Apparently inspired by an viral online hoax, Nabisco has thrown down the product development gauntlet and release a limited edition run of red velvet Oreos.
I love red velvet desserts. It's not just my penchant for food coloring that does it, but there's something so homey and beautiful about a red velvet cake. Red velvet is primarily flavored by loads of chocolate, but the addition of buttermilk and/or vinegar adds tangy-ness and depth that you don't normally get with plain chocolate. And cream cheese icing is a gift from Heaven. I love cream cheese as is - on bagels, club sandwiches, in cheese cake or just straight from that silver packaging - but it's really superb when manipulated in a sweet way. Creamy icing with a perfect balance of tartness and sugar paired with deeply earthy cake is the best of the best, to me. It's really a riff on Southern culture as a whole - our food, our attitude and way of life - sweet and smooth with a bite, and an outward appearance that's just a little too much.
A favorite red velvet recipe -- brownies. Click HERE for the recipe.
Needless to say, I was thrilled that the rumor came to fruition and that they're now available at our local Ingles market. Up to this point, I have refused to try any of the bastardizations of a classic that Nabisco has tried to pawn off as an Oreo. I have no desire to eat a cookie that tastes like watermelon, peppermints or birthday cake; so this taste test is truly an act of faith - that Nabisco and the institution of red velvet won't let me down.
First, let me say that anymore Oreos are a ripoff; $4 for a pack is absurd. We caught these on sale for 2/$5.50 but the "specialty" packs are smaller, this one being the smallest one yet with only "about" 20 cookies. The packaging is almost an afterthought because of the small size; it's off center! Stay tuned for this summer's Rick Moranis blockbuster, "Honey, I Shrunk the Oreos."
Secondly, they aren't that pretty. Red velvet cakes vary in coloration from bright, brilliant reds to deeper, wine-like hues. I love assertive red velvet cakes; part of what sets them apart is their color, so let it shine through. These cookies are on the darker side and almost look brown. You eat with your eyes first, and I think it'd be a more effective product if the coloring was more bold.
But those aren't the make or break cookie critiques. Let's look at the critical quality points of an Oreo: the cookie, the creme, the twist and the dunkability.
Simplicity at its best, an Oreo has two distinguishable, judge-able parts.
The Cookie:
Eaten on their own, the cookie wafer is noticeably sweeter than the traditional chocolate wafer. And it does have the deeper, signature flavor that distinguishes red velvet from plain old chocolate. I was impressed with the cookie and enjoy eating them post-twist as much as I do the original flavor.
The Creme:
This creme is Sweet, with a capital "s." It does have the tangy flavor of cream cheese but the sugar factor is on over-drive. It felt like the creme in these sandwiches was actually creamier that the traditional cookie's, like icing; smooth and soft. But it was actually gritty from the sugariness.
LEGO Amanda is thrilled (or scared) that these cookies match her sweater vest...
I once did an exercise with elementary students about instructions and how to read/write for detail. They had to write step-by-step directions on how to eat an Oreo. Their answers varied in degrees of success, but the true lesson was that everyone eats Oreos differently (this is a good diversity exercise, too!). Despite our varied methods, most people have at least experimented with twisting the sandwiches apart and dunking them in milk.
The Twist:
I am a habitual twister. Traditional Oreos have a great structure and texture such that you can almost always twist the top and bottom cookies into two independent parts. One free of creme and the other with a smooth, unblemished layer of creme. I like to twist, eat the plain cookie, peel the creme off in one sheet, eat it in one bite then finish the now-naked cookie. Probably because this sweet creme is so soft and creamy, it sticks to both cookies and makes for a messy twist. Technically that's just an aesthetic issue, but those built in Oreo-eating habits are hard to break.
The Dunkability:
Drinking big glasses of milk wrecks my stomach, but if there are Oreos around, I'll pour a cup just for dunking. There's so many different schools of dunkers. J is of the soft, but not too soggy camp. I barely get my Oreos wet before I pull them back out. But sometimes, I do enjoy letting a cookie almost disintegrate in the cup. Again, probably because of the creme, the structural integrity of the cookies is compromised. In milk they start falling apart drastically quicker than their normal counterparts and get softer faster. If you're pro-soggy cookie and you use a spoon to cradle your cookie mess, you'll love these. If you seek a gently softened Oreo or are dipping with your fingers, you need to make a mad dunk in and out to get the perfect consistency.
I would say that this experiment did not hurt my love for red velvet but didn't improve my opinion of Nabisco's recent Oreo tampering. They're pretty good and fairly true to the intended flavor but they're not the Oreos of my childhood. I love the plain chocolate and vanilla cookies. They're 100 years old and we still buy them. My overwhelming sentiment is, that like so many things in life, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I could watch cooking shows all day. Seriously, I could and, actually, I probably have. Thankfully, there are two channels devoted exclusively to all things yummy - the Food Network, who shaped my interest in cooking from a young age, and their sister station The Cooking Channel, which features less-commercial programming, and more literal cooking shows than FN (it's the way FN used to be). But, building on the success of these two channels, many other networks have jumped on the food-show trend and I couldn't be happier!
There are all kinds of food programs to watch from the basic how-to's, the first of which that I remember watching was literally called How to Boil Waterthat introduced the world to Tyler Florence; competitions like Cupcake Warsor The Taste; did-you-know shows like Unwrapped, that explain where our favorite foods come from; foodie talk shows such as The Kitchen; and the ever-popular tour shows, like Diners, Drive-ins & Divesor Bizarre Foods, that show you where to find the best (or weirdest) grub (sometimes literally, in the case of Bizarre). And I love all of them! I love to learn new things about food - not just how to prepare it, but how it's made and where to find it, and I find great joy in watching people excel as chefs.
I want to share some of my favorite shows with you and encourage you to watch an episode or two.
We recently "cut the cord" and only subscribe to online streaming services for TV, so I've included a variety of shows that are available either online, on cable or both. Unfortunately, a lot of shows from The Cooking Channel and Food Network are slow to join the streaming world, but it's happening. The Netflix acquisition of Chopped and a few other FN titles has happened within the last two months. I've listed each show's viewing options and if they are currently showing new episodes, I've listed their airing day/time; most shows are also now available on YouTube for a fee.
Ravioli is such a fun show. The premise is that Mo Rocca, comedian and pundit often on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, used to love the ravioli his grandmother made. But he wasn't able to capture all her cooking lessons before she passed away. So now, as an adult, seeking to learn more about how to cook and the history of other families' favorite dishes, he visits other people's nanas, grandpoppas, mamaws and abuelos. He cooks a few dishes with the grandparent (or grandparents) and then their families and friends gather for a feast. The show never fails to bring laughter and some of the most poignant moments on TV - like the Italian man who was going to show Mo how to make mozzerella with his father who made it by hand for 50+ years, but the father died a few weeks before taping and they continued on, with a picture of Pops taped to the kitchen cabinet. If you're looking to learn something new, but truly appreciate the feelings that make a good dish, tune in to this show.
Gordon Ramsey has to be one of the most feared chefs in the world, not just from his intimidating career, but from the absolute tyrant he is on shows like Hell's Kitchen, where he whips chefs into shape to compete for jobs at his restaurants. His language is beyond rude and he's absolutely hateful to the contestants. On MasterChef he's a little kinder; he's dealing with untrained home cooks who are looking for success and to win a cookbook deal and major money. But the newest of his competition shows, MasterChef Junior, takes the cake. He and his fellow chef judges, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich are downright adorable, nurturing, even, of their contestants ages 8 to 13. The gruff, tense Ramsey is softer, sweeter and quite dreamy as he cuddles the kids, jokes with them and leads them to grow. And as a former teacher, I truly enjoy seeing shows where kids shine. These children are remarkable - making creme anglaise and chiffon cakes before they even hit puberty! I didn't even know what those things were at that time; my all-star dish at 10 was cornflake-coated chicken breasts. These children are unbelievably talented, but also so adorable, quirky and fun!
This show, produced by fierce foodie Anthony Bourdain, takes you literally into the minds of chefs around the world. The episodes go into the stories of chefs that weave colorful explainations of their culinary points of view and how they operate their kitchens. So it's part bio-pic, part learning channel (this is PBS, after all) and part travel show. I've learned a lot about chefs I'd never heard of, such as Southern food "activist" Sean Brock, and their unique perspectives on food. For example, in Brock's episodes he explains his mission to protect and reinvigorate Southern recipes by saving our agriculture. In his kitchens (Husk restaurants in Nashville, TN and in Charleston, SC) NO non-Southern ingredients are used - so no olive oil, no herbs de provence; and the ingredients that are used are sourced from farms as close to home as possible, or in the restaurant itself - they make their own lard and cured meats. These episodes taught me more about where my traditions (and ingredients) come from and what they mean to me beyond flavor and better informed me on restaurant menu choices. It's a very thought-provoking show.
The Chew - ABC (weekdays at 1:00 p.m.) and on HuluPlus
This is daytime TV at its finest. They aren't talking about who cheated on who in Hollywood or pleading "help! My son is a _______" but rather talking about the food issues we all deal with; like what to bring to a potluck, what's a good hostess gift, how can I decorate the Thanksgiving table for under $20 and how do I convince my kids to eat their veggies. The hosts include Iron Chefs Mario Batali and Michael Symon; health-food diva (and daughter of Dr.Oz) Daphne Oz; Top Chef contestant Carla Hall and What Not to Wear star Clinton Kelly. Each of these hosts offers a unique perspective into eating well - Symon's all about the pork, Batali loves all things Italian, Daphne has the best healthy tips, Carla is the baked goods queen and Clinton pulls everything together into a tasteful, entertaining package. Out of all the talk-show format food shows, this one is my favorite with the best hosts and guests, most relevant themes and easiest and most delicious recipes.
Top Chef began when there were few, if any, food competition shows on the air. Its pits well-established professional chefs against each other to win a huge check and the title of Top Chef. This competition has had the power to accelerate careers on a drastic scale. What I loved most about Top Chef in the beginning (they've got 12+ seasons now) was how elegant everything was. When they started, there wasn't a lot of fine dining represented on tv shows, it was still more about how-to spots than showcasing some truly talented people. One of my favorite episodes (see below) was promoting the film Snow White and the Huntsman and each contestant had to make a wicked dish for Charlize Theron who played the evil queen. The creativity on this show is limitless, they combine amazing techniques with unmatched imagination. Plus the judges are terrific - other shows have lost me because of their permanent cast, but Padma Lakshimi, Tom Colicchio and Gale Simmons are perfectly matched with sass, calm and brilliant critiques.
I don't know how you can't enjoy sabotage cooking - where chefs, who are daily dealt a new hand at their restaurants, are practically tortured with obscure ingredients, impossible deadlines and bizarre punishments. That may sound dramatic, but imagine trying to cook a meal only using the bottom side of pots and pans or where you have to make 100 year-old eggs appealing. Good luck! My imagination is tested with these challenges and it's even inspired our own Chopped cook-offs. I find these absurd competitions entertaining but also inspiring; if they can do impossible-seeming task x, I can certainly do y.
Now, as much as I enjoy the hour-long Food Network games I listed above, I also love the season-long games where contestants are whittled down slowly to one supreme winner. Next Food Network Star determines who will be the next person to develop their own FN show; Guy Fiere was their first winner. Worst Cooks in America rehabilitates those people we all know.. the dreadful cooks. We all have one in our family; that person whose food is never touched at a potluck and whose dinner invitations are always refused... those people compete to improve with the tutelage of two FN superstars. And one of our favorites, The Great Food Truck Race, sends teams with dreams of owning a food truck clear across the country, competing in challenges and learning about the business. The winning team gets to keep their tricked out truck to go home and start their businesses; we take notes during this show!
This show resonates with me for so many reasons: the host Haylie Duff, is the older sister to my teen idol Lizzie McGuire star Hilary Duff; we're relatively the same age with the same priorities of being able to cook like an adult without being too formal or frumpy, and we have a similar culinary perspective. The recipes are simple and informative and she tries to add a trendy element to it too, like going to a hip burger joint or infusing fun flavors like bourbon into her dishes. If you're looking for a relaxing cooking show that won't make you feel overwhelmed, this one is for you.
Good Eats is the go-to show if you want to learn anything about cooking. One of the earliest successes of Food Network, Eats is approachable and beyond informative. Host Alton Brown discusses how to make good food better and the science behind why you need to store, cook and eat it a certain way. He breaks down the chemistry of ingredients, the physics of heat and more, in a way that is easy to understand and perhaps more importantly, replicate. I remember watching this show a lot as a child to learn the basics of cooking. His tips, if followed, can set you up to be a stellar cook without having formal training, frou frou ingredients or a panic attack. Whether you're just learning to cook or wanting to understand the craft better, Good Eats is an invaluable resource.
The only caveat of having an appetite for cooking shows, is the literal hunger they cause! I can't sit down to watch an episode of a tasty show without an equally delicious snack. So be sure your binge watching doesn't turn into binge eating! So grab something yummy (and reasonably sized) and relax for some delicious television!
We did the Clean Eating challenge last summer (two weeks of nothing but "whole, " unprocessed foods), I read (and reviewed) Clean Eating magazine and heck, we even have a Clean Eats label on our blog; so the concept of clean eating isn't a new or crazy idea to me.
Google gives a great definition of the recent movement.
And that's a wonderful idea! To put thought into what you're putting into your mouth. Eating things from the ground and from nature, not from factories and research & development labs. In the two weeks we were exclusively clean eating, I didn't notice a major change in health - but we did lose weight, were satisfied with the food, and stayed full and energetic; but regardless of results I really appreciated the concept of maintaining (if not improving my body) by choosing better, more pure items to ingest.
But, I'll be honest, the ideology didn't mean a lot to me - I don't have major food allergies, so reading ingredient lists has never been a real priority for me; I thought I made wise-ish choices at the market; I felt at least somewhat educated about the technicalities of words like "organic" and "whole grain;" and I was under the impression that I was an educated consumer choosing "wholesome" brands that suit my lifestyle and food expectations.
That is, until this week. This week I was utterly taken off guard and completely disgusted by a discovery on a package label - while I was eating the contents of said package, of course.
I was eating a Muller FrutUp peach and passion fruit yogurt cup. These cups feature a layer of lowfat yogurt topped with a fruit mousse. They are beyond delicious. Seriously, I could eat one of these every day. Muller (a Quaker Oats Company product) makes a variety of yogurt products including those awesome "corner" Greek yogurt cups with fruit or nut "mix ins."
Maybe it was the umlauts in the name (European products have that shishi appeal), the fact that they're a Quaker product, the inflated price tag (usually $1+/cup, I got these at GO for $0.33/each!) or that they're fucking delicious (no really, they're good enough for the f-bomb), but I felt comfortable with this product. I felt safe. I felt like this was a quality cup o' yogurt that wasn't half bad for me.
Sweet deal. But oh, did I mention the allergy notification on the label, buried between the nutrition facts and the active cultures statement?
"CONTAINS: MILK, TILAPIA (FISH)"
Surprise! You're halfway through a cup of yogurt, yo-apia, tila-gurt, hell, whatever you want to call it,..
So of course, being an outspoken internet troll wannabe, I immediately contacted Muller via facebook. And here's their response to my plea of "Please God tell me why there's fish in my yogurt."
Really, that's fascinating and I appreciate that they make a kosher product. But it took me by surprise and kinda upset me. I understand that gelatin (used to make mousse, here, and listed as "kosher gelatin" on the label) is a problematic ingredient with a lot of animal byproducts used and can be a tricky thing to avoid for vegetarians or kosher eaters, who I assume must monitor their labels very closely.
But I don't do that. I don't have any allergies or dietary restrictions and I try to make the best choices for my body and my family. And I realized that I've failed. I've been oblivious to the fine print, so blind that I've been unwittingly eating yogurt made of fish (I still have no idea which parts of the fish are used).
I politely responded to the company that I appreciated their honest answer, but I'm disappointed that the notice was so non-descript and casual, like fish dairy products are a normal thing. I also informed them that I wouldn't be buying this product anymore, despite loving it. They held a mirror up to my fridge and my bad choices were easy to see.
So the moral of this story is, you don't have to jump on a clean eating bandwagon or become the next kale-freak, but take the time to be mindful of what you're eating. If you want to eat something funky, go right ahead, but be aware of what you're putting into your body. With the amount of processing and experimenting going on in our agriculture and food production, you could be eating your allergens, dietary restricted items or something that's just downright weird.
2014 was a big year for us. We got married on January 19; honeymooned in Washington, D.C.; went on our first cruise (also our first trip outside of the U.S.) and on August 28 we bought our first home!
After signing the final paperwork to make us homeowners!
As insane, expensive and stressful as we thought planning a wedding was, buying a home and making it ours was (and is) that much harder! We bought a '50s ranch-style home from my great aunt (Mamaw Vergie) who was moving to be closer to her son. It's so exciting because this place was already home to me. I was running around the yard, flopping on the couch and making cakes here since I was tiny and now we can live here and make our own memories as a family.
My Mamaw had lived here for over 30 years - first with her husband, Uncle Fred, and then on her own as a widow - and the house was in great condition. But it was so...her. Her favorite decorating color is beige, she had the furniture in the same layout for decades at a time (thus impossible dents in the carpet) and she didn't have needs for tons of outlets like us technology-obsessed kids. So obviously, we had some changes we wanted to make.
And because I married the best man in the world - who is so patient with my musings and Pinterest'ing, so open to my wild ideas, so accepting of my inability to do anything the easy way and so flexible - we've started working on, and have almost completed my our dream kitchen.
Again, the house has "good bones" and the kitchen layout is great and roomy, with lots of cabinet space and good counter tops. It's a long galley style with what I call a "dining area" - where mamaw kept her small kitchen table and then a traditional kitchen space (sink, stove, counters etc.).
The "traditional" kitchen area, looking into the laundry and living rooms
In the "kitchen area," we both fell in love with the recessed brick wall behind the stove and didn't change a thing except adding newer LED bulbs to the fixtures.
The brick back splash and what our nieces call a "spanking pineapple"
One of the funniest things about this whole renovation is that my mother and father played a big part in the original decor of the house, always helping Mamaw out with projects. So they have a lot of great insights and/or blame for some of the oddities, such as the custom kitchen cabinets that are insanely shaped. There were what I'm generously calling "old school rustic" hinges on the cabinets that were probably hammered nickel or brass with a coppery color. Because the cabinets are so narrow, we had to continue using the same hinges, but spray painted them silver. And believe it or not, we get SO MANY compliments on them.
We added new hardware to all of the cabinet drawers, with simple square silver handles ($1.97/handle at Lowes) and the most beautiful drawer pulls ever (around $3/drawer). I am so in love with the drawer pulls; they really elevate the whole look of the kitchen. This was a time-consuming project (painting both sides of the doors, etc.) but with just fresh white paint and new hardware, the kitchen was immediately brightened; high return on a simple investment. If you're on a budget and looking to make some changes, never underestimate the impact these two things can make in a kitchen.
Pro tip: Higher gloss paint finishes are easier to clean and more durable; so keep that in mind when working with frequently used/touched surfaces like cabinet doors. You can use more matte finishes on walls or furniture that you won't often be sitting cups etc. on top of.
Here you can see the new drawer pulls and fresh paint, and the original cabinet handles.
I'd mentioned before that one of my kitchen essentials was my lime green Kitchen Aid mixer. This item was at the top of our wedding registry and I wanted it in brilliant green so badly because I was hopeful that the appliance would be a gateway into getting the green kitchen I'd always dreamed of. And, it worked!
The "den" and kitchen areas of our home are primarily made of beautiful hardwood paneling that we wanted to showcase. But there was an area in the "dining area" of the kitchen that was just begging to be painted green. It was a bold color choice but it works so well with our collected artwork (concert posters, J's photography and some knick knacks) and with the 1960s school relief map of the United States in the next room. Again, just $20 or so in paint and brushes made a world of difference in this space.
Pro tip: When picking paint colors, bring the samples home with you to see in your own lighting. Everything looks different in a store and at home; give it a look there before you decide. Also, your life will be much easier if you pick a wall paint color after you have some decor items instead of the other way around. It's much easier to find a "matching" paint to your favorite bedspread than having a wacky color to coordinate your life around.
The wood needs some touch-up staining due to sunfading and I am on the lookout for an updated lampshade, but otherwise I'm really happy with this space.
Our final project was another quick overhaul just by using vibrant paint and new knobs.
My parents have had an antique buffet and china cabinet for as long as I can remember. The china cabinet held all kinds of breakables and keepsakes and I was always terrified destroying its contents. The buffet, however, is such a sturdy (read: heavy-ass) piece that is beyond durable. I remember climbing all over it and opening and closing the side cabinet doors just for the satisfying clicking noise. Mom and dad don't use either piece anymore, so I was thrilled they gave us the buffet to make our own coffee bar.
At our wedding, we received two Keurig machines and three k-cup carousels. We narrowed it down to one of each, but they still take up valuable counter space. J drinks coffee a lot, and we wanted to make this more of a focal point for any guests who'd like a hot beverage; having a separate caffeine station was the way to go. The buffet is solid wood and originally was dark brown, from some ancient wood stain, I imagine. It had dark brass handles and knobs. It wasn't in bad shape but was kinda plain and dated-looking.
Before - with the drawers removed
As you can tell, we are far from plain, so I chose a jewel toned blue for the piece. We invested in a very durable paint/primer combo that would clean easily and added new knobs.
Pro tip: Home improvement stores have a wide variety of handles, knobs and pulls; but so do some trendy stores. Instead of putting lots of money into new cabinetry you could invest in hand painted knobs, like these from Cost Plus World Market.
After! On the wall opposite the art-decorated wall (above)
I also added another family heirloom to the top of the buffet: my mother's marble slab. We've used this marble for years to cool candies, fudge and boiled cookies. Its constant temperature and smoothness makes for perfect confection textures. This also added another easy-to-clean surface; coffee cup rings wipe right off!
Perfect for making cinnamon hard candy
We finished the coffee bar by adding the Keurig and k-cup carousel and also a six-cubby organizer on the wall for our favorite mugs, tea ball, and sugar bowl. For another burst of color and counter-savings, we added our KitchenAid mixer at the opposite end. The piece is pretty out-of-the-way and functional as a coffee bar, but for taking up so little space it is a great storage option. The top drawer has a box of assorted extra k-cups and all of my cloth napkins, napkin rings and placemats. The bottom drawer and side cabinets make great storage for our other less-frequently used small appliances including our large and mini Crock Pots, deep fryer, Food Saver vacuum sealer, fondue pot and griddle. Everything has a home, but only the most essential and frequently used items are visible.
Pro tip: If you have a Lowes Home Improvement Center near you, sign up for a My Lowes card. It's not a credit card, but rather a way to corral your purchase data. Scanning this at the checkout with lump all your purchases together digitally. So if you forget the name of the paint color you're using or need to make a return but don't have a receipt, they can look it all up. It's been a lifesaver for us these past few months!
Other than a few touch ups, finding a new dining area shade and my deep desire for a new, chrome French door refrigerator (a girl can dream) our kitchen is pretty much set up! Because of how much we love to cook and the sheer amount of kitchen items we'd packed up, this room was the first to be completed. Now, it's wonderfully functional and beautiful; from the little touches like a wall-mounted bottle opener to the bold paint choices.
This has been our first chance to cut loose on something truly our own and to make into our home. And despite my daily decries of "I hate moving!" and the fact that we went to Lowes almost daily, this process has been completely do-able, for any skill level and even a minimal budget. Take my advice: don't get too hung up on how you think things should be (because so and so says...) and do them the way you want and are able to. Even quick, cheap, fixes like changing the knobs makes a big difference into turning a house into a home.
Before Thanksgiving, I was thinking a lot about family and especially those who aren't with us anymore. I was thinking about how I wanted to make a dish that really meant something to us. And the food memory that kept coming back to me was hearing my grandpa talk about the apple stack cake his mom used to make. And I decided that in honor of his memory (and in part, hers) I'd try to make it.
I found a recipe from a very reliable source, Lynn Rosetto Kasper's The Splendid Table program from American Public Media (airs Saturdays at noon on NPR, streams online) and made the cake for my parents' Thanksgiving dinner.
And it was a hit. Just seeing the tall cake, with gooey layers thrilled my parents and they gushed about how much Grandpa would've loved it.
Dad immediately gave me suggestions on how to make it more like Mamaw Alma's cake: under-cooking the layers and going heavier on the apple butter.
The pictures were shared on Facebook and a work colleague demanded I bring my apple stacks to our employee holiday party. With some tweaks to the recipe (reflected below in shorter cooking times & more butter), I brought a beautiful cake to the party.
And, it turns out almost every Southern family has strong, vivid memories and joyous feelings tied to the apple stack cakes of their childhood. I had two folks actually tell me they'd just had a long discussion about the cakes their mothers used to make and were shocked to see mine. There was a sweet chatter through the whole party of "Who brought this?" and "It reminds me so much of...."
To me, there are two important elements in a successful recipe.
One is that it makes something delicious; and that is certainly true for this cake. The cake layers are essentially giant sugar cookies that are sweet, yet delicately flavored and the apple butter is powerfully flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg. These two elements sandwiched together makes for a beautifully balanced bite. And the texture is just as perfect - soft and crumbly cake with smooth sweetness. It's not a perfectly designed, stunning cake, it's simple and even more simple-looking, but the flavor is out-of-this-world.
The other element of a successful recipe, which is even more important and is the reason we all crave foods from our past (even mom's awful meatloaf), are the food feelings. Where you feel so strongly about a bite that it can take you back in time, to remember every detail of the dish, the United States place mat or the way your hair would always fall onto your plate. I read a book once, called "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" about a girl who suddenly can taste all of the emotions inside of food. It almost drives her mad - being able to taste the tears of her mom as she baked following a fight with her husband, or the frustration of her dad trying to figure out how to cook on his own. But I related to it so well, not from the madness, but the joy of tasting a memory or the feelings of a cook. And this cake does that to people. My co-workers expressed being able to taste me reaching out to my Grandpa and how much I must have loved him and wanted to please him; and they too, were able to go back to someone they loved.
With these two elements met, I have to rule this recipe as a success and encourage you to make it sometime for the people you love.
However, there's an addendum to this post; find the recipe that takes you back and gives you vivid food memories, or that will make new memories for your loved ones.
2 1/2 c+ apple butter (I used Smuckers in a pinch, but apple butter is very easy and inexpensive to make at home, in a crock pot)
Powdered sugar for garnish
Method:
Preheat oven to 400. Grease/flour the cake pans (see note below).
Cream the butter, sugars and butter together at medium speed until quite fluffy (3-5 minutes), scraping the bowl occasionally. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside. In a small bowl whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla.
Add a third of the flour mixture to the creamed butter; mix just until combined at medium-low speed. Add half of the buttermilk mixture and mix just to combine. Repeat, adding another third of the flour mixture, then the remaining buttermilk, and the remaining flour mixture.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead four times. Roll into a cylinder about 18 inches long. Cut the cylinder into 6 equal parts; press each part into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. You could make the dough disks up to a day in advance.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk to a 10 inch circle. Using a cake pan as a guide, trim the dough into a 9 inch circle, then lay into a greased pan to bake. Repeat with other disc; three at a time, if possible.
Bake for 3 minutes, then rotate the pans in the oven, and bake 2-3 more minutes until lightly browned and beginning to pull away from the pan. Remove from the oven and cool the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove the layers and set aside. Continue with the remaining discs. You will probably have enough dough left to knead together a seventh layer.
Choose your prettiest, smoothest layer for the top and set aside.
Place one layer on your cake plate then top with a little bit more than 1/2 a cup of apple butter; close to 3/4 a cup. Top with another cake layer, more apple butter; repeat. Leave the top layer "undressed" with apple butter.
Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least overnight. Around 36 hours makes for the best softness of the cake; where the apple butter soaks in and makes the texture perfect.
When ready to serve, dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar. Slice into thin slices.
Today I made my pre-Christmas grocery list and because I was dying to get in the holiday spirit even more, I added the items needed to make some of our favorite Christmas staples, plus some good food gifts.
I knew I wanted to make my boss his favorite linzer tart cookies, they were a big hit last year and his sweet tooth has only gotten more ferocious in 2014.
The old fashioned apple stack cake I made for Thanksgiving was requested again for our employee potluck on Wednesday.
There's no rain in sight, so the humidity is just right for J to make the old family recipe for delectable peanut butter fudge.
And it's just not Christmas until we break out two of my mom's classic recipes - peanut butter sandwich cookies (gluten-free and only 4 ingredients!) and spiced hard candy.
Mom's hard candy takes a certain touch - no candy thermometer used here, just the "feel" of the molten sugar - and is not for the faint of heart. We used to make batch after batch after batch when I was a kid and I'd pass it out to all my classmates and teachers. But as often happens, time got in the way of tradition and we haven't made any in years. So we had to initiate J into the cinnamon candy cult.
At the "hard crack" stage
Cooling on a marble slab on our coffee bar (more on the "Dream Kitchen" later)
Our final product!
All of these projects made for quite the grocery list of ingredients, tools and containers. And I knew today's haul had the potential to be a bank-breaker; but we were able to save a ton at our local Dollar Tree.
I've been a devout customer since I started getting an allowance as a tween and realized I could buy 10x more tacky, glitter makeup there than at Wal Mart (the early '00s was an awkward time for girl fashion). But I was completely converted in college when DT started renovating their stores to carry a wider variety of higher quality goods - that were all still a dollar. I don't know if it was a stroke of genius or by necessity (what with the recession forcing more people to shop on a budget) but stores expanded to offer more food (even frozen items!), party supplies, bake wear and huge seasonal departments. Our town just renovated their location within the past two years and I couldn't be more grateful.
DT offers great savings for so many aspects of my life:
As a DIY wreath maker, I'm able to get good quality silk flowers and wire ribbon for, you guessed it, a dollar.
I still write letters and the stationary at the Tree is wonderful and truly inexpensive; greeting cards are 2/$1! They even carry shipping supplies for when I send care packages to my adorable nieces.
Their kitchen department carries a number of handy items, from decent dinnerware to utensils perfect for taking to the office to disposable aluminum pans in a variety of sizes (these are perfect for pot lucks!); and even legit cake pans.
I can't say enough good things about their food section. You can get name brand items for only four quarters! Most of the items are full-sized and obviously, a great deal - like cans of Hunts crushed tomatoes, bags of walnuts or packs of Hormel pepperoni. But, some of them are in smaller portions and are incredibly helpful for cooking-for-two or new recipes. For example, J's fudge recipe only needs 3 T of corn syrup, so there's no point in buying a giant bottle of Caro that will just make everything sticky; DT carries a little 8 oz. bottle.
And the seasonal section is filled with adorable containers. Tins, snack bags, pails and boxes - for all your Christmas goodies! Just look at what we bought for our hard candy. Plus, I bought a snowflake-themed cardboard box for cookies.
Today, we were able to buy over a third of the items on our list (plus some extras) at the Dollar Tree for only $16!
If you're looking to save some money, or just looking for quality, adorable items for almost any occasion, pop in to your local Dollar Tree and explore! You'll be amazed at how much you can get for your money... but also how quickly you'll fill your cart!
This weekend J & I had another fabulous date night - this time at home, with a cheese plate, wine and two great food films, "Chef" and "The Hundred Foot Journey" (more on the movies later).
A local grocery store chain, Ingles Markets, has a fascinating cheese section at their Waynesville location. It's a few steps away from their antipasti bar - filled with marinated olives; curves gently around the edge of the deli close to their fabulously stocked bakery (fresh bread and pastries, homemade fudge, cronuts! and ice cream cakes) and is a two tiered celebration of all things cheese. There are colorful "moldy" cheese - like brilliant Roquefort's, soft goat cheeses marbled with berries, a variety of hard cheese and all the accouterments you'd expect, too (think melba toasts). This display fascinates me every time we stop in, and we finally decided to do our own cheese sampling at home.
We're both adventurous and with J being a sandwich artist, we are very pro-cheese and have tried a lot of different types. But the cheeses are usually inside a dish or sammie and we never get to taste them on their own or pair them with other small bites, so I did some research and we put together a pretty impressive and inexpensive (less than $30) spread.
Cheese plates may seem daunting but creating ours was relatively easy, even without going to a specialty cheese shop or a deli-counter. This Buzzfeed article was very informative about national, commercial brands and I was not disappointed by the brand I chose from it.
From the articles I read and our experience, here's my best cheese wisdom:
Include a variety of cheese textures and flavors. I'd say at least 3 of the following categories: creamy cheese (like Brie), something fresh (like a chevre), something sharp (like an aged cheddar), something nutty (like gouda) and a wild card - something you've just been dying to try (buy a smaller portion of this, just in case)
Don't rule out things you've had on hand for recipes but have never savored on their own. We had the chevre and blue cheeses already!
Intend to serve about 2-3 ounces of cheese per person
Serve with lots of "extras" to either pair directly with the cheese or to nibble between bites. I suggest at least 3 of the following categories: dried fruit (like cranberries), fresh fruit (like grapes), crackers, warm bread, a flavorful spread (like fig jam or hot pepper jelly), nuts (salted or raw).
Bring cheeses to room temperature for one hour before serving - their flavors will be more vibrant
J and I were multitasking and so we pre-sliced the cheeses and arranged them as such. If you are having a cheese plate at a party or serving a larger group of people, leave the labeled cheeses whole on the board (even the crumbly ones) with appropriate tools for your guests to serve themselves.
Set your tray up on a knife-friendly surface (wooden cutting boards are functional and pretty) and/or provide a cheese slicer. Also, place it in a prominent area at your party where folks can gather and munch - they'll keep coming back for more!
Rule 6.1 - Cute cheese knives are a plus!
We featured the following cheese on our plate: "Categories" (see above) listed in parenthesis.
Layered herb brie (creamy) - Brie becomes the most beautiful, gooey cheese when heated, but even at room temperature is still incredibly creamy and soft. This layered brie was "double decker" with a thin, herb-covered rind between the two. Some brie can have a rather thick, firm rind that, while edible, can be off-putting for some (like J). But this brand, was softer and with the herbs, the rind was flavorful enough to eat. In its unheated state, it's not great for spreading on bread or crackers but is so mild it pairs beautifully with apples or dried fruit.
Asiago (nutty) - When I was younger, I loved shaking grated Parmesan on top of buttery popcorn and my dad said it smelled like feet. This cheese brought back all of those memories - but in a good way, I promise! It's a bold, assertive flavor like Parmesan, with a hard, grainy texture. It paired will with the fruits, salami and jelly whose flavored played off each other well.
Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar (sharp) - This was recommended by the Buzzfeed article and the name could not be more spot-on. It's strong and tangy with the beautiful texture we all know from cheddars. To me, Cabot products are upstanding members of the supermarket cooler because their business is owned by the farmers producing the milk, and they take care to do things right, like naturally aging their cheese, which makes for a better flavor. And of course, cheddar pairs well with apples.
Chevre (fresh) - I did a copy cat of a snazzy dish called "The Frenchy" from a local restaurant. It really makes the goat cheese shine. I used about 2 oz. of chevre topped with 5-6 chopped kalamata olives and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. It's creamy, tangy, salty and floral - so many flavors that blend so well together! I like to spread this on warm baguette slices for a fancy, but quick, appetizer.
Havarti - If you like butter, creamy cheese, havarti is a great choice. Some can be slightly sharp, but most are pretty mild. I love the almost spongy texture; just a little too stiff to spread, but still tender. BTW this is a GREAT sandwich cheese; it pairs will with everything can be just the creamy touch to a meat-heavy sammie, plus is melts perfectly!
Blue cheese crumbles - I've mentioned before that I have a weakness for blue cheese recipes and like to try to sneak it in everything. This was another cheese we had on hand but never eat on it's own. I would like to try "fancier" brands sometime, but we used our go-to generic brand and it didn't disappoint.
We also had the following "extras" on the cheese board:
Craisins (dried cranberries)
Pistachios
Walnuts
Honeycrisp apple slices
Hard salami
Homemade hot pepper jelly
Monet crackers
Sliced baguette
The additional items really helped the cheeses to shine. I highly doubt I could have (or would have even wanted to) eat as much cheese as I did were it not for experimenting with different flavor and texture combinations. I would break the cheese slices in half and try one half with a bite of apple, then the other half with a bite of salami, and so on. It really amazed me how well they worked together to bring out different notes in each other. And I must say, the pepper jelly was amazing on everything, but I never would've guessed!
One of the really beautiful things about a cheese plate is that you can customize the "sides" with whatever you've got on hand and some other inexpensive add-ons (I actually got several of ours at the Dollar Tree) and can focus your time and budget on the cheeses themselves.
If you're looking for an impressive spread for a romantic night in or a fun way to try new things with friends or impress at a party, a cheese plate is the way to go. You'll find wonderful flavors and make a great impression without breaking the bank or your back!
For other ideas for you and your boo or fun fete food, visit our Date Night or Party Food tabs.
.JPG)
