Everyday Vanilla Cake

When I was growing up, my grandmother always had a cake on the kitchen counter. Most of the time it was left in the pan, and never frosted, except for the occasional dusting of powdered sugar or a light glaze. Some were made from scratch but mostly they'd be from a mix. Fruit or jam might get mixed in. My grandmother was not a big chocolate fan, so the cakes were almost always vanilla, or possibly a fruit flavor. I was always watching my weight so I perceived this as a threat to my well-being and lo and behold, I always had a piece. These days, I make a cake or brownie or loaf bread once a week or so. I have no problem eating the whole thing myself, not at once, over the course of the week. This little recipe I found on the Epicurious.com website. It is the recipe for a caramel cake, but I have omitted the glaze, which I have made and love. But for an Everyday Cake, this one is just perfect.

Vanilla Cake (Adapted from Epicurious Caramel Cake)
2 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, well shaken

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 inch square pan with nonstick spray, set aside.

In a mixing bowl, with a whisk or electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each one until thoroughly incorporated. Add buttermilk slowly, then vanilla, mixing thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add this mixture to the wet mixture in thirds, combining well after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Be sure to test with a skewer to make sure it is fully baked.

This cake has a nice sturdy crumb, it could be made in a loaf pan, if you prefer. Enjoy!

Water From A Hose

The tastes of summer...brings back memories. Simple food paired with sweet sunshine late into the evening, one of my favorite experiences. Eating outside is one of the sweet pleasures of summer. Walking on the boardwalk and getting a corn dog and a fresh lemonade, still one of my favorite things to look forward to in summer. When I was a kid taking a long drink from a hose until I couldn't drink anymore was standard summer fare.
Floats was something my grandmother liked: orange soda with vanilla ice cream, root beer floats, coke floats, cactus cooler floats. My mom, when I was very young, used to make us plain old grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup and a dollop of cottage cheese on top - after we had a bath having played outside all day long. I like to have my coffee or tea in the morning sitting outside. When there's still some dew on the plants; before it gets too hot.
When my son and I lived on a boat we had a stainless barbecue on the back and cooked on it all summer long. I dearly loved living on a boat, you could tell when summer was there, it sounded just like the first scenes from the beginning of Jaws, with water splashing, motors starting and voices from all around, from early in the morning. Washing down the boat and taking a long drink from the hose. Do people still do that? I do.

Cabbage Lovin'

My new love is cabbage! I bought a Napa cabbage head at the market the other day and did something very simple with it: I sauteed it in olive oil and added salt to to taste. It was amazingly good. So amazing, I couldn't stop eating it. I have cooked other cabbage this way, the plain green one, but this was so good and hearty tasting, it didn't need much of anything else.

5 Foods You Should Never Be Without

Ruth Reichl has a column on CNN and her recent post was 5 Foods You Should Never Be Without.
There were 2 on the list that I found good ideas, cooked rice or potatoes and eggs. Great.

My list goes like this:
Lentils, or beans of any kind. I have a very close relationship with lentils, they're nutritious, taste good and have kept me alive more than several times in my life given my budget. I feel safe knowing that I have a good pound of them in a glass jar in my cupboard.

Oatmeal. Cannot and will not live without this. I eat it almost every day.

Canned tomatoes. I don't buy pasta sauce anymore, the best sauce is made using canned tomatoes, garlic, butter, carrots, celery, onions - pureed in a blender.

Peanut Butter. It makes me feel like an American. I've eaten it my whole life so far and have no desire to stop.

Olive Oil. It's a splurge but I don't buy bottled dressings anymore. A decent olive oil tastes good and is worth its weight in gold.

There you have it. Yes, my list is pretty much a good pantry list. I have other things that are must haves, like onions and garlic, potatoes. Hot sauces, spices and flavors. But if you dropped me off on an island and said 'Fend for yourself' - If I got this 5 and had to make it on my own, I probably could.

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/05/20/55-ruth-reichl/

Supermarket Ripoffs

There are a helluva lot of rip-offs in the supermarkets. With the 47,000 + items they have to offer, there are tons of gimmicks from ad campaigns to try and get us to buy unnecessary items.

I don't think the philosophy of eating home cooked meals has completely gone out of style, I think advertising has shaped our lives by telling us we don't have the time for home cooked meals we've made ourselves in our kitchens. In generations before ours there still was plenty of work to be done; farm work from sun-up to sun-down; lots of walking and public transportation - both mother and father working. People still had time to cook at home and eat well. It's the advertising system embedded in our culture that tells us we don't have time and need more time for other more relaxing, stress less activities. Cooking a meal is stressful? Hmmm. In turn our quality of life has been diminished. This type of advertising has taken away our own forethought and planning by telling us we will be happy driving thru a drive thru and passing a boxed meal to the kids in the back to eat in the car while driving. Or, hey, let's buy a premade, processed - heat in the microwave meal - and there's dinner; everybody has what they want. Hmmm, again. Just think about this for a minute, the joy and quality in our food - in our meals - have been taken away by corporate advertising campaigns. This is us as and this is how we are perceived as a nation. Is this you? After a year on this road and a lot of thinking, I know it's not me. Just try it. Make a whole meal from scratch. Look at the ingredients as whole pieces and put them together to make the meal. I have to say, I have saved lots of cupboard space, too.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42883944/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/worst-supermarket-rip-offs/

One Year Anniversary

One quick note, Today is the Anniversary for Inspired Home Kitchen!!!

I will be marking this with more recipes and food for thoughton upcoming blogs!!

Cheers to Home Cooked Meals!! :)

Back Soon!!!

For the past week, I have been working on getting a virus off of my computer...malware...don't ever get it! To do it yourself takes time and hours on hold with tech-support.

Almost there!! Will be back blogging in a day or two!!!

Apple Bundt Cake Bliss

There is something so homey about a bundt cake sitting on nice cake plate. I think every bundt cake I've ever had, either made by me or someone else, but homemade - has been moist and tender. Chocolate, lemon, buttery vanilla - classic standbys that always look good and are pleasing to everyone, you can never go wrong. 

I have to admit it took me a long time to bake with apples. I dearly love them but have always been hesitant to bake with them. Not the case anymore, over the past year I have cooked many apples and I am always pleased when I do.

Apple Cream Cheese Filled Bundt Cake

Apple Filling
2 large apples - Granny Smith, cored and peeled and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon Angostura bitters

Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon Angostura bitters

Cake
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bundt pan, then dust with flour - generously.
You will need 3 bowls.
Peel, core and slice apples, mix in bowl with sugar and cinnamon and bitters.

In another bowl, using a mixer, mix cream cheese, sugar, flour, egg, orange zest and bitters. Set aside.

For the cake, sift flour and baking powder. Add sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and orange juice. Mix until thoroughly combined. Pour 1/3 of this mixture into prepared bundt pan. Evenly spread apples over the batter. Spoon all of cream cheese mixture over the apples (this does not have to be perfectly even). Pour remaining batter into pan and place in oven for 60 - 70 minutes. Make sure to test with a skewer to make sure cake is thoroughly baked. Work around the edges of pan with a small to loosen cake. Cake should come out easily if it is completely cool. Dust with powdered sugar.

Angostura &...

There are so many refreshing non-alcoholic drinks that are wonderful with Angostura!

I don't drink soda, but one of the most refreshing drinks that I like is Angostura Bitters and tonic water. Now that the tempurature has gone up, it's wonderful; and on a hot summer day nothing could be better. Just pour tonic water in a glass and as many dashes of bitters to your liking - I like a lot!

Think SUMMER!!!
Lemonade with bitters...fresh grapefruit juice...any variety of fruit punch...smoothies - absolutely! Pineapple, banana, mango, berry; adding bitters gives a depth of flavor and uniqueness...shakes and ice cream...vanilla is my favorite with bitters, and it goes very well with chocolate...orange sherbet/vanilla with bitters added...pecan praline flavor is to die for...omg rum raisin ice cream mixed with bitters...

I cannot fully explain my love for bitters, I just do. In warmer weather I tend to go through more bottles...

Savory Strawberries

I'm starting to see strawberries everywhere; fresh in the market and lovely pictures of strawberry recipes - and not just in desserts. They are sweet and very dessert looking to me so it took me a long time to accept the fact that their flavor could be infused any other way. What an idiot I was, there are so many savory ways to use their flavor. Many times, I have had Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette. Strawberries go really well with red onions, either fresh or sauteed. They go very well with feta and gruyere and brie. Sprinkle sliced strawberries over roasted chicken and drizzle with a good olive oil or balsamic vinegar. Try adding them to arugula or making a sauce with mint for chicken or fish.

Strawberry Grilled Cheese

2 slices sourdough
1 handful grated gruyere
sauteed red onion
4 medium strawberries, sliced

Butter sourdough slices and place on hot grill. Add the gruyere, some red onion - to your liking and then add the strawberries. Grill until cheese is fully melted and the bread is golden toasted.

Coconut Water

I woke up today to the most beautiful day I have seen in several months. When I went outside and felt the warm air, it felt like the most beautiful day, also. I made it through winter here in the mountains, again. My second winter. Last year it snowed up until the end of May, so I will not discount the fact that there may be some extreme spring weather changes ahead, I will only count my blessings today. A long morning walk by the river was exactly what Duke and I needed.

In the last few years, I discovered coconut water, via one or both of my sisters. It is high in potassium - way more than one banana and other electrolytes our body needs; sodium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. In warmer weather it is great for hydration because it hydrates our body faster than water and it is totally natural, not full of chemicals, sugar and artificial colors that sports drinks are made of. The benefits go on and on, it's good for men as it stimulates the reproductive organs (as in Viagra) and increases the libido in women. I know that it's good the next morning after having a few beers the night before to bring me back to life, soon followed by my pasta carbonara.

If you haven't tried it, I fully recommend it. It's light and refreshing, it is not a taste that is very common but it's fairly easy to get accustomed to. Cheers!!

My Favorite Food and Recipe Sites

The internet is abundant with recipes; any ingredient you want to try using or variations on recipes - all you have to do is google what you want and you can find it, quite easily. I love to read about food and eating, there are blogs and online magazines that are absolutely wonderful. I am always "In Search Of", and will post when I find good ones. Feel free to let me know of any that you don't see here!

I have my go-to's:
http://www.epicurious.com/
http://www.allrecipes.com/
http://www.cooks.com/
http://www.southernfood.com/
http://www.sunset.com/
http://www.doriegreenspan.com/
http://www.saveur.com/
http://www.delish.com/
http://www.scharffenberger.com/


Some great cooking blogs:
http://www.orangette.blogspot.com/
http://www.seriouseats.com/
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/
http://www.joyofbaking.com/
http://www.thejoykitchen.com/
http://www.italianfoodforever.com/
http://www.theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/

Very interesting:
http://www.foodtimeline.org/
http://www.culinate.com/


Good reading:
http://www.bonappetit.com/
http://www.foodandwine.com/
http://www.gourmet.com/
http://www.cookinglight.com/
http://www.eatingwell.com/
http://www.cookingisfun.ie/

Eating Style

We define our life with food. Food and the way we eat defines our life. Food preserves our identity and connects us with one another. There are distinctive customs surrounding food and the connection to the community in which we live.

Eating well takes time, it has to be important in our life. It's like our relationships with anything: to do it well and make it work we have to put time into it; planning time, preparing time, and of course meal time. If it is void of these three substances in any way the quality will go down hill. If something is not given priority, then it becomes less important in our lives. Care and respect are a good indicator of our quality of life.

It's up to us to demand good wholesome food. Cooking good wholesome food in our kitchens can make a huge difference in our quality of life by not compromising our integrity.

An Ode to Erma

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'" Erma Bombeck
Erma, yes we are on a first name basis, is one of my heroes. She was wit and wisdom of the best recipe ever created. I got through my divorce reading her books, one after another, relishing each one and sometimes reading it over again. Her humor has got me through many a time of adversity. She was the mother of all mothers.

"Mothers are not the nameless, faceless stereotypes who appear once a year on a greeting card with their virtues set to prose, but women who have been dealt a hand for life and play each card one at a time the best way they know how. No mother is all good or all bad, all laughing or all serious, all loving or all angry. Ambivalence rushes through their veins." EB

I've let go of what I was,

I accept myself for who I am today-
I continue to become who I am meant to be!

Happy Mother's Day to all...

Mint Tea Latte

I work in a coffee shop, at the moment, making espresso drinks, cooking and baking. One of my recent concoctions is a Mint Tea Latte. I absolutely lovvve it.

1 mint tea bag
1 shot of vanilla syrup
hot water
hot milk

Fill the cup to about 2/3 hot water, pouring over tea bag. Add vanilla syrup and fill with hot milk. This is wonderful, no caffeine and great for kids.

Since this was such a hit, I have been experimenting with other teas. So far, another really good one is Orange Spice, made the same way. This is definitely my new thing.

Chocolate Malt-O-Meal

One of my all time favorite things is to have Chocolate Malt-O-Meal, made decadently, like a pudding. I use evaporated milk and sugar, a good dollop of marshmallow fluff right down the center, pour it into a bowl and let it cool to just right. This is one of my most favorite, favorite things to eat. I was very disappointed as the markets I shopped in L.A. stopped carrying it. Wal-Mart had been the only store where I could find it, and then it disappeared from there, also. I was almost to the point where I would have to buy it online, http://www.mybrandsinc.com/, is offered on the M-O-M site, or Amazon.com, but my local market, Atkinson's in Hailey, carries it. When I saw it, as I was buying oatmeal, I was overcome with joy...I know weird and a bit obsessed. Hey, I love the stuff, I never have it for breakfast as it is one of those - after a long ass-day, I'm tired and I need something comforting, in my pj's watching tv or a movie - type of good feeling special things. It's comfort food - my own special thing. It's so strange but when I have this, I feel so special, it's like nothing else...I know I can see eyebrows lifting, totally weird girl here. It's just a very special moment...

If you want to try it, make it using the directions on the box, except use evaporated milk or whole milk. Sweeten with sugar while still stirring in the pan, add more milk to get your own desired thickness. Pour into a bowl and add marshmallows or marshmallow fluff while it's hot. Cool to lukewarm and enjoy, it's heavenly; no it's damn good...

Tito's Tacos

I grew up in L.A. in the W. Los Angeles, Santa Monica area living with my grandmother. I was a figure skater, when I first started skating, there was an ice rink in Santa Monica on 5th Street where Fred Segal's is right now. When the rink closed - I was 15, I moved with a lot of other people to the Culver Ice Arena to train. It took about a year before I realized what Tito's Tacos, in Culver City, was all about and then the recommendation came from a person I worked with at Pier 1 Imports in W.L.A. I had to try them. Once I tried them, I was completely hooked. I have been hooked for about 30 years now. The perfect location, right off Sepulveda, making an easy stop on my way home from the ice rink or work. Ahh, memories, after a day in the sun, carrying one of those brown boxes home with me with a bag of chips on top, always the end of a perfect day. Or, years later at work, when a co-worker offered to do a Tito's run, that was a verrry good day.

There is no reason to deny here that I love food - all kinds. I stick to my 'No Processed. No boxes. No bags,' most of the time, and its the way to go, it's a lot easier than people think. When I went to LA last November and got my things out of storage, the one thing at the end of that day that I wanted was Tito's Tacos. I ate 4 of them, dripping with salsa and guacamole, and an abundance of chips, washed down with a cold beer. This is eating; finger licking, crunchy, lardy and full of fat and flavor. I've had other items on their menu, all beyond excellent. But it's the taco with the crunch and the oozy meaty, cheesy goodness that has me just about dying for one today with a Corona and a lime...Happy Cinco de Mayo...

Life With Intention

When I was growing up, my grandmother was a private duty nurse and her schedule alternated one week day shifts and one week night shifts. An older family friend would meet me at home after school on the day weeks and I would sleep at her apartment on the night weeks. Already, almost 90 at that time, she was 'old Los Angeles', she saw Wilshire boulevard when there celery fields growing down it.

She was a wonderful old woman, she had very precise ways of doing things. She taught me intention. To say something to yourself right before you started doing it. If you were going to walk somewhere instead of taking the bus, she would tell me, say to yourself that you are doing this for exercise, to lose weight. Be crystal clear with yourself about why you are doing things the way you are doing them and for what reason. Say the reason you are doing something and what you want from what you were doing.

When I got to be around 14, I no longer needed her to care for me. After school once a week, I would take the bus to her apartment and just visit with her and talk. She would make us hot chocolate and have a plate of coconut cookies or small bran muffins with lots of butter and we would sit at her little dining table. I would tell to her about what was going on in my life and my problems and she would help me by giving me books to read or teaching me ways to work with myself and to ask myself questions before I went to sleep, because the answers are inside of you. I always left refreshed after and hour or so and walked home. What she told me always worked, I always learned something. She taught me to look inside myself and ask questions - talk to myself and listen.
Trust yourself, every heart vibrates from that iron string. -Emerson

Spring Cleaning

Years ago, one of my very favorite bosses had our group follow her to the office kitchen - quietly. Now, if you know office kitchens, you will know that it did not consist of much: a microwave, coffee machine, frig, a few tables and a toaster. The thing about it was that it got used, a lot. It was Christmas-time and all she told us was that we were going to clean the kitchen and not say anything about it - and we all just went along without really asking anything. The office was pretty empty and it was late in the day so no one saw us doing it. There were about 5 of us in the group and we spent an hour cleaning: wiping down walls organizing supplies, wiping in the frig, whatever needed it - got it, and  we never talked about it after that. So thoughtful, we went in like elves, came out and never spoke a word. It was one of the nicest things to do and to do it in a way that was never looking for any kind of recognition was the best part.

Growing up I always hated to do the dishes and kept clear of the kitchen unless there was any baking or candy making to be done, otherwise, I just did not cook. Now, I love kitchens so this is not an issue. Every once in a while, I like to show my love and support and do a deep clean on my kitchen. Especially this time of year when the doors can be open and a warm breeze can flow through. I begin by taking apart spices and wiping down areas where I don't get to often enough, then wiping down the bottles and jars and putting them neatly back in their places. I pull apart my utensils and do a wash of all of them and the container that holds them. The shelves get pulled apart and wiped down and everything goes neatly back in place. The refrigerator will get a wipe down on the inside and outside. The stove will get a scrub, and the hood will get released of any grime caught there after months of cooking. I think the greatest part of this is actually pulling things apart and putting them back in a clean place. It feels good; it feels like a really caring gesture. I like to do it by myself, sometimes quiet, sometimes in mid-morning with some music playing. But what is really nice is that no one really knows anything about it. Funny, it just naturally looks good.

To Market, To Market

When I was growing up I hated the market. I would wait outside in the car, listening to the radio, reading a book or writing, while my grandmother shopped. Very rarely did I ever go in. It was a bore to me and I always felt like she took way too long.

While my son was growing up, I went every Saturday morning, like clock work, with my list and my clipped coupons. I did well with my coupons, I save $25 - $30 every time. Of course, now I know I was just buying a lot of packaged foods. I know that now; learning takes time. It takes time to be your own person.

Things have changed, in particular, me. I have a routine now when I go to the market: I will take my list and get everything on it and then if I have the time I will go through a few aisles, particularly the baking and spice aisles and just look. There are so many different flours now, I love to look at them and see which ones I haven't tried yet. It's always a learning experience, a leisurely one, and if I can get something new to try that puts a gleam in my eye, then it's been worth it.

Amp Up The Flavor

A couple of years ago, my son and I moved out of our condo after 7 1/2 years. Shortly after moving out, I had a dream that I had forgotten to pack all my spices. I told him about the dream and after unpacking my kitchen in the new place, realized in terror that I had forgotten a whole cupboard, my spices were left behind. I have prided myself on the spices I have collected and the ways I've used them. It's taken me quite a while to fill those old shoes. I think I've done well; I've gotten my oils, toasted sesame and chili oil. I've got my Chinese five spice, and my Spike and various vinegars back. Let's not forget my hot sauce collection - can't live without that. It takes time to collect. It is a loving thing when I can reach over to my lazy Susan and pull just what I need when I need it. In flavoring, a little goes a long way. The aromas change with just a pinch of this or a dash of that. Flavors combining to make a winning combination. Adding good flavor, well - not to over-season, changes the quality of the food. Bland, is just so premade, so store-bought tasting - we don't want to go down that road do we? Not with me anyway.