Rhubarb Cake

As the last of the plates were cleared grandma disappeared from the table. A moment later she returned carrying with her an aged tin box containing over 50 years of collected recipes. The lid no longer able to close as hundreds of  handwritten recipe cards and yellowed newspaper recipes packed tightly inside.

For the next hour I sat at the table oblivious to the squeals of the children around me and the conversation that continued as I tucked into the recipes already making plans to copy dozens of them. I held that box and imagined all the dinners that came from its contents. The cards themselves stained from the food that fed my dad and his four siblings.

I was holding a treasure. I felt the great value of that box and was so honored that grandma had thought to show it to me.

“Why don’t you take it?” She said.

I sat still for a moment reveling in her offer. It didn’t take much of her insistence before I held the box tighter overjoyed at this gift.

One of the reasons this blog exists is to create a similar sort of collection for my family. Instead of a tin box studded with blue and orange flowers this site houses our recipes as a sort of memoir of our meals. I am so eager to interweave in these pages the recipes that my grandma deemed worthy of feeding her family and entertaining the people who she graciously opened her home to.

Within minutes of riffling through the cards I found a recipe for Rhubarb Cake. It is no secret that I revel in the arrival of Spring mainly for the sake of Rhubarb so I knew this cake would be the first recipe I’d try.

What I find particularly endearing about these recipes is that there is little more than a list of simple ingredients. The few words written to describe the process show an assumed knowledge that is quite lost in our generation. I find the missing details freeing and the reminder that baking wasn’t always such a fearful act that required scales and a degree in chemistry. My grandmother’s and my mother knew how to bake by the feel of the batter and the way the dough reacted to their touch.

I creamed the butter and sugar by hand just as I imagined grandma did. There is something I find quite romantic about relying solely on a wooden spoon to bring a batter together. As the brown sugar and butter lightened in color and my arm felt a bit of a burn from the mixing I tossed in the remaining ingredients and sent the cake into a hot oven.

What emerged was a dense cake studded with tart rhubarb and scented with cinnamon making it the perfect cake to transition from Winter to Spring. I used its hearty texture and the presence of a vegetable as an excuse to enjoy it for breakfast – twice. And with an afternoon cup of coffee it paired quite nicely as well.

Grandma was wise to tuck this one away and now thanks to her, I’ve done the same.

 

 

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Rhubarb Cake

  The simplicity of this cake makes it the perfect solution when a sudden urge to bake emerges. I made a few adjustments to the original recipe - enough to make it feel more me while still maintaining the feel of grandma.  2 cups chopped (rough 1/2") rhubarb 1/2 cup (not packed) brown sugar 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, soft 1 cup (not packed) brown sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup semolina flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda   Butter and flour a 8 or 9" (2" high) round cake pan. Pre-heat your oven to 350* In a small bowl add the rhubarb and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Let that sit for 30 minutes. In a large bowl cream the butter and 1 cup brown sugar until light. Add the egg and vanilla. Add the rhubarb mixture and yogurt. Stir well. In another bowl whisk together the dry ingredients then add it to the rest of the ingredients stirring well to combine. Spread in your prepared pan and bake for 50- 60 minutes or until the middle of the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling completely on a wire rack. Store well-covered for up to three days.

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Four ways with deviled eggs


Between the sun peering through my shades waking me in the morning by its brightness to the rusted tin box containing over 50 years of collected recipes that I recently received from my grandma, I am seething with inspiration and brimming with hope as we approach the passing of the gray season and slowly begin to welcome in an entirely new cast of ingredients.

I stood at the kitchen counter chopping, roasting, baking and washing for most of the weekend stopping, momentarily, when the sun lured us outside. The only thing that could tear me away from the kitchen was the possibility of feeling the slightest bit of warmth from the sun as it reminded us that it indeed still exists.

Even though the calendar had declared the start of Spring sometime early last week while the snow continued to threaten, it was as the eggs boiled and I mixed in things like celery and capers with vibrant yolks that it began for me. And in between the hours in the kitchen when we found ourselves outside stretching our wintery legs and breathing in the air that “smelled like water” according to my 5 year-old, it hit me then too.

This sudden burst of inspiration led to not one type of deviled eggs but four. I dug through my pantry and refrigerator dreaming up ingredients that would easily lend themselves to being mashed with yolks and you know, I stopped at four varieties but could have easily continued.

A deviled egg is not unlike the perfect black dress with its versatility and ability to dress up and down. It may be a vintage recipe that gracesthe now yellowed pages of Betty Crocker but its adaptability makes it timeless.
When inspiration strikes you must seize it, even if it means a glut of deviled eggs. Actually, especially if it means a glut of deviled eggs.

 

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Deviled Eggs: Three Ways

These recipes are suited to my taste but are easily adapted. Feel free to make them your own. I'd love to hear what you come up with! A few thoughts on perfect hard boiled eggs: These eggs were placed in a pan of cold water that was then brought to a boil. Immediately when the water came to a rolling boiling I turned off the heat and set a 12 minute timer. Then they were submerged in an ice bath until cool.  Alternatively you can bake the eggs in a 325* over for 30 minutes. Chill in ice water until cool. Beet Pickled Eggs with Fennel 2 cups water 1 cup distilled vinegar 3 small beets, washed and sliced 1 shallot, roughly chopped 2 teaspoons sugar 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 teaspoon salt 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled Combine all the ingredients except for the eggs in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then simmer on low for 10 minutes. Let the brine cool slightly before adding the hard boiled eggs. If the eggs are not fully submerged use the beet slices to help weigh them down. Let marinate for at least one hour in the fridge. When the eggs are done bathing in beets remove from the brine and carefully slice in half. Remove the yolks and mix with 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons dijon, ¼ teaspoon toasted and ground fennel seeds and a touch of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Pipe or spoon filling back into the eggs then garnish with fennel fronds or Italian parsley. Preserved Lemon inspired by Mourad: New Moroccan 6 hard boiled eggs 3-4 Tablespoons plain yogurt ½ teaspoon minced preserved lemon pinch salt and white pepper Mix the yolks with the above ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings before filling the eggs and garnishing with fresh mint. Sour Cream and Tabasco 6 hard boiled eggs 3-4 Tablespoons sour cream Tabasco salt and pepper Mix the yolks with the above ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings before filling the eggs and garnishing with fresh chives. Celery and Capers 6 hard boiled eggs 2-3 Tablespoons mayonnaise 1 ½ teaspoons dijon 2 Tablespoons finely chopped celery 2 teaspoons capers Mix the yolks with the above ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings before filling the eggs and garnishing with celery leaves and capers.

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