What does one do with a whole pineapple? The first half is sliced and savored for breakfast for a week. The second half is caramelized in butter and brown sugar and baked into a cake. The first half is refreshing and delightful — a harbinger of summertime. The second half tastes downright sinful.
Ingredients for topping: 1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored 3/4 stick unsalted butter 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
Ingredients for batter: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup spelt flour (can substitute whole wheat pastry flour) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon dark rum or rum cream 1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice 2 tablespoons dark rum (or rum cream) for sprinkling over cake
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut pineapple into 1/2-inch pieces. In a cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and simmer, stirring into a smooth and fragrant caramel, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Arrange pineapple on top of caramel in concentric circles, snugging pieces together. Set aside.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar and incorporate. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Beat in vanilla and rum. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low until just incorporated. Beat in pineapple juice, and then remaining flour mixture, beating until incorporated. Batter may appear curdled; don’t panic.
(Note: My pineapple didn’t yield as much juice as I anticipated, so I pulverized some fresh pineapple with the immersion blender and substituted about 1/4 cup pulp alongside about 1/4 cup juice.)
Gently pour batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. Bake cake until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let stand in skillet five minutes. Invert a plate over skillet and invert cake onto plate (keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together). Replace any pineapple stuck to bottom of skillet. Sprinkle rum over cake and cool on plate on a rack. Serve cake just warm or at room temperature.
A perfect cake — not too light, not too heavy — topped with sticky caramel and lusciously sweet pineapple. Stand aside, chocolate. Decadence has a new flavor.
I didn’t grow up with rhubarb. With the exception of that fake rubbery stuff that comes in pre-made strawberry rhubarb pies, I had no experience with it. (Nor did I understand why they kept insisting on cramming it into perfectly good strawberry pies.) Rhubarb doesn’t grow in Miami (at least, not that I’m aware of) — it’s far too hot. Aside from the grocery store renditions playing to the nostalgic heartstrings of northeastern transplants, rhubarb did not exist in my world.
This year I decided to change that. As per usual, rhubarb was nowhere near my radar. And then it started cropping up on the food blogs I read and I decided I needed to try my hand at it too. Eat Make Read’s buttery rhubarb ginger crumb bars were just the ticket.
For the filling: 4 cups rhubarb, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons ginger, finely chopped juice of one lemon 1/2 cup sugar 4 teaspoons flour
For the dough: 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1/4 teaspoon salt zest of one lemon 1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks), thinly sliced 1 egg
Directions: Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, and lemon juice. Gently mix in the rhubarb and ginger. Set aside while preparing the dough so rhubarb mixture becomes juicy.
In another bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the cold butter and egg. (I used my hands to help.) The dough will be crumbly.
Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the rhubarb mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the rhubarb layer.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until top is golden. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.
Sweet, tart, gingery, and addictively buttery, these bars are heavenly. If only rhubarb season lasted a bit longer — they’re the perfect summery dessert (or mid-afternoon snack).
Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that some people love and other people don’t get. It’s white. It’s crunchy. It’s innocuous on the taste spectrum. Roasting cauliflower in homemade curry, however, takes it from nothing special to yum-o.
Ingredients: 1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into florets 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 shallot, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons madras curry powder 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin powder 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika 1 cup heavy cream 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt the juice of half a lemon cilantro, for garnish
Directions: Preheat the oven to 400F.
In a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, cook the shallots for 2-3 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the curry, cumin, and paprika and mix until it resembles a paste. Remove from heat and whisk in heavy cream until spices dissolve. Season with salt.
Add cauliflower and gently toss, coating each floret in curry. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 17-20 minutes, until toasted and tender. Garnish with a generous squeeze of lemon juice and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately.
Spicy, flavorful, and a delicious break from the status quo, this curried cauliflower is the perfect antidote to a rainy day. Serve it alongside juicy chicken or a delicate white fish. Scrumptious.
Ever in the mood for chocolate that isn’t over the top? These mocha chip cookies are perfect for exactly that. A chocolate cookie laced with a hint of coffee without being overly rich or heavy. Don’t get me wrong — I like rich, dense, decadence as much as the next person. But sometimes lighter fare is in order. These mocha chip cookies curb that chocolate hankering without knocking you off your feet.
Ingredients: 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/3 cup coffee (can substitute coffee liqueur) 1 cup chocolate chunks sea salt for topping
Directions: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, coffee powder, salt and baking soda and set aside. In another bowl, mix the melted butter and sugars until they are combined. Add the egg, yolk, coffee (or coffee liqueur), and vanilla and mix well. Gradually incorporate flour mixture, mixing until dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Remove dough from the fridge and roll into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Set on baking sheet with 2 inches between each cookie. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of sea salt. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the middles are still soft. Be careful not to over bake. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
As much as everyone loves a gooey cookie hot out of the oven, the landlord and I have found that these cookies are actually best the day after. Within the first few minutes or hours of baking they are yummy enough, but not special. They’re a chocolate cookie and lack pop. The next morning, however, the flavors have melded and the coffee flavor really shines. I’ve made them a few times and this has been consistent with each batch, making them the perfect cookie to make a day ahead for a party or bake sale. Or to overnight cross-country for your best friend’s birthday (hi Smaych!).
Chocolate and coffee. Balanced and not over the top. Perfect for simple occasions, or just because.
I love Peppadew peppers. Lurrrrrve. Given the chance I’d probably eat them every day. They’re so damn delicious. Sweet. Spicy. Crunchy. Wildly addictive. The last time I had a bottle of Pappadew peppers I deliberately saved the juice, as I figured it’d be perfect for pickling beets. I’m so good at being right.
These beets were blanched for 10-15 minutes — long enough to soften their exteriors and ease them out of their skins and short enough that they did not cook through. They were then diced and tossed in a large sauté pan along with the reserved Pappadew juice (approximately 1/2 - 3/4 cup), a few tablespoons of champagne vinegar, a generous pinch of sea salt, and a pinch of sugar. I brought everything to a simmer and cooked, stirring frequently, for another 5-10 minutes. I immediately transferred them to a glass jar and sealed them, allowing them to come to room temperature in the jar before refrigerating.
These pickled beets are sweet, spicy, and crunchy — just like my beloved Pappadew peppers. They’re every bit as addicting too.
STEVE. SERIOUSLY. I DIDN’T USE YOUR TOOTHPASTE, OKAY? I HAVE MY OWN. IN A FLAVOR I ENJOY. I DON’T CARE WHICH WAY YOU SQUEEZE THE TUBE. THE FACT THAT...
