Cinco de Mayo Round-Up

Happy Cinco de Mayo! However you decide to celebrate, I hope it includes some great food and beverages. And it goes without saying, a really good tequila! One of the great things about the foods typically enjoyed on Cinco de Mayo is they are all great year round. I mean, can you imagine if we waited to eat guacamole and drink margaritas once a year? The mere thought of this is almost unfathomable. So here are some recipes to include in your fiesta as well as in any of your upcoming gatherings.

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Slaw

Elotes Callejeros (Grilled Mexican Street Corn)

Mexican White Rice with Fried Plantains

Taco Soup

Margarita, Hill Country Style with a Twist

Pineapple Guacamole

Cheddar Cheese Jalapeño Beer Bread

Amy's Shortbread Cookies - Cinco de Mayo Style

Dulce de Leche S'mores with Homemade Graham Crackers

Apple Cake

A foodblogger recently posted to Instagram a photo of some of the 'vintage' Gourmet magazines she scored from her parents house. As someone who only recently and discretionally purged years worth, or rather decades worth, of some of my food magazines, I thought how much happier her parents must have been to see their collection find a good home. Freeing up storage space, the icing on the cake. If her parents were anything like me, I would venture to guess many of these magazines had not seen the light of day in a very, very long time. However, as ridiculous as this may sound to many of you, the idea of putting any source of inspiration in a recycling bin is something on par with making any one of life's gut wrenching decisions. Over the years I became incredibly skilled at rejecting all of the myths framed as rational arguments for reducing my food magazine collection. Myth 1: "All of the recipes can be found online." Definitely not true. Myth 2: "It would take you two lifetimes to make all of the recipes in those magazines." Probably true. But one newly rediscovered recipe could make a meal legendary. Myth 3: "Along your collection of cookbooks, it isn't humanly possible to find the magazine with the recipe for a dish you had made once, maybe twice." Some of us with strong visual memories can usually find the needle in the haystack. Although, as time goes on and the number of cookbooks and magazines continue to increase, I may be forced to accept this one as fact.

The Instagram post caused me to shift my attention from boxes of stored food magazines to the significant number of cookbooks I had not opened in awhile. Quite awhile actually. Parting with food magazines is one thing, but parting with cookbooks?! Unless they are going to a home of someone I love, this would be sacrilegious in my world. As I scanned the bookshelves, my eyes were drawn to my collection of Maida Heatter's cookbooks. For those of you who, for any number of reasons had never heard of or made any of her recipes, she is genuinely a baking goddess. Definitely someone to learn from. A self-taught baker, she graciously shared her knowledge of baking in nine cookbooks. It was in her first cookbook, Maida Heatter's 1974 edition of the Book of Great Desserts, where I gain confidence as a baker as my knowledge of baking deepened. Her books might best be described as containing recipes falling into those elusive 'heirloom and 'foolproof' categories. "Her recipes are known for their precision; each step in integral, each ingredient is essential. Her sense of time and care when it comes to baking are impeccable...." wrote Food52 in a great tribute article shortly after her 100th birthday last September. As precise as they may be, all of her recipes are easily accessible to the home baker.

I pulled one of my two copies of her book Maida Heatter's Best Desserts Book Ever off the shelf. (Yes, I have two of these books. I won't even begin to explain why I have two of them.) As the weather was a bit gloomy, I was in the mood to bake a cake. As I was skimming through the book, the "Apple Cake from the Catskills' was one of the recipes catching my attention. In her description, she wrote 'once you have made it you will want to make it again and again'. Simple, genuine, honest, words and a prophetic endorsement. After reading them, there wasn't any doubt as to which cake I would be making.

Other than finishing the cake with a confectionary sugar glaze instead of a confectionary sugar dusting, I wasn't going to make any other recipe ingredient changes on my first attempt at baking this cake. Sometimes you need to, or rather should, trust the baking goddess.

The recipe specified Granny Smith apples. So Granny Smith apples it was going to be. 

The most time consuming part of assembling this Apple Cake is peeling, coring, and cutting the 1 3/4 pounds of apples into a 1/3" dice. Some of my pieces may have unintentionally and only slightly exceeded the 1/3" size. Fortunately, that didn't seem to be a deal breaker in this cake.

You should have everything you need for this cake in your refrigerator or pantry. Which means, if there was ever a cake you could bake on a whim, this would be it.

The sequence of making the batter is unlike that of most cake batters. It begins with beating the eggs to mix. Then beating in the oil, vanilla, granulated sugar and apple juice (or Calvados or applejack). Lastly, the sifted dry ingredients are mixed in at low speed until the batter is smooth (and it will be on the thick side). 

I thought my favorite Nordicware Heritage Pan fell within the recommended bundt pan size (13-14 cup capacity) for this cake. I learned after the fact it wasn't (it's capacity is 10 cups). Whether or not it was my lucky day or lucky pan, it worked. You need a large capacity pan to hold the batter, apple/nut/raisin, and spiced sugar mixture. Unless you place a baking pan under the bundt when it goes into the oven, the intoxicating aroma of the cake baking will be ruined with that of burnt cake drippings. Because I love the finished look any any cake baked in this pan I would use it again in the making of this cake.  Only next time I will put a pan lined with aluminum foil underneath to catch any overflow drippings.

Even if you use a non-stick bundt pan, you will still need to be prepared it using a vegetable spray (or butter) and dusting of flour (of fine bread crumbs). 

This Apple Cake is layered. After pouring in half of the batter into the pan, half of the apples/raisins/walnuts and half of the spiced sugar mixture are added. This sequence is repeated again before the cake is tightly covered with aluminum foil and placed onto the lower rack of a preheated 350 degree (F) oven. Once the Apple Cakes bakes for 25 minutes with the tight aluminum foil cover, it continues to bake for another 75 to 85 minutes without it. (Important note: You will cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil for the last 25-30 minutes of baking to ensure the top does not over brown.) The total baking time for this cake ranges from 1 hour and 40 minutes to 1 hour and 50 minutes). My baking time was closer to 1 hour and 50 minutes (but this may have been due in part to the size of my bundt pan).

After the baked cake is removed from the oven, it should be allowed to rest on a cooling rack for 20 minutes before it is unmolded. And then allowed to cool whether you are finishing it with a confectionary sugar glaze or dusting of confectionary sugar. I waited at least 30-40 minutes before glazing.

Maida Heatter was right. You will want to make this cake again and again. The exterior of the cake had a perfect crunch-like texture and the interior is not only moist, but evenly fruity and spicy. It is everything a great apple cake should be. If you love apple cakes, you will be mad for this one. 

After I posted a photo of this cake on one of my social media pages, a friend asked if the recipe called for the flowers. Laughing, I told her it didn't. But I just couldn't resist decorating this cake with some of the most beautiful blooms from the white flowering crab apple tree. In the event you don't have any edible or non-toxic flowers available to you when you make this cake, please know it is equally beautiful without them. And definitely, no less delicious. 

Happy May Day everyone! I hope you bring someone important to you flowers today! I also hope you make this Apple Cake. Because just as the baking goddess Maida Heatter said, 'once you have made it you will want to make it again and again'.

Recipe

Apple Cake (a very slight adaptation to the Apple Cake from the Catskills recipe in Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever cookbook)

Serves 10-12 

Ingredients

Spiced Sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)

2 teaspoons good quality vanilla 

1/3 cup apple juice (or Calvados, applejack or brandy)

Generous 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (divided)

Generous 1/2 cup raisins (divided)

1 3/4 pounds (about 5-6) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/3" chunks (divided)

Glaze

1 1/4 cups confectionary sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon good quality vanilla

2 to 3 Tablespoons whole milk (begin with 2 Tablespoons and add in 1 teaspoon increments if needed)

Pinch of sea salt

Directions

Spiced Sugar

1. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cinnamon.

2. Whisk until combined. Set aside until ready to use.

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Adjust a rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven. Spray a 13-14 cup capacity bundt pan and dust with flour or fine bread crumbs. Tap out excess. Set the pan aside.

2. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs to mix.

4. Add in oil, vanilla, apple juice and granulated sugar, beating until blended.

5. On low speed, add the dry ingredients. Beat only until smooth.

6. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.

7. Sprinkle with half of the chopped apples, walnuts and raisins. Press down lightly into the batter.

8. Sprinkle 3 1/2 tablespoons of the cinnamon sugar over top. Note: This is approximately half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

9. Repeat with remaining batter, apples, walnuts, raisins and cinnamon sugar.

10. Cover the top of pan with aluminum foil, folding down to make it airtight. Note: If batter comes to top of your bundt pan, dome the aluminum foil as the cake will rise.

11. Put bundt pan in oven. bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Note: Place a baking sheet under the bundt pan as the the batter may drip over sides of the pan.

12. Return cake to the oven and continue baking for 75 to 85 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cover pan loosely with foil during the last 30 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning. 

13. Remove from oven. Place bundt pan on cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes.

14. Top the pan with a wide cake platter or cake stand. Turn the pan and plate upside down. Remove the pan. Let cake cool completely before icing. Note: Wait at least 30 minutes or the icing may melt into the cake.

Glaze and Assembly

1. Whisk together confectionary sugar, vanilla, and milk until you have a thick but pourable consistency.

2. Pour icing over the cooled cake. Allow icing to set (approximately 15 minutes).

3. Serve immediately.

Notes: (1) The original recipe called for a dusting of confectionary sugar versus a confectionary sugar glaze. (2) Use a beautifully shaped bundt pan to give this cake an impressive presentation. The Nordicware Heritage Pan is one of my favorites. It is only a 10 cup capacity, however, it worked perfectly. (3) Mixing the glaze in a pourable glass measuring cup makes it easy to evenly ice the cake. (4) If you want your cake completely glazed, double the confectionary sugar glaze ingredients. (5) I very lightly pressed the apples/walnuts/raisins and spiced sugar into each batter layer as I was unsure if they will evenly sink into the batter during batter. The light pressing turned out to be a good idea.

Baked Feta - Mediterranean Style

If one ever needed a reason to (a) share a great bottle of wine with friends, (b) grow cherry tomatoes this summer, (c) nosh on appetizers so good you wouldn't care if dinner followed or not, or (d) any or all of the above, this Baked Feta - Mediterranean Style may be it. The concept behind this appetizer is so ingenious, so simple I don't know why it isn't one of those 'regulars' served at every cocktail party or gathering. Could it possibly have anything to do with lower than average membership in the feta cheese or kalamata olive fan clubs?  Anyone not already a proud card carrying member, of this club needs to make this Baked Feta - Mediterranean Style. One bite and all of your previously held (pre- and misconceived) notions about the taste of feta cheese and/or kalamata olives will be shattered. How can I possibly say this, considering not all tastes are the same? Well, it just so happened I asked the person who shall remain nameless  to tell me what he thought of this 'new' appetizer.  This would be same person who also happens to be the same person who is neither a big fan of feta cheese or olives of any kind. In an effort to avoid any bias before his first bite, I made certain not to tell him any of the ingredients (a cruel necessity). After his third or fourth crostini schmeared with the warm, softened feta cheese and topped with the baked tomato mixture, I was fairly certain he liked it. But of course, I needed the affirmation. Why? Because it's so much more gratifying hearing accolades or experiencing any other form of adoration, than it is assuming or mind reading someone's thoughts based on their actions. The rave reviews given did not disappoint.

The Baked Feta - Mediterranean Style literally is one of the easiest to prepare appetizers. If any of my friends who claim they don't cook made this for their family and/or friends, more than likely everyone would wonder why they had kept their Iron Chef persona under wraps for so long.

Beyond its' simplicity, the Baked Feta - Mediterranean Style doesn't require any unusual, hard to find, or overly expensive ingredients. Yes, this is the proverbial win-win appetizer.

Everything you need to make it may already be in your own garden or readily available at the grocery store. On a side note, the original recipe called for a quarter cup of thinly sliced red onions. I intentionally omitted them. Not because I don't like red onions (I do), but for some reason my palate was in the mood for an onion free Baked Feta - Mediterranean Style experience.

There were a variety of feta cheeses available in the deli section of my grocery store. While slightly more expensive (relatively speaking), use a good quality, fresh Greek Feta for this dish instead of any of the other feta options you find. Ask for an 8 to 10 ounce block of cheese. To ensure the feta stays fresh in my refrigerator I generally ask the person who cutting the cheese to pour some of the cheese brine into the container. When you are ready to put everything together, cut the block of feta in half crosswise, so each piece is no more than an inch thick.

If you can't find a pint of yellow, red, and orange cherry tomatoes, use whichever ones you can find or whatever tomato colors appeal to you. After that, all you to do is cut them in half lengthwise.

After starting to coarsely cut the kalamata olives with a knife, I thought the food processor would do it faster (and better). Feel free to cut them with a knife, but having the food processor do the work is worth having to wash up a few extra things when you are done.

In a medium sized bowl, the halved tomatoes, coarsely chopped olives, minced garlic, black pepper, oregano, olive oil and only one tablespoon of the chopped parsley are mixed together.

In an oven proof baking dish, one able to withstand a temperature of at least 400 degrees (F), the tomato mixture is spooned over the two slices of feta cheese.

In just 15 to 20 minutes, the cheese will have softened (but will not be runny or gooey) and the tomatoes will have blistered. If, by some chance, your cheese has not softened, continue baking, checking every 2 minutes. When the Baked Feta came out of the oven, I gave it an ever so light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Because, why not.

I served the Baked Feta with some homemade crostini instead of crackers or pita chips. The baked cheese is soft and spreadable (versus runny or gooey like a baked goat cheese). So whatever you use, it needs to have some substance to it. Not only did the crostini hold the baked feta and tomato mixture well, it was the perfect choice to mop up any of the remaining incredibly flavorful juices.

This is one of those substantial appetizers. Depending on how much wine you are serving and drinking while enjoying this Baked Feta - Mediterranean Style, you might consider serving it with some grilled shrimp and/or the Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip. Suddenly your appetizer can turn into the perfect small plate dinner. And who knows, you might end up adding a few more members to the feta and kalamata olive loving fan club.

Recipe
Baked Feta - Mediterranean Style (ever so minor changes to the Smitten Kitchen's Mediterranean Baked Feta with Tomatoes recipe)

Ingredients
1 pint of a colorful mixture cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced (if you love the flavor of garlic, use 2 cloves)
2 Tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped and divided
1 generous teaspoon dried Greek oregano
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
Freshly ground black pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon)
An 8 to 10 ounce block of fresh Greek feta
Optional: 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
Crostini, crackers, or pita chips for serving

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the tomatoes, olives, garlic, only 1 Tablespoon of parsley, oregano, olive oil and black pepper. Note: Mix in sliced red onion if using.
3. Cut the block of feta in half crosswise. Lay two halves on an oven proof baking dish. Spoon the tomato mixture over the top.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Note: Feta should feel soft to the touch.
5. Garnish with remaining tablespoon of parsley, lightly drizzle with olive oil, and serve immediately with crostini (or baked pita chips, or crackers).

Notes: (1) The originating recipe came from "The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook" written by Sara Forte. That recipe offered baked and grilled versions of the Baked Feta. If you don't buy the cookbook, you can find the grilling directions in the Smitten Kitchen link above. (2) Chopping the kalamata olives in the food processor worked perfectly and is much easier than chopping them with a knife. (3) If possible, buy your feta from the deli portion rather than in a pre-packaged container in the cheese section of your favorite grocery store. (4) The Baked Feta Mediterranean Style will cool quickly, so it's important to serve immediately. If becomes room temperature either return to the oven to warm or reheat in the microwave oven. (5) Toss any leftovers into some freshly cooked pasta for a mediterranean style pasta dish.

Barns in Door County, Wisconsin (April 2017)

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Artichokes came late into my life. How late? Well, I was well into adulthood. I would like to be able to tell you exactly where I first had them, how they were served, or how much I swooned over them. But honestly I can't remember. I vaguely recall wondering how it was that artichokes had never crossed my life path before. Or how I had managed to go through so many years of my life without them. Yet, once the artichoke door was opened, there was no going back to an artichoke-free life. Without being overly melodramatic over a vegetable of all things, it was kind of like the feeling one gets when meeting a 'causing your heart to race and stomach to have butterflies' soul mate. You immediately know you want them to be in your life forever.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dips have been around for a very long time. And understandably so. They are delicious, irresistible, slightly addictive, and pair incredibly well with wine. White wine, red wine, a rose, a prosecco. A Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip befriends all of them. 

But let's be honest about something. Not all Hot Spinach and Artichokes Dips are the same. You have probably had your share of those ranging from not particularly endearing to your palate to ones you wanted to hover over. So what may account for the differences? With the exception of all them having spinach and artichokes as common ingredients, there are numerous 'other ingredient' options. All of which will have an impact on the taste and texture of the dip. Some are made with only one kind of cheese, while others have two or more kinds of cheeses. Some have a cream cheese/mayonnaise base, while others are made with sour cream, a bechamel (white sauce) or even a jar of canned sauce. The herbs used are fresh, dried, or a combination of both.  The garlic, if used, maybe be freshly grated or a powder. And sauteed onions are one of the many options added to them. Additionally the proportions of ingredients are all over the map. Which invariably leads to the variances in taste reactions. 

When looking at dozens of recipes for a Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip, I came to discover there wasn't 'one' that spoke to me. So I did what I often do. Make some inferences about ingredient proportions, put together combinations that appeal to me, and cross my fingers the outcome will be as good as or even better than I had hoped. This would be my version of culinary science.

While I may be a bit biased, I am going to boldly suggest you abandon your favorite Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe and replace it with this one. Or at least make your version and this version, invite your friends over for a taste test and determine which one is 'best'. Of course, you should do this before they consume significant quantities of wine and after you give them your written statement verifying their 'best' choice decision will not in any way do any temporary or permanent harm to your friendship. 

If you are like me, you always have some frozen spinach in the freezer, cans of artichoke hearts, garlic, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and some Parmigiano-Reggiano in the house. Whole milk mozzarella and Spanish Onions are things I buy when I need them.  When a recipe calls a non-specified type of oregano, I usually decide whether to use the Mediterranean (Greek, Italian) or Mexican versions. Because Mexican Oregano has some citrus notes to it, I thought it would pair well with the artichokes and spinach.

Some of the Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip recipes I looked at called for the use of frozen artichoke hearts. But I tend to buy canned artichoke hearts. Use what you like. 

I wanted this Hot Artichoke Dip to have a strong cheesy flavor. So I opted for freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Whole Milk (versus Part-Skim or Fresh) mozzarella. I know Parmigiano-Reggiano can be a little more expensive than other imported or domestic parmesan cheeses, but it lasts for quite a long time (wrapped well) in the refrigerator and brings an unparalleled dimension of flavor to any dish it is used in.

After all of the ingredients are combined, transfer to a oven-proof baking/serving dish and top with some additional grated cheese. I topped with both of the cheeses, but next time might only top with the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. 

The Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip bakes in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the dip is hot in the center. Your oven as well as the size/depth of the baking dish may affect your baking time.

You can serve the Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip with crackers, crostini, pita chips, or bagel chips. Note: I served with Garlic-Parmesan bagel chips. 

Invariably this dip will turn from hot to warm to even room temperature when you are serving it. Unless of course it is quickly inhaled because it is the only thing you are serving and everyone is starving. While some may like it 'best' hot or warm, I think was still delicious when it got to room temperature. In the event you have any leftovers, this dip reheats exceptionally well in the microwave a medium power. 

This Hot Spinach and Artichoke is destined to be one of your new best friend in the weeks, months and years ahead. It's creamy, cheesy, more than slightly addictive, and incredibly delicious. In other words, its everything a Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip should be.

Recipe

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip  (inspired by multiple sources)

Ingredients
1 small yellow, Spanish onion, or other sweet onion chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
10 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove the liquid
14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 to 3/4 cups mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano (or 1 teaspoon of Italian oregano)
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
4 ounces whole milk mozzarella, coarsely grated

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
2. Melt butter in small sauté pan. Add chopped onion and cook until onion has become translucent (approximately 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a medium-large bowl, mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Stir until mixture is smooth and free of any cream cheese lumps.
4. Add spinach, artichoke hearts, grated cheeses and onion. Stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
5. Transfer to a oven-proof container. Lightly grate some Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes or until top is lightly golden and dip is hot in the center.
7. Serve hot/warm with bagel chips, pita chips, crackers, and/or crostini.

Notes: (1) This dip can be made early in the day or even the day before. Do not preheat the oven if transferring the dish directly from the refrigerator to the oven. Your baking time might increase slightly, but you won't risk cracking your dish. (2) When buying mozzarella, look for whole milk mozzarella as it does not release as much liquid as a part-skim or fresh mozzarella. (3) If you double the recipe, make it two different dishes (versus one larger dish) and bake them separately. This way you will always have a hot/very warm dip to serve.

April Spring Day (2017) at Morton Arboretum (Lisle, Illinois)