Girl Detective

If you’re free any time today, head to the Minnesota State Fair for Minnesota Cooks Day. Admission is discounted, and there are demonstrations by local chefs all day, with free food samples of what they cook! I’ll be at the Simple Good and Tasty booth this morning, and doing things my kids wouldn’t want to the rest of the time, like visiting Creative Activities, Fine Arts and such.

My piece on how to enjoy the fair with your family is up today at Simple Good and Tasty. Check out yesterday’s post on guilty fair-food pleasures. You know: Oh, no, I shouldn’t. OK, one bite. Chomp. Ummm. OK, well one more. Wait, where’d it go?

My newest piece at Simple, Good and Tasty is part of a bi-weekly series on using up my CSA box.

For my foodie friends, I just finished a piece on sugar and sugar alternatives at Simple Good and Tasty.

Sugar is enjoying a resurgence in popularity after years of being vilified for empty calories and its role in things like tooth decay, obesity and diabetes. As the negative effects of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) have become better known, sugar’s profile has risen. Cane sugar, as opposed to cheaper beet sugar, has especially benefited from HFCS’s bad press; it is actually being touted as a healthful ingredient. Yet cane and beet sugars are highly processed, refined and provide no nutritional value. Other, less refined, sweeteners have some benefits that sugar doesn’t. Yet nearly all of them raise blood sugar, and have little nutritive value. So why bother?

Here’s what I learned/confirmed:

Honey can’t be organic. Maple syrup and honey are the only sweeteners local to MN. All sugars are bad for you, though some are better than others IN MODERATION. Almost all sugars/sweeteners, even if natural, are processed (except raw honey). And finally, I still prefer to bake with not-completely refined cane sugar for the best results. Oh, and Stevia kind of scares me.

Fresh baby radishes from Wisconsin. I separated the greens, washed them and put them away. Sliced the radishes, put them on a cracker with a schmear of sweet cream butter, then sprinkled with sea salt. Next day, sauteed the greens in an egg scramble.

For a loved one’s 40th, I took Baked’s Sweet and Salty Cake recipe that I made for my husband G. Grod’s bday, reduced it by 2/3 to make a double layer cake, and didn’t whip the ganache. This eliminated one extra batch of salted caramel and a POUND of butter. So while its calories are reduced from the original, G. Grod noted it only meant he could finish a whole piece, not that it wasn’t still decadent.

Glossy Sweet and Salty Cake

Makes one 8-inch 2-layer cake.

1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup sour cream
1 3/4 cups cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon pure vanilla
Salted Caramel Sauce, divided (see below)
Dark Chocolate Caramel Ganache Icing (see below)
Fleur de sel, for garnish

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line each pan with a parchment paper round, butter parchment paper and flour; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, 3/4 cups hot water, and sour cream; set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.

3. In another large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together until smooth and it appears to create strings inside the bowl, about 7 minutes. Add both sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and mix again for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

5. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until cake is just firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 18 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely.

Caramel (for Salted Caramel Sauce and Dark Chocolate Caramel Ganache Icing)

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream, divided

For Salted Caramel Sauce:

1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel
1/8 cup sour cream

For Dark Chocolate Ganache Icing

10 ounces dark chocolate (60% to 70%), chopped

Directions

1. Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in another small saucepan bring cream to a boil, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Carefully add 1/2 cup warm cream; stir to combine. Divide caramel into 2 batches.

4. For the Salted Caramel Sauce, whisk in fleur de sel and sour cream. Set aside.

5. For the Dark Chocolate Caramel Ganache Icing, place chocolate in bowl, whisk other 1/2 cup warm cream into 2nd batch of caramel, let cool 5 minutes. Pour caramel sauce over chocolate. Wait one minute. Stir to combine until chocolate is melted.

(Yes, dividing a batch of caramel is kind of a pain. But not as much as making an entire second batch, as in the original recipe.)

To assemble the cake:

Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread Salted Caramel Sauce on the cake, allowing some to soak into the cake. Follow the caramel layer with a layer of about 1 cup of the ganache icing. Place the second layer on top, bottom side up. Pour remaining ganache icing over entire cake. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

This Root Beer Bundt Cake was the first recipe I made in the new bundt pan my sister Ruthie got me for my birthday. Alas, it tasted almost nothing like root beer, but was a very good, fudgey cake. Like so much I’ve been baking lately, it was from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

Root Beer Bundt Cake- yields 1 (10-inch) Bundt cake

Cake
2 cups root beer (do not use diet root beer)
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

Frosting
2 ounces dark chocolate (60% cacao), melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup root beer
2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Topping
Vanilla ice cream

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray; alternatively, butter it, dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.

2. In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

4. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy–do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a small sharp knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.

For the frosting:

1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the frosting is shiny and smooth. (My frosting never got shiny and smooth; it looked like mud.)

2. Use a spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the crown of the Bundt in a thick layer. Let the frosting set before serving, with the ice cream on the side.

I, Girl Detective, rested, and let other people do the cooking.

Friday night, supper at Cheeky Monkey. I greatly enjoyed the muffuletta sandwich and grits with bacon. Until they had their Reflux Revenge.

Saturday morning, breakfast at Red Stag. Crab cake, 2 poached eggs, tarragon aioli and mixed greens.

Still full at lunchtime.

Saturday supper, Solera, with JP Samuelson and 2 awesome grill guys whipping up the tapas: Chorizo Stuffed Dates with Smoked Bacon; Octopus Ceviche with Citrus, Pepper and Cumin; Tempura Squash with Pumpkin Seed Romesco; Grilled Short Ribs with Sunchokes and Baby Carrot; Roasted Beets with Duck, Walnuts and Palhais; Sherry Glazed Pork Belly with Morcilla and Lentils; Scallops ‘a la Plancha’ with Serrano Ham and Saffron; Grilled Asparagus with Lomo and Mahon; Braised Rabbit and Artichokes with Lemon and Egg. And that’s not all, oh no, that’s not all! While the rabbit was rich enough to be dessert, I couldn’t forego the ice cream trio: coffee, butterscotch and tangy cream cheese.

Apres supper, a Sprite at Mayslack’s while listening to Guns N Roses loud, louder and loudest, in a failed attempt to meet up with friends.

Sunday morning, breakfast in bed. The boys finally got the memo! For the first time on a birthday or Mother’s Day, 4yo Guppy and 6yo Drake weren’t sick, didn’t wake in the night, didn’t wake before I did! They brought in home made cards, then went to help G. Grod fix me breakfast in bed, though they were very confused as to why I would want such a thing. (To read more of my book, of course.)

Sunday afternoon. A global lunch at Midtown Global Market. G had a ham and cheese croissant, the boys had corn dogs, and I had a huarachazo. Then we picked up the chocolate-orange cake that Salty Tart chef Michelle Gayer and I had brainstormed on and which she brought into being. It’s coming to room temperature now, and should be perfect after a simple supper tonight. For which I _might_ wash some lettuce.

And did I mention the lovely well wishes and cool prezzies? I’ve had scores of emails, in the face of which it’s impossible not to feel loved and appreciated. A lime-green pair of high-heeled sandals with matching tank from sister Sydney, the bundt pan I’VE WANTED FOR FOREVER and the Lou Barlow cd I’ve wanted since Duff noted it was one of her faves of ‘05 from my sister Ruthie, an awesome Minnesota dish towel from my friend The Hoff, an electric kettle (since I’ve ruined countless stovetop ones), a mini Bodum, and a CD from G that he really was excited about. A copy of Baked of my own from G’s grandma. Plus lingering happy memories and waves of wellness from the yoga retreat my mother-in-law sent me on.

Thus far, a tremendous day. Last year was rather difficult. This year will be better. I’m feeling fortified for it.

When I looked through Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, one of the first recipes to draw me in was for their Sweet and Salty Chocolate Cake. I asked my husband G. Grod if he’d like it for his birthday. (OK, I may have said, “This is the cake I’m making for your birthday, OK?”) He graciously humored me, and the plan was on.

I began on Sunday morning; the morning and I were both bright and full of promise. First were the three cake layers:

That took about an hour and a half to make and bake. I took a break for lunch and nap, then returned to the fray once they’d cooled.

Next step was the salted caramel filling for the biannual airing of my candy thermometer, finished around 4pm:

Immediately after, a SECOND batch of caramel, which I added to a chocolate ganache frosting (1 pound of dark chocolate, 1 pound of butter, 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream…) around 5 pm and whipped into frosting on my trusty Kitchenaid:

Next was cake assembly. On my cake stand (a wedding gift from friend LAP) I topped a cake layer with the salted caramel, left it to sink in, then added a layer of frosting, a sprinkle of fleur de sel, another cake layer, another dousing of caramel:

and lather rinse, repeat. Once assembled, I frosted with a crumb coat, refrigerated and went to town with the rest of the frosting, and topped with a final sprinkle of fleur de sel, finishing about 6 p.m.:

Served, it was a little squashed, so hardly the picture-perfect slice from the book, but it was nonetheless a striking specimen:

And, if I do say so, pretty tasty. Seven hours from start to finish, but worth it for a special event.

I’m now also writing on food at Simple Good and Tasty, a Twin Cities group that celebrates local food, and is dedicated to bridging the gap from farmer to consumer. I’ll be writing about every other week, but go check out the site, especially if you’re a foodie in the Twin Cities. There are some great events coming up.

My first post is about one of the most consumed food items in our house: yogurt.

Here’s the variation I’m making right now, adapted because 6yo Drake and 4yo Guppy complained the one from the article wasn’t sweet enough.

Greek-style Honey Yogurt, makes about 3 cups, or 4 3/4-cup servings.

1 quart whole, local milk
2 tablespoons Organic Valley yogurt, vanilla or plain
1/4 cup Ames Farm honey

Heat milk in top of double boiler over simmering water to just past 180 degrees F.

Cool pan in ice bath to just below 120 degrees F. Thin yogurt with a bit of the warm milk, then add yogurt and honey. Whisk to incorporate.

Keep mixture in pan or transfer to glass bowl. (I use my 1-quart Pyrex.) Wrap in dish towels and place in oven with light on. (Light will warm oven to about 100 degrees.) Do not place towels near open flame or too close to light. Leave for 4 to 8 hours.

Line a quart-size sieve with thin cloth dish towel or layers of cheese cloth. Place over bowl to let whey drain, and refrigerate at least four hours, or overnight. Save whey to put in smoothies instead of juice.

Serve as you would store-bought yogurt, with granola, cereal, or a splotch of jam. It’s rich and thick, so I use less than a cup per person. Place remainder in covered container in refrigerator. It will keep for several days.

ETA: I added a line about using the drained whey in smoothies. This has been really useful.

What do I do when I’m feeling low from a cold? Cook a three-course supper, apparently, as I did last night. In my defense, the cauliflower and lettuces were going bad, and had to be used, and all three dishes together took less than an hour to put on the table.

First was the spaghetti with cheese and black pepper, which I had to make once I saw it at Smitten Kitchen. Funny, I often have that reaction to Deb’s recipes.

Then the roasted cauliflower with kalamata vinaigrette, from one of Gourmet’s last issues. 6yo Drake and 4yo Guppy had to be coaxed, but only a bit to eat theirs, and my husband G. Grod had seconds, and said this is the only cauliflower he’s ever liked.

I topped a mix of green and red leaf lettuce with Romano cheese from the pasta, and the kalamata vinaigrette from the cauliflower, and added some ripe slices of peeled Bosc pear.

Even sniffly, this was not a hard meal for me to make, and all three guys liked at least one of the items. Guppy snarfed down the noodles. This was a winner.

Layered Winter Salad with Pita and Hummus adapted from Food Matters “Hummus with Pita and Greens” Makes 4 to 6 servings

For the pita with hummus:

4 to 6 Holy Land whole wheat pitas , toasted or not
25 oz. can Westbrae chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Juice of one lemon, about 2 tablespoons
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
¼ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup water, or to taste

Combine chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in food processor. Process till combined but chunky. Add water gradually and blend to desired consistency. Refrigerate any leftover hummus.

For the salad:

1 bunch Living Waters hydroponic greens, stemmed and washed
½ cucumber, sliced thinly
½ Beauty Heart radish, peeled and grated
2 carrots, peeled and grated
2 stalks celery, sliced thinly on the diagonal
Asian pear, peeled and sliced thinly
6 kumquats, sliced thinly
handful Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper

You can toss, then dress the salad to taste, and serve atop whole pitas with hummus. You can layer the ingredients and add dressing after. You can quarter the pitas with hummus and serve alongside the salad. Or you can buy pocket pitas, smear hummus inside and fill with salad for a lunchbox sandwich.

Power Protein Salad, adapted from Food Matters “Tabbouleh, My Way” Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

2 carrots, peeled and grated
½ cucumber, sliced into rounds then quartered
2 15-oz can Westbrae beans, drained and rinsed; I used black and soy
½ Beauty Heart radish, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup finely chopped mint
½ cup crumbled feta, goat cheese, or tofu
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon toasted sunflower seeds
handful Greek olives, pitted and sliced

1. Place quinoa in a small saucepan with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil over medium heat, lower heat and cover for about 15 minutes, or until rings separate from grains. Drain if necessary. In large bowl, add oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Can be refrigerated if not eating immediately.

2. Before serving, mix in all other ingredients. Toss gently and serve.

A few years ago, as I wrote previously, my husband G. Grod and I saw a television commercial for Chex cereal that equated making Chex Mix with being a mother. It concerned me; I was a mother, yet I’d never made Chex mix. I set about to remedy that at the same time I was reading The Fabulous Bouncing Chowder to now 6yo Drake, and he re-named the Chex mix (or Chex-cereal-imitator mix) Snarf Snacks, after the doggie treats in the book. The name stuck, and I experimented until I came up with the following sweet snack mix.

Girl Detective’s Sweet Spicy Snarf Snacks

(shown with dried cherries, pecans and dark chocolate candy)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons flax meal
2 tablespoons shredded coconut

6 cups Chex-like cereal (I use Cascadian Farms Multigrain Squares)
1 cup nuts: walnuts, pecans, peanuts or almonds
1 cup small pretzels
1 cup chow mein noodles

1/2 cup dried fruit: cherries, blueberries, raisins, cranberries, whatever you like
1/2 cup semi- or bitter-sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat over to 250F. Grease large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet.

2. Combine first 8 ingredients in small saucepan. Heat to boil, stir to combine, take off heat and let cool slightly.

3. In large glass bowl, mix cereal, nuts, pretzels and noodles.

4. Pour sauce over; mix until evenly distributed (I used my hands.)

5. Bake 45 minutes in prepared pan, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent burning. Cool about 15 minutes, then stir in fruit and chips. Store in an airtight container.

This recipe is extremely adaptable. Don’t like my spices? Try other ones. Add ingredients, use M & Ms instead of chips, as I did for the picture above, don’t use ingredients you don’t like or can’t find. For those interested in savory, Cook’s Country has a good recipe for Asian Firecracker Mix with wasabi peas, which I wrote about here.

Continuing my way through Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, I wanted to give the Monster Cookies a try. Once I suggested it and showed him the picture, 3yo Guppy would not rest until we made the “M & M cookies.” Alas, he had a very hard time understanding the 5 hour refrigeration time, but I did eventually get these made. It uses nearly 6 cups of oats, 3 cups of sugar, 2 cups of peanut butter and 5 eggs. Monstrous, indeed.

Monster Cookies, from Baked

This cookie is the Frankenstein’s monster of the cookie world. One part oatmeal cookie, one part peanut butter cookie, and one part chocolate chip cookie, it is many things to many people. We re-created this rather large, chewy cookie as an homage to the Monster Cookies we remember eating in grade school, only our version is slightly less sweet and a whole lot better. Don’t leave out the corn syrup — it’s integral for the cookie.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
5 3/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (6 ounces) M&M’s

Method
Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add the oats and stir until the ingredients are evenly combined.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth and pale in color. Add the sugars and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix.

3. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth (about 20 seconds) and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and beat until just incorporated.

4. Scrape down the bowl and add the peanut butter. Mix on low speed until just combined. Add the oat mixture in three additions, mixing on low speed until just incorporated.

5. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 5 hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. Use an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to scoop out the dough in 2-tablespoon-size balls onto the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until the cookies just begin to brown. Let cool on the pans for 8 to 10 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I used brown rice syrup instead of corn syrup to good effect. The recipe made nearly 40 cookies, so there were plenty to share. The cookies were well received by everyone but me. I longed instead for my favorite local cookie, the Thunder Cookie from Positively 3rd Street Bakery in Duluth, which has fewer oats and no M & Ms. To each her own monster cookie, I guess.

Another one from Lauren Chattman’s Cake-Keeper Cakes, Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake was a hit at the gathering I brought it to. I’ve adapted it though. The original recipe calls for two layers of Nutella and says to swirl them. As you can see in my photo and the one at Food & Wine, the Nutella sinks, so I think it would be improved by having only one unswirled layer. Another caution: the Nutella is oily, and this skewed the tester, as it came out clean before the cake was quite done.

* ACTIVE: 20 MIN
* TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS 2 hr plus 2 hr cooling
* SERVINGS: Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
One 13-ounce jar Nutella

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour. In a glass measuring cup, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt.

2. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. Continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.

3. Spread two-thirds of the batter in the prepared pan, then spread the Nutella on top. Top with the remaining batter.

4. Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted shallowly (i.e. above the Nutella layer if possible) in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, turn it right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut the cake into slices and serve. The pound cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Chattman says this is good with strong coffee ice cream. I found ice cream, either vanilla or coffee, overkill. (And if you know me, you know that this is a rare, rare thing for me to say.) This is a seriously rich, sweet cake, and doesn’t need much to complement it other than a good, not-too-sweet cup of coffee.

I’ve written before about Mark Bittman’s book Food Matters, and have been cooking from it and using its ideas since I got it last year. I finally sat down and read it cover to cover. Bittman writes on many of the same aspects of food that Michael Pollan has in The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food: the problems with industrial farming, the epidemics of obesity and diabetes in the US, and the prevalance of fast and processed food products. From the introduction:

If I told you that a simple lifestyle choice could help you lose weight, reduce your risk of many long-term or chronic diseases, save you real money, and help stop global warming, I imagine you’d be intrigued. If I also told you that this change would be easier and more pleasant that any diet you’ve ever tried, would take less time and effort than your exercise routine, and would require no sacrifice, I would think you’d want to read more.

After a weight gain and health caution from his physician, Bittman developed what he calls simply “sane eating,” or the Food Matters approach. He chose a mostly vegan diet for breakfast, lunch and snacks, and a looser approach for dinner so he didn’t feel deprived. He stresses many times that this has worked for him, but to take your own life, habits and preferences into account. The approach he advocates is simple, and eminently adaptable. This is not a strict regime, or a punishment. Instead it’s an adjustment of your approach to cooking and eating that focuses almost entirely on what you can and should eat (lots of fruit and veggies, whole grains), what you should eat in moderation (dairy products and meat) and what you should avoid (overly processed artificial foods and industrially produced meat.)

While Pollan wrote “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” from In Defense of Food, Bittman not only takes you through why it’s important, but also puts it into practice with 77 easy-to-read and good-to-eat recipes. As Laura Miller at Salon noted when it came out, Food Matters is applied Pollan. Bittman is an experienced cook and recipe writer; he’s the author of the New York Times’ Minimalist column. The recipes are easy to follow, and he offers myriad variations and ideas. Throughout he has an upbeat, encouraging tone that urges new and experienced cooks to experiment and have fun. Here are two salad recipes that can be eaten for lunch or dinner, and have many variations.

Makes 4 servings. Time: About 24 minutes with cooked chickpeas.

This is more salad than sandwich. I make this open-faced, with the crunchy pita and spread nestled under a pile of greens. But you can easily deconstruct the dish and serve the pita (toasted or not) alonside for scooping up the hummus. Or if you have pocket pitas, smear the insides with the hummus and fill with the stuffed greens for a more portable lunch.

4 whole wheat pitas
2 cups drained cooked or canned chickpeas,some cooking liquid reserved (use water if canned)
1/2 cup tahini (with some of its oil) or more to taste.
2 cloves garlic, peeled or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin or smoked paprika more or less, plus a sprinkling for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of one lemon, plus more as needed
6 cups lettuce or assorted salad greens, torn into pieces
Cucumber slices, tomato wedges, thinly sliced red onion, and/or black olives, for garnish
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint or parsley leaves, for garnish

1. To toast the pitas if you like, heat the oven to 450F. Put them on a baking sheet and cook until just barely crunchy on both sides, about 15 minutes total.

2. Meanwhile make the hummus: Combine the chickpeas, tahini, garlic and 1/4 cup of the oil in a food processor with the spice and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Use the reserved bean liquid (or water) as necessary to get machine going. Puree, then add about half of the lemon juice, along with more tahini or salt if desired.

3. When the pita has cooled smear a layer of hummus on each and put on plates. (You’ll probably have some left over; the hummus will keep, refrigerated, for about a week. Eat it with raw begetables or on bread.) Put the lettuce in a bowl, sprinkle with some salt, pepper, and a pinch of the spice you used and drizzle with the remaining olive oil and lemon juice. Toss well then pile on top of the pitas. Garnish and serve.

I further garnished the hummus salad with grated carrot and peeled, sliced orange with good results. Here, Bittman advises to use a little bit of bacon for flavoring, but the bulk of the meal is a filling, satisfying salad:

Makes 4 servings. Time: about 45 minutes.

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 thick slices of bacon
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice from one orange
1 pound fresh spinach leaves

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast, turning occasionally, until crisp and brown outside and just tender inside, about 30 minutes. Remove and keep them on the pan until ready to use.

2. While the potatoes cook, put the bacon in a nonreactive skillet and turn the heat to medium. Cook, turning once or twice, until crisp. Drain on paper towels and pour off the fat, leaving any darkened bits behind in the pan. Put back on medium heat, and add the remaining oil to the pan. When it’s hot, add the bell pepper, onion, and ginger to the pan. Cook, stirring once or twice, until no longer raw, then stir in the cumin and the reserved bacon. Stir in the orange juice and turn off the heat. (The recipe can be made up to an hour or so ahead to this point. Gently warm the dressing again before proceeding.)

3. Put the spinach in a bowl large enough to comfortably toss the salad quickly. Add the sweet potatoes and the warm dressing and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, and serve.

Whole lotta hyphens goin’ on in this cake title.

Cake-Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman was, I think, recommended online by my favorite local food critic Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl. The focus of the book is simple, easy-to-make cakes that are good to eat and nice to look at, so one can have cake at home all the time. I’m reminded of what Frances’ mom says to her in A Baby Sister for Frances:

You may be sure that there will always be plenty of chocolate cake around here.

The cake was indeed both simple to make and tasty to eat, especially when accompanied by coffee ice cream. The caramel made a crunchy top crust and good trio along with the roast-y bananas and chocolate cake.

I’ve only intermittently used my cake dish since I got it as a wedding present from my friend LP in 1998. It’s been out for a while now, and I like the idea of a cake on the counter at all times.

Chocolate-Caramel-Banana Upside-Down Cake, serves 8

For the topping
1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices
For the cake:
3⁄4 cup plus 2 Tbs. unbleached all-purpose flour
6 Tbs. unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
3⁄4 tsp. baking soda
1⁄4 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. (3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2⁄3 cup buttermilk

Make the topping:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch round nonstick pan and dust with flour.

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Whisk in the brown sugar, turn the heat to low, and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Arrange the banana slices in concentric circles on top of the sugar mixture. Set aside.
Make the cake

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Combine the butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides after each. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the mixture is light and increased in volume, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low, stir in 1⁄3 of the flour mixture. Stir in 1⁄2 of the buttermilk. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk, ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat the batter on high speed for 30 seconds.

Pour the batter over the bananas, gently spreading it into an even layer.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand for 5 minutes. Holding the pan and a plate together with oven mitts, immediately invert the hot cake onto the plate. If necessary, replace any fruit stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let the cake cool for 20 minutes and serve warm, or serve at room temperature.
Make Ahead Tips
Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper, or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Another recipe from Baked, this one a real winner, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, with cakey, soft pumpkin cookies sandwiched around cream-cheese filling.

As with all the Baked recipes I’ve tried, it required a little jiggering. The baking took 30 minutes instead of the 15 called for, and made 32, not 24 cookies, so I had to do 5 batches. But, as usual, the results were delicious. This recipe is a keeper.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream-Cheese Filling, Makes 12 whoopie pies.

* FOR THE PUMPKIN COOKIES

* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
* 1 tablespoon ground ginger
* 1 tablespoon ground cloves
* 2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

* FOR THE CREAM-CHEESE FILLING
* 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.

3. Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.

4. Make the filling: Sift confectioner’ sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)

5. Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

I love cupcakes. I love clever. This series of 100 celebrates the world of games/gaming. The link from Wil Wheaton’s blog urges you to go, and I’m glad I did. I was delighted several times, and I bet you will be, too.

Minnesota’s Hell’s Kitchen, that is. I tried a few of my favorites off the breakfast menu, out of the cookbook Damn Good Food by Mitch Omer and Ann Bauer, a gift from my aunt for Christmas.

Oatmeal, makes 4 cups

2 1/2 c. whole milk
1 c. steel-cut oats
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. rolled oats (not quick)
2/3 c. warm half and half
Brown Sugar
Berries

Heat water to simmer in saucepan over medium high. Pour milk into large bowl; place bowl over simmering water. Heat milk to simmer. Gradually stir in steel-cut oats and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Stir in rolled oats. Cook until all milk is absorbed, about 13 minutes. Just before serving, thin oatmeal to desired consistency with warm half and half. Top oatmeal with brown sugar, berries, and any remaining half and half.

Omer, who goes a little gonzo for the dairy fat, likes to add a dollop of sweet cream butter, too. I tried it and liked it. This takes more work than my usual recipe, in which I dump 1 c. steel cut oats, 3 c. water and 1 c. milk into my rice cooker and press “porridge” but it was richer and quite satisfying. Speaking of porridge:

Mahnomin Porridge, makes 4 servings

4 cups cooked wild rice
½ cup roasted hazelnuts, cracked
½ cup dried blueberries
¼ cup sweetened dried cranberries (Craisins)
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Add cooked wild rice, hazelnuts, blueberries, Craisins, and maple syrup to a heavy, nonstick or enameled cast iron saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Add heavy cream, and stirring continually, heat through, about 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls, and serve immediately.

I used pecans instead of hazelnuts. 3yo Guppy and 6yo Drake pronounced it yucky looking and refused to try it. G. Grod was unimpressed. Only I liked it, and I’m OK with that. These, however, everyone liked:

Lemon-Ricotta Hotcakes, Makes 16 hotcakes

6 egg whites
9 egg yolks
⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Unsalted butter, melted (for the skillet)

Pour egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a wire whisk attachment, and whisk on high speed until firm peaks form. Reduce the speed to low. Slowly add egg yolks, and then gradually add melted butter. Continue whisking on low speed until well incorporated. Stop the mixer, and add sugar, ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Whisk on medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low, and gradually add flour. Continue mixing for about 1 minute. Stop the mixer, and scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula. Return the mixer to medium speed, and mix for about 1 minute. Makes about 4 cups.

I find it best to refrigerate the batter for a few hours prior to making the hotcakes. This allows the melted butter to firm up slightly in the mix and keeps the batter from spreading out too thin on a hot griddle. Refrigerated in a covered container, this batter will keep safely for up to 3 days.

To cook hotcakes, heat a large skillet over medium high. Brush skillet with melted butter, and drop batter onto the hot skilled in ¼ cup portions. Leave about 2 inches between hotcakes to allow them to spread. Cook until bubbles appear and bottoms are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip hotcakes, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the skillet.

I garnish the cooked hotcakes with a handful of fresh blackberries, blueberries, and quartered strawberries, then dust with a vanilla powdered sugar, and serve with a side of peanut butter and warm maple syrup. You can adjust the quantities and ingredients to better suit your personal tastes. That’s what good cooking is all about.

These hardly needed butter and maple syrup, and were good even when I accidentally doubled the salt amount to convert to sea salt from kosher rather than halving it as I should have.

I’m continuing to bake my way around Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito’s Baked: New Frontiers in Baking with their Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf. As you can see, I had some trouble with the loaves releasing from the pan, though I’d greased and floured the pans as instructed.

Tops and bottoms were easy to reunite, though, and the end result was both pretty to look at and almost scarily addictive. I found it impossible to have just one slice of this bread.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf, from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Makes 2 9×5x3-inch loaves, or 1 9 inch and 4 mini loaves

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour and 2 1/4 c. AP flour)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (a 15-ounce can)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup (12 ounces) semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips (I’d reduce this to 1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 9×5x3-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt.

In another large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and oil until combined. Add sugar and whisk again.
Whisk in the eggs one at a time then the vanilla Fold the chocolate chips into the wet ingredients with rubber spatula.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, being careful not to overmix the batter. Spread the batter into the prepared pans, and gently knock the bottom of the pan onto the countertop to even out the batter. Use a spatula to smooth the top.

Bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick comes out clean, about 75 to 90 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before inverting the loaf onto the rack to cool completely before serving. The loaf will keep for 3 days or more wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature.