King Arthur Cocoa Cookies

I realized I like cocoa not chocolate and Nabisco chocolate wafers are duplicated and improved here.

These cookies have a secret life: stash a stack of whipped-cream covered cookies in the refrigerator overnight and, voilà, they turn into a cake. Or, to make filled sandwich cookies (à la Oreos), just add our Sandwich Cookie Filling.
Chocolate Wafers
star rating (13) rate this recipe »
Hands-on time: 30 mins. to 50 mins.
Baking time: 20 mins. to 22 mins.
Total time: 1 hrs 25 mins. to 1 hrs 42 mins.
Yield: Yield: 8 individual stack cakes; or 3 ½ dozen 2 ½" cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup black cocoa
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa

Filling

2 cups (1 pint) whipping cream or heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon espresso powder

Tips from our bakers

Just before serving, refresh with a pretty dollop of whipped cream on top; garnish with fruit; or sprinkle with cocoa, coconut, cinnamon, or chopped ginger.
Want to make stained glass cookies for the holidays? Roll the dough out 1/4? thick. Use a cutter to form cookies of your desired shape and size, then cut out smaller shapes from the center of each cookie. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and fill the center cutouts with crushed candy canes or other crushed hard candies. Freeze the cookies for at least 20 minutes; this will allow the centers to hold their shape during baking. Bake according to the directions at right, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time to account for the increased thickness of the cookies.

Directions

1) Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets, or more if you have them; you'll make 3 to 4 baking sheets' worth of cookies.

2) To make the cookies: In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the sugar, butter, salt, baking powder, and espresso powder.

3) Beat in the egg and vanilla, then the flour and cocoa. Cover the dough, and chill for 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F.

4) Roll the dough about 1/8" thick; use cocoa instead of flour to dust your rolling board and the dough.

5) Cut into 2 ½"-round cookies. A biscuit cutter is handy for this.

6) Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Watch them closely at the end of the baking time, and if you start to smell chocolate before 10 minutes has gone by, take them out. When they're done, remove the cookies from the oven, and allow them to cool completely.

7) To make stack cakes: Whisk together the heavy cream and other ingredients. When blended, whip until the cream holds a soft peak.

8) Place one cookie on a small plate. Put about a tablespoon of whipped cream on top; our teaspoon cookie scoop, heaped up, works well here.

9) Top with a second cookie, using it to compress the whipped cream to about a ¼"-thick layer.

10) Repeat with 4 more cookies, finishing with a layer of whipped cream.

11) Refrigerate from 4 to 24 hours before serving.

Other flavoring options:
To flavor 1 cup of cream, add one of the following combinations:
*2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar + 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract;
*2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar + 1/8 teaspoon coconut flavor;
*2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar + 1/8 teaspoon peppermint oil;
*1 tablespoon granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon Dutch processed cocoa + 1 teaspoon espresso powder

Swimming at Sunset

I went swimming at sunset and had cocoa cake and coffee in the dark. Perfect.

Deb Hirschhorn, PhD

Loving yourself means not allowing yourself to be mistreated, even if the mistreating person says he or she loves you. Because that is not love.
- Deb Hirschhorn, PhD

Pain au Chocolat

These soft, chocolate-filled yeast rolls are a favorite after-school or morning treat in France. We've increased their fiber and nutrition with whole wheat flour and grape seed flour, which give them a wonderful chocolate-y look, as well as rich flavor.
Whole-Grain Pain au Chocolat

Yield: 12 rolls


Dough

1 cup lukewarm water
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor or vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup King Arthur 100% Organic Whole Wheat Flour
3 tablespoons Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
3 tablespoons potato flour or 1/3 cup dried potato flakes
2 tablespoons grape seed flour (optional, for extra antioxidants)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast

Filling

24 Pain au Chocolat Sticks (about 7 ounces)

Topping

2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup glazing sugar or confectioners' sugar

Tips from our bakers

The grape seed flour will turn these rolls a chocolate-y brown color. Leave it out if you like.

Directions

1) Combine all of the dough ingredients. Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes, covered

2) Knead the dough — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — until it's soft and somewhat sticky. Kneading by hand is tricky; avoid adding too much more flour (an oiled board and hands can help here).

3) Allow the dough to rise, covered, for about 90 minutes. It'll become puffy, but won't double in size. You'll find it loses most of its stickiness after this first rise.

4) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it in half. On a lightly oiled surface, roll each half of the dough into an 8" x 9" rectangle.

5) Cut each rectangle into six 4" x 3" pieces, for a total of 12 pieces. Keep the dough you're not working on covered.

6) To shape: Turn one of the pieces of dough so the short (3") edge faces you. Put a stick of chocolate on the dough, about 1" from and parallel to the far edge.

7) Fold the far edge toward you, over the stick, to the middle of the dough. Press the edge lightly to seal. Put a second stick on that sealed seam.

8) Fold the near short edge away from you, over the second stick, and press lightly. This second seam should end up about 1" from the new top edge of the roll.

9) Flip the shaped roll so that the seam side is down, and put it on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Note: The pain au chocolat sticks won't melt out the end of the rolls as they bake, so there's no need to seal the outside edges of the dough.

10) Repeat with each piece of dough, leaving about 1 1/2" between the finished rolls on the baking sheet.

11) Cover the rolls and let them rise for 60 to 90 minutes, long enough to become puffy.

12) About 15 minutes before the rolls are done rising, preheat your oven to 350°F.

13) Brush each roll with a little milk.

14) Bake the rolls for 14 to 18 minutes, until they're a light golden brown and register 190°F to 200°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the bread.

15) Remove the rolls from the oven, and after 5 minutes transfer them to a rack. Dust with glazing sugar.

16) Serve warm. The chocolate will harden as the rolls cool; if you want to serve rolls later, reheat them briefly (about 15 seconds in the microwave) just before serving, to melt the chocolate.

Yield: 12 rolls.

variations: apples and cinnamon, or spinach and olives.

Inhaled Bronchodilators

Breath of Fresh Air: Feature Articles
Chapter 8: Inhaled Bronchodilators: Regular or As-Needed?

If you thought that you might have recently seen your Asthma Center physician on the evening news or quoted in the newspapers, you are probably right. Drs. Jeffrey Drazen and Elliot Israel, along with other asthma specialists from around the country, wrote an an important scientific article on their asthma research that was published in the prestigious medical journal, the New England Journal of Medicine. The study that they reported asked the question: if you have mild asthma, is it better to take your albuterol (brand names: Proventil® and Ventolin®) inhaler regularly (four times a day) or only as needed for relief of asthmatic symptoms?

Before discussing what they discovered in their study, it is worth reviewing why they and many other physicians wanted to know the answer to this particular question. First of all, most persons with asthma have mild asthma. The answer to this question is relevant to the treatment of the majority of persons with asthma, and since there are more than 17 million persons with asthma in this country, it has an impact on many lives.

Second, previous reports had suggested that regular use of beta-agonist bronchodilators (of which albuterol is one example) might have a harmful effect on asthma. In particular, one study from New Zealand investigating the beta-agonist bronchodilator, fenoterol, found that regular use led to worse breathing capacity and more frequent asthmatic attacks than "as needed" use. Although fenoterol is not sold in the United States, it was possible that other beta-agonist bronchodilators, including albuterol, might have the same effect.

Third, many patients are now taking a long-acting beta-agonist bronchodilator, salmeterol (brand name: Serevent®). Twice daily dosing of salmeterol amounts to regular use of a beta-agonist bronchodilator. If it were in some way harmful to take albuterol four times daily, one might suspect potential harmful effects from regular use of salmeterol.

With this background, Drs. Drazen and Israel and others conducted an experiment at multiple hospitals in which one half of the persons with mild asthma were assigned to take an albuterol inhaler four times daily regardless of their asthma symptoms (as well as additional doses, if needed) and the other half were instructed to use an albuterol inhaler only if they had symptoms of asthma needing relief with a medication. More than 250 persons participated in this 16-weeks' study.


Research done in New Zealand raised the possibility that regular use of one inhaled bronchodilator (fenoterol) might be harmful to asthma control.

The answer provided by this study is that there is no advantage— and no disadvantage—to using an albuterol inhaler on a regular schedule regardless of symptoms. Regular use was not associated with worse control of asthma or more asthmatic attacks, but it also did not improve control of asthma or decrease the frequency of attacks. This study proved that among persons with mild asthma, regular use of beta-agonist bronchodilators is not harmful, but it is also unnecessary. You do just as well if you take the bronchodilator only when needed to relieve symptoms.


This important new study found no harmful effect – and no benefit – to regular use of albuterol in mild asthma.

In recent years we have come to divide asthma medicines into two broad categories: "controllers" and "relievers." Controllers need to be taken on a regular schedule every day to prevent symptoms of asthma and reduce the likelihood of attacks. Antiinflammatory medications such as the inhaled steroids are examples of asthma "controllers"; they should be taken on a regular basis regardless of symptoms. Albuterol is an example of an asthma "reliever." It relieves symptoms of asthma for approximately 4-6 hours after its use. It can be taken if symptoms develop and omitted if they are absent.

Thanks to the research in which our Asthma Center played a major role, we now know that taking a reliever such as albuterol on a regular schedule several times a day is not necessary. It costs more to do so and does not improve your asthma. We also know that regular use of inhaled albuterol does not aggravate your asthma in any way.

Let us know your thoughts on Breath of Fresh Air!

Partners Asthma Center
Brigham and Women's Hospital
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115

asthma@partners.org

Make it Yourself

Since I am allergic to most wine and some beer. I make my own very low-alcohol bubbly cider. Yesterday I made bubbly wine from grape juice and a tiny bit of Fleishmann's baking yeast. I do this but without any additional sugar. I use grape juice and yeast in a plastic seltzer bottle a warm place. Our house is cold but we have a warm spot in our boiler room. Be sure to let the air out every few hours.

We use apple cider, grape juice or apple juice or a blend. It takes only one day. We re-culture the next batch from the yeasty sediment in the bottle. Refrigerate once the fizz happens.

read article

Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo

Cuomo rose to national prominence based on his speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, the Times Union reports, a rebuttal to President Reagan's famous "Shining City on a Hill" speech.

Ten days ago, President Reagan admitted that although some people in this country seemed to be doing well nowadays, others were unhappy, even worried, about themselves, their families, and their futures. The President said that he didn't understand that fear. He said, 'Why, this country is a shining city on a hill.' And the President is right. In many ways we are a shining city on a hill.

But the hard truth is that not everyone is sharing in this city's splendor and glory. A shining city is perhaps all the President sees from the portico of the White House and the veranda of his ranch, where everyone seems to be doing well. But there's another city; there's another part to the shining the city; the part where some people can't pay their mortgages, and most young people can't afford one; where students can't afford the education they need, and middle-class parents watch the dreams they hold for their children evaporate.

He's survived by Matilda Raffa Cuomo, his wife of 60 years, as well as five children and 14 grandchildren, the family said in a statement.

source

Lit up by Cell Phones

Come for soup and bread we can play some music to get warm. I made a fabulous turnip lentil potato soup. My accordion I've decided is a wearable hug along with my dog. I love winter. I wake early and bake. When my fingers get numb I swim in the pool next door or I walk downtown to the library to get toasty. If I want a longer walk I walk out to the Blackstone reservoir. I am a farmer who is an urbanite. I bake bread, culture yogurt, brew cider, churn my own ice cream. I'd love to milk cows again. I love to go sleep early 7-8PM and get up at 4-5AM! Last night there was a blackout and the whole intersection was dark. People were moving around their apartments lit up by the blueish light of their cell phones. Yesterday the hole in the street got fixed so we won't be losing anyone down the sewer. Whew!

Andy's Carrot Cake

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk or soupy yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrot
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (3 1/2-ounce) can or bag of flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

Stir together first 4 ingredients.

Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Buttermilk Glaze:

Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Cheesecake can be good for you . . . My childhood favorite was Sara Lee but I love pumpkin in anything.

Bake this cake 12 hours in advance of your dinner party, and refrigerate.

Ingredients

Crust:
1 cup Graham Crackers or Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer cookie crumbs (or make your own)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
1 large egg white
Crisco, vegetable oil or cooking spray

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened or (half with farmers cheese)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice from one "live" fresh lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 large eggs

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare crust, combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl; toss with a fork until well blended. Press crumb mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 300°.

4. To prepare filling, place cream cheese and farmers or lowfat ricotta cheese in a food processor; process until smooth. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and next 4 ingredients (through pumpkin); process until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time; process well after each addition. Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 300° for 50 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off; partially open oven door. Cool cheesecake in oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill 8 hours.
Note:

Be Grateful

Be grateful if you have lightbulbs, heat, and a working oven. Be grateful if you have love in your life.

Henry David Thoreau

A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.

- Henry David Thoreau

Crackers!!

[Everona Market Crackers]

Everona Dairy owner Pat Elliott developed these crackers specifically as an accompaniment to her award-winning cheese. She says their subtle buttery taste and crisp texture enhance the cheese without overpowering it.

The dairy sells several types of these crackers; see VARIATIONS below. The cocoa crackers have the barest hint of chocolate flavor and are particularly suited for blue cheeses. The cinnamon-sugar variety, Elliott notes, aren't ideal with cheese, but she likes them for their sweet taste.

Serve with cheese as snacks, as appetizers or with an after-dinner cheese plate. They're also good with a variety of other toppings, or even unadorned. The recipe can be doubled.

Make Ahead: The crackers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks.
Servings: 100 small crackers
Ingredients

2 cups flour, plus more as needed
3/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at a cool room temperature
1/2 cup hot tap water, or as needed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse several times to combine. With the machine running, add enough hot water to form a smooth, soft ball, stopping to check the texture before you add all of the water; you might not need all of it. (Alternatively, whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and use a fork or pastry cutter to cut in the butter, then stir in the hot water.)

Turn the dough out onto the work surface and knead it quickly and lightly. Divide into fourths and wrap in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes.

Use the floured rolling pin to roll the dough out as thinly as possible on the work surface (re-flour as needed). Ideally, the dough should be translucent enough so that you can see the work surface underneath it. You can pick up the dough and rotate it as needed in between rollings, but don't turn it over.

Sprinkle the dough with a little flour. Fold the dough carefully into 2 or 3 pieces, transfer it to a baking sheet and unfold it to cover the sheet. Use a pastry cutting wheel or sharp knife to quickly slice the dough into approximately 1 1/2-inch squares, cutting the whole sheet in one direction first, then the other. Use the tines of a fork to prick each cracker several times. You can remove any trimmed-off pieces at the edges and re-roll them later, though they will be a little tougher in texture.

Bake for 6 to 10 minutes or until the crackers turn golden and are light brown around the edges. (You might need to bake the crackers on the inside of the sheet a little longer, because they will not brown as readily.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat to use all of the dough.

Cool completely before serving or storing.

VARIATIONS

Oat/Wheat Crackers: Follow the basic recipe, using 1 1/2 cups of flour and adding 1/4 cup of old-fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats and 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour.

Cocoa Crackers: Use 1 3/4 cups of flour and 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder.

Corn Spice Crackers: Substitute 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons yellow cornmeal for an equal amount of the flour, and add red pepper flakes or taco flavoring to taste.

Pepper Crackers: Add about 1/2 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper.

Herb Crackers: Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crumbled herbes de Provence.

Cinnamon Spice Crackers: Sprinkle the crackers with a blend of ground cinnamon and sugar on the baking sheet before they go in the oven.

Soy Restaurant

NYC

Throw it In!

I've been adding lots to my lentil soup today: a parmesan rind, a leftover smoked garlic sausage, three turnips, 6 Rhode Island white potatoes, a frozen pork knuckle from the soup kitchen's Easter ham, cheap wine, Adobo, olive oil, and fresh garlic. It is fantastic.

We are roasting almonds too.

All of this to stay warm and make the house smell good.

The sun is out and I am ready for a long walk. This is my favorite weather: freezing sunshine. Have dog will travel.

Labrador Rescue

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New Years Day

I love cake batter more than cake and pancake batter more than pancakes but I don't like licking batter off the spatula. It is like eating food off of a raincoat.

I started my day with black coffee and a bite of leftover lemon cheesecake and chocolate cake made into a sandwich.

Our kitchen is so cold my fingers are yellowy-white. I am dreaming of a sauna and a swim.

I just put a pot of lentils and chicken broth with garlic cloves in the oven. It will smell like a roast and warm the kitchen.

We saw Bill Murray interviewed by Charlie Rose and he was amazing. A good actor has a mesmerizing face. Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum are favorite faces to watch.

I am tempted to take the polar plunge into the ocean but it might not be good for asthmatic lungs. Instead I'll walk to the market in the ice cold sunshine and get some collard greens.

Polar Plunge!

January 1, 2015

36th Annual New Year's Day Polar Bear Plunge, Newport

Begins at 12:00pm. Easton's Beach, Memorial Boulevard. Folks from the local Polar Bear Club race to dip into the icy waters at Easton's Beach, all to benefit charity. After-swim party at the Atlantic Beach Club. (401) 846-0028; www.awish.org.

Frozen Clam Plunge, Warwick

Begins at 12:00pm. Goddard State Park Beach, 1095 Ives Road. Take the plunge and support the Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership! We'll have a 50/50 raffle as well as many other prizes from local businesses. You do not need to plunge to do this event and spectators are welcome! (401) 732-7700; mentorri.org.

4th Annual Jamestown First Day Plunge, Jamestown

11:00am–3:00pm. East Ferry Square. Fire pits and live music beginning at 11am; "Penguin Paddle" stand up paddle board race at 11:30am; plunge at noon. Proceeds benefit the Jamestown Volunteer FIRE/EMS Department, and scholarships for the Save the Bay Summer Camp program. www.facebook.com/pages/Jamestown-1st-Day-Plunge.

Lentils and other Edible Coins

Article

Savory Cauliflower Cake

From EatingWell: January/February 2014

This healthy, savory cauliflower cake recipe falls somewhere between a quiche and a meatless meatloaf. Garbanzo bean flour adds nutty flavor plus protein to make the cake a satisfying vegetarian main dish recipe. The flavor is best when the cake is warm or at room temperature, so it’s an ideal choice for a buffet.

Savory Cauliflower Cake

1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), trimmed and broken into small florets
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3/4 teaspoon caraway seed, ground or crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 cup garbanzo bean flour (see Tip)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 large eggs
1 jarred roasted red pepper, rinsed and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided


Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add cauliflower and steam until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add caraway seed, coriander, crushed red pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Gently stir in the steamed cauliflower, doing your best not to break up the florets, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to combine the flavors.
Whisk garbanzo bean flour, all-purpose flour (or gluten-free blend), baking powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Whisk eggs in a large bowl until mixed. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the eggs and whisk to combine and eliminate most of the lumps. Stir in roasted red pepper, feta and 2 tablespoons dill. Add the cauliflower mixture and gently stir to combine. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake until the top is golden and the cake is set, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool to warm; remove the pan sides and the parchment. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with the remaining 1 tablespoon dill.

Garbanzo bean flour, made from ground dried garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), is a gluten-free flour used in many traditional Middle Eastern recipes. Look for it in natural-foods stores and/or in well-stocked supermarkets in the gluten-free section. Once opened, store airtight in the freezer.

Savory Cake

Ideas


Cake Au Fromage et Pruneaux

Savoury cakes are very popular in France; they appear in boulangeries and with a side salad on lunch menus in chic cafes, but they're most likely to appear at a picnic. They are super-simple to make and can be adapted to use whatever leftovers you have in your fridge--just follow the basic batter recipe and get creative with the fillings!
Recipe courtesy Rachel Khoo
Show: Little Paris Kitchen: Cooking with Rachel Khoo Episode: Cake Au Fromage et Pruneaux


TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 55 min
Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 40 min
YIELD: 1 loaf cake
LEVEL: Easy
ingredients

9 ounces/250 grams plain flour
5 1/2 ounces/150 grams soft goat's cheese, cut into small pieces
3 1/2 ounces/100 grams prunes, roughly chopped
2 3/4 ounces/80 grams pistachios, roughly chopped
1/2 ounce/15 grams baking powder
4 free-range eggs

5 fluid ounces/150 milliliters olive oil
3 1/2 fluid ounces/100 milliliters milk
1 3/4 ounces/50 grams plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C/Gas 4 and line an 18-ounce/500-gram loaf tin with baking paper.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, goat's cheese, prunes, pistachios and baking powder.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until fluffy and pale in colour. Then gradually whisk in the oil, milk and yoghurt. Add the salt and black pepper. Fold the flour mixture into the whisked eggs. Try not to over-beat as this will make the end result tough (it's better to under-mix). Pour the batter into the prepared tin.

Bake until a metal skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin.

Savory French Toast

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Central Park After Hours

by Alan Ripp

Baroness Karen Blixen

The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.
— Baroness Karen Blixen

What is man, when you come to think upon him, but a minutely set, ingenious machine for turning, with infinite artfulness, the red wine of Shiraz into urine?
— Baroness Karen Blixen

The Prairie Oyster and other Hangover Cures

Today is New Year's Day. If you are suffering from a hangover today, you aren't alone. The chief culprit is dehydration caused by the diuretic effect of ethanol, which can lead to shrinkage of brain tissue, and that causes headache. Alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach, causing queasiness. Other symptoms are caused by the toxic by-products of the liver's detoxification process. For something so common, hangover is poorly understood by the medical community, and quack remedies abound.

Hangover remedies probably evolved hand in hand with alcohol consumption. Pliny the Elder counseled Romans to eat fried canaries or raw owl's eggs. Ancient Assyrians tried to assuage their anguish by consuming a concoction of ground bird beaks and myrrh. Medieval Europeans consumed raw eels with bitter almonds. The Chinese drank green tea, which seems benign enough, but their neighbors the Mongolians ate pickled sheep's eyes. The Japanese ate pickled plums. Then there's the Prairie Oyster, introduced at the 1878 Paris World Expo: it's a raw egg (with the yolk intact), mixed with Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Puerto Ricans took a preventative tack: they rubbed sliced lemons in their armpits before drinking; In India, they drank coconut water, and there's some merit to that, because coconut water is rich in electrolytes and it helps with the dehydration.

Then there's the "hair of the dog" approach. In the 19th century, an Italian named Bernardino Branca developed a potion called Fernet: rhubarb, aloe, peppermint oil, and opiates. As a bonus, Fernet also cured cholera, or so Branca claimed. It's still available today, minus the opiates. Some people swear by the Bloody Mary: tomato juice mixed with vodka and a variety of spices; Hemingway's variant was tomato juice and beer.

A literature review in the British Medical Journal concludes that there is no reliable way to treat or prevent hangover after over-imbibing. The Algonquin Round Table writer Robert Benchley came to a similar conclusion: "A real hangover is nothing to try out family remedies on. The only cure for a real hangover is death.

-Writer's Almanac