bacon-wrapped figs stuffed with goat cheese

When my friend Lindsey was staying with us a few weeks ago she took inspiration from my fig tree and decided she was going to make something delicious with them.

The combination of sweet fruit, potent cheese and salty bacon (or some other similarly cured meat) is one that we are seeing a lot these days, dates filled with blue cheese and wrapped in proscuitto, cantelope with proscuitto and feta, or this perfect little purse of flavor - figs, stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon.

This combo is perfect for someone like me who just doesn't love overly sweet things. Even fresh figs on their own are often too much for me, so adding goat cheese and bacon (two of my very favorite things) into the mix adds both acidity and saltiness to round out that sweet.

Beyond the intensely amazing flavor that this trio puts out is the sheer ease of assembly and the delightfully short prep and cooking time. These sweet treats can be ready in minutes and have the class and glamor of a five star event. I think you might be seeing a lot of recipes focusing on ease in the next few months as I focus on growing a little something else (= bun in the oven).

Before the last glimpses of summer are gone - get yourself some fresh figs and a nice, crisp white wine and assemble these little beauties.

RECIPE
bacon-wrapped figs stuffed with goat cheese
 makes 10

5 fresh figs
5 slices bacon, cut in half
3 1/2 Tbsp goat cheese
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt

- cut the figs in half lengthwise
- divide the goat cheese into 10 equal portions, gently push a portion into the centers of the figs
- wrap the bacon firmly around the fig and cheese
- lay foil on a baking pan, place each fig half on the pan
- broil for about 5-7 minutes (until bacon begins to crisp)
- remove from oven, sprinkle balsamic evenly over figs
- enjoy!

lemon poppyseed cake

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh is the date really the 22nd of September already?!?! What happened to August?! I'll tell you what happened, my really, really cute nephew Evan was born (at the end of July) and I just had to rush up to Seattle to see him. Now, there was cooking, there was eating, there was even Sugar & Salt's outrageously good bacon caramels, but there were no blog posts. It just wasn't meant to be.

So now, after a hiatus that was altogether too long, I'm back. Thanks to all of you who sent concerned emails regarding my health and safety, I am still of this earth and still cooking, I was just too dang busy being in love with the most wee, most perfect little man on earth.

So, to the real meat (cake!) of this post - my very own lemon poppyseed cake. When I set out to make this cake originally, I had a very difficult time finding a recipe for it, here I thought this was a common flavor combo, but alas, I pretty much had to greatly redefine an orange poppyseed cake of a completely different style.

However, this cake turned out near perfection. It is so good, especially with the tangy cream cheese frosting that goes on it, that I think it only lasted the day in this household. The lemon gives this cake a sublime freshness and I just love the way poppyseeds go crunch.

 lemon cake going...

This cake is perfect for a garden party, a birthday cake or a Sunday baking project that you plan on keeping all to yourself.

 lemon cake gone...

lemon poppyseed cake

serves 12

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 c poppyseeds (a little more if you like lots o' seeds like me)
1 1/4 c butter, softened
1 3/4 c sugar
1 Tbsp lemon zest
6 lg eggs, separated
1 c plain yogurt (though vanilla would probably be good too)
3 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
 
- preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- sift together the first five ingredients
- cream butter with one cup of sugar and the lemon zest in a large bowl until fluffy
- in a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sour cream and vanilla
- beat the flour mixture and the yolk mixture into the butter alternating between the two
-With a clean bowl and clean beaters, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until just starting to get foamy, then add the cream of tartar and beat until foamy
- while continuing to beat the mixture, add the remaining cup of sugar until it hold stiff peaks.
- stir about a third of the egg white mixture into the batter to lighted it, the fold in the remaining egg whites gently, but make sure they're all the way incorporated.
-pour the batter into three buttered nine-inch cake pans
- bake 40-45 minutes, until knife comes out of the center clean.

Frost with my whipped cream cheese frosting recipe

red (pink) velvet cake

My friend Heather turned 30+1 last Saturday and she threw herself a rockin' party. There were beers and bbq and beer cricket and a bonny time was had by all. It was not a potluck per se, but rather a skewer bar. Each guest brought an ingredient or two that would grill well when placed on a wooden stick, and it was a huge success.

My task, beyond marinating chicken and zucchini as my skewer contributions was to make the cake. When I asked Heather what her favorite cake flavor was, she proved, once again that she is a woman after my own heart. Red Velvet.

What is it exactly about this brightly-hued cake that makes people (myself included) go gaga?!?! Is it the not-so-natural redness? Is it the not-quite-vanilla, not-quite-chocolate nature of this marvel? Or is it the luscious and very requisite cream cheese frosting that is lathered atop it?

I would have to guess that it's actually these three facets combined into a perfect storm that makes this cake well, dang near perfect.

It turns out that for a time, this type of cake was not so popular. In the 70's people started getting leery of the red dye and stopped eating anything that contained it (including red M&Ms which were taken out of circulation until 1987). But luckily, the scare passed and we are able to enjoy our raunchy red foodstuffs without fear.

Now, my complaint with many a Red Velvet cake is that they don't quite have enough cocoa in them. Now I know, I know that they're only supposed to have a smidge and really only for color, but can one more tablespoon really hurt? I don't think so. I like the extra earthiness that added cocoa gives, so go for it I say. I also think that buttermilk is key in this cake, it just gives it that extra tang.

All in all my cake turned out beautifully, except for one thing...a Red Velvet cake requires a lot of red food coloring. And when I say a lot I mean about two bottles worth...something I did not plan ahead for and found myself with a decidedly pink cake. It turns out that people like pink cakes almost as much as they like red cakes, and some people even preferred knowing that there isn't quite as much red dye no. 5 in their dessert.

RECIPE
pink velvet cake with cream cheese frosting
serves 10-14

3 Tbsp cocoa powder (not dutch processed)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 lg. eggs @ room temp
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp red food coloring (2-3 Tbsp for RED cake)
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar

- set oven to 350 degrees and place oven rack in the middle
- grease two 9-inch pans and dust with cocoa powder
- whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl
- in another medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, vinegar, food coloring, cocoa and vanilla
- In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) beat the butter and sugar on high until fluffy (3-6 min)
- reduce speed and mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture.
- repeat until both are gone
- making sure the batter is thoroughly combined, scrape the batter into both of your pans, leveling them slightly
- Bake the cakes 20-25 minutes, until a knife or toothpick comes out clean
- let the cakes cool slightly and then turn them out onto drying racks.
- cool completely before frosting.

cream cheese frosting
2 8-oz packages of cream cheese
10 Tbsp butter - completely softened (or you'll get little chunks of butter in your frosting)
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups confectioners sugar

-beat the cream cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla together until light and fluffy
- increase beater speed and mix in sugar, beat about 5 or 6 minutes
- frost your cake

Thanksgiving mash AND a Sunday Supper - Two-for-one Special!

 Today I'm giving a two-for-one special - a double whammy so to speak. I wanted to share my favorite new mashed "potato" recipe since some sort of mashed is a must have on Thanksgiving, and also get back in the swing of doing the Sunday Supper posts. So, I created a menu around the mashers than is easy, relatively quick and perfect for the Sunday Table.

 Mashing on the Light Side: These mashed potatoes are great because they're smooth and creamy like any cream and butter-filled version would be, but they are mush less heavy and starchy due to the addition of cauliflower. Cauliflower is in season throughout the winter, so great for mashing under the hearty stews and heavy meals we crave in colder weather. I don't love doing the cauliflower on its own because the water content is a little high and so it's kind of baby-foody, but mixed in a 1 to 1 ratio with potatoes it's perfect.

Bacon pieces on top make for an elegant presentation

I also add some garlic, thyme, bacon and goat cheese. These four wonderous ingredients round out the dish to make an awesome mash that can stand alone or accompany a more subtle main dish.

To go with my mashers I made some Toad in the Hole which is a relic of my childhood and so much yummier than it sounds. My mother, being Scottish and this being a British staple, would make this often on Sundays, much to our delight. It's essentially sausages cooked in a Yorkshire Pudding (Americans call this popover dough) crust.

Toad in the Hole!

For the veggie accompaniment we had an arugula and roasted squash salad, recipe thanks to Lindsey - which perfectly incorporated seasonal arugula and butternut squash into a salad that could easily stand on its own.

Any of these recipes could have been the highlight of the meal, but together they make a great feast that makes you forget that tomorrow is Monday and you'll have to go back to work!

Sunday Supper #2

RECIPES

Alelia's Creamy Bacon Mashers
serves 4-6


4 large Russet potatoes, in one inch pieces
1 small or 1/2 of a large head of cauliflower, roughly cut into large pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 strips bacon
1/2 - 3/4 cup goat cheese
1 Tbsp thyme
1 cup milk (any percent)
salt & pepper

- Combine the potatoes and cauliflower in a pot of water and boil until tender (about 10 - 15min)
- Meanwhile, cut the bacon into half inch pieces and fry in a pan until crispy, set aside.
- Drain potatoes and cauliflower, return to pot.
- Using a wand blender or beaters, blend the potatoes and cauliflower while adding the milk. When pretty much smooth, add the goat cheese and thyme and continue blending.
- Stir in the bacon bits, leaving some for garnishing on top if you desire.
- Salt & pepper to taste.

Toad in the Hole
serves 4 (with some leftovers for Monday!)


1 stick of butter

6 Good quality sausages (I like Italian, but any flavor will do)
1 cup of flour
1 1/4 cup of milk
3 large eggs
pinch of salt

springs of fresh rosemary, thyme or sage

- Heat oven to 475 degrees
- Mix together flour, milk, eggs and salt. Make sure to remove as many lumps as possible. Set aside.
- Place butter in a large, oven proof dish, let heat until fully melted and beginning to turn brown (don't let get too brown!!!)
- Add sausages carefully to the butter, they will sizzle and spit, so be careful. After a few seconds, turn the sausages to brown the other side. Return to the oven until light golden color - about 5-7 minutes.
- Carefully pour the batter atop the sausage and return to oven. DON'T open the oven for at least 20 minutes (Yorkshire Puddings can be finicky)!
- When the dough has risen around the sausages and is a deep golden color, it's ready.
-  Let rest 5 minutes before serving as it will be very hot.

Arugula, Squash and Goat Cheese Salad
serves 4-6


1 small butternut squash
l - 2 large bunches of arugula
2 oz of goat cheese
1 cup candied pecans
1 shallot
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste

- Set oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half and deseed. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with oil. Roast for about 35 minutes, or until very tender.
- In a small saucepan, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and saute the shallots until translucent. Add the cider, vinegar and sugar and cook down to about half the original volume. Add salt & pepper to taste.
- In a large salad bowl, add the arugula, chunks of squash, crumbled goat cheese, and pecans.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly.

ENJOY!

Stuffing and Sauce - It Ain't Thanksgiving Without 'Em

The Thanksgiving joy continues this week as I keep going down my list of T-day staples. Tonight I made two of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes, in preparation for a potluck at work. I have made both of these items the same way for years and even though I always think about changing it up and trying something new, I keep coming back to the same old staples. I mean, why change something that works, right?

The stuffing is essentially a combination of all of my favorite fall flavors. Apples, sausage, sage, fresh baked bread, orange juice, walnut and of course, because I'm from Quebec, maple syrup. It's a very simple stuffing to make and a lot of the ingredients can be interchanged for other items you might have in your pantry, in case you're like me and you dread going to the store. For example, tonight I was out of walnuts, so I substitutes some hazelnuts I had on hand.

The fall harvest makes an awesome stuffing...

The cranberry sauce is another old standby. I love all things tart, so naturally cranberry sauce is up there on my list of favorites. I like to liven it up however with some raspberries and a little bit of orange flavor. The best part about adding the raspberries too is that I make a HUGE batch and can all of the excess sauce and it makes diving jam, especially on some good toasted bread with cream cheese. So, the recipe below can be doubled or tripled (really how ever many times you want to multiply it is fine) and just can the rest to keep all year long.

A large batch of this super-berry sauce makes great jam for later!

On that note, a quick word about canning. Canning is a super easy way to preserve things for long periods of time, especially if the item is acidic. All it takes is a few canning jars with new seals (replacement seals can be bought for jars you're reusing), a large pot and some patience.

Put the pot of water on to boil, place the empty jars in the water for 5 minutes at a high boil to sterilize. Remove the jars and fill them with whatever you're preserving, leaving half an inch of space at the top. Place the seal on the jar and loosely screw on the ring, until it just catches.

Put the jar back in the boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the jar and let cool - it's the cooling that will cause the lid to suck down and make a "plop!" sound, this is when you know you've successfully canned. At this point tighten the ring down tight and store.

This jam makes a great Christmas gift too

IMPORTANT! This method only works with acidic items, it won't work with things like non-acidic soups or stews because they require pressure canning.

Alright, on to the recipes...

RECIPES

Sausage, Apple and Sage Stuffing

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large or 2 med. onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp sage, minced

1 tsp thyme

6 large Italian sausages, uncased

4 apples, any kind, diced

3/4 - 1 loaf crusty bread, cubed

1cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup orange juice                     

1/2 cup maple syrup                                                             

3 cups chicken broth

salt & pepper to taste

Set oven to 375 degrees, and place the oven rack in the middle.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and herbs.

Break apart the uncased sausage and add to the pan, cook until browned.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients together and stir thoroughly.

Butter a large (13x9in) baking dish and pour the stuffing contents in.

Bake for about 45 min - 1 hour.

Can be made ahead, but reheat to serve.

(See, I told you it was easy!)

A Very Berry Cranberry Sauce (it doesn't get much easier than this folks)

2x 12oz bags of fresh cranberries

1x 12 oz bag frozen raspberries

2 cup orange juice (can substitute water, but it's not as rich)

2 cups sugar

1 Tbsp orange zest

Put everything in a pot together and boil down at medium heat until most of the cranberries have popped and all of the sugar is diluted.

Let the sauce cook down slightly, but it will thicken as it cools.

Add more sugar to taste if you like your sauce very sweet.

Thanksgiving countdown - A Gobble Gobble Waldorf Salad

Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite meal of the year. Every year, around Halloween, I start to get really excited about that third Thursday in November when I will get to immerse myself completely into cooking for a whole day, if not two or three!

I start brainstorming far ahead about what I'm going to make this year, because though I have some favorites that I make absolutely every year, I always like to challenge myself a bit with something new and am forever in search of the perfect Thanksgiving meal.

This year's salad: Thanksgiving Waldorf

This year, since it's the first year of the blog, I am going to spend the next few weeks going over my favorite recipes and, if you're looking for something new to try on your Turkey (or Tofurky) table, hopefully you'll try some of these and tell me what you think.

This week I'm going to start with salad. Green salad is always easy to throw together, but I find them a bit bland and usually a last choice for the coveted slots on my plate. However, I do like having an uncooked veggie dish to introduce a little freshness to the meal. So, I opt for a Waldorf Salad, with a Thanksgiving twist.

Waldorf salads get their name from the famed Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City and traditionally consist of apples, celery, raisins and walnuts.

I like to replace the raisins with dried cranberries (dried cherries work very nicely too) and add shredded lettuce to beef up the salad a bit. I also like to use rosemary-scented walnuts (see recipe below), but you can also add the rosemary, very finely chopped to the dressing instead, which makes it quite a bit quicker. However, the flavored walnuts are super easy to make and make a great snack for later.

The dressing is mayonnaise-based, which might freak out some mayo haters, but it really results in a creamy, tangy dressing that isn't too far off from a light ranch dressing.

The Waldorf's tangy, creamy dressing - So easy to make!

Not only is this salad extremely easy to make, but it tastes fantastic. This Waldorf salad will surely be one of the many dishes that will grace my Thanksgiving table this year.

RECIPE

Thanksgiving Waldorf Salad

4 cups Romaine Lettuce, finely shredded
4 Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped (or you can shred if you prefer the slaw style)
6 Celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 cup rosemary-scented walnuts, coarsely chopped (can use plain walnuts, toasted)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp heavy cream (can use half & half)
2 Tbsp lemon juice (I like it tangy, so I use 3 Tbsp)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp rosemary (if not using the rosemary walnuts)

In a medium bowl, combine the first five ingredients.
In a small bowl, blend together the mayonnaise, cream, lemon juice, sugar and salt and pepper.
Pour the dressing on the salad and toss thoroughly.
Refrigerate until serving.

Rosemary-Scented Walnuts
4 cups walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 fresh rosemary, finely chopped
4 tsp salt (kosher is good because it's larger grain)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and place the rack to the middle setting.
Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss together until the nuts are well-coated.
Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet, trying to get just a single layer of nuts.
Bake until the nuts are brown and begin to be fragrant, about 20-25 minutes, stirring occaisonally.
Let cool and serve.

*These nuts are great in so many things including breads, on cheese boards, in salads or just to snack on.

Enjoy!

The Great Wedding Cake Experiment - The Final Hour

After three trial runs and several changes made it was time to pack up my 4 jars of Trader Joe's Cherry Preserves and large baking pans and hit the road...or the air and fly to the East Coast.

I can only imagine what the the TSA officials thought when they scanned my bag but I'm imagining it went something a little like this: "She's either a terrorist or has some REALLY strange fetishes." Nonetheless, we made it to the cabin in Lake Chateauguay (what, you've never heard of it?!?! I would have thought for sure you would know one of the 50 people who live there!). The only casualty was one of the jars of preserves had unleashed its wrath in my suitcase.

Luckily, nearby town of Plattburg has a Sam's Club (very similar to a Costco) and I was able to purchase many of the necessities in bulk. Given that I was going to be making 8 batches of cake batter and about 10 pounds of cream cheese frosting - almost everything needed to be bought in these quantities.

The bride had graceously set aside a specific cabin for baking purposes and I set up shop the day before the wedding to get all of the cake layers done. She also shleped up her aunt's kitchenaid mixer (THANK YOU!) so I didn't have to hand mix everything, let me tell you now that this was a blessing.

Because I only had one cake pan for each layer size, this was going to be a slow process. I started out with the 15" layers, which take up a whole oven anyway. When the first layer came out it was plainly evident that the house was not level and, hence, neither was the oven. Each layer came out slightly thicker on one side. Luckily, because there were three layers, I was confident that we could arrange them to be level.

7 hours and 6 layers baked later the bottom fell out. I had been doubling the batter recipe for efficiency and took stock of my ingredients as I was about to begin the 9" layer. I asked myself "hmmm why do I have so much butter leftover?" and then I realize, I hadn't doubled the butter. OH MY GOD!!!!!!

Luckily, one of the 12" layers was a little taller than the rest, so I shaved off a bit and tasted it. It was surprisingly fluffy and not too dry. It seemed that using less butter actually solved the desity problem that made the cake resemble pound cake. yay!

The cake was a tad bit dry for my liking so the next morning I pricked each layer full of holes and made a butter and cherry syrup to brush over each layer, this seemed to moisten it nicely.

Next came the frosting. If you've ever been to Costco, you may be familiar with the 3 pound bricks of cream cheese they sell there. Well, I used three of these in the frosting! I love the addition of a touch of almond extract to this, it complimented the tanginess of the cream cheese nicely.















Putting the layers together...


Putting the layers together was another challenge. After spreading the marzipan and cherry preserves on top of each layer, it was time to stack. We stacked the 15" layers and then frosted it thoroughly. Next came the 12" layer and we tried to get it as centered as possible, then it got frosted. By the time we came to the 9" layer, the gravitational forces of the house were at work again - not only was the oven slanted, but so was the table: the 15" layer began collapsing on the slanted side due to the weight of the other layers. AAAAHHHH!

Luckily we were able to right it and all was well and we also had 4 custom cut dowels waiting to secure the layers together once they were all in place. The funny thing about the dowels that I definitely had not thought about beforehand was that the bottom layers were so weighed down by the layers they were supporting that little dowel nubbins stuck out. No problem though! I happened to have a mess of fresh cherries for just such an occasion that we made a nice little pile of right on top of the peaking dowel heads.

Next we dropped rose petals over the whole thing and used locally picked ferns (picked by thomas) to decorate the bottom. It turned out lovely and the petals even matched the reception napkins!

Thankfully, my friends kicked me off the cake transporatation committee, alleviating me of the stress that would involve. It took 4 people to move it (it was heavy!), but one it sat on the table...it actually looked like a wedding cake and tasted even better!

The finished product!

RECIPE

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar plus more if needed
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

In a standing mixer* with the paddle attachment on, beat together all of the ingredients until thoroughly mixed and of a whipped consistency. If frosting is too soft, add more powdered sugar.

*If you don't have a standing mixer, you can use a hand mixer

Mission accomplished - what's the next challenge?!?!