Sesame Seed Cake

I had some leftover buttermilk and wanted to use it for a quick, snack cake. I flipped through Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich and found a simple cake with ingredients that I had on hand. This sesame seed cake comes from the Grain, nuts, and seeds chapter. In the introduction, Medrich explains that the strategic use grains and seeds can add flavor, texture, and tenderness. The simplicity of her recipes allows subtler flavors to come forward, get noticed, and be appreciated.

Luckily enough, I had some black sesame seeds in my refrigerator. I actually store most seeds, nuts, and grains in my refrigerator to keep them fresh longer. White sesame seeds would work as well; they just wouldn’t be as visible in the cake. To add to the sesame flavor, some toasted sesame oil was also used in the batter. The flour and other dry ingredients were sifted together three times, and this resulted in a very fine cake texture. Butter and sugar were mixed, and then eggs, whisked with sesame oil and vanilla, were added. The sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk were added in intervals. Then, I really should have followed the instructions which stated that you should use parchment in the bottom of your cake pan. I skipped it, and the cake did stick a little. I managed to get it out of the pan still looking mostly presentable, and I let it cool before dusting it with confectioner’s sugar.

It’s a small cake that bakes in one eight-inch round pan, and that was just the right size to provide a nice snack or dessert for two of us for a few days. The sesame oil flavor wasn’t as evident as you might think. It just slightly boosted the flavor already supplied by the seeds, and the pretty seeds dispersed throughout provided tiny bits of crunch. The cake got better and better as it sat from the first day to the second and then the third. The tenderness and flavor really made it seem like it should have been much more complicated to make.

Tequila Cocktails

I received the book Viva Margarita as a gift a couple of years ago, and Kurt and I flipped through it again last week to pick a couple of interesting cocktails. We’ve done wine tastings and beer tastings, so why not a cocktail tasting? There are several great drink ideas in the book, all involving tequila, like the Noches Mexicanas with half and half and Frangelico, the Avocado Colada, and the Mango Pellegringo, and choosing two was difficult. Our bottle of tequila had just enough left in it for two options, so we mixed and judged.

The first cocktail we selected was the Feisty Jamaican Splash. This is a little like a tequila mojito. Mint leaves were muddled in each chilled glass with some sugar and lemon juice. Tequila was added, then ice, and it was topped with Jamaican ginger ale. I initially thought that I would taste this and wish it had been made with rum. I was wrong. The tequila, surprisingly, worked quite well with the lemon and the mint. The ginger ale sweetened it up and added some fizz, and the drink was well-rounded and delicious. I gave this one four and a half stars out of five, and Kurt gave it four.

The second contestant in battle cocktail was Cuatro Amigos Liquados, or a blended cocktail involving raspberries and lime, lemon, and orange juices. Those ingredients were placed in a blender along with honey, half and half, ice, and tequila. I thought for sure this one would be the clear winner. It sounded like a great combination. Unfortunately, it was a little thick in texture and crunchy from the raspberry seeds. This did make an excellent alcoholic smoothie, but Kurt and I both scored it at three stars.

Perhaps the Feisty Jamaican won it because it caught us off-guard. A good ginger ale with a strong ginger flavor played very well with the lemon, mint, and tequila. It wasn’t too strong or too sweet or too anything, and it’s a simple enough cocktail to enjoy with hors d’oeuvres. The Cuatro Amigos was nice in its own way, but seemed more filling and somehow less interesting. Timing and atmosphere could affect the success of these drinks. For instance, if I were sitting outside on a July afternoon, this blended one would probably win it hands down.

Sweet Potato and Root Vegetable Gratin with Sweet Potato Sauce

Having already planned the fried chicken night, my goal was to locate a light vegetable side to go with the leftovers the next night. Another piece of my goal was to use some winter roots one more time before the season is gone. Most people are doing their best to rush spring into place, but I wanted to hang on to winter for just a moment longer. In truth, winter is actually already gone here in Austin. It was 88 degrees last Friday, and it’s going to be about 80 each day this week. And, spring doesn’t really happen; it just flits by and waves as it ushers in the ferocious heat of summer. I’m not complaining, really, the summer heat doesn’t bother me too much, but I did want to pretend that winter wasn’t gone just yet.

Needing a light, wintry, vegetable dish led me to Taste Pure and Simple by Michel Nischan. This book is all about applying healthful cooking techniques to pristine ingredients to create dishes that are pure in flavor and not masked by excess seasoning or fat. Fruit and vegetable juices are reduced and made into sauces without added starches or butter, while the main ingredients’ true characteristics are allowed to shine. I’ve had this book for a few years, and the reason I haven’t cooked from it more is that I don’t own a juice extractor. Making this root vegetable gratin with sweet potato sauce depended on locating some sweet potato juice. I wondered if I could find a bottled vegetable juice that would be close or maybe even a squash juice. No such luck. I asked at Whole Foods, and the juice guy, who had never seen sweet potato juice, suggested I sweet talk the folks at the juice and smoothie counter into making some for me. Thank you again to the juice and smoothie counter ladies who so kindly played along and obliged my unique request. They had never juiced sweet potatoes but were willing to give it a try. Two large sweet potatoes produced a large plastic cup full of juice, and all the other ingredients I needed were very easy to find.

The gratin was built with layers of thinly sliced rutabaga, russet potato, sweet potato, and parsnip. The layers were stacked and repeated, and each layer was seasoned with salt and pepper. Minced onion was spread in the middle. This was covered and baked for 50 minutes. At that point, the gratin was removed from the oven, the parchment and foil covering was removed, the top was sprayed with oil, it was sprinkled with chopped parsley, chives, and sage, and it was returned to the oven for another 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the sweet potato juice was poured into a saucepan while leaving the collected starches at the bottom of the cup. It was reduced to one cup and then left to steep with sliced ginger, chopped Thai chiles, and lemon juice. I tasted this as it was stirred and strained the sauce once the ginger and chiles had imparted their flavors.

I wondered if the gratin with no cream or cheese or butter would taste of boringness and earth or if the root vegetables and onion would develop into something fantastic on their own. Develop they did. This was full of bright, vegetable flavor without any heaviness. There is plenty of moisture in the vegetables which prevented the gratin from being dry. Really tasting each vegetable layered upon one another was delightful. The sauce was sweet and spicy and rich but only in flavor. Really experiencing the simplicity of ingredients is a lovely thing, and it greatly reduces the guilt of eating fried food for two meals in a row.