from the gods.

Heres what I did:
1. Combined barley and brown rice flour in equal proportions (2/3 cup each). Added 2 tablespoons oat flour.
2. Added a teaspoon of cumin seeds, 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander, a half teaspoon of red chili powder and salt to taste.
3. Added warm water to make a runny batter.
4. Thats pretty much it! I let the batter sit for about half an hour. And then made the dosas on a non-stick skillet.

Served with sorekai bele saaru (bottle gourd / doodhi in toor dal) and sorekai sippe gojju (chutney made with the peel of said sorekai / bottle gourd / doodhi). I know, I know. In for a penny...

All in all, the combination was delightful. The Barley-Brown Rice dosa was super-easy to make. The texture was just right, delicate and lacy. They didn't stay crisp very long but I guess one could tweak the recipe to increase the proportion of rice flour. The sorekai bele saaru and gojju / chutney worked out great (Thanks Asha!) The gojju was simple, reminded me of the gojju that my mother and grand mother make. I put my trust in Asha's recipe and set aside my distrust of tomatoes.I halved the recipe and it was delicious.

The verdict:
Perfect for a Friday evening. Low-maintenance and flavorful.

Get your dosa fix at Srivalli's Dosa Mela! What a wonderful, wondergul idea, Sri! Thank so much Suganya for suggesting this event!

Happiness in a box

One of the highlights of March is Blogging by mail, the brainchild of Stephanie over at Dispensing Happiness . I love Stephanie's blog... many moons ago, one of my friends dutifully researched food blogs and said excitedly, "Theres someone who hosts blog parties"!! Thats Stephanie! Full of creative energy. So I signed up for 'Blogging by Mail' and could barely contain my excitement.

I received this delightful package from Lisa over at Pittsburgh Needs Eated. Thrilled. To. Bits. A sampling of treats from the strip district in Pittsburgh Delightful candy, luxurious chocolate. Ginger biscuits, cocoa nibs! Poco dolce was outstanding - burnt caramel and sea salt - oy!! All carefully packaged and outfitted for travel.

Thank you, Lisa! I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed your thoughtful, generous gift!

In the meantime, as one package flew into Rochester, another left Rochester for Melbourne! I will confess that I exchanged a couple of very helpful e-mails with some very nice folks at Australian Quaratine . Many thanks! CakeLaw is well-travelled and a very good cook - and it was a lot of fun putting the package together for her. Most of all, thanks ever so much Stephanie for organizing Blogging by Mail!

Whole grain biscotti

I love gifts of all sorts, and food in particular. All the thought and emotion that goes into one of these little packages always lifts my spirits. Fortunately, as far as food gifts are concerned, I like being at the giving end as much as I enjoy being at the receiving end!

Knowing my penchant for whole grains, it will come as no surprise that I tried Heidi Swanson's whole grain biscotti. . She also featured a recipe for chocolate biscotti in 'Super Natural Cooking'. How could I resist!

I made both. What can I say, I simply couldn't choose. I've served them as part of a brunch menu and used them variously for gifting. Bon Voyage, Good luck before an exam! Welcome back (to work!! Ha ha) Happy Friday! And they've always gone over well.

I will confess that I liked the almond chocolate chip version heaps more than the chocolate version. There was nothing wrong with the chocolate version and god knows I LOVE chocolate, but nevertheless, the almond chocolate chip biscotti is truly outstanding. She has the texture just right. The original recipe is here and I wouldn't change a thing. Made with wheat germ and oat flour, these chocolate studded biscotti are full of virtue and low-glycemic goodness!

Come share the love at Sugar High Friday#41: Sweet Gifts, hosted by Danielle of Habeas Brulee.