Bill's Big Carrot Cake

Amazingly delicious and chock full of goodies.

This cake is so moist, plus it has plenty of texture with all the carrots,

coconut, walnuts and raisins.  It is a hefty cake with all those ingredients, 

but the taste is so light, not too much spice or sweetness to the cake just a 

perfect balance and the lemony cream cheese frosting adds that 

extra element of simplicity.

I prepared this cake for my sister-in-laws baby shower. I wanted to show all the 

layers in the photograph above, before I frosted the sides and decorated 

the top. 

The original recipe calls for 3 round cake tins. Since I was making this 

for a party of 30 ladies, I made a double batch of the cake and put it in 

two 9x13 cake pans. I also doubled the amount of frosting I prepared, since

I was going to be decorating it for a party. 

Thank you once again to Dorie Greenspan and my favorite

book on baking, Baking From My Home To Yours.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Courtesy of Baking by Dorie Greenspan

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups grated carrots (you can grate the carrots in a food processor fitted with a shredding blade)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
• ½ cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola or safflower oil
• 4 large eggs

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 pound (3 3/4 cups) confectioners
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
• ½ cup shredded coconut, optional
•  Toasted finely chopped nuts and/or toasted coconut, for topping, optional

PREPARATION

1. For the cake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour three 9-inch round, 2-inch deep cake pans, flour the insides and tap out the excess.
2. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut and raisins.
3. Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a whisk, beat the sugar and oil together until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. If you are working in a mixer, reduce the speed to low, if you're working by hand switch to a large rubber spatula, and gently stir in the flour mixture — mix only until the dry ingredients disappear. Just as gently, stir in the chunky ingredients.
4. Divide the batter among the baking pans and slide the pans into the oven. Bake the cakes for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The cakes are properly baked when a knife inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean; the cakes will just start to come away from the edges. Transfer the pans to cooling racks, cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool to room temperature. (At this point, the cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months; thaw before frosting.)
5. For the frosting: Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.
6. If you'd like to have coconut in the filling, scoop out about 1/2 of the frosting and stir the coconut into this portion.
7. To frost the cake, place one layer of the cake, right-side up, on a cardboard round or a cake plate. If you've added coconut to the frosting, use half of coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer. Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake top-side down. Frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting. Top with the last layer, right-side up and use the plain frosting to cover the top — and the sides, if you want – of the cake. Finish the top layer with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle on these ingredients now, while the frosting is soft. Slide the cake into the refrigerator for 15 minutes, just to set the frosting.
8. Serving: The cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper, overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and, while it's good plain, it's better with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or even some lemon curd with a little whipped cream folded in.
9. Storing: Covered the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen, uncovered, and then, when it is firmed, wrapped airtight and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months; defrost, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight.

Almond and Raisin Feqqas(Fekkas)

Tasty little cookies, biscotti like, great for dipping in hot tea or coffee.

The cookies of Morocco are quit simple with usually one intense flavor. 

Anise or walnut or almond. Otherwise they are the very rich

sugar saturated type made with phyllo dough and honey, similar 

to the Greek, baklava.

I found this to be an unusual recipe because it had so many

yummy flavors.  The raisins, the almonds, the sesame seeds 

and the anise seed, all give delicious bursts of flavor 

in each bite of cookie.

Prepared for our Christmas Eve Feast 2016, Moroccan Food.

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Courtesy of: Moroccan Modern by Hassan M'Souli

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup super fine sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tsp. anise seeds
• 2 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup golden raisins, soaked in warm water until plump and then drained
• 1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped, roasted
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp. orange flower water
• 3 large eggs

PREPARATION

Preheat your oven to 275F and lightly oil a baking sheet.

Add the eggs, oil, butter, orange flower water and sugar,  mix well until sugar dissolves

Add to  the sugar, the salt, baking powder, sesame and anise seeds. Stir in the raisins and almonds.  Add the flour a little at a time to form a soft dough

Divide the dough into large balls and roll each ball into a log about 1 1/4 inch thick

Place onto a greased baking tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Using a sharp knife cut the logs into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Lay out onto greased baking trays and bake for about 45 minutes or until medium golden brown. Remove the cookies to a rack to cool.

Store fekkas in an airtight plastic container for up to a month. They will keep well in the freezer for several months.

Moroccan Lamb Kefta

Delicious grilled Lamb Kefta.

The Moroccan Lamb Kefta that was prepared for our Christmas Eve celebration.

We forgot to take a photo, so the photo is courtesy of Jeff Koehoer's
cookbook, Morocco.

These are great for an appetizer or to go with a meal.  The preparation is fast 

and the cook time is fast as well.

Many people don't like the gaminess of lamb but you can easily substitute beef.

I love all the spices and herbs in this meat dish,
it was a great accompaniment to all our other Moroccan
food on Christmas Eve.

Thank you to my sister-in-law Kim who prepared this for our
Christmas Eve Feast 2016, Moroccan Food!
Super delicious, great job!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Courtesy  of:Jeff Koehler

• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb or beef (or a combination)
• 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace, or 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 medium red onion, grated
• olive oil as needed

1. 1.
   If using wooden skewers, soak them in a shallow dish of water while preparing the meat.
2. 2.
   In the meantime, in a medium bowl, combine ground meat and remaining ingredients except the onion and olive oil. Incoporate most of the grated onion, taking care to not make the mixture too wet; it should remain somewhat sticky, like the texture of sausage. If the meat is relatively lean, add some olive oil.
3. 3.
   Take a palmful of meat and press it around the middle of a skewer, then roll it lightly on a cutting board or between your palms to form an even "sausage" around the skewer about 6 inches long. Repeat with remaining skewers and meat.
4. 4.
   Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover gill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Grill the skewers, turning once, until firm to the touch and cooked through. Serve hot.

Kimchi Udon with Scallions

A very satisfying, slightly spicy udon noodle dish.

This recipe was featured in Bon Apettit, October 2016. 

My friend Ava, told me about it and that she had already 

made the recipe right when it came out. 

It looked so delicious, I thought I would try it when my kids were all 

home for Christmas break. 

It was a huge hit!  And worthy of a repeat.  Luckily I purchased plenty 

of fresh Udon noodles!

As Always, 

ENJOY!

Recipe Courtesy of Bon Apettit Magazine, October 2016

Kimchi Udon With Scallions

The power trio of butter, kimchi, and gochujang produces an umami ballad so beautiful in this udon recipe, you’ll want to play it over and over again.

Ingredients

4 SERVINGS

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 cup finely chopped kimchi, plus ⅓ cup kimchi juice
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound fresh or frozen udon noodles
• Kosher salt
• 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 3 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add chopped kimchi and gochujang and cook, stirring occasionally, until kimchi is softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 minutes. Add broth and kimchi juice and bring to a simmer. Cook until liquid is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil noodles according to package directions.

Using tongs, transfer noodles to skillet and add remaining 3 Tbsp. butter; cook, tossing often, until sauce coats noodles, about 2 minutes. Season with salt if needed. Divide among bowls and top with egg yolks, scallions, and sesame seeds.

Handcrafted Omusubi

Spicy Salmon Omusubi

Sunnyblue, located on Main St. in Santa Monica. 

Selling handcrafted Omusubi, the first in 

Southern California.

Omusubi, plus many other offerings, from Miso to Ramen.

My daughter and I were shopping in Santa Monica, and just happened to pass by.

So many people were enjoying the food inside, it really caught my attention. 

At the end of our shopping excursion, we stopped in to check out all they had

to offer.  At the time the most tempting items to us were the Omusubi. 

The spicy salmon is excellent.  The bottom of the rice triangle is stuffed

with delicious seasoned salmon.

We are going to be returning very soon!

As Always, 

ENJOY!