Mini Sausage, Fontina, and Bell Pepper Stratas

Where to begin? So much has transpired since my last post (which was well, over a month ago). I spent nearly 3 of those weeks in Hawaii (both Maui and the Big Island) and I will discuss that surreal and unforgettable experience at a later time. (I plan on doing a Hawaiian series, much like my New York one, with pictures and inspired recipes in the very near future). For now however, I would like to talk about the other major event that has recently taken place.  Please indulge me for a moment while I brag on myself. Are you ready for the big news??? Drumroll please.... My recipe for Pumpkin Latté Crème Brûlée (created for this blog and posted last November) has been published in an internationally distributed cookbook!! I submitted this recipe way back in February and quickly found out I was a finalist, but as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, I began to lose hope in my chances at winning. What a pleasant surprise to find out I was wrong (one of the only circumstances where I will gladly accept and acknowledge the notion of being wrong)!

My recipe was one of 100 selected to be a part of the first grassroots cookbook to emerge from social media. The book, Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook: 100 Great Recipes, Photographs and Voices, was published by Andrews McMeel Publishing and is available through Amazon (there is also a Kindle version) as of today! So support me, Foodista, and the other 99 featured food bloggers and order your copy today. It's a beautiful book with lots of great recipes (mine, of course, being one of those) and I'm so very proud to be a part of it! 

Alright, enough bragging I suppose. I'll instead talk about the matter at hand: mini sausage stratas. Stratas are one of my favorite ways to prepare a breakfast casserole. As long as you include eggs, milk or cream and bread, you can pretty much throw whatever other ingredients you have on hand into the mix and come up with something tasty and filling. The type of bread is also easily interchangeable. French bread, sandwich bread, english muffins, you name it. The sheer versatility of this dish is why I often suggest it for catering menus. However, some parties I do are less formal, with standing room only, which can make eating with a knife and fork somewhat of a difficult task. So I wanted to create a way for a strata to become hand held, kind of like a muffin. This was actually a rather simple solution and the end result turned out pretty much just as I hoped it would. 

Mini Sausage, Fontina, and Bell Pepper Stratas

Heavily Adapted from Epicurious.com

Ingredients:

4 eggs

8 oz half & half

4 oz skim milk

1.5 oz shredded Romano cheese*

¾ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp kosher salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup chopped green onion

¾ lb hot Italian turkey sausage

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

8 oz French bread (about half a loaf), cut into ½-inch cubes

1.5 oz shredded Fontina cheese*

2 oz shredded smoked Fontina cheese*

1 oz shredded cheddar cheese*

chives for garnish

10 foil muffin cups

10 folded tulip muffin cups

*all cheeses are easily substituted, you what you like!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.  Arrange folded muffin cups in a regular size muffin pan. Place a foil muffin cup inside each folded muffin cup (this helps eliminate greasy paper muffin cups).  Whisk first 9 ingredients in a medium sized bowl until well combined; set aside.
2. Place turkey sausage in a large non-stick skillet; push to one side. Add bell pepper to other side of skillet. Sauté over high heat, breaking up sausage with fork, until sausage is cooked through and bell peppers are tender, about 7 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, egg mixture, sausage mixture and Fontina cheeses. Mix with hands to insure bread in thoroughly soaked.  Let stand for 20 minutes or cover and chill overnight.
4. With a large cookie scoop, evenly divide the strata mixture among the 10 prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake until puffed and brown, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool, garnish with chopped chives, and serve.

Makes approximately 10 mini stratas

Lemony Garlic Hummus

I felt it today.  That first sign of fall weather to come.  Of course, it could just be the overcast skies and slightly cooler temperatures (it's our first day out of the triple digit summer heat here in Texas) we're experiencing today, but I even thought that for a moment, I caught a whiff, albeit faint, of that fall weather smell.  I don't know how to describe it exactly, but you know what scent I'm referring to, right?  That distinct smell that October, and sometimes September, bring.  It's my favorite scent.  If I could package it and sell it a bottle, I would.  I know we're not quite there yet, but that little tease of cool breeze heightened my anticipation for the approaching season greatly.  Fall weather gets me excited for all the ingredients that have been hibernating for far too long.  Root vegetables, pumpkin, sage, butternut squash.... all of which seem to warm you up from the inside out.

But I guess before I can relish in the cooler weather, I'll have to stick out the last few weeks of summer. Which I suppose isn't too terrible.  It gives me a few opportunities to bid farewell to my summer time favorites: basil, juicy tomatoes, watermelon, berries, and lemon.  Of course lemon is virtually a season-less fruit, you can find it in supermarkets just about any time of year, but for whatever reason, the sweet and tangy taste of lemon is something I crave just about all summer long.  Perhaps it's the refreshing quality lemons lend or the way they seem to brighten and heighten the flavor of almost any dish.

I snack on hummus frequently and often in mass quantities.  I eat it on sandwiches and wraps, with veggies and chips, even sometimes just spread on lettuce.  I'm very picky about my hummus, however.  I like a thinner consistency, an un-grainy texture, and lots of flavor.  (Out to Lunch, sold at Whole Foods, is a great brand to try).  Even with all the stipulations that I require of hummus, I've never bothered to make my own. Which is somewhat embarrassing now that I know how easy it actually is.  Seriously, a food processor and 10 minutes is all it takes.  It's even better, and I'm sure healthier, with home made pita chips.

Lemony Garlic Hummus

Recipe by Karlie Kiser

Ingredients:
1 ½, 14-oz cans of garbanzo beans, liquid reserved
¼ cup plus 1 tbsp tahini
½ cup lemon juice
½ tsp lemon zest
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
reserved liquid from garbanzo beans (add to achieve desired texture, I would suggest at least 1/3 cup to ½ cup)
½ tsp paprika, divided
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp ground coriander (optional)
½ tsp chile powder
¾ tsp kosher salt
fresh pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions:

1.  In a large food processor, add the drained garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, zest, and garlic.  Pulse until all ingredients come together.  Add enough of reserved garbanzo bean liquid to achieve desired consistency.  I used a little over 1/3 cup.  Process until the mixture is smooth. 

2.  Add 1/4 tsp paprika, cumin, coriander (if desired), chile powder and salt and pepper to taste.  Pulse mixture to combine.  

3.  Spoon prepared hummus into serving dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp paprika and chopped parsley.  Enjoy with your favorite pita chips or cut veggies. 

Strawberry and Rhubarb Galette

I am writing this post with extreme jubilation.  Or perhaps it's just the after effects of pure relief.  I had an intensely nightmarish occurrence happen to me last week.  My computer crashed.  Upon updating the software on my laptop, only after I was prompted to, the only activity I could get out of it was a blank, white screen.  After doing a little research, I quickly learned that this screen has been maliciously dubbed "the white screen of death."  My heart sank.  My stomach dropped.  I was suddenly unable to swallow past the lump in my throat.  And a single tear ran down my cheek (followed shortly by an unstoppable river).  All of my photos, music, recipes and meticulously crafted spreadsheets (oh yeah, in case you didn't know, I'm OCD- it's unofficially diagnosed, but painfully apparent- I like to think of it as "super-duper-organized").  Basically my whole life was digitally saved and compressed onto this one, tiny little laptop.

I suddenly felt like Carrie Bradshaw.  Everyone started asking me if I had "backed-up." To which I would reply with a snarl.  Backing-up had never occurred to me, even though I had seen that particular episode where Carrie's computer crashes and she loses everything she had ever written.  How could I be so naive?  So before I had the chance to take my laptop into the Apple store and receive it's official sentence, I mourned the death that I was certain had befell my computer.  This is the point where my dad, mom, and brother would all tell me I was over reacting.  That I was being a drama queen (like I've never heard that before, ha).  I didn't care.  I felt I had the right to act irrational, because for all I knew my computer was dead and all my memories and work were buried among the intangible space along with it.  

I needed to take my mind off the loss.  I needed something to distract me from the harrowing thoughts of what was to become of my computer.  Ahh, yes.  A tart of some kind. The only suitable option for this sort of occasion, because nothing calms the nerves quite like a flaky pie crust does.  I had been itching to make a free form tart anyways, so this seemed like as good a time as any.  I rushed to the grocery store, grabbed what I am certain was the last of the season's rhubarb, and headed home to bake the tension out of me.  I wasn't in the mood to plan or be painstakingly precise, so I threw together a fruit filling concoction, tweaking here and there upon tasting, and placed it in the oven.  The result was surprisingly good, especially considering my state of mind and this spontaneous style of baking that I am unaccustomed to.  The galette did help to alleviate the stress of the evening and I even managed to get some sleep that night.  Perhaps, it even served as a little good luck charm, because, despite the "white screen of death," the Apple geniuses were able to recover all of my files.  So maybe I did over react just a tad, sobbing at what would now be a non-loss of all my photos, music, recipes, and meticulously crafted spreadsheets.  But I learned a valuable lesson.  You better believe I bought myself an external hard drive that day, and now I know to make a habit of backing-up.  In fact, I think I might go do that right now.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Galette 
by Karlie Kiser

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

3 tbsp granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 medium lemon, zested

1 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp ice water, plus more if needed

Filling:

2 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb, about 1/2 pound

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, divided

2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, divided

pinch of salt

3 tbsp cornstarch, divided

2 tbsp uncooked, quick cooking tapioca, ground fine in  a spice mill, divided

1 1/2 pounds strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp chopped mint

about 6 tbsp toasted, sliced almonds

1 egg yolk

1 tsp water

2 tbsp turbinado sugar (or granulated sugar)

1 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into very small pieces

Topping (optional):

4 oz crème fraîche

1 tbsp granulated sugar

Directions:

1. For crust: combine flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest in a food processor (or large mixing bowl).  Add butter and pulse (or rub in with fingers if using traditional method) to combine until the mixture resembles course crumbs.

2. Add the egg yolk and ice water (1 tbsp at a time) and pulse (or again, work into the mixture with your hands) just until combined.  (Do not let the dough form a ball in the food processor, pulse just until the mixture comes together.)  There should be enough moisture in the dough so that it binds together without being too wet or sticky.  If it's still crumbly, add a little more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time.

3. Pour the dough mixture onto a lightly floured surface and bring together forming a ball.  Pat into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least one hour.

4. After the dough is sufficiently chilled, separate into four equal portions.  On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a circle, about 1/4-inch thick.  Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper, place dough circles on top, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

5. In the meantime, combine the rhubarb, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon ground tapioca in a medium mixing bowl.  Set aside and let stand for 30 minutes.

6. In another mixing bowl, combine the strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, mint, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon ground tapioca.  Set aside and let stand for 10-15 minutes.  Pre-heat oven to 350º F.

7. Remove the dough rounds from the fridge.  Working one at a time, sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted almonds on center of dough round, leaving a 1-inch border.  Place a mound of rhubarb (about 2 spoonfuls) in the center of crust.  Layer strawberry slices in an overlapping circle around the mound of rhubarb, making sure to leave the 1-inch border of dough.  Repeat on remaining dough rounds.  You should have strawberries left over.  Reserve for later use. 

8. Beat the egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water together to make an egg wash.  Brush the border of each dough round with egg wash.  Bring the edge of crust over onto the filling, leaving the fruit exposed in the center.  Gently fold and crimp the dough to seal any cracks.  Repeat on each galette. 

9. With the remaining strawberry slices, evenly divide and layer on top of other exposed strawberries on each galette.  Combine any strawberry and rhubarb juice remaining at bottom of mixing bowls.  Evenly distribute juices among each galette, spooning onto the center of each.  Chill in fridge for 15 minutes.

10. Brush the edges of each crust with remaining egg wash.  Sprinkle each crust with about 1/2 tablespoon turbinado sugar.  Dot each galette with the small pieces of butter.  Place the galettes (still on baking sheet) on the center rack of oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.  Let cool to room temperature and, if desired, serve with crème fraîche sweetened with 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Enjoy!

Makes 4 mini galettes, about 5-inches in diameter 

*This recipe might have a lot of steps and sound complicated, but I promise you it is easy, breezy!  I just wanted the recipe to be as detailed as possible so as to avoid any confusion for novice bakers. 

A Tribute to New York City Part 2

It’s during this time of year that I start to miss New York the most.  The idea of cooler weather with a slightly salty breeze coming off the Hudson River sounds much more appealing than the extreme temperatures we’ve been experiencing here in Texas.  Seriously, I’m melting as we speak.  When I used to complain about the cold winters (which I do not miss, not one bit.) in New York, people would tell me, “Just wait.  Our summers are brutally hot.”  I’d laugh inside.  Because, really, you’re going to tell me New York summers are more blistering than the ones we have in Texas?  Ha. Ha. HA.  However, there are things about New York that I miss besides the milder temperatures, though most of them are associated with summer time.  I loved the fact that during warmer weather, the city would just come alive- to a completely different level.  On almost any day of the week you could find some kind of outdoor event to while away the hours, whether it be at a regularly scheduled flea market or an outdoor celebration like the Mermaid Parade (celebrating the beginning of summer out on Coney Island).

It was around mid-summer during my year spent living in New York that I had made the decision to move back to Texas.  I also made the decision right then and there to do as many “New Yorky” things as possible.  I had a blast checking things off my list.  I made a trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Jones Beach out on Long Island, Coney Island, several museums, and the New York Aquarium.

The funny thing is, that with the exception of the beaches, I could do all those other things right here in Dallas.  For whatever reason, I never bother to here.  Two things I can’t do in Dallas, however, and desperately wish I could, is attend Broadway shows and spend the day at Central Park.

I had a deep love affair with Central Park.  I was in awe of the beauty of that place during all seasons.  Whether it was watching the leaves fall while strolling down The Mall, gazing out upon the blanket of snow from Bow Bridge, welcoming the first spring rain while relaxing in Strawberry Fields, or enjoying a picnic among the sea of people in the Great Lawn.  (I actually took my mom along for one of those picnics when she came to visit.  I made a pretty spectacular spread, if I don’t say so myself, of grilled vegetable panzanella, spicy apricot and molasses glazed shrimp, watermelon, feta and arugula salad, and chocolate espresso caramel bars- now my most requested item.)

While there is an endless amount of activities and places to visit in New York, there are probably twice as many restaurants.  Of course, there are the classics and the critically acclaimed that stand out from the bunch, too many of which I didn’t have the time or money to enjoy, but there is one restaurant in New York that I could probably call my favorite (or at least mark it as a tie with my other favorite restaurant located here in Dallas): The Spotted Pig.  I only had the opportunity to eat a meal here once, but that was enough to solidify its place in my heart.  The wait for a table is always extreme, but there is a reason for that.  The food is unreal.  It’s a gastro-pub offering a fusion of traditional British fare and Italian cuisine.  The pork belly was succulent.  The shoestring fries, crisped to perfection.  But nothing, nothing, could ever be as decadently delicious as the plump, pillowy, perfection that is their gnudi.   Gnudi, which is literally translated to “naked”, are pasta-like ricotta dumplings that have been shed of their pasta “clothing.”  The ricotta bursts through its thin exterior and immediately changes your world.  They are a revelation.  Trust me, once you eat gnudi, you will never want run-of-the-mill ravioli ever again.

By comparison, my favorite Dallas restaurant, which is much easier to get a table at, is rise nº 1.  It’s an adorable French restaurant specializing in soufflés.  They of course offer other French fare beyond soufflés, but why bother going if you’re not going to indulge in one of their many, many flavors like sun-dried tomato and pesto chèvre, truffle infused mushroom, or the Cajun crab and boursin cheese.  You must save room for a chocolate, strawberry, or praline soufflé to finish your meal, however.  All three are to die for.  On second thought, it’s probably better to go ahead and order all three.

Besides my beloved Central Park and The Spotted Pig, there is perhaps one last thing that I miss more than anything: my bridge (otherwise known as the Williamsburg Bridge).  I ran across it almost daily.  There was something so peaceful and serene about pounding my feet on the pavement as I looked out upon the East River and the Manhattan skyline, breathing in the crisp, salty air.  I loved being able to race toward the Lower East Side with Brooklyn behind me, only to turn around and experience it all over again.  It’s not quite the same running around my flat Plano, TX neighborhood anymore.  I’m always hoping to suddenly approach a vast metal structure that will carry me over a body of water of some kind.  Which, on a side note, up until I lived in New York I never knew how much I loved being around water.  Watching the sun glisten on the water’s surface never failed to make me smile, especially if I was lucky enough to catch a sunset while standing at the water’s edge. 

It’s funny how memories tend to become more dear and precious as time goes on.  As my time spent in New York grows more and more distant, I grow even fonder of my experiences there.  My affection for sunsets, Central Park, and the Spotted Pig may be but mere, fading memories, but they’ll always hold a place in my heart.  And at least I can still have my gnudi, and eat it too.

(Gnudi recipe follows)

Ricotta Gnudi with Crispy Sage and Brown Butter Sauce

Inspired by The Spotted Pig, adapted from The Paupered Chef

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese (if possible, use sheep’s milk ricotta or, if you’re up to it, make your own ricotta)

1 cup grated grated Parmesan

2 large eggs

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

½ cup all-purpose flour

4-5 cups semolina flour

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

about 24 sage leaves

¼ cup shredded Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano

fresh black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the ricotta, grated Parmesan, eggs, egg yolk and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture is light and airy.

2. Gently fold in the ½ cup flour until it is combined with the ricotta mixture.  If the mixture seems too sticky at this point, add in 1 tablespoon more flour at a time.

3. In a large, shallow dish (but at least 2-inches deep), sprinkle ¼-inch semolina flour on the bottom.  Using a small cookie dough scoop, about an inch in diameter, scoop the ricotta mixture into small, round balls, using floured hands to shape if necessary, and arrange on top of the semolina, making sure not to touch each other or the sides of the dish.  After all the ricotta mixture is scooped, rolled, and arranged, cover the balls completely with the remaining semolina flour. The balls should be buried.  Transfer to the fridge and let sit for at least 12 hours, and up to 24.  *I found that resting the ricotta balls for 24 hours made a thicker “crust” than I would have liked. I would suggest a shorter resting period.

4. Carefully unearth the gnudi and set aside on a baking sheet.  The remaining semolina flour can be sifted and reserved for another future use.  Allow the gnudi to come to room temperature.

5. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  In a skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Watch it carefully, and when the butter solids begin to brown and turn foamy, add the sage leaves.  Continue to cook until the butter turns a nutty brown color.  Be careful not to burn the butter, as it will turn bitter.

6. Once the water is boiling, carefully transfer the gnudi to the pot and cook until they float, about 2 minutes.  Avoid overcooking or the exterior will toughen.

7. Removing the gnudi with a slotted spoon to drain, transfer to the brown butter sauce and serve immediately.  Top with the shredded Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh black pepper.

Serves 4

A Tribute to New York City Part 1

* My friend Hannah Flora asked me to be a guest blogger on her blog this week (and next).  She wanted me to write about my time in New York City and how it relates to living in Dallas, TX. You can read the full post here, but make sure to check out her fabulous blog: Hannah Kate Flora. 

I’ve known Hannah since we were young, like really young. Braces young. Even training bras young. And though we went to school together for many, many years, I never really got to know her- that is until I moved to New York. I was lucky enough to develop a friendship with Hannah during my brief time in the Big Apple. I had a hard time meeting and making friends there, but Hannah definitely made things easier for me. Honestly one of the sweetest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, she was always reaching out and inviting me places. One of my favorite memories with her in New York was going to the Big Apple Barbeque Block Party. Rows upon rows of barbeque vendors from all over the US were there to share their finger lickin’ ribs and pulled pork, even some Texas standards such as The Salt Lick, which if you’re from Texas, you’ve no doubt heard about and hopefully had a chance to try- seriously good stuff.

It was actually at this block party that Hannah planted the seed, urging me to start my own blog writing about food and cooking, which is wherein my true passion lies. Before then, I was pretty oblivious to the world of blogging, but her suggestion intrigued me, and a couple months later I took Hannah’s advice and opened myself up to a whole new world of food blogging, a world I didn’t even know existed. But exploring this new world of virtual foodie friends and followers and writing and tweeting (twitting...?) about my culinary adventures, has allowed me to discover a new passion for writing, one that I didn’t even know I had, and that is, of course, thanks to Hannah.

I may have chosen to leave New York and return to the South, but that doesn’t mean my whole time spent up north was a waste or that it left a bad taste in my mouth.  I’m not bitter about my time there.  I actually had some fantastic experiences and was introduced to quite a few things, besides the smell of subways or how quickly rage could consume me when trying to fight my way trough the sea of people in Times Square.  It was in New York that I had my first encounter with a farmer’s market, which is hard to believe considering my immense love for local and fresh ingredients. 

I guess living in Dallas, the farmer’s markets here were always a destination, where as in New York, every time I stepped out in Union Square (after making my brief, but painful commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan) there were throngs of people scoping out what the vendors on that particular day had to offer.  I’d always stroll- ok rush, I hate crowds- up and down the congested aisles, stopping every so often to linger over a particular piece of produce, but never making a purchase. 

I had always thought farmer’s market purchases were supposed to be cheaper, encouraging folks to buy local instead of the chemical soaked copies that stock the grocery stores.  Alas, the minuscule budget I lived on in New York did not allow me to enjoy the organic fruits and vegetables farmers from upstate had worked so hard to haul down into the city. So a couple of weeks ago I decided to wake up early- on a Saturday (gasp!) no less- and drive all the way to downtown Dallas to check out the Dallas Farmer’s Market. 

I was like a kid in a candy store, except this candy store wouldn’t give me a stomach ache or rot my teeth.  There were so many choices of plump, juicy red Texas tomatoes, enormous green onions, the most delicious watermelon I’ve ever had, and some new little round “8-ball”squash that I had never seen before. 

And not to brag or anything, but the farmer’s markets in Texas have got it right, on the prices that is.  A bucket of 16 tomatoes cost $2! Ahhh, visions of bruschetta are dancing through my head… 

Another newbie for me in New York, although quite less profound, was the side by side escalators, one of which was for your shopping cart.  You New Yorkers, no doubt, know exactly what I’m talking about, while most Texans, I’m sure, don’t have a clue- that is unless you’ve made a trip to the brand spanking new Whole Foods that opened on Park Lane.  My mom and I first encountered these escalators during our venture out to the Target on Flatbush, deep in the heart of Brooklyn- and man do I mean deep.  My mom and I were pretty astounded at these escalators, which I guess is pretty silly, but that’s how we country bumpkins react to that fancy New York City stuff- ha. 

The idea of 24/7 delivery, of absolutely anything, was also new to me in New York.  Although I was only exposed to this luxury for a brief time, and this luxury was also “limited” to me living in Brooklyn, it has still spoiled me rotten, right to my core.  There have been many, many nights that I have found myself lying on my couch, paralyzed with laziness, wondering what I should have delivered for dinner, and upon making my decision, only then do I realize that I don’t even have that option.  There are sadly very few places that will deliver, and even fewer that do so past 9 pm.  In New York, you could have groceries, wine, greasy Chinese food, and even toothpaste delivered at 4 am if necessary.  How dare Plano make me get in my car and drive all the way to the nearest Asian take-out.

Bakeries were obviously not introduced to me during my time in New York, but the immense amount of them was.  I probably could have a tried a different bakery each week during my year there and though I tried quite a few of them, there were more than a few that I never had a chance to sample.  However, the two bakeries that really resonated with me were the two darlings of New York City: Billy’s Bakery and Magnolia Bakery.  The two have long held an infamous rival with one another and it’s easy to see why.  The cupcakes, which were basically made famous by Magnolia with thanks to Sex and the City, were, while delicious, not the real reason why I would frequent these bakeries. (But for anyone wondering which cupcake I favor of the two… I’d have to go with Billy’s- the actual cake of the cupcake is much lighter.)  No, it wasn’t the cupcakes that kept me coming back, not even with their towers of buttercream.  At Billy’s, it was their heavenly banana cake with cream cheese frosting.

I remember the exact moment that I had put that first bite into my mouth.  I had just come from the Bronx Zoo and decided to take a detour to Billy’s Bakery.  I took my tired self home, from the Bronx, to Chelsea, and all the way back to Brooklyn, climbed the stairs to my 3^rd story apartment, and before I even allowed myself to sit down, I took that first fateful bite of banana cake.  It really was life changing. The creamy, tangy frosting paired with the impossibly moist cake with small bits of banana baked through, (pause to wipe drool) literally made me weak in the knees.  Like I said, heavenly.  Then there is Magnolia Bakery, that has my second and third favorite desserts, and, oddly enough, one of them is also made of bananas.  The banana pudding there is insane.  It’s not your grandma’s banana pudding.  The other dessert is the red velvet cheesecake.  I had never heard of red velvet cheesecake before this.  And I love red velvet anything.  And I adore cheesecake.  So this particular dessert had high standards to live up to.  It did not disappoint, but rather soared right past those expectations. 

While I do feel a little sad reminiscing about those delectable desserts from such charming bakeries, don’t feel too sorry for me.  Dallas has some quality competitors.  I ordered a cake for my mom’s 50^th birthday from Society Bakery, but this wasn’t just any old cake.  This was a chocolate, turtle, caramel, gooey, rich- did I mention chocolate?- cake.  It was pretty darn awesome.  While I was there picking up the cake, I of course also had to pick up a couple other goodies, a couple of cupcakes and some petit-fours.  The petit-fours are definitely where it’s at.  The cupcakes were somewhat forgettable for me.  If you want a good cupcake in Dallas, check out Dimple’s, they’re delicious and jumbo sized which is always a plus.  I mean, is there such a thing as too much cupcake?

I still haven’t found a worthy replacement of the banana cake, however.  So making my own would have to suffice.  My recipe for Banana Cake is a good enough substitute, so I invite you to indulge in your own “Billy’s Bakery” moment.  For me, it’s like having a little slice of NYC, where each bite allows memories to come flooding back.  I can’t promise the same for you, but it’s worth a shot.  The frosting alone, if nothing else, is worth it.

I’ll be back next Friday with a follow up post on more New York memories and another NYC inspired recipe.

(banana cake recipe follows)

Heavenly Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 

Inspired by Billy's Bakery 

Ingredients:

Crisco for greasing pans

2 3/4 cups cake flour (plus more for pans), sifted

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

5 ripe bananas

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Grease and flour 3, 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. Pre-heat oven to 350º F.

2. Mash the bananas with a fork in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the eggs and oil and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened; do not beat.

4. Gently stir in the sour cream, banana mixture, pecans, walnuts, and vanilla. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and place in the oven. Set a pan of water on the rack below the cakes; it will help to keep the cakes moist. Bake for 23-28 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.

5. Once completely cooled, assemble, fill and frost the cake. Sprinkle with additional chopped pecans or walnuts. Enjoy!

(cream cheese frosting recipe follows)

Cream Cheese Frosting 

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen 

Ingredients:

2, 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth in consistency, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar and continue to beat until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.

2. The pecans/walnuts can be stirred into the frosting or reserved to sprinkle on top of the frosted cake.