Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Aliska]

Thank you, Yaelle. If you don't mind, I'm going to try the layer one with frosting first, but yours looks good, too. It's like a pound cake, and I like the brown on top. I used to make similar cakes. It's worth making again and faster when I don't want to fuss with layers and frosting. Plus I might not like the layer one.

Anyway, I saved it with my layer cake recipe and it looks yummy, too. To save a decent pic of it (the ones at the site copy in too tiny) I made a screen cap of the pic I liked best and dragged it into the lemon cake recipe.

Thanks again. I will try them both. Just not the same week. The loaf will hit the spot when I'm more in a hurry. I don't think I would get tired of a good flavored lemon cake.

[miss marmelstein]

Totally out of my budget, I’m afraid.

[Daffynition]

The Australian Mignon we get here, has less flavor than backstrap venison. Not worth the moo-lah.

[Daffynition]

Who overcooked that beef? Naughty. Naughty.

[pugmama]

I used to make this dish many years ago as a very impressive company dish. Imagine my surprise at finding the original recipe on line. It was been at least 15 years since I made this! I will do it again for old times sake.

http://www.thibeaultstable.com/2012/10/poulet-en-croute-lutece.html

[Jamestown1630]

That’s very nice. I would like the beef better if it were made in individual portions.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

Well, these days it’s out of almost everyone’s budget; but look at Pugmama’s post 25, where it’s done with chicken.

-JT

[miss marmelstein]

To be honest, I’m not crazy about meat dishes that are encrusted with pastry - although I do like chicken pot pie. Just me.

Here’s a dessert I’m serving for Easter. I got it from Epicurious via facebook and am currently freezing the cake. It’s coconut-key-lime sheet cake in which you make the lime curd and slather the finished cake with it and whipped cream. I bought the lime curd because I found a wonderful imported jar from England. I hope the link works but I doubt it:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/coconut-key-lime-shee-cake?mbid=social_fac

[Yaelle]

Definitely try thst pretty lemon layer cake first!

But for amazing lemon flavor, the pound cake one is out of this world. One day give it a shot. The key to this recipe is that when you take the cake warm out of the oven, you spoon the glaze over the cake for a long time. You basically soak the cake in this glaze. Then when it’s cool, every slice is moist and popping with lemon flavor. It ends up having no connection to a dry pound cake.

[Aliska]

Yeah pound cakes can be dry. I never found the secret of the frozen Sarah Lee pound cakes. I used to buy them a lot and just love the buttery flavor and fine texture. Somewhere I read it is cornstarch but has to be more than that.

I'm going to procrastinate as usual I fear but I was thinking I could make the pound cake one in my bundt pan. It might take longer for the glaze to soak in though. I could poke it with something long, skinny and thin. A fork wouldn't work right and tear up the top of the cake.

My son used to beg me to make pound cakes. I used a cake mix which is no longer sold, and cut up some lemon peel as finely as I could, didn't have a lemon zester then. I had forgotten all about that.

[pugmama]

I also used to do this kind of thing when I did some catering. It was always popular.I seem to recall adding fresh herbs somewhere.

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/529fy8z2/tonys-fillet-steak-in-phyllo.html

[Jamestown1630]

Your link wasn’t working, but here it is; and it looks great:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/coconut-key-lime-sheet-cake

But on things ‘encrusted in pastry’, we have to part - I’ll eat anything that’s inside of puff pastry - it’s sort of like the ‘bacon’ of bread-y things ;-)

-JT

[miss marmelstein]

Yes, I think it’s OK to agree to agree, lol! BTW, I’ll update you about the cake after it’s served.

Another development: since I love calves liver, bacon & onions, my butcher told me today it’s no longer being sold. Too unpopular and they have to buy 50 pounds of it at once and just a small portion of it sells. It’s simply not worth it. I know a lot of folks don’t like it but it is nutritious and if prepared properly it can be delicious.

[miss marmelstein]

Aliska, there’s an Ina Garten recipe for pound cake that is very good. It makes two loaves. My husband makes it and while it’s not possible to recreate the Sarah Lee, it is damned good on its own. The frozen poundcake is one of my non-guilty pleasures!

[Liz]

Fabulous recipe......lime lovers like myself are rejoicing.

[Hiskid]

thanks for the suggestions. I have a vegetarian daughter, and we meat eaters struggle with coming up with something we will all enjoy.

[heartwood]

Looks like lemon curd on top of the frosting and between layers.

Lemon extract makes your cakes or cookies taste like you added lemon furniture polish. Never again.

I use lemon rind, lemon juice, buttermilk/yogurt/sour cream when I am making lemon desserts. There’s also citric acid powder so you can get the sour lemon effect without adding too much liquid.

It’s time to toss that lemon extract bottle taking up space in my cabinet - since it hasn’t been opened in years.

[miss marmelstein]

The photo in the lime green pan is what got me. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Pretty easy except I had to go out and actually buy cake flour.

[Liz]

Cake flour----not sure, but I think Nigella suggested
bit of cornstarch added to regular flour makes cake flour.

[miss marmelstein]

I think that’s right. Cake flour has cornstarch (I think the Brits call it corn flour which is Bird’s custard powder) that contributes to its soft crumb. First review in for this cake - 2 forks. The baker said the cake was too moist. Considering that you dump a whole bunch of coconut oil on top of it, I’m not surprised.

I’m doing a chocolate cake in case the lime-coconut bombs out.