Buttermilk Fig Cake

When most people think of figs, they think of dried Calimyrna figs, those light brown sticky figs that my grandfather used to bring home along with bags of assorted nuts. While an excellent snack (and all the more so because, dried, they're available any time), in my opinion they are nothing compared to fresh black Mission figs. Not very sweet, these have an almost musky taste and, in all honesty, often pair better with savory foods than sweet.


That said, upon deciding one day that I had a hankering for figs, I decided to use them in a sweet preparation -- namely, a buttermilk fig cake. Now, I'm a very nervous (and inexperienced) baker, so I'm always wary to diverge from a recipe. However, I just couldn't find a recipe that incorporated everything I wanted! You see, the older I get, the more my sweet tooth disappears. So I couldn't have a cake that was terribly sweet (sacrilege, I know). And that meant I wanted a mix of fresh figs and dried. I also wanted lots of spices, since gingerbread is one of the few cakes the vegetarian is truly fond of. And some nuts to cut the sweetness.


I ended up combining several recipes and, much to my delight (because I kept muttering under my breath that it would never work), the cake was both delicious and not very sweet! More like a spice cake than anything else, it would be wonderful with afternoon tea. We shared it with friends, who were big fans as well. I hope you agree!


Buttermilk Fig Cake
adapted from Fresh and La Mia Cucina

• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 7 1/2 ounces fig preserves
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• 1 teaspoon allspice, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves, ground
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups fresh figs, chopped
• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
• 15 dried figs, chopped
• cooking spray

The Glaze

• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Preheat oven to 350F. Beat eggs and egg whites in a mixing bowl until frothy. With beaters still running, add in granulated sugar, vegetable oil and fig preserves. Sift together flour, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, kosher salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk, alternately adding a little of each, to egg mixture. Mix very well (it helps if you have an extra set of hands -- one person adds ingredients while the other mixes). Mix in vanilla extract. Fold in fresh figs, pecans and dried figs. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake 55-65 minutes, until a chopstick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine buttermilk, powdered sugar, baking soda, cornstarch and butter. Bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Stir in vanilla extract and Grand Marnier. Remove sides from springform pan. Drizzle glaze over cake. Enjoy!

Make It a Meal: So your guests still have room for dessert, precede this cake with a light dish of Olive Oil Roasted Eggplant with Lemon, served over fresh pasta. The cake is wonderful topped with vanilla ice cream or even whipped cream.


Drink Pairings: A Zinfandel, such as 7 Deadly Zins was great with the main meal, but, since you've already opened the bottle of Grand Marnier, why not spice things up a bit and make Sangria? I recommend White Zinfandel Sangria; it would even work with the cake!



Leftovers: Leftover cake makes a wonderful breakfast the next morning. It also works as an afternoon pick-me-up, particularly with a cup of tea!


Links to other fig noshes:

• Figs! from Simply Recipes
• The best fig tart from Chez Pim
• Grown-up Fig Cookies from 101 Cookies
• Fig Galette from Simply Recipes
• Roasted Figs with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Agave Glaze from Kalyn's Kitchen

Pineapple Jalapeno Poppers

Far and away, my favorite part of going to the Greenmarket is, when I have absolutely no idea what to make  for dinner, to allow myself to be surprised and inspired by whatever delicacies I find waiting for me. Of course, being a planner and mildly OCD, this rarely happens. In fact, I almost never allow myself to go shopping without a list; otherwise I end up going crazy and coming home with various delicacies that have no relationship to one another so then I have to go back out to get whatever missing pieces I've neglected. And some of that produce invariably winds up in the trash, neglected and forgotten.


No thank you. So, in an effort to cut down on waste and generally practice more sustainable practices in my kitchen and my life, I use lists. But, also wanting to cook seasonally, I let myself be inspired by what's available. And, sometimes, I cheat.


How do I cheat, you ask? When I have work in the morning (but know I'll get home with plenty of time to go back out to the Greenmarket before they close), I first survey everything at the Greenmarket (it's right next to the subway station), file away what looks most exciting, then go home, put together a list and venture back out, this time with Ozzy and a plan.


Not long ago, I did exactly this. What piqued my interest, you ask? Jalapeno peppers. While I've occasionally seen these gems downtown at the large Union Square Greenmarket, I'd never seen them at my little Tucker Square Greenmarket, across the street from Lincoln Center. Being so excited, I wanted to highlight them as the main course of my dinner, not merely a seasoning. I'd seen a recipe for BBQ Jalapeno Poppers in The Pioneer Woman Cooks, so I figured that was a good enough place to start. Armed with 18 jalapenos (yes, I counted them), I went home and set to work.


Unfortunately, though, I'm actually quite a weakling when it comes to spice. So I needed something (other than the cheese I was stuffing inside) to cut the bite of these peppers. Mandy had made some Jalapeno Poppers with Pineapple, so the cut-up pineapple in the fridge that had been destined for my morning yogurt went into the poppers instead. I also opted to bake these rather than fry them. And, wanting to showcase the freshness of the jalapenos, I decided against breading as well. Make sure everything's at room temperature before you get started; it makes the mixing of the stuffing components much easier. I topped half the poppers (mine) with fresh bacon but it could very easily be left out. Enjoy!


Pineapple Jalapeno Poppers
adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks and Home with Mandy

• 18 jalapeno peppers
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup cheddar, grated (I used a Mexican 3-cheese blend that was very good)
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 container pineapple, chopped
• 18 slices fresh bacon, cut in half (optional)
• Barbecue sauce, to taste

Preheat oven to 275 F. Wearing rubber gloves (and after having already taken out your contact lenses for the night -- yes, I did learn that the hard way), slice jalapenos in half lengthwise. Scrape out seeds and membranes with a spoon. If you are less heat-sensitive than I (or if your jalapenos are mild), leave some seeds in; that's where the heat is.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar, green onion and pineapple. Now stuff a heaping tablespoonful of mixture into each jalapeno half. Press down well, so there's very little chance of the stuffing falling out (especially important if you're not using the bacon to hold it in!). Arrange jalapeno halves on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. If you are using bacon, lay it on top of the open jalapeno half, pressing down to secure it to the filling. Drizzle barbecue sauce on top of either the bacon or cheese filling, depending on which option you're making. Use a pastry brush to spread it around more easily.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make it a meal: Serve with plain steamed corn -- an excellent antidote to the spicy jalapenos and a bottle of Riesling. I recommend Nein Lives.

Leftovers: These are very rich, so there will probably be leftovers. To repurpose them for another meal, serve over kasha.

Links to other jalapeno poppers noshes:

• Jalapeno Poppers from Food People Want
• Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!
• How to Make Homemade Jalapeno Poppers from Eclectic Recipes
• Jalapeno Popper Dip from Big Red Kitchen
• Jalapeno Popper Dip from My Baking Addiction

Beetroot, Butter, Pomegranate Salad

Beetroot, Butter, Pomegranate Salad

Whew! It's been a while! And I've even been cooking (three recipes in the to-be-blogged file). So accept a few posts in short succession, if possible. What have I been doing, you ask? A whirlwind trip to Los Angeles, another show and some family medical issues (everyone's fine now and the vegetarian and I are both home).


Several weeks ago, just before we to LA, I had a few beetroots hanging out in the fridge, left over from the butter borshch. As I've mentioned, the vegetarian is not such a huge fan of beets, so I decided that a side dish (which he wouldn't necessarily eat) would be the best bet. It was warm out that day and we were tired after spending the afternoon preparing for LA so I didn't want to cook more than necessary. And I wanted something fresh-tasting. Janna Gur's The Book of New Israeli Food provided the inspiration I needed. The beets would become a salad, then, dressed with pomegranate concentrate, cilantro and some pomegranate seeds.


But, since I knew the vegetarian would eat the majority of the other meal components, I wanted to make the salad a little more substantial. On the internet, I found a Herring with Potato and Beetroot Salad. While interesting, I wasn't going to go about cooking herring, especially since I would be the only one eating them. And I had no potatoes. But what really caught my eye about the recipe was the dressing for the beetroots: melted butter! So melted butter replaced the olive oil and I had a fresh, sweet salad for dinner and several lunches as well. Enjoy!


Beetroot, Butter, Pomegranate Salad
adapted from The Book of New Israeli Food and CookEatShare

• 3 red beets
• 2 tablespoons pomegrante juice concentrate
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 chiles de arbol, dried and crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add beets and cook for 45 minutes, until tender. When cool enough to handle, slide off peels and dice. Transfer to a large bowl and add pomegranate juice concetrate, lemon juice, chiles and salt. Let marinate 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter for about 10 seconds in microwave. Next, stir cilantro and pomegranate seeds into beet mixture. Pour melted butter on top. Serves 6.

Make it a meal: If, like me, you're feeding someone who's not very fond of beets, make sure your other 

Beets, Buckwheat, Black Beans, Cserzsegi Fuzseres

dishes can be a meal in themselves. I recommend buckwheat cooked simply with salt and black beans cooked with cumin. Mix both together and sprinkle with cilantro and pomegranate seeds. If your beets came with greens, steam them for 7 minutes over the boiling beets and add to buckwheat and black beans. To drink, I recommend gewurtztraminer or a Hungarian cserszegi fuszeres. Bon appetit!

Links to other beetroot pomegranate salad noshes:

• Beetroot and Carrot Raw Salad from A Life (Time) of Cooking
• Golden Beet and Pomegranate Salad from Simply Recipes
• Beetroot and Pomegranate Tabbouleh from Green Gourmet Giraffe
• Bulgur, Celery and Pomegranate Salad from 101 Cookbooks

Chunky Banana Bran Muffins

What do you usually eat for breakfast? Since I was 15, unless breakfast occurred after noon (and thus became brunch, incorporating lunch as well), breakfast was either reduced to a cup of coffee or foregone altogether. Occasionally when I was in high school I would grab a granola bar that could be eaten on the subway and in college I tried desperately to sneak a yogurt or the like in while catching up on blogs and checking my e-mail. All in all, though, breakfast has never been a priority (even though I know it's the most important meal of the day).

Since moving in with the Vegetarian, we've made an effort to have breakfast every day--usually a bowl of cereal (along with our coffee) while checking e-mails, but, since it's winter, oatmeal has also begun making appearances. And, on later days, there might be pancakes, french toast or a fried or scrambled egg or reheated frozen waffles. Normally the Vegetarian is in charge of breakfast (I am anything but a morning person) but, after being sick for a week and feeling guilty that he was doing all the around-the-house stuff while I lay miserably coughing in bed, I flipped through Barefoot Contessa at Home and lighted on a recipe for Chunky Banana Bran Muffins.

My first venture outside was to the grocery store where I picked up the necessary ingredients. But, not being entirely coherent, I bought a bottle of blackstrap molasses, which are rather potent. So, I thought these muffins were great (since I like the taste of molasses) although the Vegetarian found them too bananaey. (I really like bananas and didn't find them to taste

enough of banana--and that was after adding some banana liqueur into the batter!) But at least I have a breakfast option for the next while that can be eaten at home or on the run!

Chunky Banana Bran Muffins

adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa at Home

makes 24 muffins

• 2 cups wheat bran
• 2 cups buttermilk (I use reconstituted powdered buttermilk mixed with water)
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup blackstrap molasses (substitute any other for a less pronounced flavor)
• 2 teaspoons orange zest, grated
• 1 teaspoon creme de banane
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups raisins
• 2 cups banana, diced
• 1 cup English walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pans with paper liners (makes clean-up much easier).

Combine wheat bran and buttermilk and set aside. Cream butter and sugar in food processor fitted with plastic dough hook. (If they're not perfectly combined, don't worry.) Add eggs, one at a time, pulsing food processor to incorporate into the batter after each one. Next add molasses, orange zest and creme de banane. Add wheat bran-buttermilk mixture and pulse until combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add slowly (I did it in four parts) to food processor, pulsing just to combine after each addition. Once you see no white streaks, stop mixing! Using a rubber spatula, fold in raisins, bananas and walnuts.

With a large spoon, fill muffin pans to the top (the batter doesn't rise very much) and bake 25 minutes. Let cool before eating. Enjoy!

After not participating in a blog event in eons, this is my submission for Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen Bake-Off where we are instructed to bake something vegetarian. Done! Thanks for hosting, Champa!

Links to other Chunky Banana Bran Muffins noshes:

• Chunky Banana Bran Muffins from Ladyberd's Kitchen
• Chunky Banana Bran Muffins from Caviar and Codfish