The Ugly Duckling Cake

Gray, Lavender, Orange, and Green…not only are these hot colors for 2010 but also the saving graces for an ugly duckling of a cake.

I made one of my favorite cakes, Cookies and Cream Chocolate Cake, though delicious as it may be, it is not a pretty specimen of the bakery world. Thankfully, my “Delta Dawn” mix of pansies and violas took the cake, literally.

“Delta Dawn” is a mix of pansies and violas I compiled a few seasons ago and have come to rely on them as garden faithfuls. I take “Delta Orange” and “Lavender Shades” of pansies and mix them with “Peach Jump Up” violas, creating a montage of orange, lavender, and hues in betwixt that pair so well with not only the grayness of winter and it’s pale sky, but also with the bright green of winter herbs like parsley, chervil and the terra cotta tinted “Bronze” snapdragons.

So how did I get from an ugly duckling cake to Delta Dawn pansy mixes? Well, as noted, the aforementioned cake is quite delicious, though not visually appealing. And, since we eat with our eyes first, my eyes started visioning what my imagination was thus reeling.

Something about the grayish colored icing which I believe also has lavender tint; So I thought I would serve the cake on lavender plates. Close shot but no cigar.

"It's got gray icing, I can't even begin to think how you'd make gray icing"

- M'Lynn about the red-velvet armadillo grooms cake…Steel Magnolias

Moving on...gray and lavender led me to thinking about lavender and orange (one of my favo combos!) and then back to gray with lavender and orange… and then green, nature’s neutral, just fit the bill for my stemware and my table’s compilation for dessert was set.

Now, an ugly duckling no more, my cake was singing its own Swan Song. My guests, wondering if they could eat the flowers, dug right in though. I decided to bypass the lesson on color coordinating and pansy planting and just kept serving them cake…the next wonderings were simply about a glass milk or another piece.

Enough of that...here's the recipe!

Basic Chocolate Cake...

*Cook’s note…I basically follow the recipe on the back of the Hershey’s Cocoa powder box, yet I have tweaked it slightly. I nearly always substitute buttermilk for milk in batters (pancakes, other cakes, etc…even with scrambled eggs) and this cake is no exception. Though I don’t necessarily like the taste of coffee, I love the effect it has on chocolate…chocolate’s natural flavor is enhanced by coffee, so I use one cup of HOT coffee in the batter as well. Ina Garten does the same…need I say more?!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 and ¾ cup of all purpose flour…sifted. Sifting gives great texture to baked goods.
• ¾ cup of Hershey’s cocoa
• 1 and ½ teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 and ½ teaspoons of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 eggs…room temperature best for baking
• 1 cup of buttermilk…shaken not stirred
• ½ cup of vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract…use good vanilla-another one of those flavors that enhances chocolate
• 1 cup of hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease and flour two round 9 inch baking pans.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients and beat the two sets of ingredients together for 2 minutes. Sample the batter before you add the coffee.

Once coffee is added…the batter will be thin. Try the batter now…the degree of the chocolate’s flavor has intensified. For those of you who do like more of a coffee flavor, brew your coffee stronger.

Split the batter between the two pans and bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center…about thirty minutes.

Allow the cakes to cool for about ten minutes and then remove them from their pans.

Cookies and Cream Icing

*Cook’s note…be sure your cakes have cooled before icing…if they are still warm, the cakes could melt the icing. Minus the Oreos, this is your basic cream cheese frosting…great on pound cake, muffins, and banana bread.

• One carton or two blocks of cream cheese softened…about 16 oz.
• One cup of confectioner’s sugar
• A package of Oreos crushed… Reserve some for garnishing

Beat the cream cheese until whipped and somewhat fluffy…about a minute or two.

Add sugar and mix together.

Fold in Oreos…voila! Easy, easy, easy…

Mimi’s Apple Pie…and I Helped!

“Cooking is constantly tasting and trying…”

Now those are wise words from a wise cook! Mimi, my grandmother, is a fantastic cook, and she has told me those words for years. When making a dish one time, I said that I thought it needed more sugar…she said “add it…You’re the cook!” And I felt honored to be THE cook for that moment…and thus I’ve learned to constantly taste and try until just right.

“Sometimes I can just taste the flour, which is why I use tapioca…tapioca is basically bland but gives consistency to the pie…helping the ingredients jell.” Thus Mimi’s Apple Pie has been a family favorite for years and who knew she used tapioca? The type of apple is also severely important, and for this pie, we used Staymen’s and Pink Lady.

Staymen’s are a “mealy” fleshed apple and cook down to mush thus great for pie filling and applesauce (recipe to come soon) Pink Lady is sweet and tart, akin to Fuji (my favorite) and adds a nice complement to the Staymen’s. Of course, there are as many recipes for apple pie as there are cultivars of apples, but here is ours. I’ve “gilded the lily” by making a leave top crust…easy, elegant, and pleasing to the eye. I never really outgrew my Play Dough stage from childhood so that’s why this pie topper is so much fun! Enjoy!

Mine and Mimi’s Apple Pie

**Cooks note…we used a store bought pie crust…though homemade crust is easy, we had the crust on hand went with it.

Ingredients

• About a dozen apples, cored and chopped…Pink Lady and Staymen’s mixed…about a 1 to 6 ratio.
• 3 ½ tablespoons of minute Tapioca
• Tablespoon of Cinnamon
• A scant cup of sugar…depends on cook’s palette and sweetness of apples.
• 2 store bought pie crusts from the refrigerated section.
• 3 Tablespoons of melted butter…for topper.
• ¼ cup of sugar…for topper.
• Tablespoon of Cinnamon…for topper.
• 1 deep dish pie pan and 1 baking sheet…use this underneath the pie in case it bubbles over.
• Sheet of wax paper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out both pie crusts, lining one into the pie pan and rolling one on a sheet of wax paper.

Mix together apples, tapioca, sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl and set aside.

Cut out leaf shapes from pie crust…shape them with a paring knife. A cookie cutter may be “prettier” but I like the rustic elegance of my cutouts. Reform the dough scraps into a ball and roll out flat again…repeat process until you’ve cut out every leaf you can.

Add apple mixture to the pie pan and then start your topper…I began with the center and worked my way outwards…covering and layering the leaves in rough concentric rings.

Glaze the leaves with the Drawn butter and then sprinkle the leaves with sugar and cinnamon.

Bake at 350 until golden and bubbly…about an hour. If you want it “pretty” for serving, let it rest. If not, dig right in! Apple mush tastes just fine!

Served warm with good vanilla ice cream…a la mode is French for “in style,” so don’t be out of style without your ice cream!

Gardening Indoors…Bringing the Outdoors, In!

With today’s high nearing a frigid 40 something and a wind that just took any of the sun’s warmth away, gardening may not be on the forefront of many minds. For those gardeners, like yours truly, who are always looking for a chance to get a little dirt under our nails, then gardening indoors may be just the ticket to a gardening quick fix.

One of the best things a gardener can do during these cold winter months is to plan ahead for the coming season. Part of that planning may be thinking about favorite specimens in the garden from past seasons, arranging more spots for that specimen, and even propagating a few sprigs of said specimen for friends and other spots in the garden. Take ‘Powis Castle’ Artemisia - one of my absolute favorite plants in general and an easy one to propagate.

Evergreen, aromatic, lovely in arrangements, and very heat tolerant, this plant just has “blue ribbon winner” written all over it. Since the plant is evergreen in the Deep South, it can be easily propagated, or rooted, throughout the year. I like to take cuttings with several “nodes” or spots where new leaves/growth bud from and keep them in a jar until they sprout roots. Once a few roots have sprouted, then I like to plant them in plastic pots brimming with fluffy potting soil (Fafard and Metro Mix, Miracle Grow, Jungle Growth, etc) and let more roots develop until I have just the spot for them in the garden. Snips of stem with nodes and buds dipped in root hormone and stuck in soil works well too.

Another best of best when it comes to winter flowers besides the Camellia (I won’t even start on how fabulous they are…another post I promise…) is the Viburnum tinus or Winter Blooming Viburnum.

So, it is literally January and cold and this plant is blooming all across the Deep South. Whitish pink blooms with deep russet to coral buds…this plant is an A++++ student in the garden classroom. I love to use it for garnishes, bouquets, and nosegays around the house. It lasts for at least a week in water and roots with root hormone and soil in a jiffy. Homework assignment – plant one or two (I’ve got a hedge of them across the back fence!) in your garden and enjoy them! Winter Daphne and Winter Honeysuckle are in this league, so go on and add them too!

Gardening with everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink…Many of my rootings are cultivated at my “kitchen sink garden.” Most avid gardeners and cooks have them…a spot near the sink – usually a ledge or windowsill – where jars, bottles, pots, and cups boast their trappings from the garden, and, thus serve as a nursery to “hatch” out the sprigs we’re rooting. Herbs, leaves, stem pieces, root bits, flowers, and sticks all aggregate together to form our little household nurseries.

Since I spend a good bit of time at the sink, the “kitchen sink garden” becomes my little cachepot of favorite things from the day, project, or season. It could have a few buds of lilies leftover from a large arrangement, sprigs of herbs waiting to be cooked with, or little fragments and collections from my walks about the garden and woods. (I’ve kept Dixie cups of Nature on my windowsills for as long as I can remember. Mama always says that whatever I didn’t stick in a Dixie cup, most likely would be found in my pocket! Some things never change!)

Arrange in a theme, like silver juleps cups and planters with flowers, tonal shades of green, or a fun mix…experiment with your “kitchen sink” style and see what fits. One of my great-grandmother’s silver trays usually serves as my tableau. Great-great Aunt Irene’s mother-of-pearl salt and pepper shakers, a few bottles I’ve found or collected, whatever soap and lotion I’m obsessed with at the moment, and a favorite platter all arrange nicely with my cuttings. A few of my favorite things to go along with a few of my favorite things!

Once our little garden smidgens sprout or root, we kitchen gardeners plant them in the real garden or share them with friends or neighbors. Start a “kitchen sink garden” and notice those of gardener friends alike. It’s a great way to keep your thumb green when the sky is gray and Old Man Winter’s here to stay!

A quick list of plants that work well for cuttings inside during the winter months and at “kitchen sink” locales are…

• Begonias like Rex and Midnight Star…Google them and be amazed!
• African Violets
• Artemisia…be sure to get some buds or nodes on the stem
• Creeping Jenny
• Wondering Jew or Setcreasea
• Cornstalk Plant
• Some Succulents and Sedums
• Ivy
• Pothos…try the chartreuse varieties…they’re amazing!
• Even try stems of dormant hydrangeas like Nikko Blue! Stick ‘em in the ground to root if no luck at the sink trial gardens!

The Roast Beast…moreover…The Best Roast

"They'll feast on Who Pudding and Rare Roast Beast. Roast Beast is a feast I can't stand in the least."

The Grinch…appropriately enough.

That poor ol’ Grinch…he obviously had never had beef tenderloin, trimmed, tied, and toasted to perfection! Whether for Christmas Dinner or any occasion for that matter, this dish is quite elegant, easy, and effective. Definitely a dish that you will get what you pay for, since this score of meat is where a filet mignon is cut. Like all high quality and naturally flavorful cuts of meat, simplicity is best. A bit of marinating, some searing and roasting and dinner is served, my dear.

A trip to my local butcher is always de rigueur for special occasions, holidays, and specialty cuts. There’s a great deal to be said being from a small town, and our meat market speaks for itself. (see this link for reviews) Your grocer’s butcher can also accommodate if you are not familiar with a butcher in your area.

So, since I was feeding 6 people, I relied on “about a pound a person” which is more than adequate… leftovers wanted! I asked the butcher to “trim and tie” the tenderloin which saves the cook a great deal of work. A quick marinade of red wine vinegar, soy, Worcestershire, sesame oil, onions and herbs (parsley and rosemary…big shock there I know) was just right for this slab of meat. If you don’t have time to marinate, pat dry the meat, rub with vegetable oil, sprinkle salt and pepper, and sear – you’re good to go just as well!

I was able to marinate this one overnight, which was a gracious plenty…an hour plus could even suffice if need be. Now, for the secret to good chops, roasts, steaks, tenderloins, and filets…sear them first! I use a cast iron griddle for this size of tenderloin, but a skillet for filets or chops is perfect.

Heat that ironware up so it’s smokin’ hot…use a medium heat and grease the cast iron with spray oil…trust me, it’ll get hot! When it’s smokin’ and smellin’ its ready! Sear each and every side for about a minute max…what you are doing is forming a crust…a delicious outer layer that shells in the moisture and au jus. Add the meat back to the roasting pan with some reserve marinade and roast in oven at 450° F for 20-25 minutes for a medium rare filet. Remember, your meat will continue to cook, so “tent” the meat with foil for at least ten minutes before you slice, or else all the juices will run out. Your marinade has now become your gravy too…yum, yum, yum.

Bring your marinade to a boil and let it simmer to reduce and thicken. Cook some of the rarer pieces in the gravy for those who prefer a more thoroughly cooked piece of beef.

After your meat has rested under its tent of foil, carve or slice the meat width wise for individual servings or filets. Here’s a tip…the more “rested” the meat is, the better it slices…plus, these leftover slices of filet are FABO as a sandwich on foccocia or ciabatta bread with a tangy bit of horseradish aioli (Half cup of good mayo, half cup of sour cream, and horseradish to taste…lightly spread on the bread and chow down…quite delish!) and a touch of green…like butter lettuce or Spring greens.

I served this tenderloin with some old faithfuls and a merry bunch were we. Pineapple casserole (an oldie but a goody), a festive salad, and grilled bread grabbed second fiddle to the beef tenderloin. Beef…definitely was what was for dinner!!!

Tips for January Gardening in the Deep South

Don’t chuckle and laugh at the title…Gardening in January? Yes sir! Probably the best time to plant large shrubs and trees and for pruning evergreens and summer-flowering shrubs, but there is much more!

I have come to be so thankful for January. The stillness, serenity, and graceful beauty of winter took some maturity on my part to realize. A time for everything…To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…this Ecclesiastical axiom boasts so much truth…especially for gardening.

After the fullness of Christmas, the Halcyon Days of winter are just what the garden and gardener need. Study the branch structure of trees (pecans, birches, cherries, oaks, and beech to name a few) that are barren during this season. The harmony of gray bark and pale blue sky, sharpened with shards of green from rye, fescue, or moss are just marvelous. Take notes of these colors and then reflect on them later in the year…I’m always so amazed by the ever-changing seasonal palette.

Prune, clean, take inventory of tools, and plan your garden additions during this time. Learn the bones of your garden…you can see them very clearly now in the Deep South. Ask yourself… Does that tree need limbing up a bit? Should I move that clump of this or that? Would a hedge or border be a good definition for that bed? These and many more can be handled during this month.

Here’s a tip list of some gardening chores for January:

• Prune Crepe Myrtles…DON’T CREPE MURDER!!!!!!!!! Notice the word PRUNE (to snip: cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of; dress the plants in the garden). Snip off the spent seedpods…that’s about all you need to do. You can remove criss-crossing branches, inward growing branches and suckers, but DO NOT chain saw these trees in half or to the ground. If your tree is too large for the spot, you may have the wrong specimen or even plant choice. Just cut them back by a fourth at the very most. These trees are native throughout the Deep South and bloom perennially ever year in their habitats. Birds and wind naturally trim these trees in the wild so take a cue from nature and do the same.

• Trim evergreens like boxwood and holly. Selectively sculpt and shape your shrubs – using their natural shape as your guide. American boxwoods are naturally egg shaped, so keep that shape in mind. Japanese and Korean box make good hedges but don’t scalp them. Hollies, like ‘Mary Nell’ and ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ are naturally pyramidal, so keep them that way. Unless you are bent and determined on shaping your shrubs into poodles, dolphins, and aircraft, Heaven forbid, follow the natural form of the plant.

• Liriope can be cut back now as well…don’t wait too late or you’ll cut this year’s foliage off…let Valentine’s Day be your cutoff date for Winter pruning. (Evergreen Giant should NOT be touched…just fertilize in early spring.)

• Stick to the May Rule…you’ll be quite successful with pruning if you stick to said rule! The May Rule…if you learn nothing else about pruning, remember the May Rule. If the shrub blooms BEFORE May, then prune the plant immediately after (or while it’s blooming to bring the blossoms inside for an arrangement) the shrub has bloomed. This bids well for azaleas, Spring blooming spireas, forsythia, camellias and sassanquas, quince, dogwood, red bud, Japanese magnolia, tea olive, winter daphne, English dogwood, and other “blooms before May” shrubs.

If the shrub blooms AFTER May, prune the plant during dormancy or winter time. This goes for hydrangeas (except Oak Leaf – prune immediately after blooming or during for arrangements), crape myrtles, vitex, roses, althea, grapes (coldest day of the year), Confederate rose, pyrancantha, liriope and small fruit trees.

For Evergreens (hollies, boxwood, conifers, ligustrum...etc), think Christmas decoration…cut them in December and use them for your Holiday décor! January and February and just fine as well. You want to shape the “bones” of your garden during winter so that the new flush of growth stems from your Winter pruning technique thus keeping your shape…top off any stray branches or “wild hairs” that may occur in spring and early summer.

If you prune your garden correctly, it will reward you with bountiful blooms at appropriate times!

• Plant bare root trees like fruit and nut trees as well as balled and burlapped shrubs. Winter is a great time to plant these specimens before the heat and stress of heat kick in.

• Stone work…if you plan to lay some stone or stack some stone walls, this is a great time. Define your beds with cobbles or a stacked stone wall for added detail and crisp edges. Since you are “dry stacking” or not using mortar, the cold of January will not affect the mortar, cement, etc. Heavy pieces, like 2” thick material, can be lain in sand or crushed stone this time of year as well. Lay the pieces in a “butt joint” or side by side fashion for a crisp and clean look. Dwarf mondo and sod can be lain in the cracks to add a touch of green or texture to the stonework as well.

• Last but not least, mulch your beds…put them to bed. Cover them with a neat blanket of straw, mulch, or leaf matter after cleaning and trimming. A neatly kept bed with fresh mulch can be just as delightful as a riot of color and blooms.