Pineapple Upside-Down Splatcake

My sister's birthday was two and a half months ago, yet somehow I only just got around to baking her birthday cake.  She requested a pineapple upside-down cake, and I was more than happy to comply.  The past three or so years I've been meaning to bake one.  Everything was beautiful, until the final moment.  Let's just say the moment where it actually becomes upside-down didn't go as planned...



Still an amazingly delicious cake!  I used Smitten Kitchen's recipe (noticing a pattern here?) with the only change being a brilliant addition of <1/4 tsp almond extract.  Since my kitchen is currently devoid of cast iron cookware, I used a cake pan which you can see in the top right of the photo above.  The caramel sauce was made on the stovetop, then poured into the cake pan.  Pineapple slices were arranged on top of that, then the batter was spooned on and smoothed over.  It was super, except it leaked over into the oven during baking.  Next time I'm going to leave out a spoonful or two of the batter.  The cookie sheet covered in foil was put in halfway through baking to catch any more drippings, and it ended up being the permanent home of the cake.  Alas.  Regardless of final presentation, this is one of my favorite things I've baked lately.

On to dinner!  I love CSA veggies.



I just boiled some whole wheat pasta, threw the green beans in for the last few minutes, and somehow whipped up a quick carbonara sauce.  Some eggs, Parmesan, oil, garlic, and I can't remember what else.  Topped with fresh tomatoes.

I also made some tasty Asian tilapia tacos recently.  Rub tilapia with hot curry powder, pan-fry tilapia in some butter and olive oil, then flake with forks and pour some nuoc cham over it.  Nuoc cham is my new favorite condiment.  Recipe as follows: equal volume fish sauce, brown sugar, and fresh lime juice with two or three thinly sliced birds eye chilis.  Stir it all up and let it sit for at least ten or fifteen minutes before you use it.  Fish sauce is such a necessary part of life.



This is a lovely picture of a Vietnamese rice noodle bowl I made with marinated carrots/tomatoes, chili lime chicken, cilantro, and peanut sauce.  My favorite part was the carrots and tomatoes.  They're just marinated overnight in nuoc cham.  10/10, would eat again.

Next time, expect some knit-talk!  I'm on my way to fight with my camera for some good pictures of some Finished Objects.  Here's a cute dog to tide you over.



Carlos is so dreamy.

Nessie's Baked Treats

Recently I became acquainted with monster cookies.  They're now my compromise between (tasty) cookies and (healthier) granola bars.  They're still probably substantially sweeter than granola bars though.  Basically, they are flourless oatmeal peanut butter-based cookies that, as far as I can tell, are called Monster because most people make them in a large size.  How's that for a descriptive cookie name.  Let it be noted that these are not gluten-free cookies--I learned that your garden-variety oats you buy at the grocery store can possibly have gluten residue on them, but you can easily buy gluten-free oats for that special food-allergic someone in your life!  You could also sub out the butter for a dairy-free alternative, or flax "eggs" for the real thing.  If you really had to.  [I just realized I forgot the cinnamon in the batches in the oven.  Dang.]



Loch Ness Cookies
(makes 36 3-inch cookies)

1/3 cup butter (softened)
2/3 white sugar
2/3 brown sugar
1 cup unsalted unsweetened crunchy peanut butter (or whatever you have)
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp corn syrup (or honey)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp ground(ish) flax seeds
3 cups oats (old-fashioned, not quick oats)
1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
~1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
~1/3 dried fruit (e.g., craisins, berries)

Preheat oven to  350°F .  Cream together butter, peanut butter, and sugars.  Beat in eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and corn syrup.  Mix in everything else, ending with the choco chips and fruit.  Drop by 1/4 cup (or smaller) onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly brown around the edges.

Recipe End Note: I really want to incorporate seaweed at some point.  I love seaweed.



In baking those cookies, I have achieved what must be the high of my career.  Look at that perfectly executed parchment paper tear.  Look at it.  My crowning moment as a baker, captured in this picture.  I finally did it, Mom.



Also, I made my first pie!  It's about as photogenic as a clod of peachy blueberry dirt.  I don't know what I was thinking with those Xs and that creepy non-centered circular vent.  My next one will be heaps better.



Finally, I made PERFECT pancakes for the first time a few days ago.  I did not capture the moment in pictures, but they were still delicious, and slightly eccentrically-spiced.  Rosemary Cinnamon Pancakes.  Recipe is simple.  Add some rosemary and cinnamon to your favorite pancakes, and enjoy with a bit of butter and syrup.  The cooking process is what always caught me up on pancakes.  I suppose I had the heat too high and used too much oil or butter before the perfect pancake day.  I'd like to thank my housemate for opening me to the world of "medium heat" on the stove as it really should be, medium.  Not slightly above.  Just medium.  That's the secret.  Meeeeedium.

I love to bake.  And I'm lucky to have such accommodating friends and coworkers who volunteer to aid me in the dangerously delicious sugary consumption.  So guys, thanks.  Here's to many more tupperwares full of cooking experiments in the breakroom.

Morsels

Today I have for you some tasty little morsels that have made my summer grand.  First of all, a local company has sprouted up in Raleigh to create cold-brew coffee for all your iced summer caffeine needs.  Slingshot Coffee Company uses Counter Culture beans (roasted in Durham) to make some deviously delicious and convenient beverages.  I got mine from Tasty Beverage Co. in the downtown depot, and the full list of purveyors is on Slingshot's website.  Check them out.



I've made cold-brew coffee before (it's super easy), but this is just so convenient.  No planning ahead or filtering needed.  And the packaging!  I'm such a sucker for great graphics like this.  My favorite way to drink it was diluted with an equal amount of cold water and a decent sprinkle of salt.  I thought that was crazy to start with, too, considering I must have a bit of sugar and a significant amount of cream in my hot coffee to make it palatable, but cold is just best with some salt. 

Next up, another beverage!  Cantaloupe agua fresca (sort of).  A while back I had some cubed cantaloupe that was about to go bad right as I was going out of town, so I stuck it in the freezer with the intention of blending it into smoothies when I got back.  



Of course, I didn't end up doing that.  I had been reading about agua frescas all summer, and this was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at one.  All that is required is a quick blend in the food processor and a little straining to remove the bigger chunks.  However, I ended up simplifying the recipe so much that I really just ended up with cantaloupe juice, which is fine by me!  I wish I had some soda water and lime juice to jazz it up a little, but it definitely didn't need any sugar.

My latest lunch obsession is leftover-steak salads.  I had marinated some flank steak in soy sauce and brown sugar with tons of garlic, then pseudo-grilled it to about medium rare.  It was grand, but it was even better sliced up thinly and pan-fried (just to heat it up and fully cook it) over arugula with lime squeezed over the top.  Best summer lunch.  I love those caramelized bits.