Recipe, Stolen

I wish I can say this was my next door neighbor's recipe, but it's not. This is the famous Coffee Cake of the precious Mrs. Isabel Buerschaper, who first inspired famous cookbook author and foodie Molie Katzen to consider the kitchen. Today I was very much craving for coffee cake to go with my fantastic cup of Civet Cat coffee. And deciding against the easy way out of divulging a store-bought cake, I thought I should at least slave away for what I am about to divulge.

Classic Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Unwrap the butter ahead of time, and place it directly in the mixing bowl to soften.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened1/2 cup sugar 2 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking powder1/8 teaspoon baking soda1/2 cup buttermilk
Topping
2 tablespoons brown sugar1/2 teaspoon cinnamonWalnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for a glass pan). Lightly spray an 8-inch round or square pan with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, beat the butter for several minutes with an electric mixer at high speed. Add the sugar and beat for several minutes longer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in the vanilla.
In a second bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, slowly mixing them together with a whisk.
Add the dry ingredients in three installments to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry (dry-wet-dry-wet-dry). After each addition, mix from the bottom of the bowl--just enough to blend--with a spoon or a rubber spatula. Don't overmix.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading it evenly into place. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon (and optional nuts), and sprinkle this on top before baking.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick or sharp knife inserted all the way into the center comes out clean. Cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Makes one 8-inch round or square cake (about 6 or 7 servings)
Variations
Caramel-Nut-Crusted Coffee Cake
Make the preceding recipe, preparing the pan as follows.
•2 tablespoons butter, melted in the pan•3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar, sprinkled into the melted butter•2/3 cup chopped pecans, sprinkled onto the brown sugar
Invert the cake onto a plate after it's cooled down. Scrape in all the topping that may have stayed in the pan.
Buttermilk-Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Before making the batter, toss the following together in a small bowl:•2 cups chopped rhubarb (1/4-inch pieces)
•2 tablespoons sugar•1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
Let the mixture stand while you prepare the batter. Increase the sugar in the batter to 2/3 cup, and fold the rhubarb mixture in with the last installment of dry ingredients in Step 4.
Bake the cake for 30 to 40 minutes.
Buried Treasure Coffee Cake
Yield: 12 to 16 servings
For a bigger cake that you can fill with extra goodies, double the recipe, and use a standard-size Bundt or tube pan. Instead of putting the topping on the top, put it in the center. To do this, just spoon half the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle in the topping (now a filling), then spoon on the rest of the batter. You can also add up to 1/2 cup of any or all of the following:
•Semisweet chocolate chips•Chopped almonds or walnuts•Sliced dried fruit•Shredded unsweetened coconut•Jam or marmalade (spooned in, blob by blob)
Bake this larger cake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool it in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes, then rap the pan sharply and remove the cake to finish cooling. Let it cool completely before removing the cake from the pan. Then invert it onto a plate (if you used a Bundt pan) or pull out the tube and gently lift the cake off and onto a plate (if it's in a tube pan). Cool for another 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Taco Salad Salsa

This sauce adds zesty goodness to a typical taco salad.

1/4 c sugar
1/2 c canola oil / olive oil
1/4 c vinegar
1 c tomato sauce
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp pepper

Mixed. Uncooked.

You Shrimp!

It was one of them nights that I did not feel like a Gourmetbee in the kitchen. I was tired and lazy and wanted so badly to cuddle up to a new book that I had just bought. The book was entitled Aroma by Aftel and Patterson, which talked about how the senses play a large part in our culinary adventures. Nuff said, after reading the introduction, I was up and about on my feet excited at the prospect of whipping up something that smells as good as it tastes. And my solution? Gambas al Ajillo!

Gambas al Ajillo and More

24- 30 pcs. medium sized shrimp
olive oil
8 cloves garlic
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chili flakes

Sautee garlic and onions in olive oil. Once onions are transparent, add shrimp, cooking just until it changes color. It is important not to overcook. Add salt, pepper, paprika and chili flakes.

Serve on a sizzling platter as tapas or atop really fine pasta.

Croissants aux Amandes

Everyday, I frequent my local boulangerie for my daily fix of pain aux cafe. It is a ritual that Baby Bee and I make right after Mr. Bee leaves home for the office. Although Baby Bee prefers plain croissant, I prefer mine made with almonds. And because I love them so much, one day I made them myself. Ce'st Magnifique!

4 day-old croissants, each of them about 80g
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Confectioner's sugar

For the syrup:
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons light rum (optional)

For the crème d'amandes:
1/2 C sugar
2/3 C whole blanched almonds, or 1 C almond powder
pinch of salt
1 stick unsalted butter, diced
2 eggs


Prepare the syrup: combine 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons sugar and the rum (if using) in a saucepan. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, and simmer for a minute, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, transfer into a shallow soup plate, and let cool completely.

Prepare the almond filling: combine 1/2 cup sugar, the almonds and the salt in the bowl of a food processor, and mix until finely ground. Add the butter, and mix again until well blended. Add in the eggs one by one, and process until creamy.
Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Work with each croissant one by one: dip it into the syrup, coating both sides and the ends well -- the croissant should be quite moist. Slice horizontally like you would for a sandwich, and place on the cookie sheet. Spread the inside with about two tablespoons almond filling, and place the top back on. Spread the top with another tablespoon almond filling, and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Repeat with the other croissants*

Put into the oven to bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the almond cream is set and golden. Transfer onto a cooling rack, dust with confectioner's sugar, and serve, slightly warm or at room temperature. They will keep for a day.

*Depending on the size and shape of the croissants you used, you may have a bit of almond cream leftover: you can make small drop cookies with it afterwards, and bake them on parchment paper for about 8 minutes at 180° C (350° F).

Magic Fusilli

Growing up I remember Grandma Bee whipping up some Magic Food when she wanted me to eat a hearty meal instead of just picking on my plate. I never really figured out what it was made of but, it worked wonders in making me wipe my plate clean and asking for more. Many years later, I find myself making my own version of magic food for Baby Bee. Here is one example. I call it Magic Fusilli.

Fusilli with Tuna and Sweet Corn

500 pack fusilli
1 can tuna, drained
1 c sweet corn kernels
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili flakes
olive oil


Cook fusilli until al dente. Drain and splash cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

Sautee garlic, onion in olive oil. Once onion is transparent, add tuna. Sautee until slightly brown, add corn and cooked fusilli. Falvor with salt, pepper, oregano and chili flakes. Add green beans or peas if desired. Cook until all ingredients and flavors are well absorbed by the fusilli. Eat with a side of garden salad.

Zuni! Zuni! Zuni!

Dining out with Baby Bee is no easy task. Child-friendly restaurants have to be picked with as much discrimination as you would organic ingredients for your home-cooked meals. From the outside, the popular San Francisco establishment Zuni Cafe seems like a stiff city joint, but inside it was as homey and earthy as it's dishes and it's service. Baby Bee defintely gives it his thumbs up!

Here's my version of the famous
Zuni Cafe Caesar Salad

2 to 3 heads romaine lettuce
2 eggs
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2/3 cup mild-tasting olive oil
3 cloves garlic chopped
1tsp worcestershire sauce
juice of 1 lemon

salt
pepper

1 c garted Parmigiano
6 to 9 anchovy fillets

Whisk first 8 ingredients in a bowl, starting off with the eggs as your base. Once thick, toss the dressing with the chopped lettuce. Mix in the chopped anchovy fillets. Mix the parmesan cheese. Serve as is for go for the kill with applewood smoked bacon bits and croutons.

Note: Of the million or so versions of caesar salad I've eaten, and enjoyed, for some reason, the Zuni Cafe's caesar salad recipe is the one I choose to replicate in my home. I tell you, it's damn good, and it has a bite to it like no other! Hail Caesar!

Super Easy Beef Stroganoff

I was served this dish soo often as a child that I often forget how delicious and festive a dish this makes. It's Baby Bee's new favorite, and Mr.Bee's all-time favorite, hence I make it often.

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
1 c beef stock
salt
pepper
oregano
5 tbsp butter
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2.5 pounds beef brisket

Boil beef with half the onion and water until very tender. (About 2 hours on medium heat) In a saucepan, sautee in butter, the garlic and onions. Add cream and season with oregano, salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of the beef broth as well as the already tender beef, cut into strips. Simmer and add mushrooms. Serve on top of fetuccini.

On Holiday!

Over the Christmas Break I was lucky enough to experience a whole lot of good food. But as I was on holiday, I was on holiday from writing as well, and so a lot of my recipes for the new year will be written from memory. I will try my best to fill you in on the exquisite and delicious flavors I've tried alone by myself as well as those that I've tried amidst family and friends. As the old proverb goes, there's no better tasting food, than the food we share... so hopefully these recipes for the New Year will inspire you to cook more, share more, and live more.