The First of July = Baking Cake

July 1 is my husband's birthday. And as it is written, everyone needs a birthday cake. Keeping with my recent Dorie Greenspan obsession (and seeing as I had 4 perfectly overripe bananas leering at me from the counter top this morning), I decided to make her Lots of Ways Banana Cake. I'm am happily convinced that I could use any of her recipes last minute without hesitation that they will emerge from the oven perfect examples of what true cakes should be.

These babies were so delicious that had they not had frosting, I may have even passed them off as a somewhat healthy banana bread and toasted them for breakfast. With frosting (I chose her Marshmallow Frosting from previously addicting Devil's Food White-Out Cake...) it may have been a bit sweet, but I'm not complaining.

Before the oven.

We had Orange Roughy fillets, roasted in foil in a 400 oven for about 15 minutes - my favorite way to never overcook fish. I tossed in a drizzle of olive oil, a smidge of butter, a dousing of vermouth in lieu of white wine, and salt and pepper. Along with my new favorite farm market discovery: new garlic.

If you look carefully, you can see where the new cloves would develop.

New garlic apparently is underdeveloped garlic. Picked before the individual cloves are formed, it seems to me to be a bit milder than regular garlic. But in stir-fry last week, it held up and had no harsh garlic bite, and when roasted tonight, it was a delicious mild, toothsome garlic. I love this stuff! Thanks to the amazing Pinehold Gardens gardeners in Oak Creek for producing the best local garlic ever! Their site is under construction, but check back: Pinehold Gardens. Two years ago when my husband's Rhode Island relatives were visiting, his uncle actually took home their garlic in his carry-on. I'm sad when October comes, and after I've used my Pinehold stores, have to go back to finding garlic in the co-op.

Before all of this, I thought I would be making a spicier type fish...and utilized the perfectly ripe mango that when it woke up this morning, probably thought it may not get the chance to make it into my belly. Normally, I make the Ina Garten cooked mango salsa, but today decided to cube it up and leave it raw. Just green onions, some red pepper, cilantro, one minced chipotle chile, half a lime and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and perfection. I think I'll have some on some eggs for breakfast tomorrow, and knowing me, probably in a tortilla. Perfect for summers of limited heat in the kitchen.

We still ate some salsa on the side of the rice: see my plate for example.

A good day! With a baked cake, how can it be bad? Another happy and healthy year for my darling and a nice dinner at home. I could only be more excited about my knitting class yesterday which empowered me to knit on circular needles with confidence...and my confirmation into the world of the Daring Bakers. Stay tuned for my first challenge post at the end of the month.

The Accidental Lunch Salad

Thursday, mid-morning, I discovered a package of firm tofu hidden in my refrigerator drawer with Thursday's date firmly stamped on the top. Just the push I needed to drag out my Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special cookbook to see what marinade I might use to bake it into something before its untimely demise while buried in the depths of my ice box...

I decided to make the tofu, and while it was in it's 375 degree oven for 35 minutes, I knew that I had to come up with some kind of Asian-inspired salad for lunch. I originally thought I'd like a Japanese restaurant type orange and carrot dressing, but then opted for a salad dressing found in Cook's Illustrated's The Best Light Recipe, only I added cilantro.

If you are looking for a nice light summer lunch or supper (even though you do have to turn on your oven to bake the tofu...) give this a try.

The Accidental Lunch Salad

For the salad:

• lettuce (romaine or butter lettuce would be good choices)
• shredded carrot
• red bell peppers, sliced into thin strips
• avocado, cubed
• green onions, sliced
• sliced or slivered almonds (or peanuts or even pine nuts would probably be good)
• tomatoes (I would have used, but the one on my counter wasn't quite ripe)
• bean spouts (I would have used, but had none on hand)

Assemble the salad as you would a salad, adding as much of each veg as you like.

For the salad dressing:

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 3 T. hoisin sauce
• 1 1/2 T. soy sauce (shoyu or tamari)
• 1 T. fresh grated ginger
• I drizzled a tad of olive oil, just for a little body, but you can totally omit.
• as much cilantro minced up as you like

Mix all ingredients in a small jar. For a tiny salad, you can make half the dressing, but why not make the whole thing and let it hang out in the fridge? Then you may be inspired to eat another Accidental Lunch Salad.

For the baked tofu:

• 12 -15 oz package of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed between 2 plates for 20 minutes or longer.
• 1 T. plus 2 t. soy sauce
• 1 T. water
• 1 T. dark (toasted) sesame oil
• 1 t. tomato paste (optional)
• 1 t. rice vinegar
• 1 t. honey or sugar
• some kind of spice - the recipe called for 1/2 t. ground anise, but I put in a couple good shakes of aleppo pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Preheat oven to 375. Cut tofu into slabs about 1/2 inch thick and arrange in a single layer in a baking dish. Combine all sauce ingredients and cover the tofu slices, turning over a few times to coat them. (There isn't a whole lot of sauce, but it bakes in nicely, and the tofu gets seared in the oven.) Bake about 35 minutes, turning the tofu slices every 10 minutes. It should have a taut, seared appearance, and sauce should be mostly evaporated.

I was luckily able to share my salad when R1 stopped in and was able to have lunch. I'm sure that between the two of us this Accidental Salad is going to evolve for the months to come. If you have any good updates, let me know!

Monday, with more energy than usual.

The first day of the week is always the day that I decide to start something that I've been putting off. I love to walk, but got somewhat out of the habit for the past couple of weeks due to rain and potty training. So this Monday morning, I decided that I have to be a walker once again. I must admit that it in some ways was due to the 5 pounds I realized I gained when I decided to weigh myself while visiting my parents for the weekend. They had a scale in the downstairs bathroom, and it was somehow able to call my name. (The only scale I have here in my home is inaccurate and buried in the back of the hall closet - where it will stay secured indefinitely.)

Normally, I'm not too hung up on weight...but I thought some of my clothes seemed a little snug. After that blasted scale called me out, I spent the rest of the day counting how many non-essential morsels I ate while happily helping my Mother in her kitchen. She made two different kinds of bars...what was I supposed to do? I chose to eat what I pleased (and it was worth it) and then decided bright and early on Monday morning, things were going to change.

SO, today after breakfast, boy and I took a walk to the "big park" which entitles me to at least 4 miles of calorie burning bliss. I obsessively wear a pedometer and am proud to report that it was 4.65 miles on today's route. We were back home by 11, and he actually was in bed for a much needed nap by noon. I took advantage of such a windfall by scrubbing the bathroom, washing my neglected kitchen floor and starting the laundry.

It was 2 o'clock and the kid was still asleep, so after a quick call to my Mom to see if I could use outdated Sure-Jell, I decided to make some freezer jam with the organic strawberries I got from the Amish during my visit home. I wasn't sure I could complete my task before the boy awoke, but don't you know that it takes absolutely no time and not much effort to make freezer jam? I swear that no one in America would dare dream of using overly processed, artificially sweetened (or by contrast needlessly expensive organic) preserves if he/she could manage the simplistic directions inside the Sure-Jell box. I figure my 6+ jar endeavor cost me about 6 bucks, and is infinitely more rewarding than purchasing.

The mismatched beauties resting nicely for 24 hours before freezing.

Excess strawberries, mixed with sugar and added to plain yogurt for consumption tomorrow.

I was also excited that my husband was making his own supper, so I could have whatever my heart desired...I chose quiche from Mollie Katzen's pretty simplistic method in The Enchanted Broccoli Forrest. I used farmer's cheese, goat cheese, zucchini, onion and mushroom. I haven't made a pie dinner for quite a while, and I really enjoyed it. I like it even more that I know all of the leftovers are mine. Fortunately I come from the stock that wastes nothing and eats until it's gone...seldom do I tire of eating the same thing day after day - unless that cooking bug really hits me hard, and that usually happens more in the indoor-bound winters.

I used the time the quiche was baking to wash up and considered the fact that I have no idea where I got my pressure cooking pot that I use for fudge, cooking pasta, (pressure cooking, of course...the one day a year I get a taste for the beer/yogurt chicken cooked under pressure - but that's another story), and generally everything else that doesn't fit into the sometimes too large All-Clad stockpot which is on the kitchen workhorse list.

I love the Magic Seal label.

The bottom of the pot. Mysterious numbers in a pleasing typeset.

All in all, not too bad for a Monday. I love that walking gives me energy and appetite, and now that I can proudly say my son is potty trained, I can stay on schedule once again. Soon my clothes will fit, and all will be right as rain.

Inspiration from inspirations...

While reading sfgirlbybay's blog a few days ago, I was inspired by her inspiration boards - and others that she posted from flickr. I love her site; I'm always struck by how her photos are so gentle and serene. Check her out at: http://sfgirlbybay.com/

For some time, I have had a similar changing "board" in my kitchen where I spend the bulk of my time. I thought today was as good a day as any to revamp a little, and maybe copy a little of the serene-ness of sfgirlbybay.

My favorite timer. I love that it is so loud when it ticks that when I'm baking early in the morning, I have to hide it in the cupboard.

After a few minutes of this photographing, I got a little carried away and photographed my lunch...grilled swiss cheese, piquant peppers, peas and pickled green beans from Laura.

I hope everyone else is as inspired as I am by sfgirlbybay...and thanks again to HGTV's Small Space Big Style which led me to discover her by accident.

A Cake a day is all it takes to be happy...(or in which Dorie Greenspan officially makes the Obsession list)

My best friend has a birthday tomorrow, so let's make CAKE! (Sasa, if you're reading, stop now so it will be a surprise.) I've said it before and I'll say it again that Dorie Greenspan really can do no wrong. She makes as mean a pancake as the real deal: This is the Devil's Food Whiteout Cake from her Baking book I made today.

The batter, too beautiful not to photograph.

The beater, before I unabashedly ate all the remaining batter clinging to it, washed it, and lovingly put it away. I eat batter, that way I know the cake is great. No, I am not afraid of raw eggs; see the egg post for details. And, this was one of the best batters I ever ate.

Dorie said the top may crack and the middle may dome, but this was the most perfect bake job I ever did, and on the first try!

The finished cake...I'll have to make one for myself, perhaps for Father's Day.

I know it was a novel idea for Julie Powell to attack and conquer Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and in no way do I belittle her, but I do believe that I may have to make every single recipe in Dorie's book. The only problem is that small detail of health. I must say that I'd rather have a little butter than fake, salty and processed alternatives, but I don't know if my physique such as it is could handle a steady diet of sweets. I'll have to be content to find occasions to bake these miraculous recipes.

Stay tuned, next up will be her Armagnac cake - the one she was fired for, but deemed that it was totally worth it.

Meanwhile, the cake cooled and boy and I walked to the little pond near our house to observe tadpoles, throw rocks and collect these thistles to put on the counter. I doubt anyone else who may have been observing me would have felt the pangs of guilt for collecting wild flowering things, but they were so pretty and plentiful that I couldn't resist.

It really is the smallest things that make my days truly great, just spending the bulk of the day seeing the world again through 2 year old eyes is unspeakably wonderful. And days I get to bake cakes are truly my icing, fantastic edible art that makes others (hopefully) as happy as well.

Happiest of Birthdays and many more to come!!!