Let them eat cake

Cakes are not usually my preferred dessert. They aren't at the bottom of my list, but they aren't at the top either. I'll make an exception for this cake, however. It's a very moist cake to begin with. You'd think that after sitting around for a week or two, even under a cake dome, it'd dry and become stale. I thought that would be the case when I made a mocha rum cake for dessert on some holiday and we weren't able to finish it very quickly. After the holiday was over, the cake sat under the dome for some days. Eventually I had a chocolate craving and decided to have a nibble. After all, even dried-out chocolate cake is still chocolate.

The small piece I took was a revelation. It had not just avoided drying out, it had actually become moister as it sat. By the time I had my small wedge, the cake was so dense and moist that it was nearly fudge. The process has worked every time I've made the cake since - generally every Christmas, by request of the family. We try every year to leave some to sit under the cake dome, and are always rewarded with an amazing final slice of cake.

Mocha Rum Cake

cocoa powder for dusting
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup dark rum
2 cups strong brewed coffee
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Accompaniment
lightly sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 300°F. While the oven is heating, butter a 4 1/2-inch-deep (12-cup) Kugelhupf or bundt pan. Dust with the cocoa powder, knocking out any excess.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

Set a large metal bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. In it melt the chocolate and the butter, stirring the mixture until smooth. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat, stir in the coffee, the rum, and the sugar. Beat the flour into the chocolate with an electric mixer, working a half cup at a time and scraping down the sides. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined thoroughly, and pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour and 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a rack, and then turn it out onto the rack. The cake can be made several days in advance and kept, either well-wrapped and chilled or under a cake dome.

Serve with dollops of the whipped cream.

Asian Fusion Soup with Chinese Medicinal Herbs

Originally inspired by an episode of Iron Chef, this soup has proved itself as an excellent soup for winter. Warming and filling, it made our entire household feel better any time I've made it. A friend in Singapore saw the first recipe I came up with, and decided to send me a small selection of Chinese medicinal herbs to add. The four herbs are meant to improve blood flow. In addition, the wolfberries are believed in Chinese medicine to help improve eyesight. I can't vouch for their effectiveness, but they certainly add excellent flavor to the soup, and the sweet-tart taste of the wolfberries even makes them good for snacking.

Once I had the herbs, I completely reworked the soup to better use the Chinese herbs. The original soup was strongly Chinese, but the final version owes something to other Asian cuisines as well. Here is the final result, which far outshone the original recipe.

Asian Fusion Soup with Chinese Medicinal Herbs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 recipe infused broth
1 small handful ginseng whiskers
1 small handful woody angelica
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 large carrot, sliced diagonally into coins
2 large scallions, white and pale green parts minced, dark green part sliced into rings
1 large handful lily buds, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and drained
juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons red miso
1 small handful dried Chinese red dates
1 small handful wolfberries
1/2 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 Napa cabbage, sliced into bands
2 tablespoons black sesame oil
9 potstickers, boiled until done

In a heavy, non-aluminum stockpot with a large capacity, heat the oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the sherry all at once. This is called "exploding" the wine, and greatly intensifies the flavor. Boil the sherry, stirring, until it is reduced by half.

Add the infused broth, soy sauce, ginseng, and angelica to the reduced sherry. Heat over moderately high heat until the broth reaches a boil. Boil the mixture for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the ginseng and angelica. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and add the carrot coins. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the minced white and pale green scallion and the lily buds, and simmer for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and red miso and then simmer for 1 minute. Next, add the dried Chinese red dates and the wolfberries, and then simmer for 1 additional minute.

Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and stir, letting the the residual heat of the broth cook the shrimp. This should not take long, about 2 to 4 minutes for shrimp just cooked through but not overcooked. When the shrimp are pink, add the Napa cabbage and the scallion rings, and then stir until the cabbage is wilted. Stir in the cooked potstickers and the sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Infused Broth

For really spectaculars soups and as a base for flavorful sauces, an infused broth is the answer. The same basic procedures used in this infusion I developed can be used to infuse a wide range of other flavors into your broths and stocks. Give this one a try, and then the sky's the limit! The possibilities for flavors to support and complement your soups and sauces are limited only by your creativity.

The most crucial step is sweating the vegetables. This is the step that will give your broths and stocks the flavorful goodness of whatever you are using. Don't rush this step!

Infused Broth

3 large heads of garlic, rock-hard
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 small jalapeño or other green chili, tips removed and cut in half lengthwise
12 slices of fresh ginger, about the size of a quarter
12 cups chicken stock or boxed chicken broth
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and move a rack to the middle position.

Place the heads of garlic on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Don't worry if some black ooze bubbles from the top, as it will not affect flavor. When roasted, smash the heads of garlic to break up the cloves.

Put the oil into a non-aluminum, heavy stockpot with a 4-quart capacity and swirl to glaze the bottom. Heat the oil over very low heat until a slice of onion sizzles gently upon contact. Add the onion, chili, ginger, and roasted garlic. Stir to combine. Cover the pot, keeping the heat very low. Sweat the vegetables until the onion turns translucent and the vegetables and aromatics become soupy, 15 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the mixture from sticking.

Add the chicken stock or broth and raise the heat to moderate. Bring the mixture to a near boil, and then adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer for 1 hour. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper in the last 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat. Let stand, uncovered and undisturbed, for 1 hour to let the vegetables steep in the broth.

Line a fine-mesh sieve with several layers of dampened cheese cloth and strain the mixture through it. Spoon off excess oil from the surface of the resulting infused broth. Discard the vegetables and aromatics.

Kefta Tagine (Moroccan Meatball Stew)

Kefta Tagine was my introduction to tagines. It became a family favorite from the very first. The spiced meatballs and their sauce of onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers has never failed to impress guests, either. Even those few people I know who dislike cilantro don't have a problem with it here. There are so many layers of flavor that the cilantro just becomes part of the supporting background of the dish. Serve with a side of couscous, however you prefer to prepare it. Even a simple store-bought couscous matches wonderfully with the tagine.

For the Kefta (meatballs)

1 pound ground lamb or beef
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil for pan-frying

For the sauce

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
2 pounds tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste

Optional garnish
6 eggs

Combine the ingredients for the meatballs. Wet your hands and shape the meat mixture into 1-inch balls, re-wetting your hands if the meat begins to stick to them.

Heat a six- to eight-quart stove-top casserole and add then add the olive oil. Brown the meatballs well in the oil, in batches if necessary, then remove. Leave the oil in the pot. Cover the meatballs and set aside.

To the reserved oil, add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Saute the vegetables until the onion turns translucent. Add all the remaining ingredients for the sauce and simmer, covered, 30 minutes, or until the sauce cooks down to a thick gravy.

Return the meatballs to the sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. If you are using the eggs, carefully break them into the sauce and poach them for a few minutes. Be careful not to overcook the eggs. Serve at once directly from the pot. Serves 6.

Alyce's Cincinnati Chili

Chili was never a great love of mine. The chilis I tried were all Texas-style chili, and they failed to catch my interest. One day my friend Alyce decided that it was time to destroy my anti-chili prejudice, and cooked her grandmother's Cincinnati Chili for me. I have been an addict ever since, and have been getting other people hooked on it.

Cincinnati chili is not the consistency of the thick, Texas-style chilis. It is more like a good Bolognese, perfect to put over a bed of al dente noodles. It works equally well in chili dogs, making the best Coneys I've ever had.

Cincinnati Chili

4 cups water
2 lbs. ground beef, crumbled
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. distilled white vinegar
1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
5 whole allspice
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 tbsp. chili powder
1 large bay leaf
5 whole cloves
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Accompaniments for traditional Five-Way

spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente
red kidney beans
finely shredded cheddar cheese
chopped red onion
oyster crackers (optional)
Tabasco (optional)

Accompaniments for Coneys

hot dog buns
mustard
chopped red onion
hot dogs
finely shredded cheddar cheese
Tabasco (optional)

In a large pot, combine the water and ground beef. Bring to a boil, and boil for thirty minutes.

While the meat is boiling, measure out the spices onto a plate. Combine the tomato sauce, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl.

When the meat is done boiling, add the rest of the ingredients and return to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. Cover and simmer for one additional hour.

To serve traditional Five-Way

In a bowl, start with a bed of spaghetti. Top with a layer of chili, a layer of beans, Tabasco to taste if using, a layer of cheese, a layer of red onion, and a layer of oyster crackers if using. Serve immediately.

To serve as Coneys

Heat hot dog buns. Put mustard and red onion on bun, and add a cooked hot dog. Top with chili, Tabasco if using, cheddar cheese, and more red onion.

Perking up Mayo

Since this is a first post in this brand-new corner of the intarweb, I'll begin with something simple. You know, just to test the waters and get the ball rolling. Probably several other worn-out cliches apply as well. The two recipes are about the simplest you could find, but the resulting sauces are quite delicious.

A number of years ago, I learned that some simple additions can completely change your plain, everyday mayonnaise. I've been quite pleased with the resulting sauces. I highly recommend using black sesame oil instead of the more common toasted sesame oil if you can get it.

Sesame Mayonnaise

4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted (Oriental) sesame oil, or more to taste

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and sesame oil, stirring until thoroughly incorporated and smooth. An excellent accompaniment for steamed asparagus.

Garlic Lemonnaise

4 tablespoons mayonnaise
the juice of half a lemon
one small clove of garlic, finely minced or crushed

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Goes well with broccoli or fish.