BUTTERMILK BERRY CRUMB CAKE

Sara Forte · April 24, 2014

I'm reading a few different baby books. I read a little of one or the other each night. Just enough to gather a bit of advice I find helpful, tell Hugh about it, and then doze off. One is about pregnancy, and while I have gotten pretty lucky by way these 10 months go, these last few weeks have been more trying in regards to how I feel physically. So tired and fatigued merely from the task of carrying around a mini person in my mid-section all day. While these books bring up pretty obvious points, I am fascinated by how innate and instinctive the qualities are that take over in the last month or so. The nesting, cleaning, preference to withdraw a little bit... In my moments of fear and angst, I try to remember how natural this is, how we've been making babies since the beginning of time. Maybe part of some womens' nesting includes cooking, but I assure you it is the absolute last thing I feel like doing. Ironically, our cookbook manuscript is due next week so food is powering through this kitchen regardless. Head down and go. I also really wanted to stay in the habit of having people over and enjoying a meal with friends, so this season has been... intresting.

We have friends coming for coffee tomorrow, another couple for dinner, and my parents here helping in the yard on Saturday (yea, about that whole final month recluse deal...). I needed a breakfast snacking cake that would last through a few days of visitors. While I do prefer it, my grain-free baking is hit or miss, so I went a more traditional route for this recipe. This cake has a tight crumb, almost dense in the most charming of coffee cake ways. A cake that requires you to take small bites between sips of coffee. We ate it with some loosely whipped cream and extra berries because if you're going to have cake, you must really have cake. Maybe even a la mode for the evening crowd. However, aside from the personal whipped cream preference, this coffee cake is relatively lowfat with some of its classic butter content being replaced by the mashed banana. It's these everyday sort of cakes I like in my back pocket for cooking and non-cooking days alike.

(update: for the few of you that asked in the comments. I have really liked the Dr. Sears books. I read The Pregnancy Book and The Vaccine Book by them and have The Baby Book as well but have only read the first two chapters. A friend recommended The Birth Partner and while dense and detailed, it has a lot of information for natural childbirth. I just started Happiest Baby on the Block and while it's a bit corny, I think there are some helpful tidbits.)

BUTTERMILK BERRY CRUMB CAKE // Serves 8-10

Loosely adapted from 101Cookbooks

For the sake of substitutions, I think you could replace the buttermilk with a non-dairy milk and a tablespoon of lemon juice. As for making it gluten free, I would try a blend of almond meal, oat flour and flaxmeal but I hesitate to given proportions without trying it myself first. I am sure an all purpose GF flour would be worth a shot as well.

I still don't completely trust the oven at our new place so you'll have to report back if you try this and come up with a different baking time. My oven and thermometer say different things and I don't exactly trust either. Bare with me. One day I will fix its uncertainty or my lack of faith.

3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup / half stick unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup muscavado sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
little grate of fresh nutmeg
2 cups mixed berries, chopped small, divided
/ crumble /
1/4 cup / half stick unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/4 cup muscavado sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 325'. Line a springform pan with parchment and grease the bottom and sides.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix well to combine and set aside.

In another bowl, mix the white whole wheat flour, all purpose, muscavado, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg and stir to mix well. Add one cup of the berries to the dry mix and toss to coat. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine in as few stirs possible. Being careful not to overmix to keep the cake tender.

In another bowl, make your crumble. Mix the softened butter, oats, flour, cane and muscavado sugars, cinnamon, ginger and salt together and mash everything with the back of a fork to combine. It will be sandy in texture.

Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle the remaining berries on top. Distribute the crumble on top of the berries. Put the springform on a baking sheet (just in case it leaks, I prefer to play it safe) and bake on the middle rack for 55-60 minutes until golden on top and you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. The cake is fairly low in fat, be careful not to overbake and dry it out.

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Entrée, Gluten Free

LEMONGRASS TOFU BOWLS

Sara Forte · April 9, 2014

I had my baby shower this past weekend with so many of my favorite people. I felt extremely loved and celebrated. While making the rounds to fifty-plus people that I truly care about wore me out, it was incredibly special. Even if you have a few babies, you do it for the first time just once, and it's sort of a surreal thing, growing a tiny person. My sister went full throttle with her "camping" theme. There were arrows and cactus, southwestern printed pillows, and a tee pee for the gifts. Even the food was in theme with grilled skewers and mac n cheese and a smores dessert on wooden plates with adorned utensils. If your shower can be "cooler" than you, mine certainly was thanks to my little sister. My mom's garden was decked out and in full bloom and my dad played bartender for all the ladies. Obviously I was thrilled to get set up with a lot of the equipment we need along with a good loot of books and mini clothes, but I was most humbled by how many people stepped up to help out and the lengths my sister went to to make this day thoughtful and special. There is nothing that inspires generousity more than being on the receving end of it. I am not the most awesome gift giver and I know I could not match my sisters party throwing skills, but giving time or skill or words... there is always a way to give something. Be it in very small but significant ways, I resolve to pay closer attention to celebrating and anticipating what may make someone feel special.

I contributed a few recipes and a couple of quotes for the special issue of Epicurious: America's Best Recipes, which came out this month. The issue has some gorgeous looking recipes (Hugh has requested those blueberry handpies a few times now) and it's neat to see our cuisine divided by region. These bowls stuck out to me as a riff on the tofu bowls we make around here often. I love lemongrass and the unique freshness it brings to a stir fry as well as anything that can be topped with a ripe half of an avocado. It is clearly delicious warm out of the skillet but leftovers the next day were just as welcomed. It's definitely worth taking a peek at the issue if you come across it.

LEMONGRASS TOFU BOWLS // Serves 4

Adapted from Epicurious: America's Best Recipes

1 cup brown rice
12-14 oz. package extra firm tofu, drained
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and outer stalks removed
2 tsp. thai chile paste or sriracha
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil, divided
2 cups-ish broccoli florets
2 large carrots, julienned or sliced thin
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp. soy sauce, to taste
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
2 avocados, for garnish

Rinse and cook the brown rice according to instructions.

Cut the tofu into cubes and set it on a few paper towels or dish towel to drain.

Smash the lemongrass with the back of a knife and mince it well. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemongrass, chile paste, lime juice, vinegar, ginger, pinch of salt and stir to mix. Add the tofu and stir everything to coat. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Warm the coconut and sesame oils in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the tofu and it's marinade and saute for 4-5 minutes, until edges are browned. Add the broccoli, carrots, coconut milk, remaining Tbsp. sesame oil and soy sauce and saute until the vegetables are warmed through. About 3 more minutes. Add the greens onions, stir and taste for seasonings.

Serve each bowl with a scoop of the brown rice, the tofu vegetable mixture in sauce, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a half of avocado, sliced, on top.

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Dessert, Chocolate, Fall

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH COCOA MASCARPONE FROSTING

Sara Forte · March 26, 2014

I have been waiting for an occasion to make a big layer cake. I'm not that great of a baker and after a few failed attempts, I still feel the desire to get it right one of these times with the perfect cake and frosting recipes. I want it to be understated and beautiful and decadent. Like Tara's cakes. I am attempting her recipe next in hopes of a cake like that. So, what does one do mid-week when you want cake but maybe not a triple layer situation? Cupcakes, of course. Cupcakes on an ordinary Wednesday made me think of small victories - of little things that are going right, like finishing taxes and friends with a new healthy baby and picking a paint color for the nursery... reasons to celebrate with cake that may not be a birthday. You can always find people to help you eat cake.

I pulled this cupcake recipe from the new Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon that is packed with a great collection of vegan recipes. It is a lovely resource for those on a vegan diet or otherwise just trying to eat less meat and dairy and more produce. Because it was what I had, I substituted dutch processed cocoa for the natural stuff here. I know, I know. I altered the baking soda/powder and things got funky and I don't recommend doing that. Do as I say, not as I do. I am writing the recipe as published, with natural cocoa. If you want to use dutch, find another recipe, the acid v. alkaline ratio doesn't work with it here. The frosting is not so vegan, but I always prefer mascarpone based frostings over buttercream (vegan or otherwise) and I was the one who would be consuming most of these so there you have it :) To weekday cake!

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH COCOA MASCARPONE FROSTING // Makes 10-12

Cupcake recipe barely adapted from Oh She Glows Cookbook

1 cup non-dairy milk
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup natural cane sugar
1/3 cup melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt

8 ounces mascarpone
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. milk, as needed
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 pint strawberries, cleaned, stemmed and chopped

Preheat the oven to 350'.

In a mixing bowl, combine the non-dairy milk and vinegar. Let them sit for a few minutes (this creates a vegan buttermilk). Add the vanilla, sugar and coconut oil and stir to mix.

In another bowl, sift together both flours, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir to combine. If the coconut oil gets chunky because it got cold, use a mixer or whisk to break it up (Angela suggests an electric mixer but I was afraid it would make the cake tough).

Grease a muffin tin or line it with liners. Fill the vessels 3/4 full for 10 cakes, 1/2 full for 12. Bake on the middle rack for 21-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely.

While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting. With a hand or stand mixer, combine the butter, mascarpone, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and milk and mix until smooth - adding a tiny splash of milk as needed to thin the frosting. When the cakes are cool, frost them and top with a bundle of fresh strawberries.

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