Let them eat CAKE

Sometimes in this big old world we live in you just need to let go of your responsibilities, forget your worries, take some you time and…make a lot of cake. 

Alright, I’ve admitted before (AND I’LL DO IT AGAIN!) that I’m not a huge cupcake or cake person. BUT, when done well and with the right mood permitting I will make and eat cake…a lot of cake. Why? Because it’s super fun to make them look pretty and then eat them like there’s no other food on the planet.

There’s been a few occasions in the past couple of weeks that has allowed me to make copious amounts of cake. Let’s start with –The Day Of Two Mini Cakes…

A long, long time ago (two weeks ago) my cousin Asia and I were on our typical “let’s go to the city and eat delicious things/calories don’t count on a Tuesday adventure” date. When we ventured to Nolita’s Black Seed Bagels, which may be my new favorite in the city even though it’s Montreal style bagel ( I know…I’m SORRY.) From there we wandered around the Soho area in search of more delicious things where we then stumbled into a Sur La Table. Our eyes bounced from shelf to shelf as we starred at plates, cast iron, cheese graters when both our gazes came to a halt. Behold tiny cake pans. What came next was sparks of cake ideas and extraordinary amounts of excitement… we had to purchase. We both got two. Which brings us to modern day…this past week.

“Hey Mel do you want to do lunch again and then bake things with our adorable tiny cake pans?”

“Yes”

And so it happened on that faithful Wednesday. I dragged myself over to Château Asia and thus began cake making for 5 hours. Why make lunch, then eat cake, when cake could just be lunch!? So it began we use our favorite blogger Molly Yeh’s recipe for delicious moist vanilla cake and in typical Melissa and Asia fashion we give it an asian spin ( did I mention my cousin is half Japanese and I grew up preferring chopsticks to forks?). We make one three layered, adorable, mini cake a candied yuzu cake and the other is matcha. Gosh I love matcha and usually I would like that cake over anything but to be honest I could not pick a favorite they were too delicious.

We used this cake recipe:

http://mynameisyeh.com/mynameisyeh/2015/1/vanilla-cake-vanilla-frosting-and-a-marzipan-succulent

And made a marscapone and butter simple buttercream using candied yuzu for one and matcha for the other.

Next up on the cake parade comes a birthday. My best friend Ellie’s Sister’s Husband’s Birthday! Any excuse to bake really. I head to the kitchen and ask myself…what would be the most delicious? I think and I peruse the interweb and I think some more…AHA! I go back to Molly Yeh because it’s only natural…and decide on CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH HALVA TAHINI BUTTERCREAM. Let me preface by saying this may be one of the best desserts I ever put into my mouth.

This cake:

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/recipes/magnolia-bakery-super-rich-chocolate-cake/article_dec7aa37-a165-5133-bada-26923697ffa7.html

With the buttercream I winged while keeping her’s in mind:

1/4 cup tahini

1 block cream cheese

1 container marscapone

1/2 stick butter

2 cups powdered sugar

Add all to a stand mixer except the sugar and beat until smooth. On a low speed add your powdered sugar a little bit at a time until completely combined and the frosting is fluffy. Take half the buttercream and crumble in halva and use that for the center of the cake. Layer the top cake on and add the rest of the buttercream.

    This cake is moist and creamy and I could not stop eating the frosting. I’m not joking when I say that I sat with a spoon and ate the frosting for a while…no shame.

 

Have you made any delicious cakes lately? If so please share because I would love to up my cake game and explore some flavor combos I’ve never had. What is cooking more than a learning experience and an exploration of flavors. Cooking is really a reflection of yourself and it can also help to get to know yourself based on your preference and style.

While watching “The Big Night” (which stars my man crush Stanley Tucci…just kidding…sort of) there was a line that really struck a chord. The woman in the movie repeatedly says “oh my God” over and over while she samples something that Primo played by Tony Shalhoub makes and then he replies “To eat good food is to be close to God”. I really believe food can be a religious experience and bring you to a better place than you once were. Religion to me is not black and white but rather something with a lot of color. It can be whatever you need it to be.  I hope you find as much meaning and love this week as I do when I’m in the kitchen or out eating something delicious.

Hard working Wednesday

We’re almost there! A few more days to get through until the weekend! Until then here are some songs to get your blood pumping and the motivation running through your veins:

1) Rescue- Yuna

2) Big When I Was Little- Eliza Doolittle

3) Good Vibrations- The Beach Boys

4) 1985- Crash Kings

5) Mahna, Mahna- Cake

6) Happy- C2C

7)Henriette – Lake Street Dive

8)Scuttlebutt- Artie Shaw

Nothing like some feel good songs to get you up and moving. With papers and exams coming, amongst other odds and ends of work, music is one of my biggest motivators. After a long day I come home and I don’t want to cook dinner but I just put on my Spotify, rock out and chop veggies. When I don’t want to cook I just remind myself how much better dinner is when I make it myself versus ordering junk from local restaurants. I can control the portions, salt and fat content, and flavor. I can personalize meals to what I really want and what my body truly needs.

Last night I made one of those feel good meals even though I was exhausted. Baked spaghetti squash, balsamic&garlic roasted asparagus, with campo de montalban cheese and a fried egg on top. So many good flavors in one meal.You can make a great meal with only a few ingredients and still have it be intensely flavorful. But let’s talk cheese really quick. Campo de Montalban is a hard cheese that combines sheep, goat, and cow’s milk. It is a Spanish cheese that resembles Manchego and it is delicious. It is rich, buttery and tastes good on it’s own and mixed with veggies. LOVE CHEESE.

Top Melissa Cheeses (subject to growth)

Campo De Mantalban

LambChopper

Smoked Gouda

Pepperjack

Port Salut

Last Night’s Dinner:

Preheat the oven to 350. Cut Spaghetti Squash length wise and oil,salt, and pepper the inside. Place downwards on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until tender. Asparagus- Cut the bottoms off the suckers so you don’t get any hard to chew asparagus. Drizzle Olive Oil and balsamic over the asparagus and add a glove of chopped garlic. Mix in a bowl together and place on a baking sheet. Halfway through the spaghetti squash’s time in the oven send the asparagus to the heat (for about 20-25 minutes). Cut or grate cheese to mix with the squash when it’s done. When everything is ready cut up the asparagus and mix it in with the squash and cheese. Fry an egg and place on top. Sprinkle some chili flakes on top and enjoy!

 

My yolk broke 😦 but it was great nonetheless. You know what they say : “Never let a broken yolk break your spirit” -The Great Chicken Philosophers? Eggscuse my made up quotes…Anyway, just remember when your tired and have no motivation to cook how much better it can be for you. It’ll taste great and you will feel better that you made this great meal yourself. It is ultra rewarding and gives you time to see the process that your food makes from ground to gut. You can also share the experience and bond over food with family and friends.

Making great meals, makes great memories!

Reliable Recipes

Hallelujah we have a snow day! I start my day off with a crazy snow globe induced dream and my roommates telling me my neck smells  like an unfiltered,warm baby. Believe it or not this is my real life and we always say we need cameras in our house to record the crazy things that occur. Besides sharing the ridiculous intimacies of my living situation I also get to share with you a bunch of my go to recipes that never fail. It bugs me endlessly when I go to a site and I get a great looking recipe and it falls flat on its face. This post is compilation of recipes that have yet to fail me.

Let’s start this day of with a recipe I could make everyday and be a happy camper. It’s supposed to be a dessert but most of the time I have it for breakfast with peanut butter or just as a snack. Apple cake is this buttery, rich and delightful treat that you will have a piece of and just keep wanting more.

 Apple Cake (Adapted from Baked by Rachel)

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
(you could use whole wheat flour)

1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 extra large eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 apples of your choice chopped

Pre-heat oven to 350; spray an 11-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly; remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. In a separate large bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla; (MAKE SURE THE BUTTER AND BROWN SUGAR ISN’T SUPER HOT, YOU DON’T WANT TO SCRAMBLE THE EGGS). Add melted butter and sugar mixture and whisk until combined. Slowly whisk in dry ingredients just until combined. Add the apples

Pour batter into baking pan and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center. You make want to slightly undercook because it gets all caramel-y and gooey yummmm

ICE CREAM BREAD

Let me preface by saying I got this recipe from a girl who cut my hair at Aveda Concepts. She swore by the recipe and my haircut came out great as well. The first time I made it I used butter pecan…so good. The second time I made them into rolls. I baked them on a sheet with chocolate ice cream, sprinkles and a cherry on top!

2 cups ice cream

1 ½ cups self rising flour

Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. Combine the flour and ice cream additionally adding any other ends and ends you would like (sprinkles, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips). Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes until no longer wet on this inside. Let cool and devour.

Beer Bread (Adapted from Gimme Some Oven)

Great with soup, stews, butter, and for sandwiches. This bread gets hard quick so it’s best to have it right away. But pop it in the toaster for a bit and it’ll be great for a few days. It’s also good if you add a less fruity beer and add some shredded cheese and jalapenos to the mix. Or for more sweet bread use a fruity beer and some raisins.

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. honey or fruit butter (apple, pumpkin, fig)

1 bottle (12 ounces) beer (I used blue moon)

4 Tbsp. (half stick) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x 5 loaf pan.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey (or fruit butter) into the dry ingredients.

Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then get the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and no longer wet.

So all of these recipes have been some kind of bread but you’re thinking “man I need something substantial to go with these delightful breads”. Well I think I can help with that.

SOUP TIME.

Carrot, Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup

Olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot

1 medium onion

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger or 1 tablespoon powdered

1 large sweet potato cubed

3 large carrots diced

3 cups chicken stock or water

salt, pepper and chilli flakes to taste

In a large pot heat the olive oil and throw in the onions and cook until soft. Add in garlic and ginger and let cook for 30 seconds. Add in the carrots and sweet potato. Cook for a few minutes seasoning as you seem fit. Add in the stock and bring the whole mixture to a boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes letting the flavors come together. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool slightly before blending it either with an immersion blender or a regular one. After blended return to the pot and bring to a boil. Serve hot and enjoy.

Sweet potato, Chick Pea and Curry Burger

1 large sweet potato cubed

½ can of chick peas

2 teaspoons of curry powder

¼ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon cayenne

1 egg

¼ cup of panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper

Boil the cubes of sweet potato in a pot until tender. Preheat the oven to 350. Place in a medium bowl along with the chickpeas, egg, and spices. Mash all the ingredients together and form into patties. In a pan heat up some oil on a medium flame and let the patties cook on both sides until golden brown. On a baking sheet with aluminum foil place each patty and let cook in the oven for 15 minutes.

I serve these patties with pickled onions, over jasmine rice drizzled with sriracha sauce. Another great option is on toast or a bun with pepper jack cheese, pickled veggies and sriracha yogurt sauce.

Pickled Onion

One whole red onion sliced into rings place in a bowl covered with ½ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ cup water, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cover and let sit for minimum 5 hours. These are great on burgers, with huevos rancheros, or nachos.

Roast Chicken and Root Veggies

1 package of chicken thighs with skin&bones intact (DO NOT WASH OFF CHICKEN)

olive oil

salt and pepper

Italian seasoning & chili flakes

2 beets cubed

2 carrots cubed

2 sweet potatoes cubed

2 parsnips cubed

1 onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large bowl throw in the veggies and coat in a reasonable layer of oil. Add salt, pepper, seasonings and chili flakes. Mix in garlic. Throw the veggies in a baking dish placing the chicken pieces over the veggies. Coat chicken in oil and salt and pepper for tasting. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. When the chicken is ready (not pink anymore) remove from the oven place on a plate and cover. Cook the veggies for an additional 15 minutes. When they are tender serve all together with some good crusty bread!

These are only a few choice recipes I’m offering you today. If you ever want a suggestion for a recipe, have any recipe comments or concerns, or just don’t know what to make for dinner send me some words!