Barefoot Contessa's Country Cake

You never know when you'll have something to celebrate.

Like the fact that your husband didn't have a massive heart attack before they could get two stents placed in his artery.

Or that your kid kids finished up the year with truly excellent grades and managed to stay out of trouble.

You can celebrate anything - finishing a good book, taking a long (or any) bike ride, a beautiful day, a phone call from an old friend, a nice comment on your blog (ahem). 

The fourth of July is of course a big celebration and this cake would be perfect. I made it with all strawberries but it would be so patriotic with blueberries and strawberries, and what the hell, throw some raspberries in there too. You could even light it up with a couple of sparklers!

Please do not point out to me that this cake is not in the least bit heart healthy. I'm very much aware of that, thank you. 

It was made before the incident, when we were blissfully ignorant of Bob's blocked artery. 

It was delicious, impressive and easy to make, as are most of Ina Garten's recipes. This one comes from her book, Barefoot Contessa Parties!

The recipe makes two 8" cakes. You only use one at a time, splitting it in half. Wrap the second one in plastic and freeze for up to six months.

What are you celebrating these days?

Strawberry Country Cake from Barefoot Contessa's Parties by Ina Garten

3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 extra-large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream at room temperature

1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp. grated orange zest

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and flour two 8" cake pans, or spray with baking spray.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed, until light and fluffy. Turn mixer to medium speed and add eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream, zests and vanilla. Mix well, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda. On low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine until smooth.

Pour the batter evenly into the two cake pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 4-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then remove to wire racks to continue cooling completely.

To make the filling for one (split) cake:

Whip 1 cup heavy cream by hand or with a mixer until firm. Add 3 Tbsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.

Slice one of the cakes with a long serrated knife. Place the bottom slice on a serving platter, spread with half the whipped cream and scatter with sliced strawberries. Cover with the top slice of cake and remaining whipped cream. Decorate with strawberries.

Note: For some reason, Bob doesn't like the flavor of citrus in any of his food, so I left out the zest and doubled the vanilla. I did this because it was Father's Day. Any other day, I might have left it in.

How I Almost Killed My Husband

It started with a little discomfort in the chest, mistaken for indigestion.
A stress test was recommended.

He failed.
And now, four days later, my husband is a man who has to watch his diet, limiting fats, salt and anything else that might raise his cholesterol and contribute to his heart disease.

I doubt I'll be baking Nutella Rugelach any time soon.
The Katharine Hepburn brownies will be a once-in-awhile treat.
And the homemade gelato that calls for 2 cups of heavy cream and five egg yolks?
Sorry honey, we'll stick with the strawberry sorbet.

Bob exercises obsessively regularly. 

He doesn't drink. He doesn't smoke. 

He has a penchant for pizza and aged Gouda, but for the most part, eats pretty well.

And it's not like I tried to kill him.
There are so many delicious foods and recipes out there just begging to be recreated in my kitchen. In the name of research, I just had to try them out.

Sure the ones with lots of chocolate and butter shout the loudest and show off like flirty girls.

But don't ignore the hummus, the roasted vegetable manicotti, the turkey meatballs or  even the psychedelic cole slaw.
All delicious, and all consumed hungrily and with enthusiasm (ok, maybe he wasn't all that jazzed about the hummus). I feed him well, maybe a bit too well at times.
I think we can do better.

I'll be making, and posting, more good-for-you dishes, in an effort to keep us all healthier. But I won't ignore the sweets that keep you (and me) happy. We'll eat them in moderation.

Or whenever Bob is out of town.

Strawberry Sorbet

You may have heard all my whining and complaining about it being mid-June and I was still without a local strawberry.

Unable to get into the Wednesday farmers market, I took a short drive to Pineland Farm.  This gem in the rolling hills of New Gloucester is a 5000 (that's right - five thousand) acre working farm, a business campus, an equestrian center and outdoor recreational facility (snowshoeing! mountain biking! tennis!).
And it's all non-profit.
But that's beside the point.

The point being - strawberries.

Fresh, local, sweet strawberry perfection.
Trying not to be too gluttonous, I only bought two quarts.
The first quart was eaten as is, which is the way the first berries of the season should always be eaten.

What to do with the second quart?
Something simple, that heightens the berry flavor.
I was very tempted by The Amateur Gourmet's Strawberry Shortcake, but since I wasn't having any company, I was afraid I'd end up eating the whole thing myself.
I'm thinking of making it for the Fourth of July though.

I looked to my cookbook shelf and spied The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.
Last summer I made an amazing gelato from this ice cream creation bible and it was, without a doubt, the best thing I ate all summer.

His recipe for strawberry sorbet looked like another winner.
And it was.
Not just because it tasted like the very essence of strawberry-ness, frozen. But also because it was so easy and quick that absolutely anyone with an ice cream maker could produce it handily.
Thank you David - you are an ice cream (and sorbet) genius.

Strawberry Sorbet
from the Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz


1 lb. fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

pinch of salt

Slice the strawberries (if they're large) and toss them with the sugar in a medium bowl. Stir until the sugar starts to dissolve. Cover and let stand for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Place strawberries and their liquid in the bowl of a food processor, or blender. Add lemon juice and salt. Process until smooth.
Return mixture to bowl and place in refrigerator until very cold, about 2 hours. Then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. To make the sorbet firmer, store in a plastic container in the freezer for several hours.

A Solid Summer-y Meal

It doesn't quite feel like summer here yet.
Close, but not quite.

As I look out over the river, there's some boat traffic, but the cloudy skies have kept the usual parade of Sunday pleasure craft at the dock.
The kids have another couple of days of school.
I've yet to see a local strawberry.
I have not consumed even one lobster roll.
And thankfully, I have not had to put on a bathing suit - yet.

But I did make one of my stand-by summer meals last night, when I hosted a dinner for  a Yarmouth Arts fundraiser. The evening started with drinks and appetizers at a local restaurant. The crowd then broke up into small groups, and left to have dinner in one of several  homes.

Dinner at our house included three other couples, two of whom I'd never met before. No matter.
Food brings people together.
I was happy to have them join me for Greek salad, yogurt-marinated grilled chicken (with a dipping sauce that I forgot to serve - whoops) and quinoa with corn and mint. All three of these dishes are delicious, solid stand-bys for summer entertaining.

Which one should I start with?
Oh, you want the chicken?
Ok then...

Yogurt and Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken
adapted from Cook's Country


1 cup plain yogurt (whole milk, low fat or nonfat)

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. dried thyme

1 Tbsp. dried oregano

2 tsps. salt

2 tsps. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3 lbs. total)

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Whisk together yogurt, 1/2 cup olive oil, half of the minced garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne in a large bowl. Place chicken in marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3-6 hours (no more than 6 hours or the chicken will get mushy. Ick.).

Whisk remaining olive oil and garlic, lemon juice and basil in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate while chicken is marinating.

Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Grill over high heat until chicken is charred around the edges and fully cooked. Transfer to platter and brush with lemon dressing.

And here's the Yogurt Dipping Sauce, which I made but sadly forgot to even take out of the fridge.
My bad.
The chicken was very, very good without it, but it sure would have added a nice touch.

1 cup plain yogurt (whole milk is best for this)

3 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsps. fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 small cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and diced

Whisk together all ingredients except cucumber until well blended. Stir in cucumber, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Try not to forget it.

Next up - quinoa.

Trenne Pasta with Peas and Proscuitto

Because you were so busy oohing and aahing over my Italy pictures in the last post, you may have skipped over the mention of a delicious triangular-shaped pasta that we ate on our first night in Florence.

Maybe because it was our first dish of pasta upon arriving,  or maybe we were just so freaking tired - either way this dish tasted miraculous. We were eating at Beccaio, with some friends who live in Florence. Even they were impressed with this pasta with asparagus and proscuitto in a light cream sauce.

Thinking I could never duplicate it, I searched my cookbooks for something similar I could use as a starting point.
Mamma mia!
I began and ended the quest with Mario Batali's Molto Gusto. His Penne alla Papalina seemed to be just what I was looking for. The ingredients were easily interchangeable - it was really the technique I was after.

And that triangle shape? Would you believe I actually had a package of it in the pantry?
It's true. I must have had a premonition when I bought it at our local Italian market weeks ago. The brand is Rustichella d'Abruzzo - one of the brands Mario recommends.

It's called trenne - triangular penne. Duh.

So...grazie to Mario Batali for the inspiration.
I changed the recipe just a bit. Try it for a taste of Tuscany, without the airfare.

Pasta with Peas and Proscuitto
adapted from Molto Gusto


kosher salt

6 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 large leek, cleaned, cut lengthwise, then thinly sliced

6 oz. sliced proscuitto, cut into 1" squares

1 10 oz. package frozen peas, thawed

1 lb. trenne pasta (or penne)

4 large eggs

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil, adding 3 Tbsps. kosher salt.

Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbsps. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet (it has to be big enough to hold the pasta later on). When the butter is melted, add sliced leek. Cook over medium heat until it starts to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add proscuitto and continue to cook until it is golden brown and has rendered its fat, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the peas.

Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain.

Whisk the eggs together in a medium bowl to break them up. Whisk in remaining 3 Tbsps. olive oil and 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water.

Add the pasta to the proscuitto/vegetable mixture, over medium heat and stir well to combine. Add the egg mixture, remove from the heat, stirring and tossing vigorously to cook the eggs. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Stir in Parmesan, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, with extra cheese if desired.

Molto gusto!