Nightly fun

As I have mentioned before, I am married to a man with a very dominant sweet tooth and I love him dearly so I indulge it. Not that I would ever allow a cake from the frozen aisle of the grocery store or put out a nibble bowl of M&M’s on the coffee table. I have always viewed myself as a savory chef not thinking I had the patience or desire to bake. However, since the passing of my mom, who was a terrific home baker, though was a void. I found myself recreating her much loved carrot, cheese and  I know I could add nuts and spices to any formula without the risk of compromising its success. I started playing with different batters – denser and light cakes depending on what I was fancying. Given my love of white chocolate, I have used it to replace the butter in some concoctions. Then the garden and farmers markets gives me inspiration as I make scented sugars, infused oils and tinctures as well as candied flowers that can end up in a dessert. My husband is the most willing tester I have met, though there are times I am dubious for he is more critical of a sauce than he is of a slice of pie.

sour cream apple cakes to stroke my memories and those of my family members, much to my husband’s delight. I actually enjoyed the act of baking and came to realize I was not bound as tightly to the recipe as I once thought. A pastry chef friend of mine helped release me from the shackles of rigidity when she said, baking is not as precious as one might think.

Guava Coated Cake – one 9-inch cake

5-ounces guava paste – sliced

1-cup husk tomatoes - fresh or frozen

8 ounces unsalted butter

1-cup sugar

2-eggs

½-cup milk

½-teaspoon rose water

½-teaspoon vanilla extract

1½-cups all-purpose flour

1½-teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 350-dgrees.

Grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan.

Lay the sliced guava paste on the bottom of the cake pan, and then disperse husk tomatoes the over the guava.

Beat the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy.

Mix to together the eggs, milk, rose water and vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Once the butter is beaten mix in half the flour, and then half the egg mixture. Incorporate the remaining flour and then in the egg mixture -- making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times. 

Pour over the cake batter over the husk tomatoes. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Remove the cake to a cooling rack. Cool the cake slightly and then carefully turn the cake out on to a plate.

In need of fragrance

Without the blazing rays of sun beating down on the garden for 8-plus hours a day my herbs, those that are still awake, are less than dynamic. By this time of year I am so bored by the lack of explosion of the herbaceous bundles in the market I have no choice by to rely on the spices I hoard. Yes, I have pestos in the freezer but they don’t always satisfy my needs. Next to those containers of pureed basil, mint, hyssop and mixed herbs is a gallon-sized plastic bag stuffed with smaller plastic bags filled with seeds, bark and buds of the spices I always have on hand. I keep my spices in this space more usually crowded with pints ice cream, containers of chicken soup and trays of cubes.

Heat and light release fragrance, and spices are all about their aromatic offering, so why store them in glass jars, perfectly aligned, in the warmest room of the house. For me spices stored in a more traditional manner tends to be dead with six months where as those kept in the dark, chill of the freezer gives olfactory stimulation for years – and of course, I buy them in their whole form and grind as needed.

This was the case the other night when I was in the mood to play – grab some of this; throw in a bit of that. However, the garden has dwindled down to broccoli leaves, kale and Swiss chard, and the herbs that are not dominant are making me yawn. In the market the basil is feeble and the tarragon gives just a hint of anise. My foods will not be dulled, so I just laid out my many little packets, and started to concoct. Seeing the yet to be open dried rose petals I had my moment of inspiration. The head of North Africa filled my nose, and dinner started to take form. This cuisine uses a blend of floral, spicy and earthy notes to bring their dishes to fruition – and since I have no cultural attachment to that part of the world I feel no compulsion about getting the feeling correct without worrying if I am following Grandma’s recipe exactly.

The blending of spices and herbs is alchemistic for me, and can immediately transport you into a whole other realm, but you need to be armed with more then the typical cumin, paparika, nutmeg and cinnamon. Expand the repertoire dare yourself with black cardamom, white poppy or annatto seeds, and see what happens. Of course, when the warmth of the sun returns always buy an herb you have never used before – granted, you should like the way it smells. 

Moroccan inspired Roast Lamb – yields 4 to 6

1/2-teaspoon whole black peppercorns

5 cardamom pods

4 clove spikes

2-tablespoons dried rose petals

1-teaspoon lavender buds

1-teaspoon fenugreek

2-inch cinnamon stick (broken up)

½-teaspoon anise seed

1-tablespoon coriander seed

1-tablespoon turmeric

¼-cup fresh lime juice

½-cup fresh orange juice

3-pounds lamb thigh – bone-in

1-large onion – thickly sliced

1-cup roughly chopped dried apricots

2- dried Asian chilies – minced

½-teaspoon salt

In a spice grinder place the black peppercorns, cardamom, cloves, rose petals, lavender, fenugreek, cinnamon, anise, coriander and turmeric blending until all is broken down.

In a small work bowl mix the lime and orange juice with the spice mix. Rub the spice mixture over the lamb, and then warp it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-days.

Remove from the lamb refrigerate about an hour prior to cooking, and let it sit on the kitchen counter.

Pre-heat the oven to 475-degrees.

Place the onions, apricots, chilies and lamb in a small roasting pan. Season the lamb with salt. Pour one cup of water into the pan. Place the lamb into the oven, and immediately lower the temperature to 325-degrees. 

After about an hour and half cover the lamb, and add about ½-cup of additional water. 

Cook for the lamb for another 1-1/2 to 2 hours.