Banana Upside Down Cake

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I came home to several rapidly-blackening bananas. It seems Nonna just hasn't been in a banana mood this week.

Having an 87 year old living with you is not unlike having a youngster living with you, at times. Tastes change and what was yummy and a necessary food one week is ignored the next. The main difference, though, is I have no qualms about telling a youngster to eat it or go hungry. I don't have the same feelings with an 87 year old. At that age, they've earned the right to like and dislike things - even if the likes and dislikes change on a regular basis.

I used to work in nutrition and dietetics. I understand that taste buds diminish as we age. And with that in mind,. I try to make sure the foods I cook have enough going on to keep her interest. But a week of not eating bananas is a new one - for years she was almost eating a banana a day.

But her loss is our gain. Banana Cake!

With 6 bananas to use up, I needed more than a banana bread. I like it but I, too, needed a change. An upside down cake would use up a lot of bananas...

With a thank you to Epicurious, I found a recipe that worked just fine. I tweaked it - of course - but still follwed the original intent of the recipe.

Banana Upside Down Cake

  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 - 3 ripe bananas, sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 ttsp salt
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp dark rum
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350°.

For topping: Cream brown sugar and butter until well mixed. Spread brown sugar mixture over bottom of 9" -10" springform pan. Arrange banana slices atop brown sugar mixture, covering completely. Set cake pan aside.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix mashed bananas, buttermilk and rum in a measuring cup.

Cream 1 1/4 cups sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients alternatively with buttermilk mixture, mixing until just combined. Pour batter over bananas in pan. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and toothpick comes out clean, about an hour. Transfer to rack and cool.

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The topping was nice and caramelly... slightly different than melting the butter and sugar the way I usually do. It was a really nice way to use up bananas .

Nonna probably won't have any because she watches her sugar - sometimes. Besides, Victor just made her a batch of sugar-free biscotti - her favorite.

That's okay - more for us.

And you can be assured that next week when I don't bring home any bananas, they will be the first thing she asks for! And that's okay.


Puff Pastry with Almond Cream

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'Tis the season for Puff Pastry!

I have made puff pastry more times than I care to admit to, but I tell ya... there is just nothing better than a good-quality puff pastry coming out of the freezer. Making puff pastry from scratch is a serious all-day affair. It's rolling, folding, and refrigerating over-and-over-and-over...  It's worth the trouble, sometimes, but as I said, it's nice having a good-quality puff pastry in the freezer. And I do mean a good-quality puff pastry sheet - not the national brand franken-food version found in your typical supermarket frozen food case.

There is just so much that can be done - from sweet to savory, dessert to dinner to hors d'oeuvres - filled or topped, rolled or sliced.

Armed with my thawed sheets and a can of almond paste that has been in the cupboard since the last Republican administration, I went looking for ideas.

I found a recipe on Epicurious that gave me an idea - and off I went...

Puff Pastry with Almond Cream and Mascarpone

  • 8 oz can pure almond paste
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp amaretto
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 4 oz mascarpone
  • 1 (2 sheet) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Preheat oven to 450°.

Mix almond paste, granulated sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt with mixer until smooth. Add egg and amaretto and mix until light. Add flour and mix until incorporated.

Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet into a square. Place on parchment-lined sheet pan.

Spread mascarpone to about 1 inch from edges. Spread almond cream generously on top of mascarpone. Top with remaining sheet.

Crimp edges to seal and cut small vent holes on top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in lower third of oven until puffed and golden, 13 to 15 minutes.  Let cool.

 

It was like the perfect almond croissant or danish pastry. I can see some fun variations on this...


A Deconstructed Chicken Cordon Bleu

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Last week I picked up some brie-stuffed dates and a small wedge of a saga blue pecan caramel torte at the grocers.

Victor consumed the dates over the course of a few days, but the wedge of torte just sat there in the 'fridge. It was a total impulse-buy at the store - and neither of us are wine-and-cheese-appetizer folks. It looked really good - it was an impulse buy I didn't need.

So... after looking at it in the 'fridge for a week, I decided I needed to do something with it. We have a no remorse rule at the house. If we buy it - we eat it. A chicken cordon bleu came to mind - and I ran with it.

Now... a sweet caramelly cheese isn't the most natural accompaniment to a cordon bleu, but - what the heck. I've done weirder...

And this is one weird that worked well! I put the wedge of torte in a small saucepan - it was about 4 ounces - and added a bit of heavy cream. I'm already dealing with cheese and caramel - I'm not worrying about a couple more calories at this point.

I let the tote melt into the cream and then let it simmer just a bit to thicken.

Meanwhile, I breaded some chicken cutlets with panko and corn meal and fried them. I then fried up some thin slices of ham.

The ham went on top of the chicken, the sauce went on top of the ham.

We both cleaned our plates. We practically licked them clean. There was a definite caramel undertone to the sauce but it wasn't overly-sweet. It was just sweet enough. The saga blue came through but it didn't overpower, either. Everything balanced - the crunch of the chicken, the saltiness of the ham, the sweet and tart of the sauce.

Spinach and farro on the side.

I probably won't be picking up any tortes in the near future, but if I do and I have leftovers, I know what I can do.

 

 

 


Apple Cake

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Victor has been charged with making his Apple Cake for great-nephew Miles' Christening.

This is one of those perfect foods - it works for any meal from breakfast to late-night noshing. It is a lush dessert or a simple coffee cake - simply by changing the time it is served. You can't beat that kind of flexibility.

You also can't beat the flavor. This is one good cake.

Victor made one to bring to the Christening and then decided we needed one, too! Two cakes in one day. See my tummy smile!

Naturally, in order to make a good apple cake, you need good apples. He used a combination of granny smith and honeycrisp apples for these. Not all apples are created equal when it comes to baking. Any apple will make a good cake but granny smith and another flavorful apple suitable for cooking will always make a great one!

Apple Cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup oil
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 5 large apples

Preheat oven to 350°.  Peel and cut apples into small chunks.  Add 4 tsp sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon and stir together.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and set aside.

Beat together eggs, OJ & vanilla.  Add oil, mix in flour mixture.

In a well-greased tube pan, pour alternate layers of batter and apples.  Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top.

Bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until cake tests done.

Cool before slicing.

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Don't try and cut back on the oil. It's a full cup for a reason. Eat small pieces. It's cake - not health food. It's not supposed to be eaten in large quantities. It's c-a-k-e.

Yummy cake.


Tater Tots

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Pan-seared pork chop with a pomegranate and chili sauce, broccoli rabe with lemon - and tater tots. What can I say?!? I wanted tater tots.

It's usually how it happens - I get fixated on something and that's it until I make it. Tonight it was tater tots. Who knows what will be next.

Actually... my other fixation right now is pumpkin. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Alas, Nonna doesn't really like pumpkin, so I'm not making quite as many things as I have in the past. I have no qualms at all about telling a kid to eat or go hungry, but it's a little different with an 87-year old.  She's earned her likes and dislikes. I finally figured out she really likes canned vegetables so I no longer have to overcook ours to get her to eat them - note the green beans on her plate instead of the broccoli rabe. But while I've been keeping most of my pumpkin things to desserts that she doesn't eat, anyway, I'm going to have to figure out a few savory dishes...  I love a challenge... I wonder how a tater tot pumpkin casserole would work?!?

The pomegranate sauce was merely pomegranate molasses with a bit of sambal oelek. Sweet, tart, and spicy. Broccoli rabe was steamed and drizzled with a bit of lemon. The tater tots were tater tots.

Simplicity.

And really yummy.

 

 


Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Tim and Victor's Totally Joyous Recipes https://tjrecipes.com

 

I do not remember whoopie pies growing up, and as an adult - chronologically, anyway - I'm not really crazy about them. They're like chocolate-covered pretzels. I just don't get the concept. My childhood store-bought treat of choice was always a Langendorf Lemon Pie. They only cost a dime back in the days of 29¢ loaves of bread. I still remember that tart lemon filling...

But just because I don't care for one thing doesn't mean I'm not up to trying something different. Homemade treats are infinitely better than their mass-produced, chemical-laced, store-bought counterparts, so, after coming across a recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies on Epicurious, I thought I'd give them a whirl.

I'm rather glad I did.

These are little pumpkin cakes with a sweet bourbon cream cheese filling. The flavors of fall in a hand-held treat. It doesn't get any better on a Sunday afternoon...

 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

cakes:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla

 filling:

  • 8 ounce pkg cream cheese, softened
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp bourbon

for cakes:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.

Mix sugar, oil, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, then stir in flour mixture.

Using a #30 scoop or tablespoon, drop a scant scoop of batter or 2 scant tablespoons of batter onto a lined baking sheet to form a mound keeping them about 2 inches apart. Form and bake remaining batter on the other parchment-lined sheet. You should have a total of about 32 cakes.

Bake until springy to the touch, about 14 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack to cool.

for filling:

While cakes are baking, beat cream cheese, butter, and salt in a bowl with mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar and bourbon and mix on low speed until smooth.

assemble whoopie pies:

Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of filling each on flat side of half the cooled cakes, then top with other half of cakes.

These were definitely fun little treats. I can envision a mini-version for Thanksgiving!

Because our house is always bereft of desserts on Thanksgiving...

 

 


Veggie Gratin

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I really admire people who can get dinner on the table using a butter knife and a spoon. I'm not one of them.

Not totally true - I've cooked a few meals in ill-equipped kitchens - but I really want the proper tool for the job. It just makes things so much easier.

Case in point: I really ♥ my mandoline. It truly is one of the best kitchen tools around.  They look a bit pricey, but they really do last forever. You buy one once. That's it. Thin-sliced apples for desserts, strips of zucchini to wrap around scallops... waffle-cut potatoes... the possibilities are endless.

For this, I used it to slice matchstick slices of potatoes and thin slices of carrots for a simple potato and vegetable dish.

Potato Vegetable Gratin

  • 1 large russet potato, matchstick-sliced
  • 3 carrots, thin-sliced
  • 1 small bell pepper, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • small onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 4 tbsp butter

Saute onion, celery, and garlic until limp.  Add to potatoes, carrots, mascarpone, egg, sat and pepper. Mix everything well and place into a buttered pie plate or casserole. Top with panko breadcrumbs mixed with butter.

Bake at 350° until cooked through and top is nicely browned - about 40 minutes.

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Crispy-crunchy goodness atop yummy potatoes and vegetables.

Use sour cream in place of the mascarpone, switch out the veggies... It's actually a good clean-out-the-refrigerator dish. Use up those tupperware containers before they become science projects!

As always, have fun with it!


Fillet of Sole

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We had a hankerin' for a bit of fish the other night. I have to admit I don't cook nearly enough seafood. Not sure why, because I really do like it. It just doesn't float to to the top of the brain when I'm planning dinner. Makes sense, I guess. Fish is brain-food, and if you're not eating it...

A vicious cycle.

I went for sole.  I did flour/egg-wash/flour and laid it out on a sheet pan. I put it under the broiler for about 3 minutes. Cooked to perfection.

The potatoes are really simple and really tasty. I thin-slice them using the mandoline and layer them in a small skillet with butter.  I cover the pan and let them cook over medium heat until they get really crispy on the bottom and silky-soft in the center. Season with salt and pepper - they don't need anything else.

Everyone cleaned their plate. Always a good sign.

Now, all I need to do is remember to buy more fish...


Bacon and Caramelized Onion Dip

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A while back I was reading Huffington Post Food and came across a recipe for a hot dip with caramelized onions and bacon. I've made gooey hot dips for many many years, but this definitely intrigued me... I really like caramelized onions and adding bacon seemed like the ultimate no-brainer. So... at work this morning I decided to give it a try. My co-workers definitely deserved something fun and new. Hard-working folks need sustenance.

It takes time to get the onions right, but it's well worth the effort! The plate was licked clean in no-time!

Hot Bacon and Caramelized Onion Dip

  • 12 oz package bacon
  • 5 cups diced onion (about 3 large)
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 6 oz Gruyère cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Chop bacon and fry until crisp. Drain and set aside, reserving bacon fat.

In a clean frying pan, add about 4 tbsp bacon fat and 4 tbsp butter. Add onions and cook over low heat until well-browned and caramelized - about 20 minutes - maybe longer. Be careful not to burn them.

When cooked, mix onions, bacon, sour cream, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour into a greased pie plate and bake uncovered, for about 30 minutes at 350°.

Serve with baguette slices.

Just about any cheese will work - including bits and pieces of whatever you have laying around in the 'fridge. Mix it up. have some fun with it.

It's not a low calorie low fat dish, so make sure there are lots of people around to enjoy it with!


Chicken with Peppers

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Underneath that seemingly-innocent cheese and sauce are peppers. Hot peppers from our yard just screaming to be eaten.

I've said a dozen - or more - times how great these peppers have been and every time we use them for something the love affair starts all over again.

Victor started off with a fairly traditional breaded chicken breast - fried to set the crumbs and then baked in the oven about 20 minutes.

he then topped them as one would a basic chicken parmesan - but then things took a twist. Before adding the cheese, he added a slew of fried peppers and then covered them all with cheese. Back into the oven to melt the cheese.

Brilliant.

It took dinner to the next level and beyond.

It's just a matter of taking the ordinary and adding a twist. Tonight peppers. Another time chopped olives from the olive bar. Or pesto. Or sliced hard-cooked eggs.

Imagination.


Spaghetti Squash

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Nonna said she didn't think she liked spaghetti squash.

In the almost 8 months she has been living with us, she has found out she really does like a lot of things she thought she didn't.  It's been kinda fun, actually, watching her skeptical look change to a smile.

Which brings us to spaghetti squash. I love it and Victor loves it. Time to make Nonna love it, too. Always up for a challenge, I decided I'd start by making something with flavors that were familiar to her. She loves pasta, tomato sauce, Italian sausage, and cheese, so a take on a baked pasta dish was my starting point.

I sliced in half lengthwise, seeded, and roasted the squash for about 20 minutes in a 375° oven. It was in a casserole dish with a bit of water - and covered in foil.

While that was cooking, I grilled Italian sausages and when they were cooked, sliced them into chunks.

When the squash was cooked, I mixed it with the sausage, about 3 cups of marinara sauce, and about 3 cups of shredded cheeses. I used fontina, mozzrella, provolone, and parmesan. It then went into a covered casserole dish and into a 350° for about 45 minutes.

Nonna ate every bite on her plate and then went back for a little spoonful more.

I'd call that a success!


Pear Crumble

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Fresh pears. Yum. I had picked up 4 pears - 2 bartlett and 2 reds - on a whim, and when I got home, decided it was dessert-time!

I started off by peeling the pears and then slicing them fairly thin. I put them into a bowl with about a quarter cup of flour and the same of melted butter. I added in about a half-cup of brown sugar and a tsp of vanilla - and a tad bit of nutmeg. After it was all mixed, I placed it in an 8"x8" pan and topped it with about 2 cups of pumpkin granola.

I covered it with foil and placed it into a 350° oven for about 40 minutes.

It's a no-brainer simple concept. Just about any granola will work - as will just about any fruit.

The beauty of a dessert like this is you really can't screw it up. It's fruit and a bit of sugar with a topping. You can add ice cream on top, or whipped cream - or serve it as-is. Warm or cold.

Delish.