Good + Simple

I was really curious about Good + Simple by Jasmine Hemsley and Melissa Hemsley, especially after the rave reviews the Hemsley sisters garnered for their first offering The Art of Eating Well. They are fascinating to listen to - see also a great podcast interview on Radio Cherry Bombe - and clearly know their stuff when it comes to nutrition and healthful eating. Their tips and tricks are insightful and did inspire me to make some (small) changes in my diet like reducing sugar and caffeine.

Usually when I get a new cookbook I read it cover to cover flagging every recipe that sounds delicious until the pages are bristling with tabs - some annotated with upcoming occasions or seasons to jog my memory down the road. The snag came along when I began to look through the recipes and found that many of them required unusual or difficult to find ingredients even in New York City (maybe something lost in translation since this is a book out of the UK?), lengthy processes, or a combination of flavors that just weren't appealing to my palate. I put this book down without sticking a single post-it.

If you're a regular reader you know by the recipes I post that we eat fairly healthfully with an indulgence here and there, but we still consume dairy, gluten, etc. So, it probably says more about my commitment to an eating overhaul than about the quality of the content, but for me photographs are another huge part of diving in to a new author. Beautiful, appetizing images show me what the finished product should look like and motivate me to actually make the dish. Unfortunately, as an accompaniment to a fresh, modern take on cooking & eating these pictures felt dated and flat, even a little off putting.

Honestly, I wish I liked this book more. I love that these two sisters have established a successful business, and I would have been psyched if their book had inspired me to experiment with the way we eat. For people looking to address diet-related health issues I think this could be a great resource, and I'm not saying I'll never ever pull a recipe from this book - it's possible I'll find myself returning for some of the gut-health information - but unless I have a dinner guest with dietary restrictions it's not going to be my first stop.

I received a promotional copy of this book via Blogging for Books in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

Blood Orange Polenta Cake

Blood Orange Polenta Cake | Image: Laura Messersmith

Are you a rule follower or a risk taker? In life I go by the book more than I should – I find myself teetering on the edge of a new adventure looking for reasons to step back; thinking of all the ways my plan could go awry when there’s no guarantee of success. A twist on the New Year’s Resolution I learned of recently is to choose a word – something like Family, Balance, or Health – and orienting your choices to support that goal. I’d like to dedicate this year to being Fearless.

I think that’s why I like cooking so much – even a misstep that ends in disaster is still a chance to learn. An under-baked loaf of bread, a pork tenderloin that is starting to burn but still hasn’t come up 140 internally, caramels that didn’t solidify and started to ooze on the plate. Frustrating? Sure. But, at worst they end up in the trash and I start again, at best they’re salvageable and end up as part of a funny story, which was the case the first time I made this cake.

No back up plan for our New Year’s Eve dessert just some homemade whipped cream to dress up a dry and relatively flavorless crumb despite plenty of butter and eggs. What happened?! I give our guests credit for pretending they liked it, but I could tell those were sympathy bites. Sorry, Joyce & Alex!

I loved the idea though and the cover photo on Citrus: Sweet and Savory Sun-Kissed Recipes by Valerie Aikman-Smith and Victoria Pearson was so beautiful, I had to go back to the drawing board. I went seeking guidance from no fewer than five other similar recipes the result: the cake I was actually dreaming of – rounds of glistening oranges, not too sweet, tender, and deeply citrusy. Totally worth the effort.

Blood Orange Polenta Cake | Image: Laura Messersmith

Blood Orange Polenta Cake (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/4 cup water
2 navel or Valencia oranges
2 blood oranges
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup fine polenta
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon orange zest

Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare a 9-inch solid cake pan or pie plate by brushing the bottom and sides generously with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and water and cook over medium high heat. Swirl the pan to help the sugar to dissolve without stirring. Boil for about 5 minutes until the syrup turns a light golden brown, 360 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and pour into the buttered pie plate to evenly cover the bottom.

Slice the oranges about 1/8 inch thick. Remove any seeds and arrange the slices in overlapping circles over the cooled syrup. Remember, the cake will be inverted later so the bottom layer of oranges will be the top of the cake. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the all purpose flour, polenta, and baking powder. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat together the remaining sticks of room temperature butter and 1 cup of sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes or until light and creamy. Decrease the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time mixing well in between. Lastly, mix in the orange zest.

Add the polenta and flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little at a time mixing on low speed until almost combined. Scrape down the bowl in between additions, and finish mixing gently by hand with a rubber spatula to ensure the dry ingredients are completely integrated, but the cake isn’t over mixed.

Spread the batter over the orange slices and bake at 350 degrees F. for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen before placing a large serving platter on top. Hold the two dishes together using oven mitts and invert the cake onto the platter. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve with whipped cream.

Re-written and adapted from Orange and Rosemary Polenta Cake (pg. 75) in Citrus: Sweet and Savory Sun-Kissed Recipes by Valerie Aikman-Smith and Victoria Pearson.

I received a promotional copy of this book via Blogging for Books, all opinions are my own.

Blood Orange Polenta Cake | Image: Laura Messersmith

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes! I used, small sauce pan, candy thermometer, 9 inch pie plate (or solid cake pan), medium cutting board, utility knife, two medium mixing bowls, a hand mixer, rubber spatula, microplane zester, measuring cups and spoons.

The Verdict:
If I were being entirely scientific the taste testers would have followed the metamorphosis of this cake through its various iterations culminating in the final gorgeous version. Instead, my parents were the beneficiaries when I baked the cake that finally delivered on it’s orangey, bright promise. I knew it was a hit when my mother passed up a bakery chocolate cake in favor of this one. I hope it has a similar effect when you make it too!

Blood Orange Polenta Cake | Image: Laura Messersmith

Old Fashioned Gingerbread

Old Fashioned Gingerbread | Image: Laura Messersmith

Something about Christmas time makes me crave warm spicy desserts like this Old Fashioned Gingerbread. I made a few small changes, but I really can’t take credit for this recipe; it’s something my mom found in a cookbook several (like 15?) years ago and it quickly became a family favorite. Case in point: even though the ingredients are standard spice rack fare the results are so delicious I even trusted this recipe when I needed something to bring the first time I went home with Mike for Christmas (6 years later it was obviously a hit.)

It’s deeply spicy and rich, perfect have with coffee on Christmas morning or gussy up a little with some whipped cream for an easy dessert. It also consists almost entirely of ingredients from the pantry, so it’s a great last minute recipe to throw together when guests arrive. The scent of the ginger, cloves, and nutmeg perfumes the air in such a tantalizing way, who could help feeling welcomed and loved? All that means is that you should definitely make this sometime soon, you won’t be sorry!

Old Fashioned Gingerbread | Image: Laura Messersmith

Old Fashioned Gingerbread (yield: 1 loaf or 12 muffins)

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup boiling water
Non-stick spray

Instructions:
Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees

In a medium mixing bowl, beat one egg with a wooden spoon. Stir in the molasses, vegetable oil, and sugar until well mixed.

In a separate small bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

Add the dry ingredients to the molasses mixture and stir together until all the flour and spices are incorporated. Batter will be moist, but a little thick.

Finally, add the boiling water to the batter. It will look like you’ve made a mistake, but trust me – continue to gently stir and the hot water will incorporate into the batter.

The gingerbread can be baked at 350 degrees in either a greased loaf pan for 40 minutes or in lined muffin tins for 20-25 until lightly browned.

Adapted and rewritten from The Flavor of New England cookbook (Page 165 by Grace Addition).

Old Fashioned Gingerbread | Image: Laura Messersmith

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, indeed! I used one small mixing bowl, one medium mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, rubber spatula, liquid and dry measuring cups and measuring spoons. I also used a glass loaf pan, but this gingerbread can also be baked in muffin tins.

The Verdict:
Mike and I now have a copy of The Flavor of New England cookbook and the spine is cracked at this Old Fashioned Gingerbread recipe, that’s how much we love it. Usually chocolate is my jam, but it’s so addictive anytime I make it I have to try so, so hard not to just inhale all every last crumb in 24 hours. Now that’s an endorsement.

Old Fashioned Gingerbread | Image: Laura Messersmith

Scouting: Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks

Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, Greenwich Village | Image: Laura Messersmith

Once upon a time, some brilliant soul coined the term ‘hangry’ defined by Urban Dictionary as being “so hungry that your lack of food causes you to become angry, frustrated or both.” Sounds unpleasant.

I am guilty of hangry feelings from time to time, but I also need a term for humidity-induced irritability. If the Internet could please work on developing this term for me I’d be grateful. This whole week and again today has been just full of moody, rainy, not really hot, but still sticky days that put me right into a funk.

What’s a girl to do when she’s in the midst of a weather-induced bad attitude? In my case, a little change of scenery helps and preferably one that includes an adorable neighborhood, a mild dose of retail therapy, and some escapist reading. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you: Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks a shop specializing in food-related books and periodicals deep in the heart of Greenwich Village. Add an ice cream cone to the mix and I’m telling you it’s gold.

The shop is packed floor to ceiling with books of all shapes and sizes covering range of food and cooking related topics from a variety of eras – antique to modern. Alongside what I’d consider the classics of cooking and commentary (James Beard, Julia Child, Paul Bocuse, M.F.K. Fisher, Elizabeth David) are spiral-bound volumes by local Junior League chapters, glossy hardcovers by celebrity chefs, cozy memoirs from literary food writers, and tomes on entertaining.

Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks is a great spot for happy discoveries and treasure hunting – no need to wait for a rainy day. I easily spent over an hour browsing the shelves before finally forcing myself out the door a like-new copy of Judith Jones’s The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food tucked under my arm feeling significantly less grumpy. Crisis averted!