Blueberry Crumb Cake

I love this time of year when blueberries are sold in enormous quantities far beyond the amount any one household could eat before they start to rot. There are only two solutions for this kind of berry-overload: freezing and baking! This summer I have been trying to bake with blueberries at every opportunity. This recipe, which is adapted from the barefoot contessa, was so good that I actually made 2 of them in the past week. People love it when you show up at their house with a piece of cake, it will make them smile every time.

For streusel:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 stick unsalted butter (melted)
1 1/3 cups flour

For cake:
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (grated)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Confectioner's sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For streusel:
In a bowl combine white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add melted butter and then add the flour. Mix everything together until crumbly. Set aside

For cake:
Cream butter and sugar together with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer on high speed for about 4 minutes. Adjust mixer speed to low and then add the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream while continuing to mix on low speed.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add this dry mixture to the wet mixture and combine on low speed until texture is consistent. Turn off mixer.

Fold in blueberries gently with a spatula, taking care that everything is well mixed.

Spoon the batter into the baking pan and spread evenly with the spatula. Crumble the topping with your hands evenly over the cake batter surface. Bake around 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool completely. Sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top. Great served with coffee or ice cream!

Pasta with Caramelized Onions, Spinach, and Blue Cheese

Blue cheese and spinach are two of my favorite foods to begin with. So combining them with caramelized onions and tossing them over some pasta makes for a most delicious union of some of my favorite flavors. This dish is really easy to make, but can take a while if you go for the full effect of caramelization with the onions, which I always do.

6 onions (sliced thinly)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine\
1 package spinach (minced)
1 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese (grated)
1 box pasta

Over medium heat, saute onions in olive oil for about 20 minutes. Add salt to onions and then put heat on low. Let onions continue to cook for up to an hour. The longer they cook the more pronounced the caramelized flavor will be. When you lose your patience waiting for the onions, adjust the heat to medium once again and add the white wine. Simmer for about 15 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Add the chopped spinach and cook together for a few minutes. Stir in the blue cheese and mix together on low heat until the cheese has melted into the sauce. Cook pasta al dente and then add to the pan and stir everything together to coat the pasta with sauce. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

O Mangalica!

This post has been a really long time coming. But, better late than never. Last winter I had the privilege to attend the annual Mangalica festival in Budapest. Mangalica (or Mangalitsa as it is pronounced in English) is an heirloom breed of pig that is native to Hungary and a crucial part of the Hungarian cuisine. They are also referred to as Wooly Pigs because of their thick coat of curly hair.


Some live Mangalica relaxing at the Mangalica Fesztival in Budapest

Due to the high maintenance required for raising these pigs, breeding of Mangalica was discouraged under communism, causing them to nearly die out. But over the last few decades, a renewed interest in these heritage hogs has increased the population once again. Importation to countries like Spain has also helped their survival. The popularity of the Mangalica breed has experienced a renaissance recently, as foodies in the states and elsewhere have discovered the delectable, marbled meat of this creature. Mangalica meat has an extremely high fat content, making it more juicy and flavorful than your average piece of pork. It is hard to find, and even harder to afford Mangalica in the States, but in Hungary it is everywhere, and I had the opportunity to enjoy it in many different ways.


Mangalica pieces cooking at the festival

This breed has become such a hot item for food lovers that the New York Times even had an article on them recently. Link here. They may be rare and expensive, but if you have the chance to try this succulent pork, I strongly suggest you do.

After tasting grilled Mangalica steak, petting the live hogs, and nibbling on a multitude of cured Mangalica sausages, I walked away from the festival with some sausage of my own. I paired it with a simple tomato cream sauce over pasta so as not to distract from the meat's luscious flavor. But consider yourself warned: this meat is so rich that a little bit goes a VERY long way.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce and Mangalica Sausage

1 box pasta
1 1/3 cups cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Mangalica sausage (sliced)
Parmesean chesse (grated)

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add cream and simmer for a few minutes. Add chicken stock and tomato paste. Simmer for several minutes to let flavor develop. In a separate pan cook sausages without any oil, as they will release lots of fat. Add sausages and fat to sauce. Flavor with salt and pepper and let everything simmer together for a few minutes. Cook pasta al dente. Mix sauce with pasta and top with grated cheese and parsley. Egészségedre!

Lavender Honey & Rosewater Oatmeal Cookies

Last weekend I got some lavender honey from the local farmer's market which I wanted to use somehow in baking. Yesterday I had the brilliant idea to combine it with some rosewater that I purchased in Bulgaria for a flowerific flavored treat. I love how the smallest drop of rosewater really permeates the flavor of whatever it is added to. My next challenge will be to use it in a savory dish, a curry maybe?

3 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lavender honey
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon rosewater
1/2 tablespoon water
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup walnuts (chopped)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Mix together butter, brown sugar, honey, egg, rosewater, and water in a mixer with a paddle attachment. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix in the oatmeal. Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir together well. Add the walnuts and stir until the texture is consistent. Drop about 1 tablespoon of dough on the cookie sheet for each cookie. Remember that the cookies will spread when they are baking, so leave plenty of room between each one. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Moving forward on the baking revolution, this weekend I made another delicious fruit bread inspired by the seasonal delight of blueberries.

3 eggs (beaten)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups white sugar
2 cups zucchini (shredded)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 5x9 in baking pans. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold the zucchini into this mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and beat until texture is consistent. Gently fold in fresh blueberries. Pour into baking pans.

Bake for about 90 minutes, checking occasionally. Bread is done baking when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool about 20 minutes before turning out from pan. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Polenta with Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Onions

Historically, polenta is peasant food from northern Italy. This dish of boiled cornmeal is cheap, simple, and filling, making it a staple in the diets of the poor for generations. Today, however, it seems that polenta has joined the ranks of haute cuisine as it pops up on trendy menus and the tables of elite foodies worldwide. Here is a less-than-traditional but oh-so-delicious variation on the joy that is polenta.

1 lb sweet Italian sausage (cut into bite-size pieces)
1 onion (thinly sliced)
1 large bulb fennel (thinly sliced)
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 14 oz can pumpkin puree
1 cup quick-cooking polenta
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup pecorino cheese (grated)
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned. Remove sausages from pan and let sit. Add fennel and onions to pan and saute until tender. Add wine and sausages to pan and cook the alcohol away for a few minutes.

In a separate saucepan, bring the chicken stock and butter to a boil, then stir in the pumpkin puree. Add polenta to the boiling liquid, stirring constantly until desired texture is achieved. Remove polenta from heat and whisk in thyme, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and pecorino cheese. Serve sausage, fennel, and onions over polenta and top with parsley and pecorino for a last minute color and flavor kick.

Banana Bread

One of the perks of being back in New York is that I have access to an oven that actually has temperature control! This means I can start baking again and trying to recreate some of the delicious baked goods I've met on my journeys. For my first baking adventure back at home I went with an easy and familiar classic that is satisfying for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/3 cups mashed bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the inside of a 9x15in baking pan. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt together. In a separate large bowl, cream the brown sugar and butter together. Add 2 eggs to the butter and brown sugar. Add mashed bananas to the wet mix. Slowly fold the wet mix into the dry mix until the consistency is uniform throughout. Pour into greased baking pan. Bake in oven for about 65-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!