I am content if the dessert I order is sweet and satisfying. But there are times when that dessert is so much more and takes on a life of it’s own. This was the story of a generous slice of cake I recently shared with friends.

It was simply described as “Pineapple Banana Cake”,  but this cake had lots of everything. Not only was it a sixth of a cake and easily served four, it was rich and moist, studded with pecans, packed big pineapple flavor, and arrived frosted in thick buttercream. The garnish deserves its own mention: a mountain of maple laced whipped cream on the side, topped off with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

I realized my fixation with this slice had become overwhelming as I was working through my third rendering. It was just hard to resist the pale stripes of frosting intersecting dark textured cake, punctuated by bright spots of red strawberries. The first piece this cake inspired was a painting,  which quickly transformed into a baking project, and then became a serving of Chocolate Strawberry Cake from The Cardboard Kitchen.

Crazy? Maybe a little. Fun? Definitely!

Strawberry and Whipped Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Cake:

3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350⁰

Melt chocolate, set aside

Beat butter in stand mixer, then add brown sugar and eggs. Beat until light and fluffy (about 5 min).

Add vanilla and melted chocolate, beat just until combined.

Combine flour, baking soda,salt. Add to chocolate mixture, gradually, alternating with sour cream and beating after each addition.

Stir boiling water into batter. Batter will be thin.

Fill paper lined muffin pan 3/4 full.

Bake 15-20 min or until center springs back when touched. Makes 18.

Filling:

1/2 pint fresh ripe strawberries,wash, dried, roughly chopped, set in sieve to drain.
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla (or to taste)
sugar to taste

Whip cream, add vanilla and sugar to taste.

Fold in strawberries.

Set aside in fridge until ready to fill.

Buttercream: ( if you are not piping, halve recipe)

4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk, or (more adjust to consistency)
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
food coloring if desired

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Beat at low speed until well mixed. then increase speed to medium

until light, fluffy and well mixed,scraping bowl often. Tint with food coloring if desired.

Assembly ( just before serving):

Piping bag method:

Fill bag  fitted with a #18 plain tip with cold strawberry whipped cream mixture.
Fill from the bottom by puncturing, being careful not to overfill.

Layering method:

Split cupcakes horizontally, and spread mixture between layers, and refit with top.
Note: I found it easier to frost after I filled, but I was piping the frosting and piping the filling.

That’s the industry slogan, and they are incredible when you consider the spectrum of dishes in which they appear. Is anyone baking today? How about that souffle, or lemon meringue pie that you love to show off? Or ‘THE’ perfect omelet that  took a few tries to conquer.

Everything, as they say, from soup to nuts can be made with eggs. This incredible edible acts as a leavening and binder, as well as being delicious on it’s own in a variety of preparations.

I am a purist when painting eggs. I reduce them to their obvious yellow and white form: deviled; in the shell; out of the shell; sunny side up, etc. As long as I can see the white and the yolk together. Then, like the real thing, I can always add pepper, paprika, parsley: well the palette is endless.

The color of the yolk is always a variable which it makes it exciting. It ranges from  a bright cadmium pale yellow, to  the  warm deep cadmium orange. Crack the shell. Out comes a clear viscous liquid surrounding a luscious golden circle that holds it’s shape. This is my experience of the egg.

We have been having the dreariest, wettest Spring this year. Perhaps this is why eggs have been on my easel so often the past few months.

I love to thoughtfully consider the icons of food, and why they remain so popular. Enter the well known Hostess Cupcake.

At one time I occupied a studio space directly across from the Hostess plant in Seattle. I faced a wall with a protruding pipe labeled “sugar in”. At various times during the week, a tanker style truck would arrive, hook up a giant hose to that pipe, and the rest is Cupcake, Twinkie and Ding Dong history.  At the time all sorts of crazy ideas about this entered my creative process, but I never imagined a blog post.

On the Hostess site I found the history of this cellophane wrapped chocolate enigma. In 1950 a baking executive added the vanilla creme filling, and the signature squiggles on top. That must be it! That circular white line work on a satiny dark brown coating, coupled with a white creamy circle that is set into a soft dark brown fluffy texture must be the secret to the success of this well known phenomenon.

Like the ipod, mid century modern furniture, and your favorite chef knife, the Hostess cupcake is well designed!

Artists love pears. They are figurative, and like the figure, come in many colors and shapes. They also stay ripe for quite a long time, which is the best part: you can use them in a still life to paint, and then eat them.

Those of you who follow my Flickr photos know that I have been receiving lots of pears through my shared Full Circle Farm Subscription. Early in the fall pear season it was the Bartlett,  which is great for baking. More recently it is the versatile Anjou.

If left to ripen, Anjous are meltingly soft and sweet. But I had so many ripening in my fruit bowl that were almost to the point of eating. This forced me to be quick and creative. My first choice was a  savory tart, but of course I recently posted a tart recipe! I will save my Savory Pear and Cheese Tart for next fall’s crop.

I used the only currently available edible in my garden: rosemary. Pairing these two flavors produced the most unexpected and delicious flavor combination. One part pungent and aromatic, the other sweet and floral, it is just heavenly. Don’t be afraid of all the rosemary in this recipe: it’s fantastic!  I served this  with roasted room temperature root vegetables on a bed of peppery arugula, vinaigrette and shaved Parmesan. Mmmm. Try this pairing before the season ends in late spring.

The original was published in Bon Appetit years ago, and called for Bosc’s. I have not only used all varieties, but  I’ve also made a few changes here and there and everywhere!

Caramelized Pears With Rosemary

5 large (7-8 small) pears peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each. If using some of the softer varieties like  the Anjou, use them while they are still firm but fragrant and not overly ripe.

2 Tblsp fresh lemon juice
2-4 Tblsp. butter
2 fresh sprigs of rosemary, one 6″ with leaves left on, one 2″ with leaves removed.

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

(Alongside kosher salt, I used a gift from a dear friend: truffle salt. The earthy truffle flavor  used as the last seasoning adjustment below, was incredible with this dish).

• Preheat oven to 350º

• Spray or butter a baking pan and spread wedges in one layer.

• Bake 15-25 min, or until tender when pierced. Cool slightly.

• Rub with lemon juice to prevent browning.

• Chill overnight.

• In large saute or frying pan over medium heat, melt 2 Tblsp. butter.

• Add pears, the 6″ full rosemary sprig, and salt to taste.

• Cook until pears are brown and caramelized. (I did this in two batches to ensure my pears
wouldn’t be too crowded and steam. This uses more butter.)

• Stir in pepper to taste and remove rosemary sprig. Adjust salt to taste. (I added a sprinkle of truffle salt as a finishing salt, and used kosher salt above in the initial seasoning step).

• Serve at room temperature, garnished with the fresh rosemary leaves from the 2″ sprig.

Note: I know you all think that’s crazy: eating raw rosemary as garnish, but it really is delicious!

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I know I am not the only person eating tomatoes several times a day during tomato season. There is no substitute for the flavor of a tomato in season. And in the Pacific Northwest, tomato season can last into late Fall because our summers don’t really begin until late July.

This is a delicious trick of Mother Nature.  In the Fall, when those who eat tomatoes out of season are buying bland substitutes from across the globe, we continue to get the very best intensely flavored vine ripened varieties of tomatoes.

The added benefit from an artistic point of view, are the brilliant  reds, greens, oranges and yellows among the muted colors of the Fall veggies. And as if that wasn’t enough, the abundance is amazing:  Mother Nature stores extra energy so she can offer up as many tomatoes as possible before the tomato bar closes for the season! I particularly look forward to buying extremely reasonable flats of big misshapen and colorful Heirlooms  late September thru late October. I quarter, roast, and freeze these for use all winter, but that’s another post!

At the end of the season when the flavors peak they may not look their best, so I transform them into into a beautiful and delicious tart which uses the equally abundant zucchini. I found this recipe in the New York Times about 15 years ago. It is called “Connie’s Tomato Zucchini Pie” although I have long since lost any reference as to who Connie may be. I think she will forgive me.

This is originally a pie recipe, but somewhere in the distant tomato past I began making it as a tart. I love the flaky buttery taste of the tart crust layered with the other flavors, as well as the way it looks! If using a tart crust it should be blind baked. The pie shell version calls for an unbaked crust.

Either way, tart or pie,  I think you will agree it’s a Grande Finale for the last tomatoes of the season!

Connie’s Tomato Zucchini Pie (if using pie shell, amounts in parentheses)

1   9 1/2-10″ blind baked tart shell* or unbaked pie shell
1/2 cup Dijon mustard (1/3)
3/4 lb. mozzarella thinly sliced (1 lb.)
4 medium firm ripe tomatoes (5)
2 medium zucchini thinly sliced (2 large)
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic divided, or to taste-I use 3 cloves!
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, or 1 tsp fresh finely chopped or to taste divided
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, or 1 tablespoon dried, divided (if using fresh basil only chop 1   tablespoon at a time to prevent browning)
Salt and Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons)

• Preheat oven to 400° with a baking sheet.

• Spread mustard evenly over the bottom of the shell.

• Cover completely with mozzarella.

• Sprinkle 1/2 of the garlic, oregano and basil on top of the cheese.

• Beginning at the outer edge of the shell, make layered overlapping rows of tomato and zucchini slices,  alternating for color.

• Sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining garlic, oregano, and dried basil.  If using fresh basil sprinkle the remaining on before serving.

• Season to taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil.

• Put the tart on the baking sheet (for a tart  I recommend using pie shields for the first 20 minutes) and bake 30 min. (For the pie version bake 40 min.)

If using fresh basil, cool before serving and sprinkle with remaining basil finely chopped.

*I use Rose Levy Beranbaum’s “Basic Flaky Pie Crust” from the Pie and Pastry Bible. I love this crust!

There are those flavors that just work together naturally. Peanut butter and chocolate is one of these perfect pairings. I love the colors as well as the flavors. How classically beautiful is a caramel color paired with a deep, dark brown. On the artist’s palette this translates as raw sienna and burnt umber. When I squeeze these two colors onto my palette, it looks just like chocolate and caramel sauce!

When the style magazine Jalouse asked for a favorite cupcake recipe to accompany my interview, this was my choice: a gooey, chocolate-y comfort food cupcake!

More dense  peanut butter brownie than cake, and topped with a  large dollop of peanut butter flavored buttercream and a chocolate cherry, it’s a perfectly sweet way to pair these two favorite flavors and colors. And don’t be tempted to overlook those chocolate dipped cherries. You may want to make extras. I do.  This gives me an excuse to  eat the ones that aren’t perfect! I love this fun recipe so much, I created the recipe again,  in The Cardboard Kitchen!

Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes

Makes 16

For the cupcakes:

1/4 cup unsalted butter 1 package semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350°

Line muffin tins with baking cups.

In medium bowl, blend sugar, flour and baking powder gently with a whisk until blended. Set aside

Melt butter and chocolate chips in a 2 quart saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until well incorporated.

Beat eggs  into chocolate mixture one at a time until smooth, using a spoon.

Stir in vanilla.

Beat in sugar/flour mix until smooth. Dough will be stiff.

Divide batter into cups, filling 3/4.

Bake 25 to 30 min, or until the tops appear dry. A toothpick inserted will still have a few crumbs sticking to it. The brownies will set as they cool. Spread or Pipe Peanut butter buttercream. Top with chocolate dipped cherry.

Peanut Butter Buttercream

1/4 cups unsalted butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
cream or milk to desired consistency.

Beat all ingredients in a medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.

If piping the buttercream, double the above recipe for 16 cupcakes.

Chocolate Dipped Cherries

12 cherries in syrup
12 oz dark chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
Remove cherries from syrup and pat dry.

Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler over low heat, stirring until smooth and to prevent sticking.

Dip cherry and place on parchment to set.

Place  cherry on top!

It actually was in Spring, during my first trip to France, that I discovered the radish sandwich. I couldn’t believe I had lived so long without knowing about this simple, delicious, and incredibly satisfying meal.

Take spicy, salty, sweet, and buttery then place it all in one package! And if that wasn’t enough, you are treated to the crisp snap of radish, and the pleasurable crack of the crust on a fresh baguette. And let’s not forget the little bit of chew from the soft interior.

So, every Spring I wait patiently for the first and sweetest radishes of the season to appear in the Farmers Market. I can then assemble what Susan Loomis refers to in her  French Farmhouse Cookbook as “France’s finest snack”! And indeed it is. A little research told me that this is actually a staple of the provincial kitchen. Although seemingly simple, the flavors layered here are anything but provincial. I would call them sophisticated simplicity.

I have tinkered with it over the years experimenting with the addition of herbs to the butter, and my recipe follows. However in it’s simplest form it is just as delicious with a split baguette, unsalted butter, thinly sliced radishes, and a sprinkling of fleur de sel.

At Art On The Menu we swoon when we bite into this:  sweet herb butter slathered on a crusty baguette, radishes and salt, and all in under 10 minutes! What’s not to love!

Radish Sandwich

Although traditionally made with the delicate bi-colored finger width French radish, I used globe radishes above.

Serves 4 ( or sometimes 1)

1 16″ baguette
1 bunch radishes (approx 12-15 med size radishes)
3/4 cup room temperature unsalted butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, or 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
fleur de sel, or any fine grained salt

Herb Butter

Combine butter and herbs. Mix well. Can be prepared anytime in advance for the flavors to meld. I sometimes prepare it days in advance. Refrigerate if preparing in advance, and remove to bring to room temp for assembling.

Radishes

Remove greens, and clean radishes well. Thinly slice. You should have approx 2 1/2 to 3 cups  for a 16″ baguette.

To Assemble

Split baguette lengthwise.

Thickly spread herb butter on both sides of the bread. Layer the radishes on, and sprinkle generously with fleur de sel. You will need quite a bit of salt to bring the flavors together. For a 16″ baguette I usually sprinkle 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of fleur de sel. Cut diagonally into serving size sandwiches.

Or set out a bowl of fleur de sel and let your guests have fun by salting their sandwiches.

After salting consume immediately: the salt brings out the liquid in the radishes. It all becomes deliciously juicy!

With persimmon’s, it’s about the color!  It ranges right across the oranges, yellows and reds of the cadmium family, and matures with a blush of the earth tones, primarily burnt sienna. Because every flavor has a color in my kitchen, I approach the persimmon through the artist’s palette. The challenge is not only preserving  the delicate and unique flavor of this fruit, it’s preserving the hue and tint as well.

When I taste the silky, soft, intense sweetness of the pulp, I pick up a little spice  and citrus. Since I had an abundance of Hachiya’s to work with, I ignored my usual persimmon recipes which use less pulp, like salsa, and went for the big cheese! I suspended half the pulp in a delicate cheesecake batter which highlights the background flavors. The remaining pulp became a pure glaze of color and flavor.

I found the original recipe on allrecipes.com (attributed to “schmecktqut”), read the comments, and came up with a version which created the perfect persimmon package. I substituted  a ginger snap and walnut crust, added 1 less egg, and drained the pulp through cheese cloth overnight, saving the juice. I also cut back on the spices, using a little dried ginger, and half the nutmeg (fresh).

The glaze took a bit of research, but I finally found the perfect solution: a mirror. This is courtesy of theleftoverqueen. I followed her recipe as printed, with the addition of yellow as well as red (makes orange!) coloring to enhance the color.

And because we don’t want to appear to greedy, I baked them in the small 4″ spring forms. That way everyone can have half a cake without guilt, almost! And you have to admit, the color is a perfect cadmium orange-red!

In spite of the title, this isn’t a post about the economy! It’s a how-to post, dedicated to constructing a really satisfying salad in winter, without those warm climate salad ingredients that we in the northern realms seem to crave.

What brought this on? A discussion with a friend: she lives on salads! We had a great chat exploring how to think outside the salad bar.

One stroll through the farmers market, or vegetable isle in your local supermarket, presents all sorts of wonderful lettuce and tomato substitutes. One of my favorites is squash. Using butternut, pumpkin, or danish, this salad is beautiful as well as delicious. The sweetness of the squash is a scrumptious compliment to the lemon vinaigrette, which also helps to break down the kale or chard ever so slightly. I used fresh squeezed lemon juice from my freezer! And there are a rainbow of substitutions here too, so take your pick.

As a matter of fact, I found coming up with measurements challenging since I usually make this with whatever I have. You can use these amounts as a guideline, or just do your thing to explore the gold.

Now get out your well honed chef knife, cut through that squash, and dice your way to a dish you will look forward to every winter!

Winter Salad With Squash And Kale

(With a nod to my local co-op’s Emerald City Salad, where this all started.)

Serves 6 (or 2!)

2 cups cooked wild rice chilled (make this days ahead!)
6 cups Kale, chard, or a mix (remove stems and chiffonade)
1/2 small fennel bulb very thinly sliced (use your mandeline if you have one)
1/2 cup finely dice red onion
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley (don’t be tempted to omit this: the brightness adds a great level of flavor)
2 -2 1/2 cups medium diced1 1/ squash (approx 2# butternut whole, 1# danish, or a couple small sugar pumpkins) At times I make this salad with almost all squash and just a a cup of chard/kale, and the parsley for greens. So you could easily reverse the order of squash to greens.
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt to taste

Vinaigrette: or use your favorite vinaigrette, just don’t overdress. The salad should be barely dressed.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons of minced garlic (to taste)
1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
1-2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Toss with rice to marinate. Set aside

Peel and medium dice the squash. Heat olive oil over medium high in a large saute pan. Saute the squash until just soft and a little crusty. Try not to get the squash too soft. Remove from heat.

Lightly salt to taste. Cool.

Combine  greens, fennel, onion, parsley and squash in a bowl. Chill.

Just before serving toss dressed rice with veggies.

This keeps dressed in the fridge several days, if it lasts that long!

Choose your substitution and/ or addition!

Granny smith apples, barley,  sweet potato, cabbage, cauliflower, chopped nuts, dijon vinaigrette