blackberry-pear upside down cake

Hello friends,

I’m going to keep it short and sweet this week. I was hoping inspiration would hit and I’d be able to send you all a positive message of unity and hope before Thanksgiving. But today, I got nothin’.

It’s been pretty dark in this corner of the world for the past two weeks. The weather, shorter days and post-election mood have conspired to leave me feeling more than a little bit upside down.

So today, upside down cake it is. 

I have faith that, as with so many things that seem undeniably bad at the outset, some good will come of our current political situation. Hopefully, the results of this election will spark a demand for greater equality and inclusion in this country and beyond. Yossy from Apt. 2B Baking Co. has put together a fantastic list of some things we can all do to turn our anger and frustration into action. So get to it.

In the meantime, cheer yourself up with a slice of cake.

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Blackberry-Pear Upside Down Cake

• 1 ½ cups (10 ½ oz.) superfine sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• ¾ cup (7 oz.) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
• 3 large eggs
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 scant cup (4 oz.) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 ¼ cups (7 oz.) hazelnut flour (or almond flour)
• 2 firm-ripe pears
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
• 3 tablespoons apple jelly

Rum Whipped Cream

• 1 ½ cups heavy cream

• 1 ½ tablespoons superfine sugar

• 1 ½ tablespoons dark rum

*Notes: I used Bob's Red Mill hazelnut flour for this recipe and I love how it turned out. (I have no connection to Bob's Red Mill, BTW. Just love this hazelnut flour!) Store-bought nut flour works best in this recipe because its finer grind gives the cake a lighter texture. If you're in Seattle, Dilaurenti carries an amazing (but pricy) Italian hazelnut flour that would be perfect in this cake. Another great alternative is Trader Joe's almond meal since it's quite finely ground. 

- You can also make your own hazelnut (or almond) flour by placing toasted and cooled nuts in the bowl of a food processor or blender and processing until they form a fine meal. You will be able to get a finer meal in the blender. Adding a tablespoon or two of sugar will help keep the nuts from turning to nut butter. If you go this route, your cake will be a bit more crumbly than if you use store-bought nut flour.

- I call for superfine sugar because it makes for an easier caramel and yields a finer textured cake. If you can't find it (or don't want to buy a box just for this recipe), you can make your own following the directions here. 

- If you use frozen blackberries, don't thaw them before baking. Raspberries or boysenberries would also be great in this cake.

Preheat your oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Lightly butter a 9-inch round cake pan with 2 1/2-inch sides. Line the bottom of the pan  with a round of parchment paper and lightly butter the parchment.

To make the caramel, bring ½ cup (3 ½ oz.) of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, do not stir or your caramel could seize up on you. Boil, swirling the pan occasionally, until the caramel turns pale amber. Remove the caramel from the heat and add the butter. Swirl the pan until the butter melts into the caramel. Carefully but quickly pour the caramel into the cake pan, tilting it to coat evenly. Whatever you do, do not grab your pan by the bottom as it will be very hot! Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the remaining 1 cup (7 oz.) sugar until just combined. (You can also use a hand mixer or even do this by hand if your butter is soft enough.) Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the zest. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt. With the mixer at low speed, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and work until just combined. Set aside.

Peel and core the pears and slice them about ¼-inch thick. Fan the pear slices over the caramel, leaving a bit of room for the berries to show through. If you need to, save some slices back to leave space. Pour the blackberries over the pears. Arrange any remaining pear slices over the berries and pears.

Gently spread the batter evenly over the fruit. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Remove the parchment  paper if it sticks to the top of the cake.

Just before serving, heat the jelly and  water in a small saucepan over medium-low until melted. Brush the top of cake with the apple glaze. Whip the heavy cream, sugar and rum together by hand or using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature accompanied by the whipped cream.

Makes 6-8 servings.

charred brussels sprouts with turmeric vinaigrette and toasted cashews

Hello, friends.

It’s been a rough week, hasn't it?

Whichever side of the political fence you find yourself on, the events of the past few days (and months, for that matter) have been pretty stressful. Which is why I’m glad Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It gives us a perfect opportunity to put our conflicts aside, gather friends and family around the table, and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for.

To help you make this Thanksgiving as stress-free as possible, I have another easy holiday recipe for you. This one is courtesy of my friend Kyle. To my mind, this is the best sort of Thanksgiving fare: the traditional roasted Brussels sprouts enlivened with a bright turmeric dressing, crunchy cashews and radishes, plus a handful of fresh herbs. It’s a beautiful combination of flavors old and new, ingredients from near and far--like America herself.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know I don't normally get that excited about Thanksgiving. But this year, I’m going all out to make our celebration bright. As we sit down at the table to share and give thanks, I’ll be hoping the holiday encourages us all to extend a little extra warmth and kindness towards those who need it.

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Charred Brussels Sprouts with Turmeric Vinaigrette and Toasted Cashews

• ½ cup cashews
• ½ medium yellow onion, finely diced (about ¾ cup)
• 1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons neutral oil (we used avocado oil), divided
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. brussel sprouts, cleaned, halved and patted dry
• 1 large or 2-3 small radishes, sliced into thin rounds (we used small watermelon radishes)
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, picked or roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon dill fronds, picked or roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 350°F. 

Place the cashews on a sheet pan and toast until they smell fragrant and have a light golden color, 10-12 minutes. Transfer cashews to a plate to cool. Crank your oven to 500°F.

While the oven is heating, make the vinaigrette: place the onion in a small saucepan with the mustard seeds, turmeric and ½ cup of the neutral oil and the olive oil. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Place the Brussels sprouts on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons neutral oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Place into oven and roast for 10-12 minutes. Take care not to overcook the sprouts. You want them cooked through and charred in spots but still bright green. Check their doneness with a fork or paring knife; you should be able to poke all the way through but still feel a tiny bit of resistance. Pull the Brussels sprouts and set aside to cool slightly. Place the sprouts in a large bowl. Add the cashews and radishes

When the dressing has cooked for 20 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon salt, the honey and lime juice. Whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. 

To serve, add ¼ cup of the cumin vinaigrette and most of the herbs to the bowl with the sprouts. Toss to combine. Taste and add more dressing if desired. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the rest of the herbs. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe by Kyle Wisner

swiss chard gratin

Hello!

This week I’m dropping in with an easy little recipe for Swiss chard gratin. Now that Halloween is behind us, my thoughts are turning to Thanksgiving dinner and which dishes will make the cut. I haven’t decided if I’ll roast a turkey. Or maybe a goose? A glazed ham never disappoints. I’ve even been toying with the idea of a crown roast or salt-crusted rack of lamb or some other dramatic dish.

For those of you who look forward to turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce all year, this must sound like nothing short of heresy. But alas, we have no set Thanksgiving ritual in my family. For most of the 90s, for example, we chose a different country or region each year and fashioned our holiday feast around its cuisine. (Ireland was my favorite, if you’re curious. Followed by Cajun.)

But back to this gratin. This is the only dish that’s Thanksgiving 2016 approved thus far. I made it for a cooking class I taught during my Paris culinary retreat in September and it struck me then what a wonderful holiday dish it would make. I served it alongside chicken with roasted turnips and grapes (recipe coming soon) and it was the perfect creamy foil for those earthy-sweet flavors.

So to all the Thanksgiving purists: This gratin may not be traditional, but I’m thinking it will do your turkey and cranberry sauce proud.

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Swiss Chard Gratin

• 1 large bunch (about 1 1/2 pounds) white-stemmed Swiss chard
• Sea salt and freshly-ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 2 shallots, minced (should yield about 1/4 cup)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
• Freshly-grated nutmeg (optional)
• 1/2 cup grated aged Comté or Gruyère cheese

Trim the stems from the chard, discarding any that are wilted. If any stems seem tough, peel them with a vegetable peeler to remove the strings. Bring a large pot of generously salted water (it should taste like the ocean) to a boil. Cut the chard stems crosswise into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Coarsely tear the green tops. Drop the stems into the boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the green tops and continue to cook until the tops are wilted and the stems are just tender, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Set a colander over a large bowl or pot. Drain the chard well, pressing on it with a flexible spatula or ladle to get out as much water as possible. Reserve the cooking liquid.

While the chard is cooking, generously butter a gratin dish. Set aside.

Meanwhile, make the bechamel: Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, but not browned. Stir the flour into the shallots and cook for about about one minute, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw flavor. Measure out one cup of the chard cooking liquid and add it to the pan. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens. Add the crème fraîche and bring just back to a boil. Remove from the heat. Season to taste with lemon juice and nutmeg.

Arrange the drained chard over the bottom of the gratin dish. Pour the bechamel over the chard, sprinkle the cheese over the top and heat under the broiler until golden brown and bubbling. Set aside to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Anne Willan, The Country Cooking of France