Q. My favorite cake is carrot cake. I have tried a lot of recipes, some better than others. What is your favorite carrot cake recipe?
A. I’ve tried a lot of them, too, and keep coming back to the cake from “The Silver Palate Cookbook” by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins with Michael McLaughlin (Workman Publishing, 1982). Here’s that recipe, which has been slightly adapted.
CARROT CAKE
Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Cake:
1 pound carrots
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups canola oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple packed in juice
Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons sweet butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon
To prepare oven, cake pans: Place rack in middle of oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 (9-inch) layer cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Grease again. Set aside.
To puree carrots: Peel carrots. Cut into pieces. Simmer in 1 1/2 cups water until fork tender. Puree in food processor or blender. (Yield should be 1 1/3 cups pureed carrots.) Set aside to cool.
To make batter: In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Add oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in walnuts, coconut, cooled carrot puree and pineapple.
To bake cake: Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until edges have pulled away from sides and cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Set on cake rack for 3 hours or until completely cool.
To make frosting: In large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter. Slowly sift in confectioners’ sugar. Continue beating until fully incorporated. (Note: Mixture should be free of lumps.) Stir in vanilla and lemon juice. Fill cake and ice sides and top with cream cheese frosting.
Q. I would like a slow-cooker recipe for spicy chicken that we can use for burritos and rice bowls. Do you have such a recipe?
A. This recipe is for tostadas, but it would work equally well for burritos and rice mixed with black beans. Also try it in a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, diced avocados, black beans and lime vinaigrette. The recipe is from “Williams Sonoma Quick Slow Cooking” by Kim Laidlaw (Weldon Owen, 2014).
SPICY CHICKEN TOSTADAS
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skinned (about 8 large thighs)
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (15 ounces) diced fire-roasted tomatoes with juice
1 can (7 ounces) chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded if you like less spice
Juice of 1 lime
12 flat corn tostada shells, each about 6 inches in diameter
Optional toppings:
Crema or sour cream
Queso fresco or feta cheese
Sliced avocado
Fresh cilantro leaves
Shredded cabbage or lettuce
Lime wedges
To season chicken: Sprinkle chicken with salt. Set aside.
To saute aromatics: Put flameproof insert of slow-cooker on stove top over medium-high heat. Add oil. Heat until hot. (Note: Use heavy pot if slow cooker is not flame proof.) Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes or until golden. Add garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.
To puree sauce: Transfer onion and garlic mixture to blender. Add tomatoes with their juice, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce and lime juice. Process to a smooth puree.
To cook chicken: Transfer insert to slow cooker. Add chicken. Pour pureed sauce over chicken thighs. Turn to coat evenly. Cover. Cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken is very tender and opaque throughout.
To shred chicken: Transfer cooked chicken to cutting board. When just cool enough to handle, bone chicken. Discard bones and any fat or gristle. Using fingers or 2 forks, shred meat into small bite-size pieces. Transfer meat to serving bowl. Add enough sauce (about half) to coat chicken, turning chicken in sauce. (Note: Let remaining sauce cool, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Toss it with noodles or drizzle over roasted pork or grilled steak or chicken.)
To serve: Put crema, queso fresco, avocado, cilantro, cabbage and lime wedges in separate bowls. Spoon some chicken and sauce onto each tostada shell. Invite diners to top tostada as desired.
Q. I had fabulous minestrone when I was on vacation in Tel Aviv. The chef told me how he made it, but all I remember is that the first step was cooking onions and carrots. Can you find a recipe like this?
A. While there is no standard minestrone recipe, the best ones do include that vegetable sofrito and are made with seasonal vegetables. This fall minestrone recipe is adapted from “The Art of Simple Food” by Alice Waters (Clarkson Potter, 2007).
FALL MINESTRONE
Makes 8 servings.
1 cup dried cannellini, borlotti or cranberry beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
1 bunch kale, stemmed, washed and chopped
1 can (14 ounces) tomatoes, drained and chopped
3 cups water
1 small leek, diced
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving
To brine beans: Fill large bowl with 3 quarts water. Add 2 tablespoons salt and stir to dissolve salt. Add beans. Let sit overnight.
To cook beans: Drain and thoroughly rinse beans. Transfer beans to heavy pot. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Skim off any foam. Simmer gently for 1 to 2 hours or until beans are tender. (Note: Add more water if necessary during cooking.) (Beans can be cooked in advance. They keep well for 1 or 2 days refrigerated in their cooking liquid.)
To cook the sofrito: In heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender.
To make soup: Add garlic, rosemary, sage, salt, bay leaf, kale and tomatoes to sofrito. Cook for 5 minutes. Add water. Bring to a boil. Add leek. Cook for 5 minutes. Add squash. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary. Add beans and 1 cup cooking liquid. Cook for 5 minutes. (Note: If soup is too thick, add more bean-cooking liquid.) Remove bay leaf.
To serve: Ladle into bowls. Garnish each serving with extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon or more grated parmesan cheese.
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