SoupSpoon

kohlrabi kōl-ˈrä-bē: a most appropriate vegetable

If you have been so sweet as to read Tuesday's post, you know that someone, slick as a little snake, decided they needed my bike more than I did, and they took it. Plain and simple r-o-b-b-e-r-y. In a moment of ironic inspiration, I found myself longing for kohlrabi.

As a side note: I would really love to give a heaping bowl of kohl-robbery to a certain someone while we discussed the practice of the Golden Rule, but surprise! surprise! They have not come and introduced themselves. (End of side note.)

Crisp, clean, confident kohlrabi is typically grown in the fall and spring. Though my longing was a bit too early for their flavor's peak, the essence was all there. Consider this your advanced call to action; they will be in all their glory late spring and early summer. You should now have plenty of time to enjoy them.

This simply gorgeous vegetable in the cabbage family has a sweet mild flavor that when cooked is similar in flavor to a turnip. When eaten raw it reminds me of jicama or a mild radish. You may enjoy kohlrabi raw in salads, quickly sautéed, or prepared like mashed potatoes. Options, lovely options. Versatility should be up there with cleanliness in the running for Godliness; but of course that is just my opinion.

Sautéed Kohlrabi serves 4
a bit of lemon zest or minced garlic would be a lovely touch

3 bulbs of kohlrabi
greens from one of the bulbs
2 teaspoons butter
cracked black pepper
salt to taste

1. Peel with peeler or use a knife to cut off outer tough skin
2. Rinse bulbs and slice into short batonnets (see above photo). Rinse and chop the greens from one of the bulbs. Of course you may use all of the greens, I just wanted more kohlrabi and less greens
3. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Be careful to not let it burn, but let it brown just a bit for a richer flavor
4. Add greens to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes until the green color gets bright
5. Add sliced kohlrabi to the skillet, toss well, and let sit for 1-2 minutes to get a bit of a brown edge. Sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes until just tender. Salt and pepper to taste. enjoy

Honestly, I would want to feed the poor soul that thought stealing a bicycle was an acceptable idea. I imagine their heart is quite hungry.

bikes, buttermilk pancakes, and a bit of good news

My love affair with bike commuting started eight years ago with a milk crate bungeed to the back of a cherry red Specialized bicycle. I plastered the frame with bumper stickers and tooled around town like the happiest of little L*Joys. Then one dark night in San Diego, a desperate soul snapped my lock, and rode off on that lovely little piece of heaven. Shocked, disappointed, and a bit frustrated, the only thing to do was to let out a deep sigh.
I moved on from that moment, and for the past three years have grown to know and love this cute little lady.

Sure, she was a monochromatic blue, but she did her job with ease and joy, and I loved every bit of her. Yesterday morning, someone else with obviously impeccable taste decided they needed her more than I did, and  took her! from the front yard! in broad daylight!
Once again, I stood shocked, disappointed and a bit frustrated. After my stolen-bike-sigh, I hung this sign from the tree where she used to live:

Are you surprised that the Stealer has not come knocking on my door with a bouquet of flowers and an 'I am so sorry for being so lame' card? Well, the Stealer has not come knocking, apologizing, or returning my bike. I have not received so much as an 'I already pawned it for 1/16th of its worth and could not care less' card. To be honest, there is a huge hunk of me that thinks the Stealer might actually bring it back! How is that for naive optimism?!?

Oh well. If it is going to be truly stolen, I just hope that the Stealer at least likes my bumper stickers, bell, and basket. I have begun the search for a used bicycle that will become my new companion, and when I find one; I will be sure to introduce you.

A stolen bike is not necessarily the grandest way to start the week, but at least I have a grand breakfast to share with you. I am here today for more than a rant about ridiculous bike theft; I am here to show you beautiful buttermilk pancakes. Most of the recipes I write about around here are Cubbyhole originals, but I must say that the Joy of Baking website has many recipes worth giving a try.

Their buttermilk pancakes were exactly what a buttermilk pancake should be: fluffy, light, and simultaneously rich. The only minor changes I made were 1/4 cup more buttermilk than they suggested, and I greased the griddle with a bit of canola oil instead of melted butter. Butter burns so easily that I find it better to use a little oil when cooking on a hot griddle, but that is up to your own preference.

A great pancake recipe up your sleeve is important for any cook's repertoire. These and the Cornmeal Pancakes fit nicely up any sort of sleeve.

Buttermilk Pancakes makes 5 large pancakes
adapted from the Joy of Baking website. Some folks will try to tell you that a spoonful of vinegar in a glass of milk is a substitute for buttermilk. That really is not buttermilk. Just do yourself a favor and grab the real thing.

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (28 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 and 1/4 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled

1. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar
2. Once butter has cooled slightly, stir together with cold buttermilk. Stir in beaten egg. If you add hot butter to the egg you would basically end up with little bits of scrambled eggs. That is why I am warning you to let the butter cool slightly, add to buttermilk, and then add the egg
3. Fold buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients and be careful to not over mix. There will be a few lumps in the batter
4. Heat griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat, grease slightly, and pour about 1/3 cup batter onto hot surface. For small pancakes use 1/4 cup batter
5. Let cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles start to form on the top and the edges start to set. Flip and cook 2 minutes longer
6. enjoy

Well well well! For the bit of good news, Soup Spoon is TypePad's featured blog! They wrote such complimentary things about this humble little Soup Spoon. Click Here for a link to the write-up, and please leave a comment if you also enjoy reading this blog. (Thank you readers and TypePad. This is all so much fun)

just the simply great things, please

Our relationship with the poet Billy Collins began with a pot of tea, a sunny dock, and a copy of Sailing Alone Around the Room. I was hooked. Stephen and I started a fiendish habit of reading our favorite poems aloud, and laughing, over and over and over again. For the year of our relationship that Stephen and I lived in separate cities, a copy of Questions about Angels or Nine Horses was often our solo-solace; that and a deep glass of wine. It is truly a rare gem to find poetry that makes me smirk, grin, and relate to it on the first read. Oh dear Billy. We are so glad you took a pen to paper.
This morning as I poured my mug of tea and sat to write this post, a piece of his poem Purity flowed through my mind.

This is how I go about it: I take a fresh pot of tea into my study and close the door.
Then I remove my clothes and leave them in a pile
as if I had melted to death and my legacy consisted of only
a white shirt, a pair of pants and a pot of cold tea.

I am not going to give away the rest, but it is worth your while to meander to your local book seller and discover it for yourself.
So many of my absolute favorite things are the simple, small, nearly insignificant details in a passing day. The chip in the rim of my mug, scent of blooming jasmine on Myrtle's walks, the way our elderly neighbor sits on his porch with his patient dog: I am impressed with life and equally impressed with simple good food. Quality and simplicity are a healthy marriage; they make each other better.

My favorite meals most commonly consist of a few ripe ingredients that comfortably compliment one another. Fortunately, this week I received a few brilliant red tomatoes from a friend's visit to Florida. I set out on a salsa and ultimately made fish tacos to wrap around it.
The first time I tasted a fish taco was in Mission Beach, San Diego. Sure, the shredded lettuce, spicy aioli and battered lobster were lovely, but I gave a lot of the credit to the fact that I was looking at the Pacific Ocean and had just roller skated down the Strand. (yes, I said roller-SKATED. I actually still have skates.) Maybe the view did make those tacos better, but we have no Pacific Ocean near our house and fish tacos still earn my humble bow.

There are many ways to fry a fish; this is my tried and true simply perfect beer battered version. Frying may seem a bit scary, but with a few tricks up your sleeve it does not need to be. Oil temperature and type of batter are the two main points to understand. If your oil temperature is correct, you will end up with crisp golden fish. I mentioned awhile back that I strongly recommend a deep-fry thermometer; especially if you are leery of frying. Prepare your assembly line, and batter the fish while the oil is heating. Make certain to wait until the oil is hot enough. If the oil is not hot enough, the fish will stick to the bottom of the pot and the pieces will be soggy instead of crisp. Most folks suggest heating the oil to 350 degrees. For fish I feel that it can be between 290 and 350.
When you fry something like fish or meat that is inherently wet, always start with a dry coat. Rub the meat or fish with flour, then move into your wet batter, and then back into a dry coat, and then fry.  Dry-wet-dry is the tastiest way to fry. 
All a fish taco needs in my opinion is a slice of avocado, a touch of salsa and a warm tortilla. In February, when most tomatoes are more pink than red, I will instead make an Asian pear salsa to serve with the fish. A summer variation from the staple tomato, is a peach salsa with oodles of lime and cilantro.

Beer Battered Fish Tacos serves 4
This meal is complete with just salsa, avocado, and a tortilla. Of course a dollop of sour cream or a splash of Chipotle hot sauce never hurts.

1 1/2 pounds grouper, mahi, snapper (whatever is freshest), skinned and cut into 1 inch thick strips
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
1 Pabst, Becks, or Corona
canola oil for frying (depending on what size pot you use you will need about 2 cups oil)

1. In one shallow bowl combine 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup cornmeal. In another shallow bowl put 1 cup flour
2. In medium size mixing bowl put 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup cornmeal, baking powder, salt, pepper and spices
3. Pour beer into dry mixture in medium mixing bowl while stirring to combine. Mixture should be about the thickness of melted ice cream or thin pancake batter
4.  Heat about 1 inch of oil to about 350 degrees in a deep wide pot
5. Coat a piece of fish with flour/cornmeal mixture. Then dunk in beer batter. Then roll in flour. Repeat with remaining fish
6. When oil is ready, carefully place a few pieces of fish in pot. Do not crowd the pot. My soup pot can only handle 4 pieces at a time
7. Fry for about 2 minutes and then flip pieces. After 4-5 total minutes, pull one piece from the pot and check for flakiness
8. Wait for oil to reheat in between batches of fish. enjoy. enjoy. enjoy.

Fresh Tomato Salsa makes 2 cups

2 large ripe tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro, washed and minced
1 lime
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch of sea salt

1. Dice tomatoes. Stir together with cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno, and garlic. I like a bit of lime zest as well, but that is up to you.
2. Salt to taste. enjoy

sun, bananas, ginger, cream

This morning, the sun got up before 7 am. This means we are edging towards spring, and that officially means long afternoons in the summer sun are right on its heels. On cue, the ice cream maker came down from the shelf and began to work its Hello Sunshine! magic.

As a general rule I do not care for kitchen tools that I must store in my limited space only to use their one  specific function at certain times of the year. Our ice cream maker is the fabulous exception. My dear friend Dana's mom gave it to Stephen and me in a stroke of obvious genius, and in the summer time, there is an all too common hum coming from our kitchen. We started tinkering with goat's milk and almond milk recipes for the non-cow-dairy eating folks, and the results are once again just genius. A batch of lemon basil, cardamom blueberry, or peppermint chocolate chunk just might be the perfect addition to a sunny day. Well, that and sand between my toes.
Not every house needs an ice cream maker, but every person should at least know someone with an ice cream maker. Someone that will actually use it and invite you over, would be best. When you start casually asking potential friends whether they have an ice cream maker, have a few recipes up your sleeve just in case you get lucky. This is an exciting yet simple standby, that is sure to get you invited over again and again.

Banana Ginger Ice Cream makes about 1 quart

2 cups 2% milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup white sugar
3 bananas
2 tablespoons fresh ginger juice
1 vanilla bean (optional)

1. Mash one banana in a medium mixing bowl and whisk sugar, 1 cup milk, and banana together until smooth
2. Whisk in 1 more cup of milk, cream, ginger juice
3. If using vanilla bean, crack open and scrape seeds into milk mixture
4. Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to directions (mine takes 25 minutes). Chop the last 2 bananas into small pieces. Add bananas to ice cream maker for final 5 minutes
5. Transfer to airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before scooping
6. Enjoy

If you do not own an ice cream maker, here is your script:
Knock, knock. "Hello. My name is ______. I live right over there. So nice to meet you. Would you like to come over for coffee sometime? I love ice cream. Hey, do you have an ice cream maker?"
If you find yourself with a resounding NO, I highly recommend purchasing the Cuisinart one. You may buy it through Soup Spoon's Amazon Shop. Click here for the ice cream maker. The link to Soup Spoon's Shop is up over there to the left, below the archives links.

Great Scot! maybe, maybe not

(Just so you can picture it, I am grinning as I write this.)
In the world of culinary accomplishments, I am not quite sure how to classify this one. If someone had said to me,"I think you should wrap a hard-boiled egg in sausage and breadcrumbs, and then bake it", I do not know how I would have responded. But no one said that to me; I decided, on my own free will, Scotch eggs needed to be made. Let me clarify further that I had never eaten nor so much as seen a Scotch egg prior to making these; that fact only became fuel for the fire.
The first time I heard their name mentioned was on our wedding day at Celebrity Dairy. With all the beautiful conversations swirling in my head on that day, I distinctly remember the Innkeepers talking about the way their Scotch eggs sold at the Farmer's Market. I knew these people had great food sense, and so despite not knowing exactly what a Scotch egg was, the seed was planted.
This week, that seed blossomed. I was nostalgically flipping through the Celebrity Dairy's little cookbook, and there before my eyes was the recipe for Scotch eggs. Immediately, I walked to the store for sausage.

Here is my only caveat: Do not look online for pictures of other Scotch eggs until after you have made these. After mine were in the oven, I looked online and was quickly glad I had not done that prior to making them. First of all, most of them are more of an unappealing gray than a crisp golden brown, and second of all, most people deep-fry them instead of baking them! (As if a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage is not enough of a heart attack.)

OK. I warned you. Just stay here where it is safe.

Scotch eggs are known as a common picnic food because they can be eaten cold or warm. Unfortunately, their status in the U.K. has faltered slightly because like most great things, they have been copied and mass produced in the fashion known as prepared frozen foods. Yes, you can actually buy sliced Scotch eggs already fried and frozen, just waiting for you to nuke them. Oh my, I think that is ultra bizarre. Something about frozen hard-boiled eggs just does not sound like it would be appealing.
Here, in the cubbyhole's kitchen, is my effort to redeem a once lovely thing.

Scotch Eggs makes 4 eggs
The inspiration came from Celebrity Dairy, and I just tinkered with their recipe a bit.

5 eggs
1/2 pound sausage
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced carrot
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon anise or fennel seed
a few good cracks black pepper
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs available at most groceries)

1. Hard boil 4 eggs. My method for hard-boiling is to cover the eggs with water in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover with a lid, and let sit 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, shock the eggs in an ice water bath. This eliminates the gray ring around the yolk. Let chill for at least 15 minutes. Peel and set aside
2. Heat oven to 375. Mix sausage with onion, carrot, sage, fennel seed, and flour
3. Beat the 1 remaining egg and place in a shallow dish
4. Place Panko in another shallow dish or on a plate
5. Grab about 1/4 of the sausage mixture and then in the palm of one hand make a thin flat rectangle of the sausage
6. Wrap the sausage around the egg (like in picture above). Roll sausage wrapped egg in beaten egg and then roll in Panko. Set on parchment lined baking sheet
7. Repeat with the remaining eggs. If you have a little bit of sausage left over, just lay it on the baking sheet and bake it along side the eggs
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the sausage is cooked through
9. Enjoy immediately or chill and take on a picnic. They also may be reheated for about 15 minutes in a 300 degree oven. Whenever you eat them, I recommend that you serve them with a dollop of grainy Dijon or spicy mustard

P.S. I love you, too

I tip-toe up to mentioning this holiday (yes, I will take the liberty of actually calling it a holiday) because Cupid's cute little arrow might have pinched you on the cheek or stabbed you in the heart; either way, a little gentle sweetness might not hurt.

I expected to be telling you about almond vanilla ice cream or red chili truffles, but another day another time. After the infiltration of chocolate boxes, it seemed considerate to give you a break from all that temptation. Considerate and entirely difficult! trust me. Instead it seemed appropriate to think of something small and love-worthy and make a big hoopla out of it.

Perhaps Valentine's Day was invented by money hungry mongrels sitting in a tall building somewhere, but let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Today is the perfect day to remember simple little things that love us so well it is sometimes easy to forget to even notice. You might be expecting me to swoon about my dog husband, but actually it is something else entirely.
For a moment, one tiny moment, my favorite meals would like some attention. Because they have been with me, so faithfully, for some time now I sometimes forget to mention how wonderful they are. If I may ask you to indulge me just a moment, I feel it is high time to mention some of my favorite simple meals. (just some or we would be here awhile). After so consistently being wonderful, they deserve a bit of pink Valentine kisses.
Here is a little overdue recognition for a few of my favorite things. (singing Nun: enter stage right)

Buttered toast with a schmear of avocado topped with a chipotle over easy egg.
Whipped sweet potatoes with goat's cheese and roasted brussel sprouts.
Grilled cilantro jalapeno hamburgers on sourdough toast.
Cornmeal pancakes.
Peanut butter.
Peanut butter, granola, honey, banana sandwich on wheat toast.
Balsamic glazed chicken, roasted potatoes, and baby spinach.
Peanut butter. (yes. I know I already said this one.)
Curried cauliflower and lentils with anise.
Avocado, lemon, and cucumber sushi.
Cornbread smothered with turkey chili.
Roasted chicken with grainy Dijon, rye bread, and baby spinach salad.
Candied winter squash and black bean salad.
Chicken noodle soup.
Sweet potato coconut milk bisque.
Chickpea Cauliflower salad with lemon and bulghur wheat
Apple butter, red onion jam, and sharp white cheddar grilled cheese.
Thai green curry.
anything that involves rice. fluffy gorgeous basmati rice.

aah.
It feels so good to praise the simple things.
Of course I think Cupid is a hoax; I do not actually believe in love soaked flying arrows. But if the 14th of February can remind me of lovely things, it might not be a complete waste.
Here is to a love filled day.

p.s. If no one gives you chocolate, take two rainy day chocolate cakes and call me in the morning.
p.s.s. I promise to swoon all over my husband (and dog). promise.

go about it two ways

When I was a little girl, despite my melting under the torture, Mom would occasionally make baked bean sandwiches for lunch. I now confess to having secretly loved them. I was just fine with sweet baked beans between buttered wheat bread. You could not have it on toast because the bread would crumble and all the beans would fall out on the plate and floor. Bread was second best after toast in my opinion, but with enough butter it would do. (I have not had a baked bean sandwich for nearly two decades. This means that there is strong potential for them to fall into the nostalgic category, but I actually think I might still like them). Beans, especially bean salads, are friends of mine. They satisfy and can be rather pretty. Bean Salads top my charts because they keep well in the fridge, nearly make a complete meal on their own, have balanced textures, and are ready and waiting when you need a little something. Add a few recipes to your routine; they will not let you down.

shh. psst. come a little closer.
I know this topic should not grace the pages of a food blog, but hooey on the rules; this is a fact of life. Some may choose to avoid eating beans because the aftermath can be somewhat, well, crude.  There are a few tricks for lessening the risk. If you use canned beans Please! Please! rinse them well. The liquid contains high amounts of oligosaccharide sugars that are the gas causing culprits of legumes and other vegetables. Also, a lot of sodium is in that liquid, and I prefer to salt to my own taste. When you cook your own beans, skimming the water's surface when the beans come to a boil also reduces the oligosaccharide content of the beans, and chewing sufficiently cuts down on the uncomfortable times later. Start small. Eat a bit of beans and work your way up to larger quantities. These two recipes are delicious, therefore small might be a test of will, but that is a good thing too I suppose.

For nearly one month I have been thinking about a fancy French lentil salad with goat's cheese and endive. A bowl of this and a slice of toast suit me just fine, but a grilled salmon or snapper fillet would also be perfect over this salad.

French Lentil Salad with Goat's Feta and Endive makes 4 cups
green lentils are OK if you absolutely can not find French lentils. French have a better texture and flavor.

1 cup dry French lentils
1 Belgian endive, sliced
1 cup baby spinach leaves, sliced
1/2 cup goat's or cow's milk Feta crumbles (I used 1 whole cup. just so good.)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice (1 lemon)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
cracked black pepper

1. Rinse lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and keep at a low boil for 25 minutes until tender but not mushy
2. Drain in colander and rinse well with cold water
3. Toss lentils with endive, spinach, lemon zest, juice, and garlic
4. Gently fold in feta crumbles. Salt and pepper to taste. enjoy

An old favorite that nestled into my cooking routine after culinary school is this cheery Black Bean Salad. Summer might cause a few red peppers to dice their way into the bowl, or a ripe avocado might make the leap. Keep your options open a bit. The vegetables for a bean salad work the best if they are cut into similar size pieces as the beans. For the carrots and radishes, first cut long thin strips. Then cut the long thin strips into skinny long strips. The cut across the strips into small dice like so.

Black Bean Salad makes 5 cups
from a recipe at The Natural Gourmet

4 cups cooked black beans (2 cans, rinsed well)
1 cup yellow corn (optional)
4 carrots, peeled and small diced
4 red radishes, super small diced
2 tablespoons minced chives

Dressing:
1 tablespoon grainy Dijon
juice of one lime (3 tablespoons)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Combine beans, corn, carrots, radishes, and chives in a mixing bowl
2. In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients until emulsified
3. Toss dressing with bean mixture and salt more to taste if desired

Sorry to be all business-y about the recipes today. Geez, there was so much to cover.
Enjoy this day. I will be back soon.

new beat. golden beet.

It almost feels like cheating. I do not know who I would be cheating, but if I give you a recipe on the super simple side, it feels like I am cheating. Maybe it is because I have a strong fear of wasting your reading time. If you came all the way over here, and left without a bit of inspiration, ooh I would feel so bad. Not that I usually create entirely complicated recipes and post them all over Soup Spoon; on the contrary, I actually try to make things that you might make for yourself.
But this? This is so basic that I feel like a cheater writing about it. Maybe I should just slip the recipe into the recipe index, and whistle my way back out, inconspicuously. After giving that option some thought, I decided to lay it all out there and give you the chance to notice.
In considering what sort of recipes I write about on Soup Spoon, I try to imagine what sort of cook you are. You might, like me, look forward with extremely abnormal anticipation for the next time you will grace your kitchen. Perhaps you love to cook, but have a few little angel children that tug on your legs the very second you grace the kitchen threshold. There are also those of you who do not care to cook, do not know what to cook, and are only mildly interested in what you eat. I write this blog with all of you in mind. Of course I know the cubbyhole drama is hilarious, but really my master plan for all of this is to hopefully take some of the intimidation out of cooking. With every typed word I hope to make you jump on the cooking bandwagon. you are inspired. I should be honest; subliminal messages have been coded through every post.
Simple recipes for vegetable dishes are one subliminal way to make you want to eat more vegetables. I will spare you the physical, environmental, and even political reasons why I hope you eat more vegetables; just know that I have that list on standby if you cop an attitude and so I would advise you to just go along. My tactic of choice is to show you a beautiful picture, and describe the vegetable with dripping details that make you agree that it actually does look delicious. Yes. That is my tactic, and it seems to be working so far. I heard someone quote an Italian grandmother who said, "If your family does not like vegetables, you need to learn how to cook." Maybe this is my entrance into your life. Some vegetables are absolutely beautiful, and these golden beets have swept me off my feet. Maybe you have never seen a golden beet before this one; that is A-OK. You should be able to purchase them at your local grocery store. Especially places like Whole foods, Wild Oats or other specialty markets should carry them.

This golden beet salad brings joy to our weary winter plates, and the fresh crisp zing might just rev your frozen engine. (now I got you. hook, line, and sinker.) Golden beets are like sunshine. Their flavor is much lighter than the more common red beet, and they do not bleed on everything like the red beets do. I happen to be a fan of red beets, but only in small quantities. Golden beets are different. They go down so sweetly.
They can be boiled and prepared like red beets, but this salad uses them in their raw state which means for you that the entire salad is together in about 10 minutes. I know. You are welcome.

We enjoyed this salad alongside warm garlic lentils and a baguette schmeared with fresh butter. Because of its sweet and tangy elements, the salad really is best alongside something salty, smooth, and a bit creamy like goat's cheese toast or Feta Stuffed Chicken.

Golden Beet Salad serves 4
a little fresh ginger juice would be a nice addition, as would sweetened dried cranberries or cherries. If you are learning to like beets, use only two and up the carrots to four. Ease your way into it; that is completely admirable.

3 golden beets, scrubbed and peeled
3 carrots, scrubbed and peeled
2 gala or fuji apples, peeled and cored
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1/2 lemon
a few pinches cayenne or cracked red pepper flakes (optional)

1. If you have a food processor, grate beets, carrots, and apples. You may also use a hand grater if you do not have a food processor
2. Squeeze orange and lemon juice over the grated fruit and vegetables. add pepper flakes if desired
3. Toss well. Eat and feel well
4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days
5. enjoy

I warned you that it was basic. Do you mind? More vegetable dishes are on the horizon, but do not start to squirm in your seats. They will be entirely enjoyable and delicious.

One Big Apple

Active imaginations and eavesdroppers, New York is the place for you. New York City is just so wonderfully perfect in my opinion. It might not be a place for the faint of heart, but who really needs personal space anyway?

We went into the weekend with my must go here list, and now the list has grown a bit longer. The taste of Jack's Stir Brew Macchiato is enough to make my heart skip a beat, and the Americano from Café Gitane won Stephen's best of vote for the weekend. I do not need to tell you how caffeinated we were, and yet eavesdropping on 3 thousand conversations while you walk 300 hundred miles, makes you sleep like a baby. a really good baby.

We wandered the Met, and tasted our way through the rest of the weekend. By Sunday, the city had crept its way into the 'I heart NY' spot in Stephen's heart. He completely embraced the bustle. Something so hugely mysterious and yet wide open, takes a minute to appreciate, but once you do, it sticks. The bustling crowded sidewalks are inviting not aggravating, and the lines for a table at Balthazar show us that a lot of folks know a good thing when they taste it. Really. The crowds are a testament to greatness.

Sunday morning we  met our friend Leah for brunch at Public. She and I were neighbors many moons ago, and for a moment, in the middle of Manhattan, it was as if we were neighbors again. Really, that was quite nice. She is a metalsmith, and she and Stephen designed our wedding rings. Now she is about to be famous, I am sure of it, and when she is I will tell you all about it.

Do you remember my dream about driving to New York City with my mom just for dinner at Bukhara? Well, Stephen and I went to Bukhara Sunday night. Of course it was also perfect. We ordered Vindaloo and the smirking waiter said, "Aaah. You like spicy." Three bites in, I was crying. Literally crying. Stephen's forehead started beading with sweat as the waiter asked if it was spicy enough for us. Oh yes. It is just fine, Thanks. 

Then the waiters gave me a piece of vanilla cake with a sparkler for the candle. Five Indian men singing happy birthday while a sparkler danced in a piece of vanilla cake is a mental image I will not soon forget.

Now we are back. Home. but I still taste the Apple.

I bought this one lovely Mutzu apple from Union Square Farmer's Market and carried it all the way home. I must confess that I have been holding out on you about something pretty wonderful. A few months ago I  threw a few things in a bowl and out came my new favorite apple cake. I of course wanted to tell you all about it right away, but there have been so many delicious things to tell you about that it has been on the back burner.  In honor of my favorite Big Apple, I wish you all a hunk of apple cake.

Apple Spice Cake
This cake goes well with afternoon tea and also is lovely at brunch. The apples make it even more moist the second day, and so it would be perfect to make a day ahead. You must use the lemon juice on the apples in order to activate the baking soda. I forgot this step once and the cake was quite dense. Other than that, the cake is pretty much foolproof. A great recipe for the kids to help you make.

2 large mutzu, gala, or fuji apples, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup canola or safflower oil
1/2 cup applesauce

1. Heat oven to 350. Sprinkle lemon juice over apples.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the brown sugar, egg, oil and applesauce briskly until fluffy (about 30 seconds). If you have a hand held mixer, mix on high for 30 seconds.
3. In a separate bowl combine flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold in apple pieces. The batter is thick and looks like peanut butter wrapped around apple pieces.

4. Grease a 9 inch circle cake pan. Spread batter evenly in pan and bake for 1 hour. Test with a toothpick. The top develops a lovely brown crumble type crust, and the inside stays super moist. enjoy.