French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze

From Dorie Greenspan.

Makes 8 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup ground almonds (or, if you’d prefer, omit the almonds and use another 1/2 cup all-purpose flour)

2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt

3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup flavorless oil, such as canola or safflower

1/2 cup lemon marmalade, strained, for glazing the top

1 teaspoon water, for glazing the top 

Getting ready:  Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Generously butter an 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch loaf pan, place the pan on a lined baking sheet (page 000) and set aside.  Whisk together the flour, ground almonds, if you’re using them, baking powder and salt and keep near by as well.

Put the sugar and zest in a medium bowl and, working with your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and aromatic.  Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla to the bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture is very well blended.  Still whisking, stir in the dry ingredients, then switch to a large rubber spatula and fold in the oil.  You’ll have a thick, smooth batter with a slight sheen.  Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes for the round cake or 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan; it will be golden brown and a knife inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean.  Transfer the pan to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan.  Unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up.  

To make the glaze:  Put the marmalade in a small pot or a microwave-safe bowl, stir in the teaspoon of water and heat (on the range or in the microwave oven) until the jelly is hot and liquefied.  Using a pastry brush, gently brush the cake with the glaze.  

Serving:  In France, this cake is usually served with a little sweetened crème fraiche, but it lends itself to other toppings as well.  Fresh soft fruit, like sliced peaches or plums, is a natural with this as is berries with a touch of sugar.  And, because the cake is plain and just a little tangy from the yogurt, it pairs happily with lemon cream, curd or mousse and is delicious with chocolate mousse or chocolate sauce.

Storing:  Wrapped well, you can keep the cake at room temperature for at least 4 days and, like many pound cakes, it will be better one day later than it was the day it was made.  If you do not glaze the cake, you can wrap it airtight and freeze it for up to 2 months; glazed it’s best not to freeze the cake.

Yield 8 servings

Time About 1 hour and 20 minutes

Method

• Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch loaf pan, place the pan on a lined baking sheet and set aside. Whisk together the flour, ground almonds, if you’re using them, baking powder and salt and keep near by as well.
• Put the sugar and zest in a medium bowl and, working with your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla to the bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture is very well blended. Still whisking, stir in the dry ingredients, then switch to a large rubber spatula and fold in the oil. You’ll have a thick, smooth batter with a slight sheen. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
• Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes for the round cake or 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan; it will be golden brown and a knife inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up.
• To make the glaze: Put the marmalade in a small pot or a microwave-safe bowl, stir in the teaspoon of water and heat (on the range or in the microwave oven) until the jelly is hot and liquefied. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the cake with the glaze.
• Serving: In France, this cake is usually served with a little sweetened crème fraiche, but it lends itself to other toppings as well. Fresh soft fruit, like sliced peaches or plums, is a natural with this as is berries with a touch of sugar. And, because the cake is plain and just a little tangy from the yogurt, it pairs happily with lemon cream, curd or mousse and is delicious with chocolate mousse or chocolate sauce.
• Storing: Wrapped well, you can keep the cake at room temperature for at least 4 days and, like many pound cakes, it will be better one day later than it was the day it was made. If you do not glaze the cake, you can wrap it airtight and freeze it for up to 2 months; glazed it’s best not to freeze the cake.

Variations

• Round and Layered French Yogurt Cake: For a cake that’s just a little dressy — a cake like the ones my French friends make for their children’s birthdays — make the cake in a buttered 9-x-2-inch round cake pan, baking the cake for 35 to 40 minutes. When the cake is cool, use a serrated knife to cut the cake horizontally into two layers. You can fill and frost the cake with whatever strikes your fancy, but I think it is lovely filled with lemon cream or spread with jam or curd and frosted with sweetened whipped cream. Just as lovely and perfect for a summer’s day, is to turn the cake into a strawberry shortcake. Spread the cut layer with strawberry jam, fill it with sweetened whipped cream and top the inside layer with cut berries. Finish the cake with clouds of whipped cream and a circle of big, beautiful whole berries.
• Riviera Yogurt Cake: Replace the plain whole-milk yogurt with the same quantity of thick strained yogurt. (I use Total Greek Yogurt with 2 percent fat for this recipe.) Similarly, substitute olive oil, the butter of the Mediterranean, for the vegetable oil. And, to complete the Riviera flavors, add 1/2 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh mint to the bowl when you are rubbing the sugar and zest together.

Source: Adapted from "Baking From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton-Mifflin, 2006)

Christina Tosi’s Crockpot Cake

From New York Times.

Christina Tosi, the pastry chef and an owner of Momofuku Milk Bar, sits near the beating heart of David Chang’s eclectic and innovative Momofuku restaurant empire. Off the clock, though, her cooking runs to inspired simplicity, as in this simple, tangy, slightly-caramelized at the edges slow-cooker cake, a version of which appears in her forthcoming cookbook from Clarkson Potter, “Milk Bar Life.” Slow-cooker recipes invariably tell you to make something at night and enjoy them in the morning, or to make them in the morning and eat them after work. That only works if you don’t sleep much, or have a part-time job. This is a recipe for a weekend afternoon, or for cooking from the moment you get home until the very near end of a dinner party. It is a four-to-six hour affair.

1/2 pound/226 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
1 1/4 cups/250 grams granulated sugar
1/4 cup/45 grams packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup/180 milliliters buttermilk
1/3 cup/80 milliliters neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
1 1/2 cups/180 grams cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Put all but 1 tablespoon of the butter and the sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and cream with the paddle attachment at medium-high speed, until the mixture is smooth and pale, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the eggs and vanilla, then continue to mix for another 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add the buttermilk and oil and mix briefly to combine.

2. Set the mixer to a very low speed and add the cake flour, baking powder and salt, mixing for a minute or so and scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice, until the batter has just come together, with no lumps.

3. Use the remaining tablespoon of butter to grease the interior of a slow cooker, then pour the batter into the pot. Cover and cook on low for somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 to 6 hours, until the cake has set and is cooked through at the center. To serve, run a knife around the edge of the slow cooker to loosen the cake and then carefully invert onto a platter, or simply spoon the cake out of the slow cooker.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Adapted from “Milk Bar Life” (Clarkson Potter, April 2015)

Vaguely Vietnamese Slow Cooker Pork Tacos

From the New York Times.

This recipe uses a mixture of hoisin and fish sauces as braising liquid, and is a riff on an old Corinne Trang recipe for wok-fried rib tips. It results in a vaguely Vietnamese tangle of pulled pork that is best accompanied by a bright and crunchy slaw, and served on warm flour tortillas that recall the soft pliancy of Chinese bao. Cooking time will vary depending on the slow cooker you’re using, but generally the meat begins to fall apart nicely in the neighborhood of 5 to 7 hours.

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 medium-size yellow onion, peeled and diced

8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup fish sauce

1 tablespoon sriracha sauce

1/2 bone-in pork shoulder, skin and fat removed, approximately 5 pounds

12 to 16 flour tortillas, warmed

1/3 cup rice vinegar

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons neutral oil, like peanut or grapeseed

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, or to taste

1 small green cabbage, cored and sliced thinly

2 medium-size cucumbers, peeled and sliced into julienne

2 medium-size carrots, peeled and sliced into julienne

1 Asian pear, peeled, cored and sliced into julienne

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed, dried and roughly chopped

1. Place a sauté pan over medium-high heat. After a minute or so, swirl in the sesame oil and then the onions, stirring to combine. Sauté for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft and becoming translucent. Turn off the heat, stir in the ginger and set aside.

2. Add the hoisin sauce and the fish sauce to the pan, and stir to combine, loosening the mixture with a little less than half a cup of water. Add sriracha sauce to taste.

3. Put a few spoonfuls of the sauce in the bottom of a slow cooker, then nestle the pork on top of it. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the pork. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours, or until the pork shreds easily with a fork. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and allow to rest for a few minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the slaw. Put the vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, neutral oil and sriracha sauce in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cabbage, cucumbers, carrots and Asian pear and toss to combine.

5. Shred the pork with a pair of forks. Discard bones. Return the pulled pork to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the juices. Serve with the slaw and warmed tortillas, with the cilantro on the side.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Easy Chickpea Meal

Adapted from Kitchn. 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 cups (or 2 15-ounce cans) cooked and drained chickpeas 

In a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, cumin, salt, and paprika. Add the chickpeas and stir to combine. The longer the chickpeas marinate, the better they taste, so if you have time, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to a couple of days.

Marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic, and spices like cumin and paprika, the chickpeas are zesty, smoky, and moreish. To turn them into a sandwich, they are spooned into halves of pita bread (try making your own!) alongside fresh greens, crisp raw onions, and any other vegetables you want to add – tomatoes when they're sweet, crunchy cucumbers, whatever you have in season. I especially like adding ribbons of red-stemmed chard, which add lovely color and texture. Spinach and lettuce are fine alternatives.

Arroz Caldo con Pollo (Chicken Rice Soup with Ginger)

A favorite one-pot meal, this “comfort food” is especially good during the rainy season. 

4 tablespoons oil 
4 tablespoons minced garlic
 1 large onion, diced 
2 in (5 cm) fresh ginger, cut into thin slices 
3/4 cup (150 g) uncooked rice, washed and drained 
7 cups (13/4 liters) water 
1 lb (500 g) boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces 
11/2 teaspoons fish sauce (patis) or 1 teaspoon salt with a dash of soy sauce 
Freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste 
Spring onion, thinly sliced, to garnish 
Pinch of saffron, to garnish 
Kalamansi limes or regular limes, halved, to serve


1 Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a pot and stir-fry half of the garlic until golden brown. Add the onion and ginger and stir-fry until the onion is translucent. 
2 Add the rice and stir-fry for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add the water and cover the pot. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Then reduce the heat, add the chicken and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the rice and chicken are cooked. 
3 While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining oil in a skillet and stir-fry the rest of the garlic until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and set aside. 
4 When the rice and chicken are cooked, add the fish sauce or salt, stir and continue to simmer over low heat for another 2 minutes. Serve in individual soup bowls seasoned with black or white pepper. Garnish with the spring onion, fried garlic and saffron, and serve with lime halves on the side. 

Pinoy Sauce

Sweet and Sour Sauce Agre Dulce 1 cup (250 ml) water 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup 3 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco) (optional) 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 teaspoons water 1 Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Serve in small bowls with snacks or appetizers like eggrolls. Keeps in the refrigerator for a week. Makes 1 cup (250 ml) Preparation time: 5 mins Cooking time: 5 mins

Liver Sauce Lechon Sauce 4 oz (125 g) chicken livers or chicken liver pate 2 tablespoons Filipino vinegar (suka) or apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup breadcrumbs 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 small onion, diced 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/2 cup (125 ml) water 1 If using chicken livers, broil the livers until half done, about 3–4 minutes. Then extract the juices and soft meat by pressing them through a sieve or strainer into a bowl. Discard the tough, stringy bits that do not pass through the sieve. 2 Combine the strained liver meat and juice (or liver pate) with the other ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Serve in small bowls with Crispy Roast Pork (page 83). Keeps in the refrigerator for a week. Makes 1 cup (250 ml) Preparation time: 10 mins Cooking time: 35 mins

Eggplant Sauce Sarsang Talong 14 oz (400 g) slender Asian eggplants (about 2 eggplants) 2 tablespoons Filipino vinegar (suka) or apple cider vinegar 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 Grill the eggplants whole with the skins intact, turning them several times so that the skins are charred and the flesh is tender, about 15 minutes. Halve the eggplants and scoop out the flesh. Mash the flesh with a fork until smooth. 2 Mix the eggplant flesh with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Serve in small bowls as a side dish. Keeps in the refrigerator for a week. Makes 11/ 2 cups (375 ml) Preparation time: 5 mins Cooking time: 15 mins

Green Papaya Pickles Achara This Indian-influenced relish is a favorite in the Philippines. Served as a side dish to accompany fried and broiled fish or meat. 1/2 unripe papaya (about 10 oz/300 g) 1/2 cup (125 ml) Filipino vinegar (suka) or apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar 11/2 teaspoons salt 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1/2 small carrot, cut into matchsticks 1/2 small green or red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks 1 in (21/2 cm) ginger, thinly sliced 1 small onion, finely diced 2 tablespoons raisins 1 Peel and grate the papaya into thin strips. Place the strips in a muslin cloth and squeeze out as much of the water from the papaya as possible. Then place the strips on a wide platter to dry in the sun. 2 Bring the vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the papaya strips and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to mix. Cover the saucepan, turn off the heat and set aside to cool. 3 Transfer the cooled pickles to a sterilized jar or bottle. Keeps for a month in the refrigerator. Makes 21/ 2 cups (625 ml) Preparation time: 50 mins Cooking time: 10 mins

Filipino-style Beef Steak (Bistek)

1-1/2 lbs (750 g) beef sirloin or skirt steak, cut into thin fillets 
2 tablespoons kalamansi lime juice or lemon juice 
2 tablespoons soy sauce 
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 
3 tablespoons oil 
1 medium onion, sliced into rings 
Salt to taste

1 Marinate the beef slices in the kalamansi lime juice, soy sauce and pepper overnight in the refrigerator. 
2 Heat the oil in a skillet and pan-fry the beef until medium-rare, about 30 seconds on each side. Transfer the beef slices to a plate. 
3 In the remaining oil, stir-fry the onion until it is browned. Season the beef with a sprinkling of salt and drizzle a little of the pan juice over the steak. Garnish with the onion slices and serve. 

Serves 4 
Preparation time: 10 mins + overnight marination 
Cooking time: 10 mins