Italian lemon cream cake

It was not too long ago when the Italian restaurant we like added this to the dessert menu. Much as I would like to stay away from desserts when we eat out, I find it very difficult to say no to this one. Lately, I've been ordering it to go so that I could savor and enjoy it better at home. I found the recipe for this sometime ago but I keep hesitating to make it. I know I couldn't limit myself to just one slice if I have the whole cake. Finally, on my 50th birthday I decided to make it as a gift to myself :) Since it was on Holy Week, we just had a quiet day. The highlights of the simple celebration were my husband's special birthday treat at one of my favorite restaurants and this unforgettable sweet creamy cake.

ITALIAN LEMON CREAM CAKE

For the white cake, I used Doris Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake recipe and adjusted it using my available ingredients:

2 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups 2% milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar

4 large eggwhites

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon lemon extract

*For the frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature

1/2 stick butter

2 cups powdered sugar

2-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

**For the crumble finish:

1/2 cup all purpose flour, lightly toasted in a skillet

1/4 cup cold butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Grease and line 2 9" cake pans with wax paper. Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together cake flour, salt and baking powder and set aside. Whisk together eggwhites and milk mixture. Rub in the lemon zest into the sugar. With mixer at medium speed, cream butter and sugar. Add the lemon extract. Stir in half of the eggwhites/milk mix then 1/3 of the flour mix. Continue alternately adding milk & flour then mix very well until batter is smooth. Divide the batter between the two pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until done. Cool the cakes. Spread frosting in between layers and on the side. Sprinkle top and sides with the crumble mix. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with lemon slices or lemon zest.

*For the frosting, mix together cream cheese, butter, lemon juice and powdered sugar. Fold in the whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to use.

**For the crumble mix, combine powdered sugar and toasted flour. Using a fork or pastry blender, cut in butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. Keep cool until ready to use.

amberjack fillets

Last week I finally had a chance to check out the newly opened fresh fish and seafood store in our small town. The timing was just perfect for the Lenten season. There was a pretty good assortment of local fish varieties like red snapper, grouper and these amberjack fillets. I planned to bake the big chunk of fillet I bought but I was concerned that the thickness which required longer cooking time would dry out the fish so I decided to cut it up into 1" thick slices. I marinated the fillets in lemon juice, salt and pepper for about an hour. Then I simply pan fried them in olive oil and served them over a simple pasta with some grilled zucchini (now one of our favorites). I was very careful not to overcook the amberjack since these type of firm fish will easily get tough and dry when overcooked. With it's mild taste, amberjack is perfect to use for homemade fish sticks and other popular fish recipes. I've been looking forward to making a pasta side dish idea that I found in a catalogue so this was also the best time to try it.

PASTA WITH PANKO & RED BELL PEPPERS

(recipe from Baker's Catalogue)

I used angel hair but the recipe suggested spaghetti.

8 oz. angel hair pasta, cooked al dente then drained (reserve about 1 cup pasta water)

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup diced onions

2-3 cloves garlic

Lightly toast the panko breadcrumbs in half of the olive oil then transfer to a plate. In the remaining olive oil, cook the garlic, onions and red bell pepper for a few minutes. Toss in the angel hair and add some pasta water if mixture gets too dry. Season with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if desired. Mix in half of the toasted breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs on top of the pasta along with grated parmesan and some chopped parsley.

bouletten with homemade spaetzle

bouletten or German hamburgers with homemade spaetzle and pan fried potatoes

Eating out always offers an opportunity to try new flavors and learn about different cuisines. German food has always been one of our weaknesses so when a new German restaurant recently opened nearby, it didn't take us long to pay them a visit. I was glad my husband told me about the bouletten, the German counterpart of the hamburger, which he tried before. It was so good that I had to recreate it at home. I decided to make it as soon as I found a recipe for it. I used ground lean beef mixed with a few slices of bread, torn and soaked in milk, then drained and mashed. I also added minced parsley and minced onions to the mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into patties then pan fry until fully cooked and well browned. For the gravy, add more olive oil and butter to the same skillet. While scraping the pan with a spatula, sprinkle some flour and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the beef broth or water with beef bouillon and continue to add more if needed. Stir in some mustard and a tablespoon of tomato paste (optional) then season with salt and pepper. Spoon the gravy on the bouletten at serving time.

(1) the spaetzle maker fits well on top of the pot (2) the plastic container filled with the dough glides along the stainless part when pushed (3) the spaetzle dough then drops into the boiling water through the holes ~ it takes only a few minutes to cook (4) spaetzle served warm with butter.

Along with a few German cookbooks, my husband also bought a spaetzle maker, shown above, which worked quite well. The plastic and stainless combination makes it easy to use and to clean as well. Making spaetzle at home allowed me to add whole wheat flour to the soft dough. It was quick to make, thanks to the neat gadget.

simple appetizers

Serving an assortment of tapas or small appetizer portion plates instead of one dish meals can be a lot of work involving so many ingredients but they can also be easy and quick to make. The Spanish tortilla (shown above) was a meatless variation. It was a simple combination of diced potatoes, red bell peppers, onions and some parsley cooked together in a skillet. The beaten eggs were then poured evenly over the potato mixture and sprinkled with grated cheese then cooked over very low heat. To brown the top, the tortilla may also be broiled for a few minutes.

These sausage and olive appetizers were served with the Spanish tortilla. The sausages were just pan fried in a little olive oil until well browned and fully cooked. I used regular toothpicks to skewer them together with some green olives. May be served with some hot sauce.

Shown above are sliced portabella mushrooms cooked in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. In a skillet or pan set over low heat, pan fry minced garlic in olive oil until lightly toasted. Remove from the pan, transfer to a small plate or bowl and set aside. In the same skillet or pan, add more olive oil and pan fry the mushrooms then sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the toasted garlic on top just before serving. May be served with some pasta or salad greens and grated parmesan cheese.

sourdough rolls

Those assorted warm dinner rolls that they serve on board cruise ships have always been something I look forward to. Those delicious dinner meals, created by the chefs and kitchen staff, wouldn't be complete without those crusty and chewy sourdough rolls that usually accompany them. I've been thinking about attempting to make the same or a similar type of dinner rolls with my sourdough starter for quite sometime now. I finally got a chance to experiment one weekend and was quite happy with the results.

Each roll turned out light with good flavor, a crisp crust and a chewy interior. Fresh and hot just out of the oven was the best time to sample them. Maybe next time I will try to brush them with eggwash to give them a shinier crust similar to the dinner rolls at the ship. I used a combination of all purpose flour and white whole flour mixed with the sourdough starter for this batch. I also added a half cup of our favorite harvest grains, a blend of several kinds of seeds including flax and poppyseeds. They gave the rolls additional flavor and fiber. With good butter and a hot cup of coffee, these rolls also made my everyday breakfasts something to look forward to and enjoy.

cinnamon rolls with baker's cinnamon filling

One of my favorite food-related websites to check out is Baker's Catalogue. Aside from the many inspiring recipes and ideas, I also love browsing the ingredients and other baking supplies they offer. We've been ordering regularly from them for quite sometime now and I must say we've never been disappointed with any of their products. One of our most recent purchase was a bag of Baker's Cinnamon Filling. I got curious and wanted to give it a try after reading so many excellent reviews about it. After tasting the initial batch of cinnamon rolls I baked, I have to say we're very satisfied with the product. As proof of how good it is, I've been baking cinnamon rolls every week now since we got it and I'm not even sure if I can ever stop unless, of course, I run out of it. The easy to mix and spread filling made the cinnamon rolls really moist with a more intense cinnamon flavor. It's #1 on my next order list. That's how good it is!

The cinnamon rolls (shown above) ready to go into the oven. I sprinkled some sugar crystals on top and brushed them with eggwash or beaten egg mixed with a little water. Below, the second batch of cinnamon rolls sprinkled with sugar crystals on top.

This simple recipe can also be found at the Baker's Catalogue website. I added some milk and reduced the water to 1/2 cup. I will also try to use a combination of white whole wheat and all purpose flour next time.

CINNAMON ROLLS

3 tbsps. butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup warm milk

1/2 cup lukewarm water

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt

3 tbsps. sugar

3 tbsps. non fat dry milk

1 tbsp. yeast

Filling:

1 cup chopped nuts

3/4 to 1 cup Baker's Cinnamon Filling

3-4 tbsps. water

Pour the water, milk and butter into the bread machine pan. Add the flour, salt, dry milk, sugar and yeast. Set the machine to Dough setting which is 1 1/2 hrs total kneading and resting time. Take out the risen dough and roll out into a rectangle, about 1/4" thick. Mix the cinnamon filling and the water together. Add a little more water if needed to get the right spreading consistency. Spread the filling evenly on the dough. Sprinkle the chopped nuts on top. Roll the dough and cut into 12 equal parts. Arrange cut side up on a greased or lined pan. Brush with eggwash. Sugar crystals may be sprinkled on top. Bake at 350F for about 35 to 40 minutes or until done.

baked potatoes with bacon and mushrooms

I was still in Manila when Wendy's fast food burger chain first introduced baked potatoes in their menu. I remember I used to crave the ones with bacon that were extra cheesy and so these baked potatoes I made recently brought back memories of my fast food days back in Manila. In search for a side dish to go with our meal, I was happy to see this featured on an episode of Giada at Home show on the Food Network. Her recipe suggested baking the potatoes until tender but I decided to save time by microwaving them instead. Split the potatoes in half then scoop out the flesh leaving about a 1/4" thickness with the skin. In a skillet over medium heat, cook some thinly sliced bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside. In the same skillet, reduce the bacon fat to 1 tbsp. and saute 1/4 cup of chopped onions with about 1 tsp. minced garlic. Add some chopped button mushrooms and over low heat, continue to cook the onions and mushrooms for a few minutes. Add the mixture to the scooped out potato along with some butter and half and half. Whisk until creamy just like making mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mashed potato mixture back to the potato skins. Sprinkle the bacon on top followed by the grated cheese. I added extra breadcrumbs on top but this step is optional. Bake or broil the potatoes until the cheese melts and browns very lightly.

Shown above, the potatoes were sprinkled with crisp bacon and a little breadcrumbs then topped with lots of cheese (below) before baking or broiling to melt the cheese.