foolproof yellow (or white!) cake

i'm not really sure what to call this cake recipe. for one thing, it can easily be made as either a white or a yellow cake. it falls somewhere between a butter cake and a chiffon cake. it actually comes out moist every time, even if you accidently overbake it slightly. it is easy to mix, doesn't have any weird ingredients, takes substitutions well, and has a good mellow vanilla flavor. the recipe is in volume measure (cups and teaspoons!). it can easily be torte sliced (into 1/4 or 1/2" layers, for fancy cakes) if chilled first, and pairs well with most frostings.
yellow cakes and i have always had a tenuous relationship...for one thing, i think we've all eaten too many that closely resembled cardboard. if it were my choice i wouldn't have ever had a reason to work this recipe out: now i wouldn't live without it.
the other reason i've always loved to hate yellow cake is that there are two types of yellow cake bakers. in one corner is the reigning champion, the classic style butter cake. it has great flavor. it has great texture. but, it's typically on the dry side, requiring a bit of syrup brushed on before icing. also, it requires careful mixing and attention to detail. in the other corner is the challenger: the 1940's chiffon cake. this american upstart uses oil (oil! in the cake! history's french patissieres are turning in their graves.). the oil lightens the texture and makes the mixing method ridiculously easy. it also happens to be the invention that made modern boxed cake mixes possible. thanks, betty crocker.
this recipe is like a lot of compromises: it wouldn't make either side of the yellow cake debaters happy. but i think it'll make everyone else happy!

foolproof yellow (or white) cake

1/2 c unsalted butter, soft
1 1/2 c white sugar
2 1/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c milk (or half & half)
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 eggs

preheat oven to 350 f
prepare pans: three shortish 8" rounds OR two tall 8" rounds OR two 9" rounds
1. measure all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. add everything except the eggs and mix on medium speed for two minutes.
2. add the eggs and mix on medium speed for two minutes.
3. bake at 350 f for 25-30 minutes or until done.
cool on racks until pan can be handled without mitts, then remove pan and cool to room temp on racks before frosting.

for deeper color use 9 egg yolks instead of the whole eggs. then you'll have plenty of whites left over to try making meringue. or try a cooked frosting recipe. or make your own sprinkles. or cut the cholesterol back in your morning omelet.
i've successfully subbed the milk our for things besides half and half: coconut milk, almond milk, and soymilk each tasted splendid

to make white cake:

1/4 c shortening + 1/4 c butter
1 1/2 c white sugar
2 1/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c half and half
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 Tbsp oil
5 egg whites

follow regular instructions

do it! make one! if you try a new format (sheet pan, cupcakes, loaf pan, etc) let me know and i'll add it to the pan list.

jelly shots grow up

this site gets a thumbs up. i love gelatin desserts (don't make that face, i'm not talking about "red kind" Jell-O), and i love fancy cocktails. check it out

http://jelly-shot-test-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/elderflower-mojito-jelly-shot.html

Mama Kluttz's Chicken Pie

Filling:

• 1 ½ pounds of boneless chicken
  
• ¼ cup sherry
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• Salt/pepper
  
• 3 cups chicken stock
• I stick butter
• ½ cup flour

Recipe:

1. Boil chicken and cook 20 minutes or until completely cooked. Remove from liquid and cool before shedding into pieces. Save the liquid.
2. Combine softened butter with flour kneading to make a paste. Add chicken stock with a whisk in small increments to butter/flour combination.
3. Cook 5 minutes then add sherry and cream. Add salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken to cream sauce.
4. Put pie shell in the bottom of the pan. Add the creamed chicken. Place second shell on top.
5. Bake 350 about 30 minutes until nicely brown and bubbly.

This creamed chicken recipe is the one I love from the ‘21’ cookbook.

Have fun! Love, Mama

quik stir fry

i'm a big fan of quick and easy, delicious and satisfying. stir fries are the epitome of quick and easy. especially if you use rice noodles instead of rice (they take 5 minutes as opposed to 20-50 minutes for rice).you can use whatever vegetable combo you want, you can add meat use teriyaki sauce instead of tamari or add pineapple to make a little sweet, put peanuts in it, what ever you want. this is what i did today (it changes everytime i make it depending on what i have, sometimes i just use bok choy and thats it so... do what you like or what you have)

1/2 head bok choy
2 small crowns broccoli
2 or 3 handfuls of sugar snap peas
2 inch piece ginger, julienned
2 cloves garlic sliced
1 onion chopped
1 can sprouts
1 can straw mushrooms
2 Tblsp sesame oil
1 Tblsp cornstarch

cook rice, i like jasmine or sushi for something like this. if you are going to use rice noodles boil water and put your noodles in then remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. so if you use noodles start your stir fry about the same time you start the water to boil. Timing is important you don't want your noodle to get soggy sitting in the water for more that 5 minutes and you don't want them to stick together after draining either and also you don't want your veggies to get mushy. oriental cooking is all about crisp veggies, plus they retain more their nutrients the less you cook them. if you use rice make sure your pan for stir fry is ready to go with about ten minutes left on your rice.
chop the bok choy in like 1 inch slices across starting at the top and discarding the bottom inch. get your broccoli cut into similar size peices. any veggies you throw in your stir fry will come out a uniform doneness if they are all chopped to relatively the same size. have all your veggies chopped and ready to drop in the pan as soon as its hot.
put the oil in the pan and heat it up good and hot, about med- med hi heat, if you want meat put it in first and cook it almost done then drop in veggies. stir! you don't want any carmelization so don't let it sit too long without stirring or tossing depending on how fancy you wanna be. throw in your tamari or soysauce or whatever sauce, and once the veggies let go of their water it'll get soupy in the bottom, thats when you take your cornstarch and mix it with just enough water to stir it and mix it with your fingers or a small whisk and pour it in. stir and stir until it thickens and then you are done. test it make sure your veggies are cooked enough, and remember if you take it off the heat and , say, wait for your rice to be done, the veggies will continue to cook for a few minutes because the pan is still hot. enjoy!

Chard's Famous Lentil Soup

*Note: If at any point in this recipe it seems like the soup is getting too thick, just add more water.

First chop up a medium onion, one or two garlic cloves, a medium carrot, and either three celery stalks or a medium celeriac.

Next, saute all of that stuff in olive oil in the bottom of a large pot.

After the veggies you are sauteing are soft, add a cup of dry green lentils, a large can of chopped tomatoes, salt, a bay leaf, and about 5 cups of water or vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer with the lid on.

Once the lentils are pretty much cooked, add a bunch of chopped Swiss chard or spinach (preferably fresh, but frozen works too) and any combination of the following fresh herbs (preferably all of them--diced): basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley (you can also use dried herbs, but if you do I would recommend skipping the basil). You can also add a dash of white wine for some extra flare.

Simmer a little longer until the greens are tender and the lentils have begun to disintegrate.

Serve with crusty bread and enjoy! (Feeds about 6)

Note: This is one of those dishes that tastes even better a leftovers, so be sure to save some for the next day or freeze it for future enjoyment.

Andy's Hummus

Andy adapted a few recipes to come up with this tasty, dippable, spreadable hummus.

What's in it:

2 cups canned chickpeas (liquid set aside)

2/3 cup tahini paste*

5 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 cloves garlic

salt n pepper

1 tsp. paprika

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

How to make it:

1. In a food processor, purée the chickpeas, tahini, 3 tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic until smooth, adding a little reserved liquid if it seems to

o thick; it will be slightly grainy.

2. Season with salt & pepper, and transfer to a shallow bowl.

3. Combine paprika with 2 tbsp. olive oil, and drizzle over the top. Garnish with parsley.

*Make your own tahini if you don't want to buy it. In a food processor or blender grind 4 tbsp. sesame seeds and 1 tsp. olive or sesame oil. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 cup of water if needed.

Makes about 3 cups.

Serve with scrumptious snacks like pita bread triangles and chopped carrots & cucumber, or put on your favorite veggie sandwich.

Here's our spread from dinner last night:

Avocado Hummus

While visiting our friend Sky in Santa Barbara last year, we went out for tapas. One of the dishes we ordered featured an "avocado hummus." Brilliant! And utterly delicious.

So the next night we tried it ourselves, figuring out that a mixture of 1/2 hummus and 1/2 avocado is a nice balance of flavor. Use 2-3 whole avocados and mix in your hummus for a yummy twist on this dip for guests.

Mom's Award Winning Vegetarian Chili

Yeah, she got 2nd place with a vegetarian chili. Go Mom! any way it went kinda like this...

3 Cups Mirepoix (equal parts carrot, celery, onions)
3 bell peppers (yellow, orange, red make pretty chili)
3 24oz. canned whole tomatoes
1 16 oz jar Ragu pasta sauce
1 14.5 oz. cans pinto beans
1 14.5 oz. cans kidney beans
2 cans corn (white, and yellow make pretty chili)
2 cups TSP (textured soy protein)
+-2 cups water (check tsp directions too)
3 cloves garlic
1/4 c. chili spices
Suggested spices:

• paprika
• chilipowder
• cumin
• salt pepper
• cayenne pepper

Sweat the mirepoix, add peppers and garlic. cook 2 minutes then add everything else except TSP. Bring to a boil and add TSP and water. cook for a couple hours at least and remember its always better the next day.