Olive Oil Cake

This recipe is simple and delicious, just the way I like them. I came across this recipe in the September 2009 Bon Appetit and thought it looked like a winner. The cake is better the next day, so once it has cooled completely, wrap in foil and store at room temperature.

Olive Oil Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup mild flavored olive oil

2 tsp. finely grated orange peel

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil and flour 9x5x3 inch metal loaf pan. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk eggs, milk, olive oil and orange peel in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk egg mixture into dry ingredients. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Invert pan to remove cake. Cool completely, top side up.

Beer Soup w/Stilton Cheese

Wow, another failed recipe! This comes from a December 1989 Bon Appetit. Sounded wonderful, onion soup, Stilton cheese and dark beer. The result was a very bitter concoction that I tried adding a variety of seasonings and balsamic vinegar, but it just never came together. Don't try this one at home.

Beer Soup w/Stilton Cheese

1/4 cup unsalted butter

4 large onions, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups beef stock

4 cups dark beer

Salt

1 French baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

8 oz. Stilton cheese, crumbled

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a heavy large saucepan over low heat. Add onions. Season with pepper. Press round piece of foil over onions. Cover pan with lid and cook until onions are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minute's. Remove lid and foil. Increase heat to medium and cook until onions are very dark golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Add stock and beer, bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange bread slices on a large cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter. bake until crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Place 3 croutons in bottom of each of 8 individual flameproof soup crocks.Bring soup to a boil. ladle over croutons. Sprinkle with cheese. broil until soup bubbles and begins to brown, about 2 minutes.

Orange Pudding Cake

This recipe came from my December 2008 Gourmet magazine. It seemed like a simple recipe and it was. It also sounded like it would be really good, but not so. If you like orange flavored omelets, then this is the recipe for you. It has a nice orange pudding bottom layer with a souffle topping. So , it's pretty to look at and marvel at the science of, but kind of sucks to eat. This one is not a keeper.

Orange Pudding Cake

2 large naval oranges

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Rounded 1/4 tsp. salt

3 large eggs, separated

1 cup whole milk

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. with rack in the middle. Butter a 1 1/2-qt. gratin or other shallow baking dish.

Finely grate 2 tsp. zest from orange, then squeeze 1/2 cup juice from oranges.

Whisk together sugar, flour, and salt in large bowl.

Whisk together yolks, milk, butter, zest, orange and lemon juice in a small bowl and add to flour mixture, whisking until just combined.

Beat egg whites in another large bowl, with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Stir about 1/4 of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently, but thoroughly( batter will be thin).

Pour into baking dish and bake in hot water bath until puffed and golden, 40 to 45 minutes. transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Spaghetti w/ Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Caramelized Fennel

This would have been a great recipe, if I had used a lot less bread crumbs. The recipe calls for a cup, but a 1/4 cup would have been plenty. I used a 1/2 cup and it pretty much ruined the pasta. Even better, make it without the crumbs, there's a lot of great flavor going on here and the crumbs just take away from the whole thing. Okay, enough with the crumbs. This recipe comes from the February 2009 Saveur.

Spaghetti w/Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Caramelized Fennel

1 lb. plum tomatoes

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bulb fennel, cut into matchsticks

1 red onion sliced

3 fresno chiles, finely chopped

1/2 lb. spaghetti

2 Tbsp. finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1 cup toasted bread crumbs

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Core and halve tomatoes lengthwise and scoop out seeds. In a bowl, combine tomatoes, 1 Tbsp. oil, sugar, salt and pepper; toss. Arrange tomatoes, cut side down, on a parchment lined baking sheet; roast until very soft, about 3 hours.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel; brown for 10 minutes. Add onion; cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add chiles; cook for 2 minutes. Chop and add tomatoes; set skillet aside.

bring pot of salted water to a boil, Cook pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes. Strain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Add pasta and water to tomato mixture; toss. Put skillet over high heat; add parsley and remaining oil; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve.

7UP Pound Cake

I am a huge lemon cake fan and am always looking for new recipes to try. I was intrigued with this one from Cook's Country June/July 2009 issue and decided to give it a try. Although not my favorite, a little on the dense side for me, it was good and had a mild lemon flavor to it.

7UP Pound Cake

Cake:

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup 7UP, room temperature

1 Tbsp. grated zest plus 2 Tbsp. juice from 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. grated zest and 2 Tbsp. juice from 2 limes

1/2 tsp. salt

20 Tbsp. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

3 1/4 cups cake flour

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. lime juice

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup non-stick tube pan. Process sugar, eggs, 7UP, zests, juices and salt in food processor until smooth. With machine running, slowly pour in butter and process until incorporated. Transfer to large bowl. Add flour in 3 batches, whisking with each addition.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Gently tap on counter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 75 to 90 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to cool completely, about 2 hours.

Whisk confectioners sugar with juices in bowl until smooth. Pour over cooled cake. Let sit for ten minutes before serving.

Beer-Can Chicken w/Cola Barbecue Sauce

I came across this recipe in my box of recipes that I someday want to prepare. It's from an older issue of Cooking Light, I'm just not sure which one. This is a good recipe and the cola sauce would work well with any grilled chicken. I couldn't find my beer can chicken holder anywhere, so I used the legs to help stand the chicken up on the grill. It's really is a lot better to use one of the stands, because you don't have to worry about the chicken falling over.

Beer-Can Chicken w/Cola Barbecue Sauce

Chicken:
1 (12 0z.) can beer
1 cup hickory wood chips
2 tsp. kosher or sea salt
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 (4-lb.) whole chicken

Sauce:
1/2 cup cola ( I used Coke, do not use a Diet soda)
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. instant onion flakes
1/2 tsp. instant minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. steak sauce (A-1)
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Open beer; drink half. Carefully pierce top of can with "church key" can opener several times, set aside. Soak wood chips in water , 1 hour. Combine salt, sugar, paprika and pepper, set aside.
Prepare grill for indirect heating, place a disposable aluminum foil pan in center. Arrange charcoal around pan; heat to medium.
Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse with cold water and pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breasts and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.
Rub 2 teaspoons spice mixture under loosened skin 2 teaspoons in cavity and 2 teaspoons over skin. Slowly add remaining mixture to beer can. Holding chicken upright with the body cavity facing down, insert can into cavity.
Drain wood chips. Place half on hot coals. Place chicken on rack over drip pan. Spread legs out to form a tripod. Cover and grill 2 hours or until meat thermometer inserted into meaty portion of thigh registers 180 degrees. Add remaining chips after 1 hour and charcoal as needed.
Lift chicken using tongs; place spatula under can. Carefully lift chicken and place on cutting board. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently lift chicken and carefully twist can to remove. Discard skin and can.
To prepare sauce, combine cola and remaining ingredients in a saucepan; bring to boil. reduce heat and simmer 6 minutes. Cool. Serve with chicken.