Brown Sugar Pound Cake

I was in the mood for cake. Nothing fancy or covered in cream. Just good old fashioned cake to have with a cup of tea. I turned to my, now well worn, copy of Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook for ideas. That Martha, she never fails to come up with something good. Her Brown Sugar Pound Cake hit the spot. To wet it a bit, I poached some plums I had lying around otherwise they would never get eaten since I dislike plums unless they're cooked. I took a loaf to work the next day for our tea break and it went down well with the girls.

It's a heavy cake and a little goes a long way. I was concerned it might be to sweet so I altered the recipe slightly and replaced part of the brown sugar with dark muscovado sugar.

Brown Sugar Pound Cake
from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

Makes 2 loafs

1 c. unsalted butter, softened
3 c. sifted plain flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs
3/4 c. buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 170C. Butter two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2inch loaf tins; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time, beating until combined.

Add the reserved flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined. Divide the batter between the buttered pans, and smooth with an offset spatula.

Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn out cakes onto the rack to cool completely. Cakes can be kept at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, for up to 3 days.

Birthday bites

What a week for food in Xochitl-land (the term The Boy lovingly uses to describe the home of my random thoughts). After a weekend in the kitchen, I had a week of dining out. Lunch at Leon, meze at Ranoush and the crown jewel in my week o' food? Dinner at Maze. I decided to treat The Boy for his birthday and take him out for a meal that didn't involve me cuttign out a 2 for 1 voucher for a change. However, I should rephrase that. Saying I want to take The Boy out is really code for- I'm going to make a reservation at an expensive restaurant that I want to go to and I'm going to butter you up with compliments about how dashing you like in your suit (as it gets its annual airing out). And slowly, with a cheeky little grin and a twinkle in my eye, I'm going to nudge the bill in your direction when it arrives.

Somehow I managed to score a table at Maze with less than 24 hours notice. The praise has been heaped on the place from the start and although I haven't had a bad time yet at any Gordon Ramsay restaurant, I was worried that the El Bulli inspired dishes would be too freaky for The Boy. There was no need to worry. I can once again bow down to the Temple of Gordon.

We started with a couple of cocktails (Fig Sour for me) and took an eternity to decide our dishes. We decided to go with the tapas size dishes and order a few. I ordered Pressed Foie Gras and smoked duck with spiced pineapple and sweet n sour onions; Salad of violet artichoke with fresh truffle and truffle mayonnaise; Grilled lamb with braised lamb neck, cos lettuce, bacon and onions, ras el hanout and lastly, the BLT. Which was a tomato jelly (jello), a mayonnaise-y cream on top, bacon cubes as garnish with a lettuce puree poured over. My favourite for flavour was the lamb that was cooked perfectly, was the perfect serving size and just melted in your mouth. My fave for shits and giggles has to be the BLT which was quite tasty if a bit too mayonnaise-y for my liking.

The Boy had Carpaccio of tuna and swordfish with lime and cucumber marinade, soya dressing; Jerusalem artichoke veloute with duck ragout; Risotto of carnaroli with peas, broad beans and wood sorrel and Bouillabaisse of red mullet with tapenade, fennel puree and fennel shoots. His favourite was the Carpaccio, which he found refreshing and light.

Four to six were recommended; we went for four each and were stuffed. Even though the dishes are small they are very filling. We couldn't fathom eating more than that unless the plan was to bypass dessert. Not a plan that we recommend. As it was a special occasion, we splurged and had three mini desserts. Mango parfait with orange and anise jelly with sugared coriander; Apple and caramel trifle with cider granite and cinnamon doughnut and the Peanut butter and cherry jam sandwich with salted nuts and cherry sorbet. The mango parfait was refreshing since it wasn't overly sugary sweet and was mainly fresh mango. The Boy loved the cinnamon doughnut (with apple filling) while I preferred the apple jelly (jello) and would have been happy to eat a bowl of just that. It tasted like the juiciest, tartest green apple you have ever had. As for the Peanut Butter sandwich, well we had to get that since it is always written about. This is another dessert to write home about. The PB is in the form of ice cream and tastes like fresh made PB not like a jar of Skippy while the cherry cuts the richness of the ice cream.

Would I go back? Absolutely. Since you can eat at the bar without a reservation, it should be fairly easy to walk in for a quick bite before hitting the shops of Oxford Street.

PS- In case you wondered, I didn't pay.

On your marks, get set, BBQ!

Ah yes, it's a Bank Holiday weekend. The weather forecast is predictably crap. It must be time for a barbecue. The Boy's childhood pal Jason was throwing a House De-warming party. He figured he better make the most of having a garden and a large barbecue before he was relegated to apartment living like the majority of Londoners. He first mentioned the idea of a Sunday bbq to The Boy a few weeks ago when they went out for a curry. My darling spouse volunteered me to do some salads- mind you that wasn't a problem because I like Jason and would give him a hand anytime- it's just that The Boy only remembered to tell me on Wednesday.

In the end, I settled on three salads. A couscous salad with pomegranate, a Moroccan chickpea salad and Potato Salad. It was a barbecue- there has to be potato salad! I will admit that I am not a fan of potato salad and all the gloopy, mayonnaise-y taste. However, a couple of bottles of Rose later and I can't help sneaking a spoonful to make sure that it is as gross as the last time I sneaking a spoonful. Most people I find don't have the same dislike so I made a potato salad that I could actually eat. I also found a use for the green tops from a bunch of salad onions; however, you could use the whole thing if available.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

My Potato Salad

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 kg Baby New Potatoes (or any waxy potato)

1 bunch of green onion, thinly sliced

for the dressing:

1 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tbsp dried tarragon

2 tbsp. plain yogurt

4 tbsp. mayonnaise

Boil the potatoes in a stockpot until cooked through. Once cooked, drain and rinse in cold water until the potatoes are cool.

While the potatoes cool, mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a jar or small bowl. Place to one side.

Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters depending on their size.

Put the potatoes and green onions into a large bowl. Pour half the dressing over, stirring to mix and adding more dressing if needed.

Spring is in the air!

Spring is slowly finding its way to the UK. For most of the last week the weather was pleasant enough that I wasn't miserable about leaving the sun in California the week before. However, as I write this, it is pretty gross outside. It's isn't raining so much as it is grey. So I decided not to leave the house today and spend it in the kitchen.

One of the nice treats in the shops coming back home was the appearance of this season's Jersey Royal new potatoes. The gorgeous little potatoes have such a great taste and a fab story behind it that I get really excited when I see them in shops or on a restaurant menu this time of year. Jersey Royals are only found in Jersey and were discovered in the late 19th century by a farmer and were first called Jersey Royal Fluke. It is the growing conditions that make this potato. The slope of the island allows extra sunlight to hit the growing fields in season. Locally collected seaweed is used as fertislier and much of it is dug up by hand.

In the end I decided to boil and crush mine with the rosemary and lemon Chiara sent me in EBBP4. I didn't think that The Boy would be very fond of lemons with his potatoes but he gave them a thumbs up. The leftovers will be used in a salad for lunch tomorrow.

Crushed New Potatoes with Lemon and Rosemary

Serves 2-3
Ingredients:

500g Jersey Royal new potatoes
2 tbsp. olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 sprigs of rosemary, chopped

Clean and scrub the potatoes and boil in salted water for 15-20 minutes (or until cooked). Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and put to one side.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the lemon zest and chopped rosemary and fry for 30 seconds.

Add the potatoes and lightly crush with a fork or masher. Add the lemon juice and fry for5 minutes. Don't over stir the pan or the potatoes will crumble; the idea is to get a light crust on the potatoes.

Sprinkle with sea salt for an extra crunch before serving.

EBBP4 - Italian Delights

You have probably guessed that I like food already. But I also like presents and I like getting post. Combine all that and you get EBBP4 (Euro Blogging By Post). It happens every couple of months - I'm guessing it does as this was my first time taking part- and is "hosted" by someone different each time. This time, the gracious host was Andrew from SpittoonExtra (Check out his blog here.) Andrew had the task of organising myself and 24 other bloggers in an exchange of food filled pressies. How cool is that!

My package went to Cindy of Cindy's Kitchen in Montpellier. I hope she enjoys what I sent and can make some treats from it. While I was sad that my package hadn't arrived before I went on holiday. I have to admit though that it was great to get something happy in the post instead of the usual bills that remind you how much you spent on holiday!

Imagine my joy when a box from Italy appeared. I tore into that box quicker than you can say risotto milanese. I'm happy to report that Chiara from La Cuoca Petulante (oh how I wish I spoke Italian! But check out the site for pretty photography) sent a box filled with (mainly) Italian delights. Inside there was:

1. Lemons and Rosemary - From Chiara's garden on Lake Maggiore near Milan

2. Gianduitti - Creamy chocolate and hazelnut paste candies from Turin. I usually find these too sweet but these are lovely and creamy and not too sugary sweet.

3. Sundried Tomatoes - Homemade. Lovely. I think I may use Chiara's suggestion to put them in a jar with capers, garlic and olive oil for a week and then eat it with bread.

4. Salted Capers - A nice little jar from Pantelleria (a small island near Sicily).

5. Anchovies in hot sauce - One of her favourites; she eats them with bread or in a tomato sauce.

6. Carnaroli Rice - For risotto. Yum.

7. Honey from Provenza

8. Pickled Ginger - She enjoys Japanese food and makes her own pickled ginger. It has a nice fresh taste and is not too sweet.

9. A small notepad - For writing my recipes in.

I have gently calmed myself to sleep the last couple of days with thoughts of the tasty dishes I could make with my ingredients. Should I use the lemon and rosemary with roasted and crushed potatoes? Or in a simple pasta with some of the capers and a bit of Parmigiano? Do I use the tomatoes in a salad or on bruschetta? How about the anchovies- in a spicy arrabiatta sauce? What about the honey? One thing I do know. The Gianduitti won't be around much longer!

Spring Salads

Xochitlcooks has been on a well needed holiday the last week and as I write this I am warmed by the sun in Southern California. Fortunately my pasty white skin hasn't burned- more importantly nor has The Boy's for that matter. If I were to use food to describe our current skin tones, mine would be vanilla cream- slightly off white with yellow undertones- and The Boy would be something along the lines of a marshmallow. White with a bit of white added and a splash of translucent for good measure. But it has been nice to venture outside sans heavy wool coat. The weather has been like a perfect English summer's day; the problem will be the shock to the system when we leave in a few days.

Staying with the folks means that even though I am on hols, I am still kicking it in the kitchen. Cooking in someone else's kitchen (even though it is the kitchen I grew up with) made me realise how attached you get to your own cooking utensils, pans, knives, oven. This hasn't altered the quality of the dishes, but I look forward to giving my kitchen a big hug when I get home.

No trip back here is complete unless I make lunch for the Lunch Bunch (AKA my mother and her posse of discriminating foodie friends). On this occasion, given the lovely weather, I decided that a trio of salads was in order. Lunch consisted of a Tomato and Mozzarella salad, Tabbouleh and Salade Nicoise. The Salade Nicoise was done specially for my mother in memory of her last trip to London, in which we went to the South of France to visit friends of mine. My mother had never had Salade Nicoise before and in spite of a dislike for tuna, we both enjoyed it. It's a great salad to eat in the middle of summer to refresh and cool down but equally as nice in the winter to remind you of those heady days of summer.

SALADE NICOISE
serves 4

Ingredients:

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1-2 4 1/4 oz tin of tuna in olive oil (if only serving this I would double the amount of tuna)
4 tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cucumber, sliced and halved into 1/2 inch chunks
4 hard boiled eggs, quartered
16 black olives, whole
8 anchovy fillets, whole (you can either use tinned ones or get some from the deli counter)

for the dressing:
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. Herbes de Provence

Mix the dressing ingredients together and either shake or whisk until it emulsifies (until the oil and vinegar combine into one liquid). Put to one side.

Put the romaine lettuce in a large bowl. Arrange the remaining ingredients on top. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Serve.

NB: When serving each person should get a quarter of the salad ingredients (meaning 4 pieces of tomato, 4 olives, 4 pieces of egg, etc.).

To keep the salad light, I haven't over dressed it but you can add more dressing if desired.

Veg Fest

After an absolutely hectic week which saw me help cater a party, teach a couple of cookery classes and find a job, and which was preceded by a few weeks of partying, I needed a detox. Even The Boy was requesting a meal with vegetables! I was in the mood for something with a twist but nothing that would overtake the pureness of the vegetables. I went back and tweaked a recipe for grilled vegetables I devised for a BBQ a few weeks ago (a BBQ in February? It's a great way to beat the winter blues.).

Marinated Grilled Vegetables

Serves 2-4
Ingredients:

1 tbsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. crushed chili flakes
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
5 tbsp. olive oil
1 courgette, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
8-10 whole mushrooms
1 fennel bulb, sliced

Put the sliced vegetables in a medium size bowl.

Mix the spices and the olive oil; pour over the vegetables and toss to lightly coat all the veg. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and cook the vegetables to your liking. Personally I like my mushrooms and courgettes well grilled but prefer peppers and fennel with a bit of crunch.

Below is an extra recipe for a quick salad using the grilled fennel. It makes for a light, refreshing lunch and a nice change from a green salad.

Fennel and Orange Salad

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 blood orange, peeled and sliced
1 fennel bulb, sliced and grilled
20g. feta cheese, crumbled

Layer the orange and fennel on a plate and sprinkle the feta on top.

Olive oil can be drizzled on top but I find the salad better without it.