Ina's Lemon Yogurt Cake with Lemon Glaze


These days it seems like everyone is a food or restaurant critic, which is why I don't necessarily give a lot of credence to online reviews. However, there are always exceptions, this being one of them. I was looking to make a cake for our Dinner Club. I wanted to make something light and not super decadent since I just polished off another Upstate Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis. I turned to Ina, as I sometimes do in a pinch, and came across this recipe for Lemon Yogurt Cake. The reviews were staggering: 428 review-- 5 stars! That caught my attention. Lemon cake was already on my mind because of this picture (from Mamasgottabake) which had been posted on the Serious Eats Photograzing site. It looked like we were using the same recipe. And the cake looked delicious. 
Here's the caveat: This cake is sensitive to over-baking, so keep an eye on it...
On a personal note, I need to get an oven thermometer.  I've known for some time that my oven temperature is not right, not right at all-- 350 degrees is definitely not 350. For some reason this temperature problem became an issue with this cake. The recipe calls for 50 minutes of baking. I left it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours because it was no where near done after 50 minutes.  Unfortunately it got a little burnt and was not as moist as I suspected it should be. I still brought it over to the Dinner Club and we all went in for doubles-- but I knew it had to be better so I made it again tonight.  
It came out perfectly. A cake worthy of 5 star reviews. It was light and moist and the citrus was perfect. I ended up baking the cake for 70 minutes, which is 20 minutes longer than the recipe instructs but far less than the 1 1/2 hours I had baked the first cake.  
I watched the cake like a hawk and once the top had a little bit of brown I tested it with a skewer. It was perfect!
This isn't the most ambitious cake in the world. It's not supposed to be. It's simple, light and delicious. And really an ideal way to finish a meal.
Speaking of meals, Dinner Club, No. 2 was a total success. Our host Brian prepared an amazing linguine with asparagus and egg, which we drizzled with hollandaise sauce. He also made a fantastic citrus-herb chickpea salad.  Did I mention that he concocted his own berry limeade with raspberries and blueberries?  It was another scrumptious meal. Now I have to think about what to make for Dinner Club, No. 3. The pressure is on...


Just out of the oven loaf...

The loaf's been sauced... 
Glazed and sliced... 

Lemon Yogurt Cake with Lemon Glaze (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa At Home)
Cook Time: 50 min (See note above re: oven temps and times)
 Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredients
For the cake: 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 heaping teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice


Directions
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
  • Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
  • When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
  • For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Chocolate & Zucchini's Yummy Hummus

I'm crazy about hummus- a Levantine Arab dish containing chickpeas, sesame paste (tahini), olive oil, lemon, garlic and salt.  Not only is this dip really tasty, it's good for you too -- it's got iron, Vitamin B6, folate and dietary fiber.  
Hummus, a staple Middle-Eastern mezze, has been eaten in the region for millennia. I'm always looking to new hummus recipes, and here's one from Chocolate & Zucchini. 
It's simple to make and you can adjust the seasonings and flavor to your liking after you make the base. I used to love things that were heavy on garlic. But now I prefer a hint of garlic without being hit over the head with it. If you like more, go nuts! 
I drizzled some olive oil on top of the hummus and sprinkled it with za'atar spice. I picked up the za'atar at a market on my most recent trip to the Middle East. If you can't find za'atar at your local spice store try some olive oil, paprika, sumac or chopped parsley. A dash of hot sauce, boiled fava beans (which is then called hummus ful) or whole chickpeas can also be used for garnish. Got extra lemon? Squeeze some juice over the top.  Want to make it a more substantial meal? Add a hard boiled egg, which is a popular way to eat hummus in Morocco. 
I think you probably get the picture.  The recipe is adaptable and versatile.  Enjoy!
Dried Chickpeas
Chickpeas soaking in water. Soak for at least 6-8 hours before boiling. I leave them in the fridge overnight.
Ready for processing...
Za'atar spice
Hummus (Adapted from Chocolate & Zucchini)
Yields 2 3/4 cups
Ingredients
1 cup (190 grams) dried uncooked chickpeas
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 really heaping tablespoon tahini (white sesame butter)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4-1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin (use a bit more if it's old)
za'atar spice for garnish (optional)
the leaves from a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley (optional)
dash hot sauce or paprika for garnish (optional) 
Directions
Six to twelve hours before, put the chickpeas in a medium bowl with plenty of water to cover, and leave to soak.  (I soak them overnight.)
Drain and rinse the chickpeas.  The original recipe suggests using a pressure cooker to cook the chickpeas but I don't have one.  I put the chickpeas in a medium sized pot, filled it with water (so the water wouldn't run low) and simmered, on a low heat, for 1 1/2 hours-- about the time it takes for the chickpeas to get soft.

Drain the cooked chickpeas, reserving the cooking water. 

Put the drained chickpeas in a blender or food processor with the rest of the ingredients, from garlic to cumin, and 1/3 cup of the cooking water.  Process for several minutes until very smooth; this works best when the chickpeas are still relatively warm.  Add more cooking water as needed to get a creamy consistency.  The hummus will thicken when chilled, so err on the side of thin.
Taste and adjust the flavor to suit your taste, adding more lemon juice, or tahini, or salt, or hot sauce, or cumin.
Cover and refrigerate. The flavor will have deepened the next day.
Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with a good olive oil, za'atar spice (if you're using it), or other optional garnishes and serve with pita triangles, carrot sticks and/or slices of black radish.  I served it with Lavash bread.

Shades of Pink: Newark's Cherry Blossom Festival and Raspberry Coulis


My 19 month-old son (Otis) is obsessed with a book called "Eye Like Colors." The pink page has flamingoes, cherry blossoms and raspberries (among other thing) and it gave me just the inspiration I needed for this post. Cherry blossom blooms were everywhere a few weeks ago and I saw the most awesome looking raspberries the other day. Pink (or a light shade of red) was the color of the day, so I bought a pint of fresh berries decided it would make the perfect coulis. Now what would go well with coulis?  

It didn't take me long to remember that I made the best cheesecake I ever made a month ago. The recipe for Upstate Cheesecake from Brooklyn's Baked was a total hit and I was thinking about making it again anyway.
So, on a lovely afternoon while both boys (canine and human alike) took long naps, I started on the cheesecake. It's not difficult to make, but you do need to carve out a bit of time. After making the batter the cake bakes for 10 minutes at a high temperature. Then it bakes for another hour at a lower temperature. Next there is a slow temperature reduction which takes an hour with the oven heat turned off (the cake is left in the oven). This cheesecake doesn't require a lot of hands-on time but, like I said, you have to keep an eye on things and stay close to the oven.
Everything was going great until a bit of the oil I used to grease the spring-form pan started dripping down onto the oven floor. One thing led to another and smoke started to fill the room (I'm not totally sure how this happened). Our 'talking' fire alarm started screeching "Fire! Fire!" and all the sirens went off. Omar, the pooch, went berserk and I hopped up on my aqua blue rocking chair in an attempt to dismantle the fire alarm. Being almost 7 months pregnant, I don't exactly have the balance I used to and I got side swiped by a ferocious bout of vertigo. This led to a free-fall down to the floor, fire alarm in hand, and me yelling, "Otis, don't worry...mommy has this under control." Otis had woken up from his nap and he wasn't buying it. 
Well, as it turns out, near kitchen catastrophes make the best dishes and the cheesecake came out perfectly...even with a cool down period that wasn't in the recipe's instructions and was done out of necessity (I had to cool down the oven and clean it quickly). The raspberry coulis was wonderful and very easy to make. My sieve wasn't fine enough so I did get some seeds, but it was still delicious.

As for the Newark Cherry Blossom Festival, it did not disappoint. My husband follows Newark's mayor Cory Booker (see: Street Fight) on his twitter feed. The Mayor promised that the cherry blossoms in Jersey were more numerous than those in D.C. and indeed they were. The flowering trees were beautiful and the crowds were enormous. There were some cultural performances and some excellent snacks. Okay, and I had my fair share of deep-fried Oreos. Because, you know, nothing says springtime like deep-fried Oreos! 
What a wonderful time of year...
Otis with one of his most favorite cousins....

Raspberry Coulis (Courtesy of The Top Chef Cookbook, Contestant Hung Huynh) 
Pair with Baked's Upstate Cheesecake
Ingredients
1 pint fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Directions
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and puree.  Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pushing down on the solids.  Discard the seeds.  Taste and add more sugar or lemon juice if needed.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 


I didn't make the cake in a 'water bath' which is supposed to help minimize cracking. That said, the cracking doesn't change the taste...not one bit!

Chili Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

The other day while working out on the elliptical, I caught an episode of "5 Ingredient Fix."  This show, with it's 5:30 time slot, follows the Barefoot Contessa and seems to have replaced "Cooking with the Neely's"-- a welcome change for me because there is only so much steak I can see someone cook on the grill.  
Anyway, this is so unbelievably simple to make and it only uses 5 ingredients!  I used bittersweet chocolate because the strawberries have so much sweetness on their own.  I saw the berries in the market (a little early in the season), and they looked so good I just had to buy them.  They were perfect--- incredibly sweet and juicy.  I make a point of only buying organic strawberries because the fruits are porous and I don't want to add a 6th ingredient (read: unwanted pesticides and chemicals).  The key, though, is to buy the highest quality ingredients since there are so few in this recipe.  The ancho chili powder adds an interesting note.  I'm going to make these again and again...next time I may try dusting these with a little bit of coarse sea salt.  Hmmmm.
These are the perfect little sweets to make for the mother in your life...or for celebrating yourself!  
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
CHILI CHOCOLATE-COVERED STRAWBERRIES (Courtesy of Claire Robinson)
Ingredients 
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon ground pure chili powder, such as ancho
10 large strawberries with long stems
[Note:  I halved the recipe and used 8 medium sized strawberries.  I had left over chocolate dip.  I'm sure it will go well with Swedish pancakes which I am making next week.]
Directions
In a heat-proof mixing bowl, add the chocolate, cream, and butter. Place over a smaller pot of simmering water. Be sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in the chili powder and mix until fully incorporated.
Hold each strawberry by the long stem (or the green top) and dip into the chocolate allowing the excess to drizzle back into the pan. Place chocolate covered strawberries on a parchment or waxed paper lined sheet tray. Once chocolate is cool, chill until fully set, about 30 minutes.


Yukon Gold Potato and Leek Quiche with Fromage Blanc


At the last minute I decided to change this Food & Wine recipe into a quiche (a baked pie/tart) instead of a frittata (an open face omelette).   
You can use a simple pie crust recipe or a high-quality frozen crust, just let it get to room temperature before filling it. I was feeling like having something flakey, but this dish without the crust would be perfectly delicious. The next time I make this quiche I might add mushrooms or spinach. It's just a thought.  
I think it would go nicely with a sauvignon blanc. It goes very well with arugula salad too---  I used a leftover cider vinaigrette, cut up some hearts of palm and added it to the greens. It hit the spot! 

Yukon Gold Potato, Leek and Fromage Blanc Frittata (Adapted from Food & Wine)
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled (3/4 pound)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks, white and tender green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (I used about about a tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper-- but adjust to your liking)
10 large eggs (If you are making a quiche, you can use 5 eggs and 1/2 the milk)
1/3 cup whole milk
4 ounces fromage blanc or 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly, then cut into 1/2-inch dice.
In a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet, melt the butter. Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and season with salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over the leeks and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes without stirring. 
[My modification:  I added the diced potatoes to the leeks and mixed over medium-low heat for about 5-7 minutes.  Then I seasoned with salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust accordingly.   I added the leek and potato mixture to the pie crust (once the crust was cool) and then added the egg mixture.] 
Dollop the fromage blanc or sprinkle the feta cheese over the leeks and potatoes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the eggs are just set in the center, about 18 minutes. Slide the frittata [quiche] onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.