Al Dente

Steak with Brandy and Mustard Sauce for Valentine's Day

Ever wonder how French women really cook and entertain at home?

Iowa-based restaurant critic and wine writer Wini Moranville has spent her summers in that gastronomic mecca, and shopped and cooked like a French woman for the past 20 years. 

And now I'm happy to report she's created a knockout of a cookbook to showcase the secrets of French cooking the "bonne femme" way. 

"The Bonne Femme Cookbook: Simple, Splendid Food That French Women Cook Every Day," is one of those beautifully crafted and produced books that you'll want to cook from, read from, and savor time and again.

A hefty, hardcover tome with 400+ pages, more than 250 recipes, and whimsical illustrations, it includes chapters on Nibbles, Amuse-Bouches, and Cocktails Maison; Salades and Soupes; Casseroles and Pasta; and--of course--Les Desserts.

But perhaps the most useful chapter for busy American cooks (of either sex) who want to put an appealing dinner on the table for their families in under 30 minutes is Moranville's chapter entitled, Sauté, Glaze, and Serve. 

In each recipe in this section, the cook begins by sautéing the evening's choice of meat or seafood in a skillet. Deglaze the pan by pouring wine and broth into the drippings, then let this mixture boil and reduce, while scraping up all the yummy browned nubbins in the bottom of the pan. Add a few defining touches--grapes, olives, celery root, seasonal herbs, or morels--and the resulting pan sauce will be "rich, intense, and true-to-France," Moranville says.

I was taken with so many of these smartly conceived and written recipes (a collection which Moranville classifies as "bonne femme moderne") but three stood out as perfect possibilities for Valentine's Day. Duck with Raisins, Petits Oignons, and Madeira; "Pretty Quick" Coq Au Vin; and Steak with Brandy and Mustard Sauce are all certain to make your special someone swoon.

“If we think of French cooking at all, we envision slaving three days over cassoulet, hunting all over town for veal bones for a reduction, mail-ordering a lobe of foie gras, and plunking way too much butter and cream in all our creations,” says Moranville. “So I want to spread the word about the fresh, vivid, easy-to-master appeal of good French home cooking, the kind of simple cuisine that French families enjoy together.”

And to that we should all say, "Mais oui!"

Steak with Brandy and Mustard Sauce

Cookbook author Wini Moranville describes this dish as something one might have ordered in the sort of elegant, old-school French restaurant of generations past. "Consider it retro-romantic, but like many great French classics, it is so worth revisiting," she advises. "And while the recipe serves four, it’s easy to cut it down to two servings. Just cook the steak in a smaller pan."

4 (6-ounce) top loin or tenderloin steaks (1 inch thick)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth

1/2 cup brandy

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

1. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook, turning as needed, to the desired doneness (10 to 12 minutes for medium-rare); reduce the heat as necessary if the meat browns too quickly. Transfer the steaks to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

2. Add the shallot to the skillet and sauté briefly, until translucent. Remove the pan from the heat and add the broth and the brandy, taking care not to let the liquid spatter. Return the pan to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil until the liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup—this should take 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the heat and your pan size. Whisk in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

3. Arrange the steaks on four dinner plates, spoon the sauce over the steaks, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve.

Dishing Up Oregon with 145 Inspired Farm-to-Table Recipes

There's nothing I like better than a good cookbook on Pacific Northwest cuisine. Heck, I've written several of them myself including Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia. 

And happy to report that Portland-based author Ashley Gartland has made a very valuable contribution to the Northwest-cuisine repertoire with her new book, Dishing Up Oregon: 145 Recipes That Celebrate Farm-to-Table Flavors.

Gartland solicited recipes from her state's leading chefs, farmers, fishers, winegrowers, cheese makers, brewers, and just about anybody else of import on the Oregon food-and-beverage scene. 

In addition to recipes, the book includes heartfelt profiles and photos (by John Valls) of many of these dedicated people (not to mention enticing plate shots), to create a complete portrait of farm-to-table dining Oregon-style.

I'll be trying my hand at recipes including Oregon Shrimp Napoleons, artistic towers of cucumber, bay shrimp, avocado, and microgreens that hail from The Painted Lady Restaurant in the Willlamette Valley. 

Or Abacela Paella from my friends Hilda and Earl Jones, owners of Abacela Vineyard & Winery in southern Oregon. 

Vin Glacé Cake from chef Tobi Sobak of King Estate Winery incorporates both butter and olive-oil, along with the sweet white dessert wine Vin Glacé, to produce a tender, satisfying cake that would be perfect served with Northwest berries or stone fruits in season, plus a dollop of crème fraîche.

But perhaps no other recipe featured in "Dishing Up Oregon" typifies the elegant simplicity of Northwest cuisine as perfectly as Hazelnut-Crusted Salmon with Brown Butter and Balsamic Vinegar, a recipe from chef Aaron Bedard of The Stephanie Inn & Dining Room in Cannon Beach. 

Even the balsamic vinegar called for in the recipe--Apicio--is Oregon-made. It comes from Cooper Mountain Vineyards, a biodynamic winery in the Willamette Valley. This time of year when fresh-caught wild salmon is scarce, try the recipe using flash-frozen-at-sea fish. 

Hazelnut-Crusted Salmon with Brown Butter and Balsamic Vinegar

Serves 4

1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, skinned

One 1-pound wild salmon fillet

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar, preferably Cooper Mountain Vineyards Apicio

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with foil. 

2. Pulse the hazelnuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade attachment until finely ground. Spread the ground hazelnuts on a large plate.

3. Lightly season the salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Roll the top of the fillet in the ground hazelnuts to form a crust. Transfer the fillet to the prepared baking sheet and patch up any holes in the crust. Bake the salmon until the fish is pale pink and just cooked through and the hazelnut crust is golden brown, about 10 minutes. 

4. While the salmon cooks, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, until it becomes golden brown and has a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

5. Remove the salmon from the oven and transfer it to a serving plate. Drizzle the brown butter and balsamic vinegar over the top of the fillet and serve immediately. 

Excerpted from 'Dishing Up Oregon" (c) by Ashley Gartland, photography (c) by John Valls, used with permission from Storey Publishing.

Bourbon Balls and Sweet Auburn Desserts for the Holidays

In early November, while attending a culinary conference in Atlanta, I met up with Sonya Jones, founder of The Sweet Auburn Bread Company, and author of "Sweet Auburn Desserts: Atlanta's Little Bakery That Could."

A graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, Jones has been named one of America's top black pastry chefs by Ebony magazine, her wares have been featured on CNN, and she's served her famous Sweet Potato Cheesecake (with a poundcake crust) to the likes of former president Bill Clinton and television personality Rachael Ray. 

Her bakery is located in the Sweet Auburn District of downtown Atlanta, just steps from the Martin Luther King Center and the Sweet Auburn Curb Market. It's a popular stop for locals and tourists alike who flock there for breakfast or lunch or to pick up their favorite baked goods such as Jones's famous Naked Hummingbird Muffins, Sweet Cream Biscuits, or a pecan pie for the office. 

"Sweet Auburn Desserts" was literally hot off the presses (or fresh out of the oven, so to speak). And, it was Jones's first published cookbook, so she was justly proud to show off the new arrival. 

And a welcome arrival "Sweet Auburn Desserts" is for anyone who loves Southern cooking, heritage dessert recipes (recipes that have been passed down through the generations but updated here for the modern home cook), and photos of luscious stack cakes, their multi layers oozing icing; pies with mile-high meringue toppings; and baskets of fruit-and-nut-studded muffins that border on food porn they are so enticing. 

Chef Sonya's heritage recipes keep alive a part of my past I thought was long gone, with classics such as Cream Cheese Poundcake, Lemon Ice Box Pie, and Lane Cake (its filling composed of with raisins, candied fruit, pecans, and a splash of brandy, just the way my southern grandmother used to make it). 

Old-Fashioned Pork Cake calls for a pound of fresh pork sausage, brown sugar, raisins, and nuts. While it may be somewhat of an acquired taste, I enjoyed reading the recipe and fantasizing about it anyway. 

This time of year, we're all baking something special for the holiday table or to give for gifts. You'll want to check out Chef Sonya's recipes for Caramel Banana Nut Muffins, Sweet Potato Butter, or Bourbon Balls, a family favorite around our house. 

Bourbon Balls

Yields 3 dozen

1 (12-ounce) package fine vanilla wafer cookies, crushed

1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

1 cup powdered sugar, plus more to coat

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more to coat

1/4 cup bourbon

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Coconut flakes, to coat

1. Combine the crushed vanilla wafers, chopped nuts, powdered sugar, and the cocoa powder in a mixing bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the bourbon and light corn syrup. Add the bourbon mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

3. Once chilled, form the dough into 1-inch balls. To coat, shift about 1 cup of powdered sugar onto a cookie sheet and roll the balls in the sugar until coated all over. Follow the same procedure to coat with cocoa powder, or the coconut flakes. 

4. Store bourbon balls in a sealed container until ready to serve. Bourbon balls will keep, refrigerated, for two weeks.

Recipe reprinted from "Sweet Auburn Desserts," by Chef Sonya Jones, © Sonya Jones, used by permission of the publisher, Pelican Publishing Company, Inc. 

 Photo by Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

 

Going Vegan for the Holidays

I don't live in New York City and I'm not a vegetarian.

But next time I visit the Big Apple, I'll make a beeline for Candle 79, a vegan restaurant that brings elegance and great taste to the table for vegetable-based eaters and omnivores alike.

Celebrity fans of the top-rated restaurant include Dr. Mehmet Oz, Tracey and Michael J. Fox, and Woody Harrelson and his family. 

Cruising through the restaurant's just-released "Candle 79 Cookbook: Modern Vegan Classics From New York's Premier Sustainable Restaurant," I was taken by the fresh and healthy recipes, lovely plate shots, and useful Glossary and Sources listings.

I guess others were as well, since the book was chosen 2011 Cookbook of the Year by VegNews. 

This time of the year, when many of us overindulge on food and drink, the "Candle 79 Cookbook" offers fresh, creative, vegan choices such as Spinach-Mushroom Paté, Wild Mushroom and Cipollini Salad with Fresh Horseradish Dressing, and Saffron Ravioli with Wild Mushrooms and Cashew Cheese.

I was particularly taken with this Beet Salad gussied up with figs, fennel, and pecans. The recipe for Cranberry-Sage Dressing sounds like something you'd want to make throughout the holidays to grace this salad and other festive dishes.

Beet, Fennel, and Fig Salad with Cranberry-Sage Dressing

Serves 6

For the Dressing: 

¹⁄₂ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¹⁄₂ cup finely chopped shallots

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed if frozen

¹⁄₄ cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 fresh sage leaf, chopped

¹⁄₃ cup water

1 tablespoon maple syrup

¹⁄₂ teaspoon sea salt

For the Salad:

1 pound fresh beets

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and halved

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

¹⁄₂ cup pecans

¹⁄₂ pound baby arugula

1 pear, cored and thinly sliced (optional)

6 fresh figs, cut into wedges 

To make the dressing, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook, stirring, until they are softened and begin to pop, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool, then transfer to a blender. Add the vinegar, rosemary, sage, water, maple syrup, salt, and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and process until smooth. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Wrap the beets in aluminum foil and put them on a baking sheet. Put the fennel on a separate baking sheet, cut side up, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Put the beets and fennel in the oven and roast until fork-tender, about 30 minutes for the fennel, and 50 to 60 minutes for the beets. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut into thin slices, and cut the fennel into very thin slices.

Meanwhile, spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 to 8 minutes. 

Put the arugula in a large bowl, add the beets, fennel, pecans, and optional pear, and gently toss together. Drizzle with the dressing and scatter the figs over the salad. Alternatively, divide the arugula evenly among salad plates, placing it to one side of the plate. Drizzle with the dressing and scatter the pecans on top. Arrange the beets, fennel, figs, and optional pear alongside the arugula and serve at once.

Reprinted with permission from "Candle 79 Cookbook: Modern Vegan Classics from New York’s Premier Sustainable Restaurant." Copyright © 2011 by Joy Pierson, Angel Ramos, and Jorge Pineda. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. 

Photo credit: Rita Maas

Learning a Lot About Luscious Liqueurs

I always love reading a cookbook, or cocktail book, or really, just about any kind of book that teaches me something.

Thumbing through Seattle-based master mixologist A.J. Rathbun's latest book, "Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz: A Cocktail Lover's Guide to Mixing Drinks Using New and Classic Liqueurs," I learned a lot.

The stylish tome--Rathbun's 10th--includes recipes for 200 liqueur-based drinks, from classics such as El Postre and the Violet Fizz, to ultra-contemporary creations including Ginger Bliss and the Temporary Getaway. 

The recipes are interspersed with glorious four-color photos, illuminating Liqueur Spotlight sidebars, and chatty recipe introductions.

It's as if Rathbun is sitting on the bar stool beside you, talking to you like a long-lost drinking buddy, as he takes you by the hand through the wonderful world of luscious liqueurs.

I was thrilled to see an entire sidebar devoted to one of my favorite liqueurs--Lillet Blanc. Rathbun describes it as "the French apéritif made from a mix of wine, citrus liqueurs, and undisclosed formulas."

He goes on to say that Lillet Blanc is "an aromatized wine (a cousin to vermouth, you might say) with a light orange lilt. It was first made in 1887 by Paul and Raymond Lillet and sold within the Bordeaux region of France starting in 1895."

You might have heard of Lillet if you're a James Bond fan. In both the book and the film "Casino Royale," the British super spy asks for a Kina Lillet Martini. (Kina Lillet was the liqueur's original name, when the secret formula included lots of quinine sourced from Peruvian kina kina tree bark, according to Rathbun.)

Bond's drink of choice was composed of “three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, and half a measure of Kina Lillet.” 

Of course, you've probably already guessed that the "great secret" ingredient in the recipe below is none other than one of the world's most luscious liqueurs--Lillet Blanc.

Great Secret 

Cracked ice

2 ounces gin

1 ounce Lillet Blanc

Dash of Angostura bitters

Orange twist, for garnish

Orange slice, for garnish (optional, used instead of above twist)

1. Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Add the gin, Lillet, and bitters. Stir well.

2. Strain into a cocktail glass. Twist the twist over the glass and then drop it in. Shhhhh.

Recipe reprinted from "Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz: A Cocktail Lover's Guide to Mixing Drinks Using New and Classic Liqueurs," by A.J. Rathbun (Harvard Common Press, 2011, $19.95)

Photo Credit: Jerry Errico

Kitchen Simple Is Kitchen Brilliant

Want to cook like a pro in a minimum of prep time (no more than 30 minutes), with nearly every recipe on the table in under an hour?

Then turn to seven-time James Beard award-winning chef James Peterson's latest tome: "Kitchen Simple: Essential Recipes for Everyday Cooking."

Designed for everyone from kitchen novice to sophisticated cook, this book highlights Peterson's artful approach to cooking and is designed "to remind home cooks of the infinite possibilities of simple recipes."

As I thumbed through the 246-page book, illustrated with Peterson's pretty photographs, I marked page after page of recipes I want to try and kitchen tips I plan to implement. 

The recipe for Salmon en Papillote with Tarragon highlights a basic and versatile cooking technique (cooking in parchment paper) and just also happens to showcase one of my all-time favorite herbs.

Goat Cheese Soufflés are as easy to make (four ingredients, one of which is pepper!) as they are airy and delectable.

The recipe for Microwaved Artichokes will save any cook a bunch of time and trouble, as will the Mock Coq au Vin.  

But this time of the year, with everyone back to school and work and time at a premium, I immediately glommed onto Peterson's recipe for Fusilli with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Tuna. This brillianty simple recipe calls for just eight ingredients, and literally takes as long to make as it does to boil a pot of water and cook the pasta.

Fusilli with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Tuna

Makes 4 main-course servings

4 cups baby arugula, optional

1 pint cherry tomatoes

Salt

1 pound fusilli (spirals)

2/3 cup pitted black olives, not out of a can 

1 pound fresh tuna, cut into 1/2-inch dice

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons wine vinegar

1. Wash the arugula and spin dry. Chop very coarsely. Halve the cherry tomatoes.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook according to the package directions, until soft, with the slightest resistance to the tooth. Drain in a colander. 

3. Transfer the pasta to a bowl. Add the tomatoes, olives, tuna, olive oil, and vinegar. Toss. Serve hot or cold—let cool at room temperature and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Reprinted with permission from Kitchen Simple: Essential Recipes for Everyday Cooking by James Peterson, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

Photo credit: James Peterson © 2011

 

Good News for Downtown Seattle Food Lovers

I'd like to add my voice to the chorus singing the praises of Seattle food blogger Keren Brown's marvelous new book, "Food Lover's Guide to Seattle: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants & Events." 

As outlined in my friend and colleague Kathy Casey's Al Dente blog post earlier this month, this book is truly an insider's exhaustive look at our fair city's complex, and ever-evolving, culinary scene. 

I loved reading through the entire book, discovering new places to eat, drink, and shop at every turn.

But I took particular interest in Brown's coverage of the downtown section of Seattle.

My husband and I have lived a salmon toss from the Pike Place Market for 21 years, long before living downtown was considered chic and trendy. We are considered among the original "urban pioneers."

And I've written several books on the Pike Place Market. So downtown, and the Market in particular, are places that are very near and dear to our hearts. 

Happy to report, Brown's handy little book (in a square, paperback format that would fit easily into a small purse or backpack) devotes almost 60 pages of its 248 to the downtown core. 

The "Made Here" section covers such favorites as Chukar Cherries, Dry Soda, and Le Panier. Who knew that The Confectional in the Market serves up Columbian hot chocolate "made of dark chocolate, organic whole milk, and Columbian coffee and spices" in addition to its delectable mini cheesecakes?

Or that the favorite flavor at Bottega Italiano, the über-popular gelato store along First Avenue, is salted caramel chocolate chip?

The book's shorter, alphabetized entries are interspersed with full-page descriptions including Salumi Artisan Cured Meats, Beecher's Handmade Cheese, and chef Tom Douglas's restaurant empire. 

The "Road Trip" sidebar, which outlines foodie favorites on nearby Bainbridge Island including Blackbird Bakery, Mora Ice Cream, and Hitchcock Restaurant, made me want to run down to the waterfront and hop a ferry.

There are even recipes! I was particularly intrigued by Brown's recipe inspired from ingredients she bought at The Souk in the Pike Place Market. Spread labneh (thick yogurt cheese) on a round plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with generous amounts of za'atar spice (a blend of herbs made of dried sumac, sesame seeds, and other spices). Serve with sliced baguette or pita wedges.

A couple of quibbles. What was going on with the proofreader who allowed "Elliott Bay" to be printed as "Elliot Bay" throughout? A simple check of a map would have solved that problem.

And I wish there had been room for some of my favorite beverage options in the Pike Place Market. These include The Perennial Tea Room (with its wide selection of teas and teapots) and the venerable The Tasting Room: Wines of Washington. Both are along Post Alley in the same block as Kell's and The Pink Door. Tasting rooms for Patterson Cellars and Pike Place Market Cellar Winery are located along Western Avenue near The Spanish Table and World Spice Merchants.

Brown told me the book contains more than 400 entries (!) so not everything she loves and that was worthy could be included.

Oh, well. With the unquestionable success of this encyclopedic new guidebook, the publisher should consider expanding and increasing page count in the second edition of the "Food Lover's Guide to Seattle."

Photo of Keren Brown courtesy of Ronald Holden 

A Cool Adult Popsicle for Hot Summer Days

With 75-plus recipes and enticing food shots, Karen Solomon's latest book, "Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It: And Other Kitchen Projects" will inspire everyone from beginning to seasoned home cooks to get into their kitchens to tackle such interesting culinary projects as producing their own quince paste, bagels, and rice milk. Heck, even hotdogs!

But as summer hits with a vengeance, with temperatures topping 100 degrees  in many parts of the country, my eye went directly to her recipe for homemade popsicles: Berry Cabernet Pops.

These easy-to-make adult treats contain only four ingredients including the season's best berries and fruity red wine.

Mix them up in a blender or food processor, let freeze until solid (about six hours), and you're ready for a tempting taste of summer. 

Berry Cabernet Pops

Makes six 4-ounce pops

Time commitment, about 6 hours

3 1/2 cups frozen raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries, or a combination

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup medium-bodied fruity red wine 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend for about 2 minutes, until completely liquefied. 

2. Pour into six 4-ounce frozen pop molds, leaving about 1/2 inch headspace for the liquid’s expansion. Freeze until solid, at least 6 hours.

3. To release an individual pop, rotate it under a stream of running warm tap water for about 30 seconds. Never tug on the stick! Keep running it under water until the pop can be pulled out gently. (Should this fail, eat your pop from the mold with a spoon.)

Storage Hint: Kept frozen and completely covered, these will last for up to 4 months.

Reprinted with permission from "Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It And Other Kitchen Projects" by Karen Solomon, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

Photo credit: Angie Cao © 2011

Going "Super Natural Every Day"

Heidi Swanson, the creative force behind 101 Cookbooks (the award-winning culinary blog and recipe journal) as well as "Cook 1.0" and the James Beard-nominated cookbook, "Super Natural Cooking," has just come out with her third book and it's a keeper. 

"Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen" is chock-full of 100 recipes, engaging headnotes, a boatload of handy cooking tips, and 100 atmospheric shots that will appeal to both health-conscious and average eaters alike. 

I learned a lot about cooking whole, natural foods by leafing through the tome's 250 gorgeous pages, and was enticed by recipes such as Baked Oatmeal, Miso-Curry Delicate Squash, Tutti-Frutti Crumble, and even Roasted Strawberries. 

But I was particularly taken with Swanson's recipe for Buttermilk Cake, a not-too-sweet "stunner" that calls for whatever fruit is in season. This time of year, go for plums or stone fruit; come winter, Swanson suggests substituting dates and walnuts. You'll love her hint for cutting fresh plums, too!

 

Buttermilk Cake

Serves 10 to 12

2 1/2 cups / 11 oz / 310 g whole wheat pastry flour

1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder 

1/2 cup / 2.5 oz / 70 g fine-grain natural cane sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

2 large eggs  

11/2 cups / 355 ml buttermilk  

1/4 cup / 2 oz / 60 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled a little 

Grated zest of 3 lemons 

8 to 10 plums (ripe, but not overly ripe), thinly sliced

3 tablespoons large-grain raw sugar or turbinado sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F / 205°C with a rack in the top third of the oven. 

2. Butter and flour an 11-inch (28cm) round tart/quiche pan, or line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Alternatively, you can make this cake in a 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33cm) rectangular baking dish; just keep a close eye on it near the end of the baking time.

3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, fine-grain sugar, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Whisk in the melted (but not hot) butter and the lemon zest. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir briefly, until just combined.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, pushing it out toward the edges a bit. Scatter the plums across the top, then sprinkle with the large-grain sugar. 

5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cake has set. A toothpick to the center should come out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

The Perfect Summer Picnic Food-and-Wine Pairing

Riveting Rosé! Also known around the world as Rosato, Rosado, Vin Gris, Blush wine, White Zinfandel, White Grenache, and White Merlot, Rosé is the perfect wine for the lighter, simpler foods of summer. 

And recently, it's been getting a lot more respect, according to Jill Silverman Hough, a Napa Valley-based cookbook author, teacher, and the author of "100 Perfect Pairings: Main Dishes to Enjoy with Wines You Love."

"Perhaps you think Rosé passé--too faddy, too soda pop-y, too sweet, too yesterday," she says. "But Rosé is in fact quite de rigueur. These days, it's showing up everywhere, from the wine lists of trendy restaurants to the picnic tables of master sommeliers."

And there's a good reason why. 

"These new Rosés are more in the European style and generally drier than those popular in the U.S. a few years ago," Hough opines. "All in all, they're beautifully crafted wines that deliciously combine mild red wine flavors with a refreshing, best-served-cold lightness."

Hough is a knowledgeable friend and colleague whose first book in this series--"100 Perfect Pairings: Small Plates to Enjoy with Wines You Love"-was featured in an Al Dente blog post I wrote last August. She describes Rosé as dry to off-dry, with medium acidity, crispness, and brightness. It contains no or very low tannins, and possesses a light to medium weight and intensity.

You'll enjoying preparing Hough's recipe for Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Sandwiches. Pack them in a pretty picnic basket along with a bottle (or three!) of your favorite Rosé, and enjoy some laid-back supping and sipping in the summer sunshine.

Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

Serves 6

2 pounds eggplant, cut into ½-inch dice (you should have about 9 cups)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into ½-inch dice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups chèvre (spreadable goat cheese) (about 12 ounces)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram (see the Cook's Hint, below)
¼ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
6 crusty seeded sandwich rolls, split horizontally

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, bell peppers, olive oil, salt, and black pepper, tossing to coat. Arrange the mixture in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets and roast until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the cheese, lemon juice, marjoram, and red pepper flakes. (You can prepare the eggplant and cheese mixtures up to 2 days in advance, storing them covered in the refrigerator. Return them to room temperature before proceeding.)

4. Remove the soft bread from the bottom halves of the rolls, making a cavity in each half for the eggplant mixture. Fill the cavities with the eggplant mixture, dividing it evenly, pressing it in and mounding it over the cavities. Spread the cheese mixture on the bready side of the top halves of the rolls, dividing it evenly. Place the top halves of the rolls on the bottom halves. Serve warm or room temperature.

Cook’s Hint: Fresh marjoram is available in the produce section of many supermarkets. Besides using it in this recipe, you can use it in soups, stews, salad dressings, and almost any place that you’d use fresh oregano. If you can’t find fresh marjoram, substitute equal parts fresh oregano and fresh sage.