SOUP, SPICE & PARIS

Mary+ by | Feb 25, 2021 | Uncategorized

The more it snows in Colorado, the better it is for agricultural support, the recreation community and our precious albeit beleaguered Colorado River. I grew up in Iowa, a state bordered on the west by the meandering Missouri, North America’s longest river, and the east, by Ol’Man River himself. (There’s a song.) Let’s agree it’s been my good fortune that my neck-of-the-woods has always been located ‘where a river runs through it.’

During the past two weeks I’ve opened my eyes most mornings to more snow. Of course the scene is magical. It’s also cold, really cold, more than normal cold. You know what’s an antidote for snowy, frigid weather? SOUP. In particular, Moroccan-Spiced Chickpea, Lentil and Noodle Soup. Heads up, vegetarians. Or spread the love to meat eaters at your table by adding mini-meatballs.

This satisfying, flavorful, spicy soup is everything. It’s ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin and saffron (optional). It’s chickpeas, red lentils and angel hair pasta. Oh yes, do not pass Go without a lemon. It’s essential. And what I discovered after letting it simmer all week on my stovetop is it only gets better with age. You may need to add liquid. Glance through the recipe. Make it work for you. Resistance is futile.

PARIS, Tu me manques. (I miss you.)

A year ago today my daughter, Melissa, flew to Paris to spend a week with me. For the past several years I’ve been spending a few winter months in the City of Lights. Melissa had never visited France. I now know there are few greater joys than showing your daughter Paris for the first time.

Before she left Paris, we’d already planned our 2021 Paris week. Melissa and daughter Clara, for her high school graduation present, would fly to Paris for a week. Emma, a college junior who would be studying in Greece for the semester, would join us.

When I waved goodbye to Missy last March 4th, we had no idea I would be following 10 days later due to new Covid travel restrictions. Nor did we know I wouldn’t see her for the following twelve months and still counting. Let me be clear. I have nothing but gratitude for the good health and well-being my family has enjoyed the past year. We are the lucky ones. No pity parties at our households.

I decided, however, I could relive the memories of that fabulous week either with sadness or joy. I came down on the side of joy, calories, l’apéro (cocktail hour), photographs and Piaf. I believe in make-believe. Of course, if all else fails, there is always ZOOM.

COOKtheBOOKFRIDAY

Moroccan-Spiced Chickpea and Noodle Soup by Dorie Greenspan, Everyday Dorie, The Way I Cook

Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS:

MINI MEATBALLS: (Add meatballs or make it vegetarian.)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1-pound ground beef or turkey to form into 18 to 20 small meatballs
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

NOODLE SOUP:

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped, rinsed and patted dry
2 celery stalks with leaves, finely sliced
3 garlic clove, chopped
2-3 TBS ground ginger
1 TBS fine sea salt or to taste
11/2 Tsp freshly ground black pepper
11/2 Tsp ground turmeric
11/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp cumin
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Large pinch of saffron threads (this is pricey so it’s optional)
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
2 quarts unsalted vegetable or chicken stock or broth.
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas drain and rinse
3/4 cup red lentils, split
1/4-pound thin or angel hair pasta, broken into short pieces
1 or 2 lemons, cut into wedges or slices

DIRECTIONS:

For Meatballs:

1. Place oil in large skillet.
2. Season meat with salt and black pepper; form into 18 to 20 small meatballs.Precook meatballs: Brown over medium heat for about 5 to 8 minutes, browning all sides. Set meatballs aside. Pour out leftover oil and swipe clean with a paper towel

3. Over medium low heat melt butter to cook onion, garlic and celery for about 4 minutes or when vegetables start to soften. Add spices, stir to blend with vegetables for 30 seconds before stirring in tomatoes and half of parsley. If using, return the meatballs and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes covered.

4. Add broth or water to the pot. Increase the heat. Bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to simmer. Add drained chickpeas, partially cover pot, let simmer for about 30 minutes. Add more liquid as needed.

5. Add lentils, cook partially covered for 20 minutes more until softened. Season to taste.

6. Before serving, stir in broken pasta and cook for about 8-10 minutes. Then stir in the remainder of parsley or cilantro.

7. Lemon juice is traditional to serve but you may also add it in the kitchen or serve with lemon slices at the table.

About the Recipe, from Dorie: The Moroccan soup/stew is simple and so satisfying and like many dishes, it’s better when served the next day. Its roots are in Northern Africa and the spices add an exotic and delicious flavor. This Hariri traditional dish has several add-ins of pasta, chickpeas, and lentils.The combined flavors are almost magical when blended together.

FROM MY HEART to YOURS

Mary+ by | Feb 12, 2021 | Uncategorized

It’s come to this. Three weeks ago I stood at my kitchen sink having my first cup of coffee and heard myself say,  “I am just so over you, Mary. You don’t make me laugh anymore.”

First, here’s to acknowledging I may be losing my mind. Or, since what’s said out loud carries more power than just thinking it, I obviously wanted Me to hear it.  

Let’s just leave it here. My laughter soundtrack needs maintenance. Got it.

COVID-INATION

During the past 345 days of pandemic restrictions, I’ve finally caught up with myself, checking off those pesky chores and irritating to-do’s long needing my attention. Finally the unread New Yorker magazines are trashed, my storage unit is almost laid bare and there’s a re-do in progress at my Gant condo. At some point during those 8,280 hours  I apparently lost my Joy and parked my Sense of Humor. During this very somber and sad time, we still need to smile. Do you agree? Let’s try.   

Joke to My Gant Family: “If you would like to know how it feels to be in hospitality during the corona virus pandemic: Remember when the Titanic was sinking and the Band continued to play? Well, we’re the band…..” 

 Last week I received my second vaccine shot. Age shoved me to the head of the line and Pfizer-BioNTech delivered the two life-saving jabs that went into my arm. Bravo to scientists Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci, the brains behind the world’s first effective Covid vaccine. Bravo times two because I no longer need my Hazmat suit for Clara’s high school graduation!

JOKE: “Sometime I wonder if all this is happening because I didn’t forward that e-mail to 10 People.” 

 In time, everyone will have their own vaccination story. This is mine. With less than six million people, Colorado, ranked  #12 in quality health care*,  is arguably more manageable than, for example, California (40 million) or New York (20 million). Last March 14th, the same night I landed in Aspen after evacuating from Paris, Governor Jared Polis closed down the state’s ski resorts bringing the High Country’s major economic engine to a full stop. When the taxi driver picked me up at the airport, he was totally chagrined. “I don’t know how I’m going to buy food,” he said.

 Gov. Polis has been righting the ship ever since. Ya gotta support a politician who last May hid a shipment of tests and PPE because he was ‘worried the federal government or somebody else would take them.’ That’s the type of guy most Coloradans can get behind.

JOKE: “Really wish we had a dog right now but then I remember that old slogan, a dog is for life, not just for a global pandemic.”

Although I’m in Boulder now, friends kept me in the loop so I could sign up when the vaccination registration link went on line. Three weeks later, bingo, I had a shot slot.

 The most unnerving part of this three-week seamless process was the road trips. Snow is always an issue in the mountains. It’s a 210-mile trip from Boulder to Aspen. The weather gods were kind for Shot #1. Slushy roads, I can handle. For Shot #2, Mother Nature was grumpy. The mountains had a glorious 14 to 20-inch dump the day before and there were still flurries so yep, ice and snow. Three plows escorted me and others over Vail Pass. On the trip home there was more snow. Contending with 110 or so trucks required to “Chain Up,” made for a white-knuckle drive. When conditions merit the chains, these big guys have to be maneuvered off and back on the Interstate during the 127-mile stretch through the Eisenhower Tunnel and over Vail Pass. I have a healthy respect for 18 wheelers. They win. In the end, however, safely back in Boulder, mission accomplished. Grateful.

JOKE: “In Germany they are preparing for the covid crisis by stocking up with sausage and cheese. That’s the Wurst Käse scenario.”

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

What to do with three ripe bananas? Banana bread? Nah. Smoothie? Not today. Try this Banana-Peanut Butter Sundae. Or Split. No ice cream or yogurt needed. Just pantry and fridge staples. Decadence personified.

I never made pudding from scratch. Hello, Jell-O brand. Then I met Dorie’s Dark Chocolate Pudding. Dorie has been updating and improving this pudding recipe since Paris Sweets, a cookbook she published in 2002. She’s nailed it. That’s all I need to say.  

BANANA ICE CREAM by Cooking for One, America’s Test Kitchen

SERVES: 1 or 2

INGREDIENTS:

3 very, ripe bananas, peeled, bagged and put in freezer

1/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon table salt

METHOD:

1. Freeze bananas until solid, at least 8 hours

2. Let bananas sit at room temperature to often slightly, about 15 minutes. 3. Slice into 1/2-inch-thick rounds and place in blender, food processor or Immersion Blender. Add cream, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt.  (Note: To make it chocolate, add some unsweetened cocoa powder with bananas.) Process until smooth, about 5 minutes.

4. Transfer mixture to airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. Ice cream can be frozen for up to one week. 

5. Serve, topped with sprinkles, topping sauce (hot or cold) and a cherry.

TIPS:  1) Substitute canned coconut milk to make it vegan or plant-based creamer for the cream. 2) Optional: In Step 2, For various flavoring, add about 3-4 tablespoons of peanut butter or Nutella and/or stir in nuts or unsweetened cocoa powder.

DARK CHOCOLATE PUDDING

SERVES: 6

INGREDIENTS:

1½ cups whole milk

¾ cup heavy cream

⅓ cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

¼ pound  semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and warm

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1½ cups whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

METHOD:

1.Combine milk and cream in a heavy saucepan. Heat on stove over medium heat just until bubbles start to form at the edges.

2. While the milk and cream are heating, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt together in a medium large pan. Whisk in the egg and egg yolks until well combined.

3. Place the bowl on a kitchen towel or potholder to keep it from moving. Pour about a quarter of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling.Pour in the rest of the milk mixture and whisk to combine.

4. Pour everything back into the saucepan and return to the stove, cooking over medium heat while whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble, about 3 minutes. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, whisking constantly to prevent burning, until very thick.

5. Pour through strainer into bowl. Add in the melted chocolate, vanilla extract, and butter and whisk until combined and very smooth.

6. As a last step, run a handheld immersion blender a few times through the pudding to further smooth and to aerate slightly. You can also run through a food processor briefly.

7. Pour pudding into individual cups or ramekins, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, until set.

*Stats by US New & World Report

Planet Word, Gaga, Sonia, Amanda, J-Lo & Supper

Mary+ by | Jan 22, 2021 | Uncategorized

When I returned to Aspen in 2013 I would occasionally have dinner with a family friend from Chicago who summered in Aspen. Since we both had lived in Des Moines where our husbands were pals, we never lacked for conversation. One thing we often discussed was her daughter, Ann, who was masterminding and creating a museum in Washington D.C.

“A museum?” I first asked, “About what, Kay?”

“Words,’ she answered. She told me it would be called Planet Word Museum.

Color me skeptical. However, I know her daughter, Ann. If Ann dreamed of a museum based on Words, there would be a museum based on Words.  After seven years of nurturing this project from birth to fruition, mission accomplished. In late May 2020 Ann Friedman hosted a virtual Planet Word’s Open House. Located in the historic and now-restored Franklin School in downtown D.C., Ann told the Washington-Post recently, Planet Word was  ‘an interactive museum that will bring language to life.’

There are no appropriate Words to describe this spectacular, amazing, interactive, high tech, 3-story museum jam-packed with Words. Did I mention it is free? I sometimes just visit its site to learn. Although I’ve played with words throughout a lifetime of writing, I’ve never considered them standing on their own, being museum-worthy. 

This tumultuous month, January 2021, brought it home. Words and those who say them matter. 

LADY GAGA, SONIA, AMANDA & J-LO

“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. Words have energy and power with the ability to help and heal or hurt and harm.” Yehuda Berg

Words can inspire, lift us up. If you are open to it, I think these women were able to do just that at the Inauguration:

Lady Gaga, I’m a fan. And, FYI, her outfit on Wednesday was tame compared to others I’ve seen. The Lady fills up a room. She has a presence. Her pipes are pure gold. “I will sing to the hearts of all people who live on this land,” she said before the Inauguration.

For those who cared to listen, she did just that…’Gave proof through the night that our flag (pause) was (pause) still (pause) there (full stop, breathe).’ She took the crowd with her as she gestured, with her arm raised, to Old Glory. The crazy thing is I never thought our flag wouldn’t be there. Still a little shaken by that thought.

I think Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is the only woman on earth who could be forgiven for mispronouncing Vice President Harris’ first name during her swearing in ceremony! 

What can be said about 22-year-old Amanda Gorman who recited “The Hill We Climb.” Her poem and recitation of it was breathtakingly beautiful. Welcome to a glimpse of our Gen Z kids, my friends. Move aside.

And J-Lo, singing America the Beautiful, paused mid-song to shout in Spanish “One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” from the Pledge of Allegiance. (I had to call the young Spanish speakers in my family for a translation!)

Well done, Ladies. 

COOK THE BOOK FRIDAYS

Although I’ve added must-buy equipment to my Boulder rental kitchen, I still must plan meals around what’s possible. This week Dorie’s Mediterranean Shepherd’s Pie is the perfect choice. 

Called Hachis Parmetier in France, it’s a classic family casserole made of two simple layers: ground/leftover meat topped with mashed potatoes. You’ve permission to check the fridge to toss what veggies you find, in-between.

Because Covid has turned me into a wild and crazy woman, I’d substitute peas for sweetness and color rather than spinach.  I mixed extra turnip chunks in with the potatoes. (Note to new Readers: I never veer from a recipe’s directions.)  Do your thing. Then add a green salad. Viola!  Five-star supper.      

MEDITERRANEAN SHEPHERD’S PIE by Dorie Greenspan, The Way I Cook

Serves 6-8 people

INGREDIENTS

POTATOES:

2-1/2 pounds (about 1 kg) Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4-6 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

 Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

FILLING:

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground lamb, beef, turkey or chicken

1/2 pound hot or mild sausage meat (pork, chicken or turkey)

1 medium onion coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

 freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup (120 ml) chicken broth

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons ground sumac, or grated zest of 1 lemon

1-1/2 teaspoons za’atar or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes,

1/2 pound peeled butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 handfuls baby kale or spinach

1 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into bits, or olive oil (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

POTATOES:

1. Drop the potato chunks into a large pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook. Cook until the potatoes mash easily when pressed against the side of the pot, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Drain the potatoes. Put the empty pot back over medium heat. Return the potatoes to the pot and cook, stirring and turning them for about 3-4 minute until they are dry. Mash the potatoes in a food mill, mixer, ricer set over a bowl or with a fork. Stir the butter and ¼ cup of the milk or cream into the potatoes, along with ample salt and pepper, and adjust to taste.. Set aside.

FILLING: (You can make the filling and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.)

1. Put a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and when it’s hot, add the ground meat and sausage. Cook, stirring and pressing the meat with a wooden spoon to break it up, for about 2-4 minutes. As you’re cooking, drizzle in 1 more tablespoon of oil if needed. 

2. Add another tablespoon of oil, along with the onion and garlic. Season with the salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook over low heat until the onions soften, about 10 minutes.
3. Turn up the heat and add the chicken broth. Stir in the spices. Cook for a minute, then add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer. Scatter over the pieces of squash and cook over low heat until the squash is fork-tender, about 20 minutes. 

4. Stir in the kale or spinach and taste for salt and pepper. (You can make the filling up to 2 days ahead and keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator.) 

5. Spoon the filling into the pie plate, adding enough of the liquid in the pan to come up and around the edges of the mix. Top with the potatoes, smoothing them over the filling, making swoops and swirls out to the edges of the pie plate. 

6. At this point, the pie can be refrigerated until cool, wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months.) 

7. Center a rack in the oven, preheated to 375 degrees F. Bake the pie for 30 to 40 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the potatoes are browned here and there. If you’d like to get them crusty brown, run them under the broiler.

CHOICES: Use turnips or green peas instead of the squash or just skip the extra vegetable. If you’d rather, skip the topping entirely. The filling is so fragrant, tasty and chunky as is. Pull out a bun and make a sloppy Joe, or grab a wedge of cornbread and smother it with the juicy meat. Make some rice or a pot of beans and use the filling as a spoon-over.

PASTA PERFECT

Mary+ by | Jan 8, 2021 | Uncategorized

I’m in a bit of a mood today, dear Readers. This is a very short blog post. It’s CooktheBookFriday, time to join my virtual cooking group as we work our way through “Everyday Dorie, The Way I Cook.” This week’s deliciousness is Pasta with Cabbage, Butternut Squash and Toasted Walnuts. If a pasta dish can be healthy, this one is. Try it.

Although this blog is anchored by food and recipes, it’s been more about my rebuilding a lifestyle after Michael died and having the audacious idea that others might like to read about that. It’s my safe space and a joy to write. Besides recipes worth trying, I do know it’s been encouraging to some, helpful to others and just fun to read. Today I can’t do fun.

JANUARY 6

Wednesday afternoon Emma, my 19-year-old granddaughter texted me,

“Grandma, are you watching this?”

I don’t watch television. When I turned it on and saw what was developing in D.C., well, there are no words. I spent the rest of the day on the phone and texting with Emma, a first-time voter, and her 17-year-old sister.

They talked. I listened. And if you’re listening, you know young people see the world quite differently. Emma was born a few months before 9/11 and voted for the first time just before this failed coup. What bookends to her young life.

Our elected officials were traumatized and understandably so by the capitol’s lockdown. Kids can relate. Emma’s been locked down four times. In 2018 at least 4.1 million American kids experienced that and in 2019 there were more than 6,200 school lockdowns. Yet Congress can’t get a gun bill passed. Maybe now?

As the scene unfolded you’d have to be blind not to notice the security response to a basically white mob was noticeably different than responses when people of color are involved. And in case we forget, the world was watching.

Last year I volunteered at an Aspen Institute conference. About 60% of the participants were people of color. The Institute’s president/CEO Dan Porterfield gave the welcoming address. “People like me” he said, “who are white in America, have to decide what kind of white people we’re going to be…we have to make the active effort to level the playing field and promote justice.”

God Bless America. Stay Safe this month.

COOK THE BOOK FRIDAYS

PASTA with CABBAGE, BUTTERNUT SQUASH and TOASTED WALNUTS

by Dorie Greenspan, Everyday Dorie, The Way I Cook

Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound winter squash, such as Delicata, Kabocha, acorn or butternut, scrubbed and peeled, if necessary
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pinch fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/2 pound Fettuccine, Linguine or other long pasta
1/4 cup dried cranberries, cherries or dried fruit of your choice
1/2 pound (about 2 lightly packed cups) green cabbage, trimmed, cored and shredded
1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces
1/4-1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and strings
2. Thinly slice or cut into cubes. You’ll have about 2 lightly packed cups.
3. Warm 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large high-sided skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Toss in the squash, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until it is almost tender, about 8 minutes.
4. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the vinegar and cook until it is absorbed by the squash — this is quick. Add the honey and stir to coat before scraping the squash into a bowl. Set aside.
5. Cook the pasta according to package directions. About a minute before the pasta is ready, toss the dried fruit into the pot. When the pasta is cooked, scoop out 1/4 cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta, leaving a little water clinging to the strands.
6. Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil, toss in the cabbage and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and cook, stirring, until it is absorbed. Pour in the reserved pasta water and cook for a minute, then add the pasta and cranberries and stir it all around. Mix in the squash and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Taste for salt and pepper. You may want to add a bit more oil.
7. Transfer to a warm bowl or leave the pasta in the skillet to serve, topped with the walnuts and Parmesan.
8. STORING: The dish is really best served as soon as it’s made.

MOLASSES COFFEE CAKE. MORE, PLEASE.

Mary+ by | Dec 11, 2020 | Uncategorized

Thanksgiving is over. (Check)  One holiday down, more to follow. Take a deep breath, buckle up and grab whatever gaiety you can muster to make December happen. The goal here is to find a reason to pull your Joy lever everyday.

Alone for Thanksgiving, first time ever, I was determined to flip my favorite holiday from the anticipated sad to happy. Needing to save the Ski Season, our Colorado governor and Aspen mayor issued Stay-At-Home-orders. So for days prior to the holiday I did just that. Baking was my comfort buffer. 

Remember that ravishing Triple-Layer Parsnip and Cranberry cake from my Thanksgiving post? Using that recipe, I pulled out my favorite mold and baked mini-bundt desserts for friends who were also going to be alone for the holiday. I already had an inventory of Pandemic-proof Window Cake Boxes and Weck jars for the sauce.      

Thanksgiving morning I put together my cargo and first headed down valley to deliver some of my 18 dessert packages. By noon, feeling quite pleased at having surprised everyone, I’d finished all my doorstep deliveries. Waiting for me, I already knew, was a traditional  Thanksgiving feast dropped off by my friends, the Overeynder’s. 

After justifying those extra calories by taking a not-at-all strenuous hike, catching up with far-away family and friends and watching “Holidate” on Netflix (Yes, it was cheesy. Yes, I loved it.), the holiday was in the rear-view mirror. Not the best Thanksgiving ever but it was fine. 

Wait, it gets better. On the next day my down valley buddies who had included me in an elaborately orchestrated and safe tailgating food exchange on Thanksgiving, brought my portion to Aspen. What can I say? There was enough food to feed a family of four!

TIME TO MAKE A LIST

My Thanksgiving story is not to minimize the suffering in the world or America’s pain. Yes, we’ve experienced a rock-hard eight months with a horrendous winter forecasted. This past month I’ve seen (Thank God for Zoom.) the agonizing inner courage of a childhood friend whose daughter is doing battle with this virus and another Manchester friend who recently received a disheartening diagnosis. 

With everything reeling-out of-control I began to feel helpless again, reminiscent of trying to get home from Paris last March and being quarantined for two weeks. Full stop. I’m not returning to that dark place again. Time to Make a List. For whatever reason, Lists work for me. I cross out the uncontrollable and am always left with what I call a Plan Possible forward. 

After getting through Thanksgiving, packing up, driving and getting settled in Boulder, I need to plan how to live, work, study, and entertain myself in an impermanent, unfamiliar location as safely as possible. Just having received a library card, for example, and meeting neighbors who, if they see The New York Times’ piling up on my doorstep, will come calling, helps. Decided to forego gift giving and donate to organizations feeding the hungry this year. A feel-good idea.      

MOLASSES COFFEE CAKE.

After my last post’s cake, a triple-layer showstopper, it seems unfair to feature this Molasses Coffee Cake now. It’s like comparing Plain Jane to Cinderella. Don’t be fooled. While not particularly photogenic or even splashy, it’s dense, moist, flavorful and complex. As a colleague wrote, ‘It has a whole lotta zing.’

Here’s some additional thoughts because this is not only a perfect holiday coffee cake but, gussied up with ice cream or whipped cream, it will be refreshing at tea time, as a fancy dessert or the best midnight snack Santa has ever tasted. It’s all about the coffee and the spices. And, that glaze? Oh My, you must.     

MOLASSES COFFEE CAKE from “Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook,” by Dorie Greenspan

Makes 8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

THE CAKE:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup uncultured molasses

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup hot coffee (can be made with instant coffee or espresso powder)

COFFEE GLAZE

1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, plus more (optional) for decoration

1 teaspoon boiling water

5 ounces best-quality white chocolate, finely chopped

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces, at room temperature

Whipped cream, for topping

WORKING AHEAD

This cake is even better on the second day — the spices have more time to ripen.

PREPARTION: 

THE CAKE

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan that’s at least 2 inches high (use a springform if you don’t have a regular cake pan that’s tall enough), fit a round of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan, butter the paper and dust the interior with flour; tap out the excess.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, salt ginger, five -spice powder, cinnamon and pepper.

3. Working in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the molasses and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the egg and beat for 2 minutes, then beat in the vanilla. 

4. Turn the mixer off, add the flour mixture and pulse to begin incorporating it. Then beat on low speed only until the dry ingredients disappear into the batter. With the mixer on low, add the hot coffee, again mixing only until it is incorporated. Scrape the batter into the pan and swivel the pan to even it.

5. Bake for 28 to 33 minutes, until the cake is beautifully browned and has risen uniformly. It will pull away from the sides of the pan if gently tugged and a tester inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean. 

6. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the cake rest for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife around the sides of the cake. Turn the cake out onto the rack, gently peel off the parchment, invert onto another rack and cool to room temperature; or, if you are using a springform, simply remove the ring. The cake may develop a little dip in the center — that’s its personality.

GLAZE:

7. Dissolve the instant espresso powder in the boiling water. Put the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl.

8. Bring the cream to a boil (you can do this the microwave oven), stir in the espresso extract that you make and pour the cream over the chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds and then, using a whisk or the small heatproof spatula, stir until the mixture is smooth. /add the butter one piece at a time, stirring until it is melted and incorporated.

9. Set the cake on the rack on a piece of of foil to catch drips. Pour as much of the glaze as you want over the cake and use a long spatula or a table knife to spread it. I like it when the glaze drips down the sides of the cake unevenly; if you want to smooth it, you can, of course. 

10. Sprinkle with a little instant espresso powder to decorate, if you like.

11. Put the cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to set the glaze, then return it to room temperature for serving. Pass any remaining glaze a the table.

Storing: Wrapped well, the cake can keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Wrapped airtight, it can be frozen for up to 2 months, glaze and all.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: SHORT TRIP

Mary+ by | Nov 20, 2020 | Uncategorized

Thanksgiving is next week. In normal times I would be loading my car with suitcases and handing my condo’s keys to The Gant. Thanksgiving is Aspen’s ski season kick-off day. Being a retired-skier, I’m happily not here for it. But these times are not normal. I won’t be spending the holidays with my family in California nor my friends in Nevada. Spending the winter in Paris is off the table. Let’s not talk about that.

Rather, let’s talk about this celebratory, full-on-flavorful triple-layer cake which I’m going to help you build and bake, layer by layer. Shout-out to all you bakers: Make this cake.  Recipe below.

Let’s talk about my escaping Aspen’s hearty winter. I’ve opted for a gentler one in Boulder. Yes, it’s still Colorado. Yes, it still snows there. Yes, it’s been a hot spot. Yes. Yes. Yes. Luckily the university’s holiday break coincides with my first five weeks so I’ll be able to settle in and find my way before the student deluge begins. Right now, closer to home suits me. 

When this began last March, and quite honestly I was thinking about 3-5 months, I shelved what I couldn’t do and gave more thought to what I could and would do. Why not tinker with my lifestyle, smooth out the rough spots. Readers, do you know how much tinkering you can do in eight months?

REIMAGINE, REINVENT AND SIMPLIFY

Since returning to Aspen, to my accountant’s annoyance, I still rent a storage space 30 miles from Aspen loaded with boxes of ‘precious objects.’  What I’ve found over the years is that they are only precious to me. “If not now, when?” asked Mary to Mary. It took three months but I emptied that space. Several times a week I’d drive to Carbondale and load up my Subaru with boxes. One by one, I unpacked those babies and donated, tossed and dispersed with everything. I cannot pat myself on the back enough for doing that. 

It felt good. Less baggage. A lighter load. But it was June 1st and Covid was still hanging around. Why not simplify my Life more? How much junk could a chic chick chuck if a chic chick could chuck junk? ***  Readers, just know this. The longer I’ve sheltered-in-place, the more simplified my Life’s become.  

I decided to turn my office back into a second bedroom. A project, for sure. My beautiful office furniture found a home with a friend’s wife who’d just moved her office/business home. That felt good. Next I attacked my closets and drawers, whittled down my cookbook collection and God only knows if I tossed and shredded papers that may be needed if the government comes calling. Once you’re in the mood and time is your friend (think eight long months), one can r-e-a-l-l-y edit and purge.

Happy Thanksgiving, Readers. Take care. Be safe.

TRIPLE-LAYER PARSNIP & CRANBERRY CAKE by Dorie Greenspan, Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook

NOTE: You can make the filling up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it. You can make the cake layers a day ahead and keep them wrapped airtight. The cake slices better if it is refrigerated for an hour or two. (I did all three)

INGREDIENTS

THE CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

Finely grated zest of 1 small orange or 1 tangerine

1 cup neutral oil, such as canola

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 pound parsnips, trimmed, peeled and grated (3 cups)

1 cup (120 grams) chopped pecans or other nuts, toasted or not

1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries

CRANBERRY FILLING

One 12-ounce bag cranberries (if frozen, don’t defrost)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (or water)

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

THE FROSTING

3/4 pound cream cheese, cut into chunks, at room temperature

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons or 6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature

6 1/4 cups (750 grams) confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the cake, center a rack or evenly position 2 racks in the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees F. 
2. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans, dust the interiors with flour and tap out the excess; or use baker’s spray.

3.   Whisk the flour, coriander, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Put 2 teaspoons of the sugar in a small bowl and stir in the minced ginger and zest.

4.   Working in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the oil, the remaining 1 cup sugar and the brown sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes. The mixture might look grainy, but that’s fine. 

5.   One by one, beat in the eggs and then continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and velvety. Beat in the vanilla, followed by the ginger-zest mixture and any syrup that might be in the bowl. 

6.   Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture all at once. Pulse the mixer to start incorporating the flour, then mix on low just until the dry ingredients almost disappear. Add the parsnips and nuts and mix to incorporate. Switch to a flexible spatula and gently fold in the cranberries. 7.   Divide the batter evenly among the three pans and smooth the tops.

8.   Bake for 33 to 37 minutes, until the cakes are golden and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pans. The tops will feel springy to the touch and a tester inserted in the center will come out clean. 

9. Transfer the cakes to racks and cool for 5 minutes, then run a table knife around the sides of the pans and turn the cakes out onto racks to cool to room temperature.

10. To make the filling: Put all the ingredients in a medium saucepan, stir and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture bubbles, many of the cranberries pop and the sauce starts to thicken, about 10 minutes. The filling will thicken more as it cools. Scrape the filling into a bowl and cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate if you’re not using immediately. 

11.To make the frosting, working in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar and salt together on medium speed until very smooth; scrape the beater and bowl down frequently. Add the vanilla and beat to blend.

12. TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:  If the tops of the cakes have mounded (these usually bake pretty at), you can slice away the crowns to even them. Place one layer bottom side down on a cake plate. Using an off set spatula or a table knife, generously cover the top of the layer with frosting. Spoon half of the cranberry filling into the center of the frosting and spread it so that it comes to about an inch or two shy of the edges of the cake. Place the second layer on the cake, top side down. Cover with frosting and spread the remaining filling over it. Finish by placing the last layer on the cake, bottom side up. Cover the top layer with frosting, adding some swirls and whorls, if you’d like. 

NOTE: If some of the cranberry filling oozed to the edges or maybe even spilled over a little, celebrate it! I love the casual look of this cake.You’ll have frosting left over, so you can frost the sides of the cake, if you’d like. I like to leave the sides bare or run just a very thin layer of frosting around them, a layer that looks almost sheer, kind of naked, but not quite. The cake can be served as soon as it’s assembled, but it’s easier to slice if you give it an hour or two in the fridge.

SUGARED CRANBERRIES

For an even more festive cake, crown it with sugared cranberries — finishing it like this is beautiful for the holidays. Make a simple syrup by boiling 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water together, stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, drop in as many fresh cranberries as you’d like and roll them around to coat with syrup, then lift them out with a slotted spoon or mesh spider and transfer them to a rack. Let them set for about 1 hour — they’ll be sticky and tacky, and that’s what you want. Roll the cranberries around in a cup of sugar and then let them dry on a clean rack for another hour. Sugared berries are meant for the last minute — they’ll get syrupy in the refrigerator and won’t survive freezing.    

STORING: You can keep the cake at room temperature (not hot or humid) for a couple of days or, wrapped, in the refrigerator for at least 5 days. You can also freeze the cake. Freeze it, then wrap airtight; if you can manage it, defrost it overnight in the refrigerator.

+++Tongue-twister created by a Martha Beck-wannabe