Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

The holiday season simply wouldn't be the same without having a little something sweet on the table.  This year we tried a pineapple upside-down cake using Martha Stewart's yellow cake, and it was absolutely delicious.  Pineapple upside-down cake is such an easy cake to make, and with its decorative layer of golden pineapple and caramel, it's an impressive and beautiful addition to any table.  But let me offer a word of caution -- this is possibly the best pineapple upside-down cake I've ever had.  It's truly irresistible.  Bake at your own risk!

The Topping:

• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
• 5 Tbsp butter (room temperature)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp dark rum (optional)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 20 oz can of pineapple slices in juice, drained

Directions:

1. Butter and lightly flour an 8 inch cake pan.  Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar by hand.
3. Add rum, maple syrup, and vanilla.  Blend with mixer until creamy.
4. Split the mixture into 4 or 5 equal portions, and drop each portion into the cake pan, evenly spaced.  Spread evenly with a spatula.  The topping should be about 1/4 inch deep.
5. Place pineapple slices on the sugar mixture in a decorative fashion.  Cover as much surface area as possible with pineapple.  Set aside while you make the cake batter.

Cake Batter:

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 stick of butter (room temperature)
• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp milk (room temperature)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, sift together flours and baking powder.  Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar using a mixer.
3. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after adding each egg to combine.
4. Add vanilla; mix.
5. Add a third of the flour mixture, mix, alternating with a third of the milk, mix well.  Repeat until all of the flour and milk is well incorporated.  Be careful not to over-beat the mixture.  
6. Add the batter to the cake pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, about 50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.  The cake will be golden brown on top.
8. Let the cake cool in the pan, resting on a wire rack, for 30 minutes before running a small sharp knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake.  Place a plate on top of the cake pan and invert the cake quickly onto the plate; serve.

 

Eating this cake when it's still slightly warm is quite a treat.  The caramel sauce is divine, and when it cools it creates a delicate caramel crackle around the edge.  The cake is rich, but not too dense, and it has a slight sweetness to it.  Moreover, the cake-to-pineapple ratio is just right.  If well covered and stored in a cool dry place, the cake will stay moist for several days, that is, if it's even around this long.  It really is irresistible. 

The Giving Tree: Mulled Wine for the Over-Heated

Who doesn't like a good holiday cocktail, especially one that starts with red wine? This year the NY Times published a number of new holiday cocktail recipes developed by mixologists from around the country. I have yet to try them all, but so far this one is my favorite: The Giving Tree. Its creator says that it is a twist on the quintessential holiday treat, mulled wine. Unlike it's tasty cousin, this cocktail is served cold. Yes, that's right, cold. But fear not, if your initial response to the idea of cold mulled wine is that it's a humbug, no worries, you'll warm up in no time with this cocktail, because it really packs a punch. Below is my version of The Giving Tree, which I think may be just a tad bit better than the original.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounce red wine (cabernet, zinfandel, or similarly bold red)
• 1 ounce Drambuie
• 1 ounce spiced rum
• 2 dashes Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters (optional) 

Directions:

1. Chill your glass by filling with ice or placing in freezer for 5 minutes.
2. In a metal shaker, combine all ingredients and half-fill with ice. Stir until chilled, about 30 seconds, and strain into chilled glass. 

The spiced rum and bitters add a mild herbal/spiced quality that one expects in a mulled wine; the Drambuie heightens this, while bringing a bit more sweetness to round things out. This cocktail is pretty strong, so it's best served in moderation and amongst the warmth of good friends. Cheers!

UPDATE: For an even easier, no-fuss cocktail, mix 3 parts wine to 1 part Drambuie, add a dash of cinnamon and a dash nutmeg. Serve, rocks optional. 
 

Green Beans with Shallots and Thyme

A few years ago I celebrated my birthday at a lovely little restaurant in Boston called Ten Tables. As the name suggests, they only have ten tables in the whole place, and I assume this is part of what accounted for their exceptional attention to detail. Every dish I had that night was amazing, but of all the dishes I remember the green beans the best. This is probably because these beans changed forever the way I make green beans. The recipe below is a very close approximation to the original transformative side dish.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 medium shallots, diced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 4 springs of fresh thyme
• salt to taste
• fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until browned.
2. Add green beans and thyme leaves to the pan. Season with salt. Cook covered on medium-low heat for about 7 to 10 minutes until the beans reach the desired tenderness. They should be somewhat al dente.
3. Garnish with a bit of fresh parsley before serving.

The simplicity of this dish is its beauty. The shallots lend a delightful sweetness, and the thyme and parsley a bit of freshness. Enjoy!

Orange Braised Chicken Thighs with Green Olives

I've been making this dish for a few years now. It's simple and easy to prepare, with a great return on flavor. I made some slight modifications to the original recipe, which appeared in Gourmet magazine in 1995 (and later on epicurious.com).

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs with skin
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 or 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 fresh lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup green olives, cut in quarters
• 1 cup chicken stock (optional)

Directions:

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken, transferring as browned to a plate.
2. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon fat from pan. Reduce heat to moderate and in skillet cook onion, stirring, until pale golden. Add garlic just as onions begin to brown stirring, until golden.
3. Stir in cumin, citrus juices, and salt and pepper to taste and add chicken and olives. 
4. Simmer chicken, covered, 25 minutes, or until tender. Turn the chicken after 15 minute.
5. Remove chicken and reduce sauce by about 1/3.  Taste the sauce and adjust if it needs more juice (lemon or orange). If the sauce becomes too thick, chicken stock can be used to thin it out.

The sauce is slightly briny and deliciously rich with a mildly sweet flavor from the orange and lemon juices, balanced by an earthiness that the cumin and garlic provide. It can get a bit too salty however if you add extra olives, so try not to go overboard. And while I'm on the topic of olives, it's important to use quality olives with good flavor (canned will not do here, but that goes without saying) because the olives create the base of the sauce and if their flavor isn't appealing the whole dish will be off.

Pairings:

Serve with Turmeric Rice with Raisins or even some plain white rice. For a vegetable try Roasted Cauliflower with a little drizzle of lemon or Green Beans with Shallots and Thyme. And of course a nice dry white wine would work nicely here as well.

If more sauce is needed for leftovers (should you even have any) prepare a mix of orange juice (2/3 cup), chicken stock (2/3 cup), cumin (1/2 teaspoon), thyme (1/4 teaspoon), and chopped olives (1/4 cup); heat until reduced by about half.

Enjoy!

Season's Greetings

NYC has already experienced a few snow storms this season, but luckily they haven't amounted to much. Still, the falling snow has proved to be quite beautiful, providing scenes such as this. Season's Greetings!

Fish and Rose: A taste of the Vineyard in NYC

Longing for a taste of home, I was so pleased to hear that a new pop-up restaurant was making its debut in the city. The folks from the Martha's Vineyard-based, family-owned Beetlebung Farm have brought their farm-fresh veggies, meats, oysters, and more to thrill and delight us until Dec 30th. The pop-up is being held in the old Bowery St. subway station -- a remodeled space that is both charming and inviting.

Opening night at the Fish and Rose was quite a treat, even more so since we were there for a late night seating, which avoided the crowds and created a more intimate experience. Beetlebung Farm is known for hosting private parties in which guests get to mingle with the chef as well as his celebrity friends. And this night was no exception, but the real treat was the food. On the menu was an asian pear and feta salad, a succulent pan-seared pork chop with roasted beets and carrots, a side of roasted cauliflower and steamed kale, and honey pie for dessert. The highlight for me was the pan-seared pork chop, which was permeated with a hint of sweetness so divine that I had to restrain myself from the urge to chew on the bone right then and there in an effort to get at every last tasty morsel. This is what farm-fresh food is all about. I only hope I can visit them again before these transient culinary masters disappear into the fog, heading back to this magical place called The Vineyard.

Caramelized Pears

I was visiting family over Thanksgiving, the holiday that is all about good food. And so it's no surprise that we talked endlessly about good food, prepared good food, ate good food, dreamed about good food, and watched TV shows that showed us how to make even more good food. One evening we happened to see a show where the chef created a very simple and elegant dish of caramelized pears, so of course we made them the very next night, and they were amazing.

¼ cup butter (60 ml)

4 medium red and yellow Bartlett pears, pitted and quartered

½ cup brown sugar (125 ml)

2 tablespoons Bourbon (30 ml) (Optional)

Good quality ice cream to garnish

Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/caramelized-pears/11587/#Sm4RBiC2hgwAGlSp.99

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 medium Bartlett pears, pitted and quartered
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Drambuie or Bourbon (optional)
• Vanilla ice cream, as a garnish

Directions:

1. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter and then add the pears, cut-side down; cook until slightly golden brown, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add brown sugar and continue cooking until caramelized, another 5 minutes. Add the Drambuie or Bourbon and continue for 5 more minutes.
3. Plate pears, garnish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

You can modify the recipe depending on what's in season; I think this would be fantastic with apples, peaches, or even plums. Just be sure not to get the temperature too high (above 300 degrees F), as this will create a brittle rather than gooey caramel sauce.

All in all, these pears are the perfect holiday treat; they are easy, sophisticated, and delicious. There's no reason you shouldn't make them with your family to celebrate during the holiday season. Bon appétit!

¼ cup butter (60 ml)

4 medium red and yellow Bartlett pears, pitted and quartered

½ cup brown sugar (125 ml)

2 tablespoons Bourbon (30 ml) (Optional)

Good quality ice cream to garnish

Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/caramelized-pears/11587/#Sm4RBiC2hgwAGlSp.99

¼ cup butter (60 ml)

4 medium red and yellow Bartlett pears, pitted and quartered

½ cup brown sugar (125 ml)

2 tablespoons Bourbon (30 ml) (Optional)

Good quality ice cream to garnish

Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/caramelized-pears/11587/#Sm4RBiC2hgwAGlSp.99

¼ cup butter (60 ml)

4 medium red and yellow Bartlett pears, pitted and quartered

½ cup brown sugar (125 ml)

2 tablespoons Bourbon (30 ml) (Optional)

Good quality ice cream to garnish

Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/caramelized-pears/11587/#Sm4RBiC2hgwAGlSp.99