The Prettiest Lemon Cake I Ever Threw Away

Last weekend seems like a lifetime ago. I've been doing a lot of nesting, whether due to the winter gloom or general anxiety over the political landscape, and I decided to take some of that energy and turn it into a cake. This beautiful lemon poppyseed cake, using a favorite recipe from one of my favorite books, Baking by Flavor.

That was the weekend the norovirus visited our family. Even the cat got sick, although that was probably not related. Days passed; even as our appetites recovered, the cake never got touched. I considered taking it to the office, but the idea of making all of my co-workers sick gave me pause.

So today I threw it away. Perhaps I will make a different one this weekend.

Chateau de Sours Bordeaux 2010

Undeterred by the poor showing made by last week's new wine, I again ventured to the local packie and selected something more or less at random -- my only rule being that it had to cost less than $20, since I don't want this experiment to bankrupt us.

I liked this one quite a bit. Kind of assertive, but I don't mind that, and there's a lot going on flavorwise -- I am not a wine taster, and I am not going to attempt to use their jargon. This would go well with lots of "big flavor" winter menus.

New Recipes - 2017 Week 2

As national politics threatens to become ever more chaotic, I have responded by a) paying closer attention to the news than I used to and b) nesting furiously, well aware that this is no real defense, and not much of a psychological one, even.

It's what I've got, so I'm going with it. Traditionally at the start of the year, too, I fling energy into "projects." I set wildly unlikely goals on Goodreads, renew my determination to lose that ten pounds, write down everything I do as a form of encouragement -- and I decide, again, that I should try more new recipes. I managed three last week, and today a sick 6yo is keeping us housebound and quiet, so I thought I would take a moment to write them up.

• Red Lentil and Spinach Tikka Masala - I did an unusual thing and made this on a night when no one but me would eat it. It's easy to make and provides generous portions (I still have some in the freezer). Will definitely make it again.
• Fresh Orange Scones - I'm not sure if I did something wrong when I made these. My dough did not look anything like that pictured, but was quite crumbly. This made them much like another scone recipe I make all the time. They tasted fine, and the glaze was really good, but I might have to mess with a bit and see if I can figure out why the difference. I still like Panera better.
• Tuscan Chicken Skillet - Another dinner-time hit, easy enough for a weeknight and almost ridiculously flavorful. 

 Even if I don't make any other new recipes in 2017, I'm happy to have made these experiments. Things fall apart, but at least we're eating well.

Firesteed Pinot Noir 2013

One of the (many) things I want to do this year is try some new wines, rather than automatically buying the same thing all the time. I started off with this one for the best possible reason: I liked the label design.

Unfortunately, the contents were thin and harsh-tasting. It was drinkable, and better with food than by itself, but not a pleasure. Will not repeat this one. 

New Years Eve 2016

We had a very quiet conclusion to 2016, just the five of us and my in-laws, who came down from Maine for a combined Christmas-birthday-New Years Eve. In between opening presents and eating, quiet reigned. Toys were played with, books were read, and naps were taken.

I kept the menu simple, at least in theory -- having forgotten what a pain white sauce can be to make, I muffed it the first time and had to start over.

• Prosciutto and Gruyere Pinwheels. These are mandatory for holidays at this point. So easy and so good. 
• Seafood Macaroni and Cheese. I indulged my weakness for crab here, which was fantastic albeit pricey. 
• Salad of Winter Greens, Walnuts, Roasted Beets, and Goat Cheese. Whew. Really tasty and easy to throw together while the macaroni bakes.
• For wine I put myself in the hands of the liquor store employee who intercepted me at the door - I know my limits. She directed me with supreme confidence to Falanghina, which I have never heard of before. What little I know about wine does not extend to Italian varieties. We had a bottle from Terredora Dipaolo, and one from San Salvatore, and they went very well with the meal.

Most of us made it to midnight and watched the ball drop via internet stream. 

Peanut Butter Cookies

After two weekends spent mostly away, last weekend I buried myself in my kitchen. Among the results were these peanut butter cookies. The recipe comes from Joanne Chang's Flour -- one of the things I miss about working in Cambridge is easy access to the branch there. Their cookbook is gorgeous, but I haven't had much chance to make anything from it.

I've never been a huge fan of peanut butter cookies, but these might be my new go-to.

Note: This dough includes a three-hour "rest" phase.

As with all baking recipes, pause once in a while to scrape the mixer bowl with a spatula and make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

1/2 c unsalted butter at room temperature
1 c granulated sugar
1 c packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 c chunky peanut butter (I used Jif)
2 2/3 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt

In a mixer bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy (around 5 minutes with a stand mixer). Beat in the eggs and vanilla on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly combined. On medium-low speed, beat in the peanut butter for another 2 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add this mixture to the butter-sugar mixture on low speed. Mix just until everything is evenly incorporated.

For best results, scrape into an airtight container and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least three hours and up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Drop the dough in 1/4-cup balls onto a baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly. Use a fork to make the traditional cross-hatch pattern (dip the fork in water to keep the dough from sticking).

Bake cookies 18-20 minutes or until just brown around the edges and still soft in the center. Cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Honey Oat Bread

I spent most of yesterday immobilized by a glancing encounter with a stomach bug (8yo had a more severe one, unfortunately). After a day of crackers and ginger ale, at 4 p.m. I decided to make bread along with the basic chicken soup I had planned for dinner. I picked this recipe because I remembered it as taking relatively little time to make, but that turned out to be not entirely accurate.

Still, it is very good bread, and I can tell you that it also makes amazing toast. The header text on my copy of the recipe leads me to think that it originally came from Bon Appetit.

Never have I tried a homemade bread as light and delicious as the honey-oat loaf at The Green Mountain Inn in Stowe, Vermont," writes Rebecca Rothaug of Westbury, New York. "With your help, I would like to share this bread with my family and friends."

Serve slices of this tender, slightly sweet bread with plenty of butter and honey.

Servings:   Makes 2 small loaves.

1 3/4 cups warm water (105°F to 110°F)
1 tablespoon dry yeast
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup honey
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 cups (about) all purpose flour

1 large egg, beaten to blend
Additional quick-cooking oats

Stir 1/4 cup warm water and yeast in large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups water, 3/4 cup oats, honey, oil, and salt. Stir in enough flour to form soft dough. Coat another large bowl with oil. Transfer dough to oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Oil two 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2-inch loaf pans. Punch down dough; shape into 2 loaves. Place 1 loaf in each pan. Cover and let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush tops of loaves with egg; sprinkle with additional oats. Bake until brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)