1970s Moms' Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake

Do you recall what your mother used make when you were a kid? Did it have fruit and jiggle? Did she make the house smell like Nestle Tollhouse? Was your birthday cake homemade or processed from a box? Mine was processed and pink. Always. Betty Crocker still crashes my birthday party every year with her Cherry Chip cake in a box. Mixed with eggs, water, and oil and baked for 45 minutes, it is so candyland delicious, especially a la mode (vanilla a la mode).

But on Sunday, I did something different. I made the Mother's Day menu from my next Second Shelf book, Sunday Suppers at Lucques. The menu includes my mother's favorite, chocolate cake. It is appropriately named 1970s Moms' Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake. The entire menu - pea soup, lobster salad, grilled skirt steak, and the cake with homemade vanilla ice cream - took me two days to prepare and it was worth it. Sunday Suppers is one of the more advanced cook books I own and I save it for special occasions. I admit that I skipped around with the ingredients in the recipes to make it more do-able (and I need to learn how to pronounce aioli). But the fact that I was able to skip around and still succeed with this menu, makes me more advanced than I thought. I did not, however, skip with the 1970s Moms' Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake. That would be a sin.

While chocolate is not necessarily seasonal, I love that this cookbook is organized by season. Each chapter begins with a glossary of in-season, market fresh ingredients. It is much easier and cheaper, for example, to make pea soup with fresh peas in the spring than it is in the winter and this book helps you realize that. Fresh ingredients just makes your cooking better and it is helpful to know what is in season for your recipes.

Despite the difficulty of her recipes, Suzanne Goin, owner of Lucques in Los Angeles, is forgiving. In her recipe for the bundt cake, she notes that this cake sinks every time, so don't try to make it perfect. She says, "While it's not the glamourpuss of the pastry kitchen, it's so rich and delicious you won't care!"

1970s Moms' Double Chocolate Bundt Cake

5 oz bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped, plus 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into small slivers

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus a little more for greasing the pan.

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 extra-large eggs

3 extra-large egg yolks

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

Vanilla ice cream (homemade or store-bought)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly butter a Bundt pan.

Place the 5 oz of the coarsely chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract in a small oven-proof saucepan. Put the pan in the oven to melt the ingredients as the oven preheats. When melted, remove from the oven, and stir to combine.

Meanwhile, whisk together 3/4 cup water and the cocoa powder in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to avoid burning the cocoa. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Stir in the salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and yolks together for a few seconds to combine. Pour in the sugar and whip at high speed 5 to 6 minutes, until very pale yellow and thick enough to hold a ribbon when you lift the whisk away from the bowl.

Meanwhile, add the coca powder mixture to the melted chocolate (using a rubber spatula to be sure to get all of the cocoa). Transfer the egg mixture to a large bowl, and fold in the melted chocolate and then the creme fraiche.

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the batter in thirds, being careful not to deflate it, but making sure to combine them well.

Pour half the batter into the Bundt pan and sprinkle the chocolate slivers on top. Pour in the remaining batter and bake 25 minutes, until the cake is just set but still very moist. Cool for 30 minutes, and invert onto a plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Lemon Chicken with Croutons

I'm still on my Ina kick. The next cookbook from the shelf is Barefoot in Paris (also autographed by the great cook). What I like about her is that she takes simple ingredients and turns them into something special with relatively easy recipes. In the one I'm about to share with you, she takes a simple roast chicken and adds lemon. Okay, so that's pretty common. The kicker is the croutons that soak up all the delicious goodness that comes out of a roast chicken. In Ina's words: How good is that?

This chicken is perfect to surprise your mom for Mother's Day. She will be pleased, thinking that you did listen to her all these years when she told you that roasting a chicken will bring comfort and happiness into your home. When she tells you how good this is, remind her that she's always right.

Lemon Chicken with Croutons

1 (4- to 5-pound) roasting chicken

1 large yellow onion, sliced

Good olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons, quartered

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

6 cups (3/4-inch) bread cubes (1 baguette or round boule)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Take the giblets out of the chicken and wash it inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers. Toss the onion with a little olive oil in a small roasting pan. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper. Place the lemons inside the chicken. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels, brush it with the melted butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the thigh. Cover with foil and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. (The onions may burn, but the flavor is good.)

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until very hot. Lower the heat to medium-low and saute the bread cubes, tossing frequently until nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add more olive oil, as needed, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the croutons on a serving platter. Slice the chicken and place it, plus all the pan juices, over the croutons. Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.

I served this chicken with easy fresh green beans sauted with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Top Shelf: Spring Barrel Tasting 2009

This past weekend was Spring Barrel Tasting in the Yakima Valley. One of my best friends from college, Alisa, lives in Prosser with her husband, Jordan Ferrier, and their three beautiful boys. Jordan is a wine maker at Hogue Cellars (on the right, with Ray, a wine maker from Chateau St. Michelle). Jordan takes pride in his knowledge of wine chemistry, which makes him the perfect tour guide for this event. I felt lucky to be with Alisa and Jordan, as they chauffeured me from winery to winery.

Our first stop was Goose Ridge Estate Vineyards and Winery. One of the reasons they call it Spring Barrel Tasting is because wineries offer tastings straight from the barrel. There's nothing like the oaky, non-filtered taste of a good red wine and the barrel at Goose Ridge was very satisfying. I am a fan of the pinot wines, however, which seems to be the trendy "flaveur" these days. I took home the pinot gris for a nice price of only $8 a bottle.

Next stop was Gamache Vintners, located atop the White Bluffs of the Columbia Valley. This family-owned estate offered free tastes with a sold out malbec to die for. The sign, at right, welcomed you into their tasting room.

The next two wineries are my favorite: Bookwalter Winery and Chandler Reach Vineyards. I am not a wine snob, but I am a sucker for romantic scenery. Yes, the wines were good. The No 22 and No 23 reds at Bookwalter are worth a case or two, but the grounds are worth the trip alone. Cozy up on the lush sofa in the tiny lounge and share the Salumi plate or take your party outside on the patio with the fireplace that overlooks the vineyards. If you consider yourself a wine snob, they got you covered, too. (Above: Taking a break at the Bookwalter grounds, Alisa sits with her brother, Andres, former chef at local Seattle restaurant Stumbling Goat).

Chandler Reach Vineyards is not your average winery. It's a villa. Take a walk around the place and you feel like you're thousands of miles away in Tuscany. Stop in, grab a glass (or bottle) of vino and take it outside to one of the cute little cafe tables. Better yet, sit on the green grass, take off your shoes, and experience the views of Rattlesnake Hills on one side, Horse Heaven Hills on the other, and the Yakima River flowing right through the valley.

After lingering on the grass at Chandler Reach, we stopped for a tour at Mercer Estates. Mike Hogue partnered with the Mercer family to create this winery. He walked us through the lots, stopping to pour us a sip as he explained the process from grape, to barrel, to bottling, to production.

Our last stop was Desert Wind Winery. Absolutely beautiful. If you love wine and views of the hills and river, stay here. This was the only winery I saw where you can actually spend an entire weekend. Perfect for a girls weekend get-away, or a romantic setting with the one you love. Where the other wineries were either free or only charged a $5 tasting fee, this one was a bit pricey, forcing you to pay $10 for five tastes and a tacky wine glass. But the Barbera barrel tasting is outstanding and the Chardonnay Bare Naked is worth the name.

Cheddar Corn Chowder

You may think that I've become a slacker lately. But I've become very good friends with Ina Garten. She and I have been very close in the kitchen this week and it all started with her Cheddar Corn Chowder from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. My signed cookbook; yes, as in autographed. I am a huge fan and I stood in a very long line, while eight months pregnant in heels at the UW Bookstore to get it. I was wearing my red vintage coat with the fur collar and she complimented me on it. I remember like it was yesterday. When I had the time, before children, I used to watch her show religiously on the Food Network. The set is amazing. Her kitchen fabulous. I always wondered if her show was actually filmed in her house. So I took this opportunity to ask her and with a big friendly laugh, she said yes, almost as if it was an invitation for tea.

This soup is sold at her store, The Barefoot Contessa, in the Hamptons on Long Island, NY and is a best seller (she sold the store in 1996, but she is still affiliated). This soup can be made year round with fresh corn in the summer or frozen corn in the winter. What makes this soup special is the melted cheese and crisp bacon topping (didn't I say bacon makes everything better?).

Cheddar Corn Chowder
8 ounces bacon, chopped

1/4 cup good olive oil

6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

12 cups chicken stock

6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)

10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)

2 cups half-and-half

1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar cheese, grated

In a large stockpot on medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cobs and blanch the kernels for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn, you can skip this step.) Add the cornto the soup, then add the half-and-half and Cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

Next, I'm making her Vegetable Coleslaw for an al fresco dinner in the back yard of Hogue wine maker, Jordan Ferrier, in Prosser, Washington. I was just there last weekend, and I am going back for Spring Barrel Tasting. My next post will tell the story.

A Recipe for Relief

Lately, I've been out of commission due to a nasty cold. The sinus pressure in my head is literally a writer's block. So this post is short and to the point. The following is a recipe for the perfect cure for a spring cold or seasonal allergies. If you suffer from sinusitis like I do, you will love this. I use it daily to cleanse my nasal passages and it works.

1 heaping teaspoon salt (kosher, canning, or pickling salt)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 pint of warm water

Measure the salt and the baking soda into the water. Use a baby syringe to suck up some of the solution. Lean over a sink (about 45 degrees) so you are looking directly into the basin. Rotate your head about 45 degrees so that one nostril is directly over the other. Gently insert the spout of the syringe into the upper nostril so that it forms a comfortable seal. Squeeze the syringe to flush the solution through the nose. The solution will begin to drain from the lower nostril. When the syringe is empty, exhale gently through both nostrils to clear the excess solution and mucus. Gently blow your nose into a tissue. Repeat with the other nostril. You can also use a neti pot to do this, but a baby syringe is cheaper and you may already have one around your house. Watch a demonstration, using a neti pot.

Along with this routine, drink a lot of water and take your mother's advice and sip a hot, soothing bowl of chicken soup made with lemon and garlic. Mmmmm....and get some rest!

Egg Salad with a Kick

This holiday, your kids got a kick out of dying the Easter eggs and finding them one by one in the rain in your back yard. They sit so pretty in their colorful Easter baskets next to their chocolate twins wrapped in shiny foil and plush bunnies. But I bet a sack full of chocolate coins that all that's left in their baskets are the real eggs that were once so fun to watch change color. By now, the chocolate high may be crashing, and you may be wondering what to do with all these colorful eggs.

A fast, economical way to use them up is to whip up a batch of egg salad. But this isn't your mother's egg salad. This recipe has some kick to it and is worthy of your next Spring tea party. I also added a salty surprise to this all American sandwich. Doesn't bacon make anything taste better?
Kicky Curried Egg Salad

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Hor D'oeuvres Handbook, you can easily turn this sandwich into bite sized wonders using a round biscuit cutter and then place them on a cake stand for a nice presentation.

Makes four sandwiches
4 large Easter eggs
3 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 slices Canadian bacon
4 lettuce leaves (I used lettuce from a Spring Mix salad bag)
8 slices whole wheat bread

In a small bowl, combine 2 1/2 tablespoons of the mayonnaise, the curry powder, and the mustard. Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well. Chop the eggs into approximately 1/4-inch dice and gently stir them into the mayonnaise mixture. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Spread half of the bread slices with the egg salad. Place two slices Canadian bacon and lettuce on each half. Spread the other half of the bread slices with the remaining mayonnaise. Close the sandwiches and serve with a pickle and the best, crunchiest, local potato chips.

Mexico Mornings: Cafe Lechero

I recently took a trip to Merida, Yucatan, where seventy-eight percent of the population is Catholic. I am also Catholic, and during this Lenten season, I gave up my daily dose of caffiene at one particular place that is too close to home: Starbucks. I thought this would be easy in Mexico, but low and behold, there are two Starbucks in Merida (not to mention a Wal-Mart and a Home Depot!). But I remained faithful, as I was introduced to the most succulent of coffee drinks. At the end of Paseo de Montego on Calle 47 is El Gran Cafe where they serve Cafe Lechero.

Oh. My.

Although Cafe Lechero has only two ingredients, espresso and steamed milk, it ends up as three layers of creamy heaven served in a Collins glass.

The waiter at El Gran Cafe serves a shot of espresso with a glass of hot, steamed milk.

Next, the espresso is poured in the cloud of milk as you watch the chemistry take place:


The next time I sit down with a Cafe Lechero, I will be writing a letter to Howard to let him know exactly how it's done!