Saturday, November 15, 2008

Food Tornado

I've been cooking up a storm this week. We may not eat out very often anymore, but I'm trying to expand our repertoire of deliciousness around the house so that maybe we don't miss it so much.

Two of the highlights included this totally insane apple cake (from Smitten Kitchen), which made the very best use of the big bag of Jonagold apples in my crisper. The recipe is so wonderfully adaptable - I didn't have OJ, so I used a little whole milk, and I wanted to decrease the amount of sugar so I subbed in a little Alaskan fireweed honey. I used a tube pan for the first time to great success; this whole charade where I pretend that I'm never going to be good at baking is starting to crumble. I'm getting good...

Does anybody need an Apple Cake? I'm ready to make it again.

The other home run was the Pumpkin Polenta with Chorizo and Black Beans (from Rachel Ray). Making polenta was as easy as making a pot of couscous, and far more satisfying in this cold weather. It makes me sad for all these long polenta-less years here at my house, when I was still convinced I wouldn't like polenta because it was mushy. I want to top it with everything - mushrooms, red sauce, sauteed fennel, grated cheese, even old shoes. I'd try it.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you for introducing me to Smitten Kitchen. I'm salivating over the keyboard at the library. The librarian is giving me a stern look, but I can't help it. I must go home and cook.

Sara said...

Smitten Kitchen is, in my opinion, the best food blog in the world. It's the writing, but it is also totally the photos. Drooling is mandatory.

Emily said...

Sara: you and Smitten Kitchen are both on my blog roll! You're so right about the drooling. I had been eying that apple cake - it looks like it turned out great!

Oh, and your Oktober fest pretzels look wonderful!

Nice work!

pom. said...

looooovveee smitten
and orangette
and 101 cookbooks

I think those 3 are my favorites.
I looove how Orangette writes. Makes me want to move to Seattle. heh.

yum and YUM to this post. I looove polenta. oh goodness. yum.

John said...

Wow!
It looks so delicious
Thank for sharing
www.ahacook.com

Anonymous said...

Sara,
Do you have an e mail or some other contact information?
I have some amazing local restuarant news that you would be interesrted in.

Don said...

I've got a brand new one. Started it a few days ago. More of a recipe site. Check it out leave a comment would love to know what you think or some content I can Post in there.
www.doncanard.com

Issy said...

Good stuff here. I've been enjoying what I've been reading!

Marianna said...

Happy new year to you and each of your readers!

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