pumpkin cake and fa la la

When the holidays come too early by showing up in the stores immediately after Halloween, you can say that we become Grinches, snarling at the loud decorations and getting more and more annoyed by the second at the mechanical Santa Claus doing his belly jiggle dance. But we have fully embraced the holidays now that they’re here. J and I like to sit in front of the small Christmas tree we picked up from a neighborhood tree lot and watch its glowing lights every night before we go to bed. While we sit there, we cut out paper tree decorations and listen to the holiday music playing on the radio — songs that we’ve heard and sung along to year after year. Now, we belt along in our loudest singing voices together (without disturbing our neighbor, of course). Somehow, this being our very first Christmas together makes this season all the more special to us.

We have been working on our Christmas tree decorations for more than a week now. The first thing we did was buy a short string of lights, but that happened to cover only a third of our tree. Severe underestimation. We exchanged the strand for a longer one, and all was well. Then we created a paper chain garland, which required a lot of cutting and taping, and at least several days. Now that the garland is finished, we are cutting out paper snowflakes for our ornaments. More pictures to come soon!

For the past few nights, our tree-decorating madness has been accompanied by this madly delicious and moist pumpkin cake. This cake contains crushed pineapple and coconut flakes, which do wonders to subtly flavor the cake and give it texture. And the spices and pumpkin are perfect for the season. I left out the currants because I didn’t have any at home, but it still turned out wonderfully. Instead of the suggested cream cheese frosting, I used a batch of leftover cream cheese frosting I had sitting in the freezer. (Cream cheese frosting freezes extremely well, in case you were wondering.)

Spiced Pumpkin Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Epicurious | November 2009
by Diane Morgan
The New Thanksgiving Table

Cake
Butter for coating cake pans, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pan
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin purée
1 cup lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup canned crushed pineapple (do not drain)
1/3 cup dried currants

Cream Cheese Frosting
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons canned unsweetened pumpkin purée
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch sides. Line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper. Sprinkle the pans with flour, tap the pans to evenly distribute the flour, and then shake off the excess flour. Set aside.

To make the cake, in a large bowl, sift together the 2 cups flour, the granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, oil, and vanilla. In another medium bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, coconut, crushed pineapple, and currants.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add the pumpkin mixture and stir just until combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, spreading it evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks and let cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Run a table knife around the edge of the pans to loosen the cakes. Invert the cakes onto the racks and peel off the parchment paper. Let cool completely before frosting the cakes.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed for about 3 minutes until smooth. Add the butter and beat for about 2 minutes until combined. Add the pumpkin purée and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat for about 3 minutes until fluffy.

Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or platter. Using an offset spatula, spread half of the frosting over the top of the first cake layer. Spread the frosting right to the edge of the top without frosting the sides of the cake. Carefully place the second cake on top, lining up the edges. Spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake without frosting the sides. Swirl the frosting to decorate the top. Refrigerate the cake to set the frosting. Remove from the refrigerator 30 to 40 minutes before serving.

a bowl of comfort

We can’t complain too much about the weather in San Francisco, but it has gotten noticeably chillier over the past two weeks. Any outing requires us to bundle up in thick sweaters, coats, and mittens in preparation for the nippy air. On days like these, all J and I want after coming in from the cold is a steaming mug of mulled cider or hot chocolate, or even better — a big bowl of soup — to warm our insides.

Like a bowl of this potato and leek soup. This soup is hearty and smooth without being heavy, and will have you warm and toasty in no time at all.

I loosely used this recipe and followed a reviewer’s suggestions to add fried bacon pieces and bacon fat to the recipe.

Potato and Leek Soup
adapted from Gourmet | March 1992
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Yield: Makes about 4 cups, serving 2 generously

a couple strips of bacon, chopped into 3/4″ pieces
white and pale green parts of 2 large leeks, split lengthwise, washed well, and chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup chicken broth
1 pound boiling potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

First, fry bacon pieces to a crisp, and then set them aside. Using only about a third or half of the rendered bacon fat (discarding the rest) plus a pat of butter, saute the leeks with salt and pepper until they are soft, tender, and golden around the edges. Add chicken stock, water and cubed potatoes. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for about twenty minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Using a blender, carefully puree the soup (in batches, if necessary). Season to taste with salt and pepper, and if needed, thin out soup by mixing in more stock or water and reheating. Ladle soup in bowls and top with chopped parsley and fried bacon bits. Serve with crusty bread.

thanksgiving

It is December 1st, and we are still working on leftovers. It’s been delicious (we’ve also had turkey soup and turkey melts), but I think it is now time to stop.

Here are just a few photos of our Thanksgiving dishes. We made roast turkey with herbs and shiitake mushroom gravy, cornbread stuffing, roasted butternut squash & purple sweet potatoes with sage, braised brussels sprouts with lemon and thyme (a favorite of mine), brown rice with black barley & radish seeds (a mix from TJ’s) with crimini mushrooms, and fresh cranberry sauce with orange zest. I was so excited to eat that I forgot to take a picture of our table when we sat down to dinner.

Turkey, three quarters of the way through. It turned a richer, deeper brown after all the basting towards the end. (Yes, that is my foot in the picture.)

Stuffing.

Cranberry sauce.

And there was dessert. Butterscotch budino (pudding).

The weekend before Thanksgiving, we were in Los Angeles for a friend’s wedding. J planned ahead and got us a dinner reservation at Mario Batali’s Pizzeria Mozza. While the pizza was delicious, I was turning cartwheels over the butterscotch budino that we had ordered for dessert. Luckily for me, after a quick internet key word search upon our return home, I was able to find the recipe for Mozza’s butterscotch budino. I then turned some more cartwheels and instantly decided that this year, butterscotch pudding would take the place of pumpkin pie as Thanksgiving dessert.

With multiple components, the recipe (thank you, NY Times!) is a bit involved, but the pudding, caramel, and creme fraiche topping can all be made ahead of time. You may choose to scale down if you have a smaller party, but trust me, I wouldn’t. These are leftovers that you would love to have again and again.

Butterscotch Budino With Caramel Sauce (10 servings)
Adapted from Dahlia Narvaez of Pizzeria Mozza; Time: 1 hour, plus 3 hours’ chilling

FOR THE BUDINO

3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/8 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2teaspoons kosher salt
5 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum (I used 2+ tablespoons, and it was just right)

FOR THE SAUCE AND TOPPING

3/4 cup heavy cream
Scrapings from 1-inch piece of vanilla bean, or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons fleur de sel (I pounded coarse sea salt into fine flakes using a small plastic sandwich bag and a rolling pin)
3/4 cup crème fraîche.

1. For the budino, combine cream and milk in bowl or pitcher, set aside. Whisk egg, egg yolks and cornstarch in medium bowl, set aside.
2. Combine brown sugar, kosher salt and 1/2 cup water in pot. Place over medium-high heat and let sit until edges start to brown. Tilt pot as needed to even the browning until caramelized, nutty and deep brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Immediately whisk in cream mixture, mixture will steam and caramel will seize. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Whisk a cup at a time into egg mixture until half is incorporated. Remove from heat, and immediately whisk egg mixture back into pot until custard is very thick, about 2 minutes.
4. Whisk in butter and rum. Pass through a fine mesh strainer and divide among 10 6-ounce ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap, allow to cool, and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours or up to 3 days.
5. For sauce, combine 1/2 cup of cream and the vanilla in medium saucepan. Heat until simmering. Add butter and remove from heat; set aside.
6. In large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine corn syrup, sugar and enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make a wet, sandy mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling pan for even cooking, until mixture is medium amber, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in cream mixture; set aside and let cool. (May be refrigerated and reheated before serving.)
7. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup cream in a large bowl until it begins to thicken. Add crème fraîche and whisk until thick and fluffy. To serve, spoon a tablespoon of warm caramel sauce over each budino. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon fleur de sel, and add a dollop of cream topping.

the pumpkin patch

A couple of weekends ago, J and I decided to go apple-picking. After some research on the internet and a long drive, we arrived at a farm in the east bay, only to be told that the orchards were closed due to storms that had hit just a few days before. Our disappointment upon hearing this was only fleeting — this farm also had a pumpkin patch!

So, instead of picking apples, we went in search of the perfect pumpkins.

It took a lot of walking back and forth to find just the right one.

Our final picks:

Last night, we finally carved our pumpkins.

I carved a monster  from Where The Wild Things Are (It was named “Carol” in the movie). I think it ended up looking a lot like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. It must be the toothy grin and the stripes.

J carved a sinister-looking Garfield. He half-carved some details which you can see more easily with better lighting.

Happy Halloween!

casa de los sabores

The next day in Oaxaca we took a class in Zapotec cooking, offered by Casa de los Sabores. Our instructor, chef Reyna Mendoza, is a native of Teotitlan del Valle, a Zapotec village where she grew up learning traditional cooking techniques from her mother.

Our class began with a trip to a market nearby, La Merced, where we could find the freshest ingredients for the meal that we were about to prepare.

At the market, Reyna showed us the differences between several kinds of chile. I believe the two shown are guajilla (left) and ancho (right).

Oaxaca is known to be the “land of seven moles.” Chocolate, which is a component in some of these moles, is an ingredient commonly sold at the markets. These chocolate chunks are usually made of chocolate mixed with cinnamon and sugar.

We picked up some fresh chicken,

tomatoes,

tomatillos,

cheese,

squash blossoms,

and homemade flour tortillas from a woman who comes to the market to sell her steaming hot, towel-wrapped tortillas.

We also got to sample empanadas de huitlacoche con quesillo (empanadas with corn fungus and Oaxacan string cheese), cooked on a large comal.

Huitlacoche is harvested and available fresh only during the rainy season.

We returned to the kitchen, where the five of us, along with our instructor and assistants, created the following menu. We were not allowed to take photos during the class (too distracting), so here are photos of the completed dishes.

Enchiladas de Mole con Pollo (mole enchiladas with chicken)

Ensalada de Nopales con Aderezco (cactus salad with dressing)

Indias Vestidas (figurative name for fried, cheese-stuffed squash blossoms)

Salsa de Miltomate y Chile Pasilla de Oaxaca (tomatillo and Oaxacan pasilla chile salsa)

Helado de Frambuesa (raspberry ice cream)

We are excited about recreating these recipes someday, and sharing the recipes and results here.

el zòcalo and mexican independence day

From our hotel, we walked towards el zòcalo, or the town square, in search of a bite to eat. On our way, we stopped at a bakery for a snack. That bakery soon became a favorite of ours.

(I liked the bun in the middle best.)

It so happened to be Mexican independence day, and it seemed like the city of Oaxaca had converged upon el zòcalo to celebrate. The festivities had only begun, and would continue late into the night.

Near el zòcalo are two big markets, where they sell meats, fruits, vegetables, prepared foods, shoes, clothes, sombreros, and anything you can think of. Outside the markets, the streets are lined with vendors selling produce, tlayudas, breads, desserts, and chapulines (roasted and seasoned grasshoppers, a Oaxacan specialty).

At La Abuelita, a restaurant in one of the markets, we enjoyed a dinner of cecina and mole negro con pollo (black mole with chicken).

To end the night, we returned to el zòcalo to listen to a mariachi band play.

the cathedral in el zòcalo

street lights

los pueblos mancomunados

Shortly after our arrival in Oaxaca, we boarded a bus that would take us to the Zapotec villages that lie east of the city, in the Sierra Norte mountain range. For centuries, these villages (Pueblos Mancomunados) have thrived by pooling their natural resources and cooperating as a community. In the past 15 years, they have also been part of an ecotourism program that not only works to preserve one of the world’s oldest ecosystems (the Sierra Madre), but also to provide jobs and tourism revenue to the villages.

the bus terminal

An old, clunky bus with the letters xXx emblazoned in front, a crazy driver, and winding roads that barely fit the girth of the bus (plus oncoming traffic every now and then) made for a harrowing bus ride. We climbed and lurched to-and-fro. After a two hour ride, we arrived at one of the villages, Cuajimoloyas. Cuajimoloyas resides at an elevation of 3,000 meters.

our cabin

view from the cabins

After we were shown our cabin, our rumbling stomachs reminded us that it was far past lunchtime. We headed down to a trucheria, or trout restaurant, and made our selections off a simple menu. We ordered one trout to be fried, and the other to be baked with onions, tomatoes, and herbs. Our hostess then began to prepare our meal. She piled more wood into her stove, cleaned the fresh fish, and proceeded to fry and cook the fish as her baby slept nearby in a stroller.

Our appetites sated, we donned our rain gear and went for a short hike up the tallest rock near the village, passing through villagers’ backyards on the way. Most of the people raise their own livestock — there were chickens, turkeys, sheep, goats, cows, and the burros that they use for transporting materials.

We climbed and admired the spectacular view of the surrounding mountains as the clouds rolled in. As we neared the top, it began to rain as predicted, so we turned around and descended the little mountain. The light drizzle turned into big, heavy sheets of rain, and the streets became streams. Back in our room and shivering with cold, we dried ourselves and changed out of our damp clothes in record time and dove for the bed, burrowing deep into the blankets and sleeping bags.  Later in the night, someone from the village came to light a fire for us. When the smoky fire was roaring, J parked himself in front of the fireplace; I refused to come out from under the warm covers to join him. Only my nose peeked out so that I could breathe, and even it was cold. In the mountains, the temperature drops dramatically with nightfall.

The next morning, we were greeted by sunshine. We stopped at a comedor for a breakfast of hot chocolate, coffee with chocolate, wheat bread, and an amazing chicken stew that was recommended to us by another customer.

We then met with our Spanish-speaking guide, Paola, who would take us to Llano Grande, one of the neighboring villages.

Along the trail, Paola pointed out many wildflowers, herbs, and plants with medicinal uses.

a cactus plant

“laurel” – bay leaf

“carlos santo” – used to treat gastritis

“hoja de sapo” – lowers cholesterol

aspirin plant – our guide told us that if you chew on two of these leaves, any aches that you may have will be gone in ten minutes. As someone who often gets headaches, I decided to chew on half of a leaf as a preventive measure. Not surprisingly, it was extremely bitter. I was also headache-free that day.

“flor de rana”

“flor de papel”

The hike was very pleasant, and the air crisp and clean. Using my very elementary and broken Spanish, we conversed with our guide the entire way.

We reached Llano Grande by afternoon. We had hoped to do some more hiking and exploring in Llano Grande, but the villagers we met pointed to the ominous clouds overhead and told us that it wasn’t such a great idea. So instead we sat down to a lunch of cecina (chile-marinated sheets of pork) and chile relleño (fried poblano pepper stuffed with cheese).

After lunch, we returned to Oaxaca on a colectivo. We rode in the back, where there was a bench on either side of the truck and ropes to hold onto. It was a fun ride, with great views and plenty of fresh air.

in just a bit…

I’ve been meaning to get around to posting about our trip to Mexico. It will happen soon, over the next few days (I hope).

Oh, please go and buy yourself some persimmons, the Hachiya variety. Get them ripe, as if they were ready to rupture — skin paper-thin and flesh soft and squishy. Wash the persimmons gently before eating. To eat, sink your teeth into the skin of the fruit’s pointed end and suck the pulpy flesh out. As you watch the persimmon deflate, pretend that you are a vampire feasting on Halloween. Tasty.

memories of summer

This summer, we did many things.

We ate a lot of ice cream. There are quite a few ice cream shoppes in our neighborhood. I am not complaining. This is a photo taken at the Bombay Ice Creamery.

We had picnics at Dolores Park, and got to watch an outdoor movie there one night. They were showing Amelie.

We saw the Warhol exhibit at the de Young museum. After our visit, I couldn’t get The Velvet Underground’s music out of my head.

We walked along the Marina, and watched people sunbathe and kitesurf.

We rode the wooden roller coaster at the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk, and went searching for the sea lions at the pier. They like to sunbathe, too.

We hiked along coastal trails,

and in the Sierras, where we camped underneath the stars.

We met up with friends in Seattle and kayaked through the San Juan islands. It was an amazing adventure. We saw so much wildlife — porpoises, seals, jellyfish, starfish, crab, heron, bats, bald eagles, deer, and a little mouse who stole goodies from our frying pan after dinner.

Lastly, we enjoyed the bounty that summer had to offer with weekly trips to the local farmers’ market.

And with that, I will leave you with photos and recipes from a summer supper we made. Original recipes from here and here.

Heirloom tomatoes

Sticky Balsamic Ribs

Corn and Tomato Scramble

It may be fall already, but I believe that any season is a season for ribs. I will surely miss the tomatoes, though — they will be around for only a little while longer.

Heirloom Tomatoes (We had this at a restaurant some time ago as an appetizer. It is so easy to prepare and so delicious.)
Serves 4

4 medium-sized tomatoes, sliced at a quarter-inch thick or less. Arrange on platter and drizzle over with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add a sprinkling of salt and grated, thin pieces of parmesan.

Sticky Balsamic Ribs
Serves 8

For ribs
8 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon cayenne
8 lb baby back pork ribs (We used 3 racks, about 2 lb each)
1 cup water

For glaze
2 cups hot water
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

Marinate and roast ribs:

* Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1 tsp salt. Stir together with rosemary, brown sugar, vinegar, cayenne, 1 Tbsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Rub evenly all over ribs and transfer to roasting pans. Marinate, chilled, 8 to 24 hours.
* Preheat oven to 425°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
* Pour 1/2 cup water into each roasting pan and tightly cover pans with foil. Roast ribs, switching position of pans halfway through, until meat is very tender, about 1 3/4 hours. Remove pans from oven and transfer ribs to a platter.

Make glaze and grill ribs:

* Add 1 cup hot water to each roasting pan and scrape up brown bits. Skim off and discard fat, then transfer liquid to a 10-inch skillet. Add vinegar and brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil until reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes.
* Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas). We used the oven, since we do not have a grill. We put the ribs under the broiler for a few minutes at the very end.
* Brush some of glaze onto both sides of racks of ribs. Grill, turning occasionally, until ribs are hot and grill marks appear, about 6 minutes.
* Brush ribs with more glaze and serve remaining glaze on the side.

Corn and Tomato Scramble
Serves 4

1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar (I used what I had — red wine vinegar)
3/4 lb tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped, keeping white parts and greens separate
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
corn kernels from 4 ears of corn

Whisk together oil, vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, and some pepper. Toss tomatoes with dressing.
While tomatoes marinate, cook white parts of scallions in butter with some salt and pepper in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add corn and sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool. Stir together corn, tomatoes, and scallion greens.

london, day 4

It rained on our last day in London, but given the fantastic weather we had experienced during most of our stay, it didn’t dampen our spirits one bit. It was kind of nice, actually.

Since it was Monday, LW and S had to go to work, and they left even before we were up. We tried to arrange a meeting with LW at the MRC, where he does research, but sort of lost our way and sought refuge at the nearby newly constructed Westfield Center instead. Normally, we would not think of going to a mall while on vacation, but S gave us a sparkling review about the mall’s food court and we had to go see for ourselves.

Compared to food courts at American malls (think Sbarro and Orange Julius), food courts at British malls serve what we would call gourmet food. Mall food is taken very seriously here.

Per S’s recommendation, we stopped at the French bistro for cassoulet – duck confit in a stew of white beans and sausage. It was delightful.

After our little snack and some shopping, we went in search of our first high tea experience at The Wolseley.

The Wolseley was beautiful.

The sight of tea and cakes made me giddy.

Tea for two. Three delicious tiers of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and assorted desserts.

And, of course, tea with cream and sugar.

On our way to meet LW later that afternoon, we spotted a Laduree! The store itself looks like a cave of gold…gold and macarons.

There were so many varieties of macarons…we bought a box to take home with us.

J and I then went to the Asian markets to buy groceries for dinner that night. We had some free drinks with LW (a club’s promotional deal) before heading home.

For dinner, we made Chinese food. I taught S how to make some simple Kung Pao chicken, Ma Po tofu, and greens seasoned with salt and slivers of ginger.

For dessert, we had macarons. We “sampled” all of the flavors until the box was empty.

And so ended our time in London and our adventures in Europe this year. The next morning we woke at 4 a.m. to catch the tube to the train station. LW and S were so sweet to wake up with us, bleary-eyed, to hug us goodbye.