Tuscan Apple Cake with a Crackly Meringue

Light, crispy, crunchy meringue topping.  That was enough to sell me right there.  Rich buttery cake studded with apple sweetness and a hint of lemon.  I can’t think of a nicer cake for fall.  Or for winter, spring and summer.

My friend Kathy and I love Lynn Rosetto Kasper’s cookbook titled The Italian Country Table: Homecooking from Italy's Farmhouse Kitchens.  Filled with unassuming, homey recipes, many termed “peasant-cooking”, it can be relied upon for satisfying food for sharing with friends and family.  I make her simple Sunday night tuna pasta, her roasted tomatoes, her balsamic chicken, and many other recipes from that book over and over, but I had NEVER ventured into the dessert section.  Kathy has been talking about this easy and reliable cake, so I finally made it to bring to a neighbor’s home for dinner.

7 adults and 1 teenager DECIMATED this cake, even after a filling meal.  It looks BEAUTIFUL, inspiring oohs and ahs before it has even been cut.  People savored each delicate mouthful, wrinkling up their brows in lack of understanding of what could possibly make this cake – so -- good.  My neighbor’s son declared it “The best apple cake.  Ever.”  Enough said.

It was even fun to make, with a rich crumb mixture that serves as bottom crust and base for the batter.  I’ve never topped a cake with meringue before, but please, that is just genius.

Click the link and Make this cake.  Not next week, not tomorrow.  Don’t file it away or make a mental note like I did when Kathy clued me in last fall.  Make it now!  You won’t be sorry.

Girls' Weekend, Days Three and Four

This is what Down East Maine is all about: A late summer visit to glorious Acadia National Park, and the classic Bubbles hike, followed by The Jordan Pond House for their famous popovers and hot tea.  We earned our dinner, climbing up the rocks to reach the spectacular view out to the open Atlantic.

On our drive home, we stopped at a fish store and selected some very feisty lobsters to be our supper.  There, we were treated to some good salty Maine personality: the lobsterman wanted to be sure we would cook his catch properly.  I think I showed some street cred.  His girlfriend made a fun show of scooping into the tanks for our perfect lobsters.  When we complimented her MMA sweatshirt, they both looked blank, but then they lit up and told the story of him finding it on the side of the road early one morning, good as new, and presenting her with the lucky gift.  A “catch” of a different sort for this lobsterman!

Kathy had brought all the things I long for from my former home in PA: tomatoes and corn – the best anywhere – and fresh mozzarella and fine balsamic vinegar from Carlino’s Italian Produce in West Chester.  As we steamed the lobsters (recipe below), we cooked that perfect corn, and made Caprese bruschetta with the mozzarella, more of those crazy good tomatoes, and Carol’s homemade pesto. 

We settled in to devour this dinner with Kathy's favorite white Louis Jadot wine, a great reward for our day’s adventure and exercise.   

On our final day, we followed a slower pace – a little hike through Witherle Woods, picnic lunch at Fort Madison, Haddock Tacos for dinner.  For four days, we had chatted about books, recipes, our 8 collective children, our significant-others, the Pope,  and every subject under the sun.  And today we reviewed our long weekend.  It was every bit as good as last year.  Already on next years’ agenda: take the mail boat to Isle au Haut for the day.

So ha! Gatsby was right after all.  Can’t repeat the past?  “Why, of course you can.”

Easy and Fool-proof Steamed Lobsters

I like to steam the lobsters so they retain their salty ocean goodness.  2” of water on the bottom of a big pot, brought to a boil and salted generously to be like sea water, is all you need.  The lobsters go in (no, they do not scream, that’s just steam escaping from them sometimes), the pot is covered, and when the water returns to a boil, they cook for 18 minutes.  That is for pound-and-a-half lobbies.  Melt plenty of butter and slice lemons while they cook.

Girls' Weekend, Day Two

In September and October, Maine reserves the option of behaving like summer or fall, depending on its mood.  This warm day with little breeze was perfect for a kayaking expedition up the Bagaduce River, into Hatch Cove.  We went up as the tide was going out against us, then coasted and steered back with the current.  





Fresh air + salt water + paddling = hearty appetite, and Carol had brought us Sweet Potato Turkey Chili.  Carol is a Pinch of Yum junkie!  Here is the link to their easy and delicious chili.  I have already made this healthy option for my guy, who equates football season with chili-consumption.  Thumbs up!

After a walk to the light house, we strolled and shopped through Castine, returned up the hill home, and settled in to discussing dinner plans.

You know what’s great about friends?  You can say, casually, “You know, I’ve always wanted to attempt a classic apple tart tatine.  It seems so simple yet elegant, and Alice Waters (see note, next paragraph) says it’s the best dessert ever.  I bought the ingredients in case we have time this week.” And your friends answer, “Okay, let’s do it right now.”  Right at that moment!  And we do.  Hell, yeah, we are too old to be putting off great stuff in our lives.  Bake a dang apple tart tatine, ahora!  Kathy starts studying the recipe, while Carol seeks out video instruction on her computer.  I love these women.

(NOTE:  Dear Reader,  You should know right now, if you’re going to be reading this blog,

that I idolize Alice Waters.  Idolize might not be a strong enough word.   I once practically accosted the poor woman when I was at a political fundraiser in Bucks County, PA, in 2008, which featured book readings by various writers.  Here’s a picture of me with Alice.  Can you see how I am bursting with excitement?  Can you see how she attempts to appear calm but is poised to sprint in case I do anything crazy?)

Kathy brought PERFECT Pennsylvania tomatoes with her, knowing this favorite veg is far too briefly in season in Maine, and we added them to Charlie Bird's Chicken Farro Salad from the New York Times.

I thought the recipe called for cooking the farro in a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water.  I had made this delicious and healthful recipe over the summer for my friend Linda.  At that time, I used fresh Maine blueberries instead of tomatoes, and toasted walnuts instead of pistachios.  And now that I think about it, I was nearly out of apple cider vinegar, so I used only ½ cup, not the whole called for.  Linda had THIRDS that night and could not stop talking about how good it was.   So I planned then, back in July, to make this dish for my friends in September.

This time, I was fully stocked with apple cider vinegar.  But as you will see if you are someone who actually reads CAREFULLY, the recipe calls for apple cider.  Period.  I added a CUP of VINEGAR to my farro and it was way too much.  I thought I had ruined the dish, but its inherent yumminess prevailed.

Kathy and Carol have made this recipe to rave reviews back at home already.  Carol, please comment on what proportions of water, cider and vinegar you used – I will do that next time!  And please add the video of your husband, Andy’s, satisfied reaction! 

Stay tuned for Day Three, in which we go straight-up Maine with Acadia National Park and Lobsters....

Girls' Weekend, Day One

You can’t repeat the past, I learned from my favorite novel.  I’ve been reliving the memories of a great girls' weekend last year, when my two friends visited me to kick off my first year living in Maine.  We cooked, kayaked, hiked, biked, cooked some more, read, talked each other’s ears off.  All three of us ended the long weekend feeling refreshed, healthy, and inspired.  We’ve rehashed memories and recipes from that trip for an entire year while we looked forward to this year’s trip. 

All three of us secretly thought, “It can’t be as good this time; things are never the same…”  But guess what?  It was even better!

What I am telling you is, the restorative power of a good kickin’ girls weekend cannot be underestimated.  These two women amaze me with their interests, their humor, their energy…  And damn, do we love to cook.  And hike and kayak and walk and other exertions which are not only healthy and fun, but also totally JUSTIFY our cooking and eating.  Yes, a girl’s weekend never disappoints.

Day 1 – My friends hustled for 10 hours through 7 states and clogged highways to arrive for a sunset welcome dinner at the beach.  My friend Carol brought her popular Mango Salsa, which we applied to as many foods as we possibly could all weekend, and we sipped Rosemary Lemonade Vodka Fizzes.  One of my go-to Maine dishes from Linda Greenlaw’s cookbook is Crab meat Quiche – quick to prepare ahead, made with Maine crab meat which is unique for my near-to-Chesapeake-crab-meat visitors, and easy to pack for transport.  But this time, I made a killer substitution: caramelized onions instead of minced raw onion.  Duh.  Why had I never thought of this before?  I put the sweet and melty onions on the top of the other filling ingredients, so they crisped up on the top for a prominent hit of flavor on first bite.  

Those ladies had only been in town for 10 minutes before we were getting our chat on and enjoying good food.  Like a year had never passed.  We ate and sipped and talked the sun into sparkling and shining as it dipped into the bay beyond us.  Welcome to Maine, dear friends!

(Dear Reader, I’m blogging about this trip in 4 separate posts as I have pity on your eyes and attention span.  If you are reading this, you are probably my friend or family member who just wants to be nice and support my blogging dreams.  So I will pace myself, and not over stay my welcome on your computer screen.  Thank you for reading.)

RECIPES FROM THIS POST:

Carol’s Mango Salsa – Carol serves this on a rice bowl with black beans, or aside grilled chicken and fish. 

Combine in a bowl:

2 mangos, pitted, peeled and diced

1/3 cup diced red bell pepper

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

Juice of one lime

Pinch of coarse salt

(I like a little more spice than she does, so I might add a minced jalapeno.)

Rosemary Lemon Vodka Fizz

I adapted/simplified this from a Gourmet Magazine recipe, May 2009.  

1 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (put the rest in your iced tea!)

2 8” rosemary sprigs

½ c. vodka (I just use Smirnoff's for mixed drinks.)

Cold seltzer (plain or lemon)

rosemary sprigs for garnish

Warm the lemonade concentrate and the rosemary in a small saucepan on low. Let it get worm, but do not boil.  Turn off the heat and let it sit for about 1 hour, to infuse with the rosemary. When it is completely cool, refrigerate it in a travel-worthy container like a bell jar. Discard rosemary sprigs before you use it.

Fill 8 (8-ounces) glasses halfway with ice. Divide syrup (about 2 tablespoons each) among glasses and add vodka (1 tablespoon each). Top off with seltzer. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprig or a lemon slice.

Crab meat Quiche

I seriously do make this recipe all the time.  In fact, it is the in the last blog I posted 4 years ago.  (I really am going to stick with it this time.)  Scroll down for the recipe.  The only thing I did differently this time was to slice thinly one large Vidalia onion and saute it slowly to caramelize.  I use 3 tablespoons of olive oil, heat that to medium/medium-low, add the onions and sprinkle with about 1 tsp. Kosher salt.  After it all sizzles a bit and acquires the least bit of color, I turn down the heat and cook them for at least 20 minutes, stirring frequently to keep an even color.  They are done when they are darker than honey, but lighter than peanut butter in color.

Girls' Sleepover with Crabmeat Quiche

What's more fun than dinner with a teenager? Dinner with FOUR teenagers. But only when they appreciate food. Liza and her friends love the Crabmeat Quiche recipe from Linda and Martha Greenlaw's cookbook, Recipes from a Very Small Island, which I make all the time here. Really, everyone with a mouth likes this easy recipe. I was worried the one quiche wouldn't stretch to feed five of us, so I had to work with what I had in the fridge and pantry. The cute little potatoes caught my eye for their filling potential (these girls did water-aerobics, sailing and tennis all day). Here is what ensued:

"Flat Fries"
Boil the little potatoes just until tender. Drain and place on a cutting board. Using a spatula, gently flatten them a bit until the skin just bursts, but the potato stays intact. In a large fry pan, heat oil (half veg, half olive) until medium-high (fryable) and fry the little flatties until they are crisp on one side; flip and crisp the other side, too. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with course sea salt or Kosher salt. Stand away from the plate as you set them before people or you may lose a finger or an entire arm.

Crabmeat Quiche
serves 4
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
1 unbaked 9" pie shell
8 oz. crabmeat, picked over to remove shells
1 medium onion, grated or chopped finely
4 eggs
1 1/3 c. light cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Sprinkle cheese into the bottom of the pie shell and top with crabmeat and chopped onions.
3. Mix eggs, cream, salt, and mustard in a bowl. Pour over the crabmeat mixture and sprinkle with parsley.
4. Bake about 50 minutes until just set, and knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Here is all that was left over:

Quick Dinner Salad for Summer

Life is simpler in the summer, or maybe it's being in Maine, or this smaller house, or it could certainly be the sunshine and the milder weather, no school stresses on my teenager, or the promise of family visitors. My daughter and I arrived last weekend, and even though we have been working our behinds off opening up the house, cleaning, gardening, etc., our moods are light.

Summer food is always simpler, too, right? I only have a couple cookbooks here and a notebook of summer-easy recipes and Maine-related cuisine (read:lobster!). I can't run to Wegmans to pick up a weird ingredient.

Yesterday, Liza and I were active from 7 a.m. right up until dinner time, playing tennis, sailing, filling pots with bright flowers and herbs. (It wasn't all glamorous: Liza swept and cleaned the entire spidery basement, and I shopped for deck-garb and scrubbed the bejesus out of the mildewed and lichen-crusted deck.)

I had planned on making barbecued chicken for dinner when lo and behold it was 7 p.m. Plan B ensued as Liza had after-dinner sports plans (excuuuuse me, sorry to hold you up, dear). So into the pantry I forged. I cooked half a bag of orecchiette, rinsed it cool, and tossed it with half a can of rinsed cannellini beans, one can of Italian tuna in olive oil (undrained), a handful of cherry tomatoes (halved), a bunch of baby romaine lettuces, slivered basil from the new herb pots!, the juice of 1/2 lemon, and a few swirls of olive oil. Served with a bit of sea salt and pepper, we devored it.

Was it delicious, or were we just starved from exertion and fresh Maine air? We will never know.

In Praise of Sriracha

I love this Asian hot sauce because it is not simply hot, like Tabasco; it also has flavor. My favorite brand is Huy Fong. Sriracha is a great “extra” in a summer pantry because it spices up any dish (eggs, beans, rice, pastas, marinades for meat…) and it also rounds out some quick sauces. It’s like a little secret weapon. Here are a few recipes I make frequently:

Makeshift Spicy Peanut Sauce for Szechuan noodles (Toss with angel hair or spaghetti, slivered scallions and carrots, and chopped salty peanuts):
Combine until smooth in a blender:
½ cup smooth peanut butter
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ginger (optional)
1 tbsp. Sriracha sauce (add more if not hot enough for you!)

Sauce for turkey burgers:
¼ cup mayo
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard (I like Maille)
A squeeze or two of Sriracha

Sauce for cheeseburgers (I make the cheeseburgers with horseradish and chives, or with Worcestershire and garlic)
1 cup mayo
1 tablespoon tomato paste or 3 tablespoons ketsup
2 tbsp. capers
1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 minced anchovy filet
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. Sriracha (or more to taste)