spiced pumpkin cake

In the quietness of Sunday afternoon, I want to share with you this delicious spiced pumpkin cake with whipped cream cheese frosting courtesy of Not So Humble Pie and Bake!: Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking.

Spiced Pumpkin Cake
yields 2 8" or 9" cake rounds

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup golden brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cups canned pumpkin puree (16 oz)
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare two 8" or 9" round cake pans with a light coating of non-stick spray and then line the bottoms with parchment.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Once sifted, give it a good mixing with a whisk to ensure everything is evenly distributed and then set aside.

In a second large bowl, add the brown sugar and a third of the pumpkin puree. Combine the two with a spatula, pressing firmly to ensure there are no rogue lumps of sugar. Once lump free, add the remaining pumpkin and oil. Blend with a whisk and then add the eggs, one at a time, stirring with the whisk to incorporate after each addition.

Add the dry ingredients a third at a time, blending after each addition.

Divide the batter between your two pans and place into the oven on a lower-middle rack. Bake for 40-45 minutes until risen and firm to the touch.

Let the cakes stand in the pans on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then unmold onto the racks and turn right-side up to cool completely.

Once cool you can begin on Ms. Humble's whipped cream cheese frosting.

Ms. Humble's Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Yields enough to frost a 8" or 9" double layer cake.

Ingredients
1lb (16oz) full fat cream cheese, softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cold heavy cream (use the ultra heavy 40%+ cream if you can find it)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Sift the powdered sugar and add the cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat them thoroughly until fluffy and completely smooth/lump free. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream to nearly stiff peaks, then add the whipped cream into the cheese mixture, scrape down the sides of your bowl and quickly and briefly beat to combine. Do not over beat.

Assemble your cake by trimming any humps off the top of the cake and place trimmed side down on your serving platter. Tuck strips of parchment under the cake to protect the platter during frosting, if desired. Dollop a generous amount of frosting onto the first layer--about twice as much as seen below--and smooth into an even layer, about 1 cm thick.

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Couple of tips: 1) DO follow the instructions to be generous with the frosting for the filling. Plenty to go around. 2) I did not find it necessary to cut off any of the humps of the layers. I turned 1 upside down, and the 2nd layer I placed with the rounded part face up. The frosting can fill in the uneven parts.

Unfortunately, my friends and I enjoyed this cake so much I didn't even stop to take a photo of the final creation. It's that good. And...I accidentally used 2 15 oz CANS of pumpkin puree instead of 2 CUPS. Funny thing is, I actually didn't realize this until I looked at the recipe again after the cake was consumed. Oops. I guess this recipe is very forgiving.

Enjoy! And thanks, Not So Humble Pie for sharing! This was a true fall treat.

yogurt marinated pork chops w/ nectarine salsa

Hi, from San Mateo!

Every day I think, "This is the day I will post about my move to the Bay Area." And then...life goes on. Like it usually does. So while I procrastinate about this post that might never (ever) come, I will post about PORK CHOPS. I live at home (yes, I know its pathetic), and one of my duties is to cook once a week. Little did my family know they would become guinea pigs for new recipes from the interweb. There have been some near disasters, but tonight was a winner. I combined 2 recipes together (this one and this one) to create yogurt marinated pork chops with nectarine salsa.


Yogurt at first glance did not sound very appetizing as part of a marinade, but it made an excellent tenderizer and I couldn't even taste it after it was cooked. Here is what I did and what you can do too!

Ingredients

4 thick-cut bone-in pork loin chops (I used "blade cut")
1 head roasted garlic (cut the top of head off, put in foil with a little olive oil and place in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 min)
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper

Salsa
2 nectarines, pitted and diced
1 ripe tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt to taste

1. Place the chops in a shallow dish in one layer. In a small bowl, mash the roasted garlic into a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well to combine. Pour over the chops and rub into both sides. Let stand at least 30 minutes, turning a couple times to ensure an even marinade.

2. Chop up the salsa ingredients and refrigerate 30 minutes to blend flavors.

3. Grill pork chops over medium heat until done, about 10 minutes per side until lightly browned and juices run clear.

4. Serve pork chops topped with generous spoonfuls of salsa!

I highly suggest marinating the pork chops overnight. It made the meat super tender, and the next day I only had to make the salsa and grill the pork chops. And, it was delightful with a side of whole wheat cous cous and a bed of arugula with a splash of lemon, olive oil, coarse salt and cracked pepper. It also helped that my dad grilled the meat on the bbq, but I'm sure it would be fine grilled in a pan.

ENJOY.

P.S. I have an unhealthy crush on KevJumba. He's 20. That's disgusting.

curry udon

Ever since I tried curry udon in Japan, I've been wanting to make it myself. After a careful Google search, I came across a recipe from Takashi’s Noodles posted on some random lady's food blog. There were several other recipes I found, but it intrigued me that it called for milk as well as curry mix. However, the instructions tripped me out because some of the ingredients weren't converted for the recipe, so I'll show you how I converted the ingredients to make it work...along with some minor tweaks I threw in. Note: You can purchase almost all of the ingredients at an Asian grocery store. Doesn't necessarily have to be a Japanese market.

One of the ingredients for the Curry is Udon Broth, and in order to make the Udon Broth, you need to make or buy Dashi (bonito soup stock). Here are the recipes in order of preparation:

Makes 4 servings

Dashi for Udon Broth
1 piece of kombu (dried kelp), approximately 3 x 6 inches
20 g or .7 oz package of katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
7 cups of water
Fine mesh sieve (A cheese cloth or coffee filter will work. I used a strainer and a paper towel!)
*Notes: These are different proportions than the original recipe calls for. AND, you can bypass making dashi from scratch by buying bonito fish soup stock powder instead. My mom always uses Ajinomoto Hon Dashi.

Instructions
1. Place the kombu, in a large stockpot filled with the 7 cups of water and let it soak at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.

2. Bring to a boil over high heat, remove the kombu, and decrease the heat so the liquid is simmering.

3. Add katsuobushi and gently mix into the liquid; do not stir vigorously. Simmer for 10 minutes longer, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

Optional: Next, I boiled the meat in the dashi for 30-60 minutes to make it tender.

Udon Broth for Curry
5 1/4 cups Dashi (some of the remaining Dashi will be used to thicken the curry)
1/2 cup Japanese soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
*Please note these are different proportions than the original recipe calls for.

Instructions
Pour all ingredients together in a small pot and set aside until it's ready to be used for the curry.

Curry
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
1 cup peeled and thinly sliced salsify (I didn't use this, and have no idea where to purchase it!)
1 teaspoon curry powder
6 cups Udon Broth (from recipe above)
3 ounces or 4 cubes of medium-hot Japanese curry sauce mix (I like Vermont Curry Sauce Mix)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
12 ounces beef, sliced paper thin (I used a prime beef chuck roll thinly sliced from Mitsuwa)
2 tablespoons of potato or corn starch
1 pound dried udon noodles (comes in packs at an Asian grocery store)

Garnish
2 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced
8 mitsuba leaves (Japanese wild parseley), thinly sliced (I didn't use this either...)

Instructions
1. Set a large saute or wide-bottomed pan over high heat and add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil. When the oil is hot, about 30 seconds, add the onions and salsify. Cook for 1 minute, then decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft, approximately 45 seconds longer. Add the curry powder and continue cooking, stirring often, until it has been absorbed, about 30 seconds.

2. Pour the Udon Broth over the onions and increase the heat to high. Add the curry sauce mix cubes and stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in the milk and heat for 1 minute. Stir in the beef and cook over medium heat until the meat is cooked through 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.

3. Dissolve the potato or corn starch into 1/4 cup of the remaining Dashi. Slowly mix the potato/corn starch mixture into the curry to thicken it. *I took step this from another recipe since the curry was a little too watery for my liking.

4. Boil the udon noodles following the package instructions. Drain well. Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Into each bowl pour one-fourth of the curry broth and the beef and garnish with the scallions and mitsuba leaves.

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The final results were pretty delicious. Maybe a little on the salty side, so I would suggest using a low sodium soy sauce or 1 less curry mix cube. All in all it was a fun experience. I get a kick of making dishes with complex instructions. And when I made the dashi from scratch I felt like at true Japanese woman. If I have disappointed my ancestors with a lack of desire to learn the language, maybe I can redeem myself by learning to cook the cuisine.

beets with garlic sauce

I subscribe to several food blogs, and one of my favorites is The Atlantic Food Channel. Yesterday, my eyes perked up when I saw a recipe for a garlic sauce to accompany beets. My love affair with beets began in May of this year. I think I've bought a bunch almost every other week since then. Anyway. I thought I'd give this recipe a whirl:

Beets with Garlic Sauce
4 to 6 servings


Beets
• 2 pounds beets, cooked (see basic cooked beets recipe) and peeled
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt


Cut the beets into 1/4-inch thick disks or wedges. Place in a bowl and toss to coat with the balsamic vinegar and salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Garlic Sauce (which is basically a garlic, potato purée)
Makes about 3 cups

• 1 1/2 pounds red or yellow waxy potatoes, pared and sliced into 2-inch chunks
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and halved lengthwise, green sprout (if any) removed
• About 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste


Place the potatoes, 3 garlic cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover by 1/2 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Replenish the water as necessary to keep the potatoes covered.

When the potatoes are cooked, place the remaining 5 cloves of garlic in a mortar or directly on the counter. Using a pestle, a flat stone, a meat pounder, or other pounding implement, smash the garlic roughly. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and continue mashing the garlic until it is reduced to a paste; you should have about 2 tablespoons. (Do not use a garlic press or allow the puree to sit more than 15 minutes or the flavor will be bitter.)

With a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked potatoes to the mortar or a mixer bowl and break them apart. Reserve the cooking liquid. Using a pestle, or an electric mixer on low speed, beat the potatoes until they are reduced to a coarse meal. (Do not attempt to do this in a food processor or the potatoes will become gummy). Dribble in cooking water (up to 3/4 cup) a little at time while beating the potatoes until they are reduced to a loose puree.

Blend the garlic puree, if pounded separately, into the potatoes. Beat in about 1/2 cup of the olive oil, lemon juice if desired, salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste. (The intensity of the garlic and the balance of salt will change as the skordalia sits. Adjust the seasoning before serving and add additional olive oil if desired.) Serve the garlic sauce warm or at room temperature. Just before serving, drizzle olive oil over the sauce.

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

I give this 2.5 out of 5. The garlic was way to powerful for me. And, I just don't think beets and potatoes belong together. It was an intriguing idea, but I am just not a fan. Or. Maybe I didn't make it right.