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I have joined an interesting website/group with the unfortunate name of Nablopomo, which stands for "National Blog Posting Month." It is open to all bloggers and all you have to do is promise that you will blog every day for a month about a specific theme. This month's theme is "Home," which should be easy enough, since that's what I write about mostly anyway. Today is a great day to start with this theme, because it is Sunday morning and we've just had a delicious and harmonious family breakfast. Willa set the table, Beatrix made the batter, and CMR manned the griddle, and, even more importantly, made the coffee. India ran around naked and sang.

Bliss.

Bea's Homemade Raspberry Mush Jam

What Willa Wants to Bake

For those who can't read Kindergartener:
White Chocolate Brownies
Sablés
Rugelach
Thumbprints for Us Big Guys
Traditional Madeleines
Translucent Maple Tuiles
Milk Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes
A Fig Cake for Fall
Cranberry Upside Downer
Chocolate Banded Ice Cream Torte

Quite sophisticated tastes has our Miss Willa Kate! All of the recipes come from the divine Dorie Greenspan, and more specifically from her book, Baking: From My Home To Yours.

It was Willa's

yesterday and we had an ice cream feast. I believe heartily in celebrating half-birthdays, especially for small children, because a whole year is a very long time when you're five, and because we like to celebrate. Willa decided that today is the second day of her half-birthday and that we must bake. Even though it is quite warm here today and quite Spring-like, I think we'll have to ask Solveig to bake us the Fig Cake for Fall. You can see that Willa circled it on her list. I imagine that she will insist that we forgo the port sauce in favor of ice cream.

A Fig Cake for Fall by Dorie Greenspan

¾ cup ruby port
1 cup honey
2 thin slices lemon
16-20 fresh figs, stemmed and halved
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
Grated zest of ½ lemon
1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, at room temperature
3 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE FIGS AND SAUCE: Stir the port and ½ cup of the honey together in a small saucepan. Toss in the lemon slices and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat, add the figs, cover the pan and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the figs are soft but not falling apart. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the figs to a bowl. Raise the heat just a little and cook the poaching liquid for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened; the syrup should coat a metal spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and set the sauce aside.

GETTING READY TO BAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper and dust the inside of the pan with flour, tapping out the excess. Put the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

TO MAKE THE CAKE: Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
Put the sugar and grated zest in the bowl of a stand mixer or another large bowl, and rub them together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist, grainy and aromatic. Toss in the butter. With the paddle or whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Pour in the remaining ½ cup honey, add the vanilla extract and beat for another 2 minutes. The mixture may look curdled and not so pretty—keep mixing, it will get better soon. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated; you'll have a fairly thick batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and jiggle the pan from side to side a few times to even the batter, then scatter the poached figs over the top.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before running a blunt knife around the edges and releasing the sides of the pan. Cool the cake to slightly warm or to room temperature before serving it with the sauce.

makes 8 to 10 servings

serving: Offer wedges of the cake topped with the port sauce (which can be warmed, if you'd like). Whipped cream or ice cream alongside would be even lovelier.

storing: Wrapped well, the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 days.

Another Reason to Love Mark Bittman

As if one were needed...

Mark Bittman discusses what's wrong with the way we eat, in the same vein as Michael Pollan.

by way of
The Jew & the Carrot which is a great food blog, whether you are Jewish or not.

Simple Pleasure

Is there anything better than mushing a big clump of playdough? OK, there are some things that are better, like weekends in Paris and world peace, but as simple pleasures go, it's pretty darn good. I find it therapeutic, actually.

Here's a playdough recipe, courtesy of India's teachers, Sally and Linda. This playdough is nice because you know exactly what is in it, and you can use natural food colorings, too.

Playdough

2 c. flour
1 c. salt
2 c. water
2 tbs. oil
2 tsp. cream of tartar
Food coloring of your choice

Cook for 3 minutes, to the consistency of mashed potatoes. Turn out on waxed paper to cool. Knead a bit. Store in an airtight container.

Willa had Linda as a teacher too, but she thought her name was Glinda. Beatrix, long ago, thought the name of a mother of a classmate--Heather--was Feather. India spent an hour yesterday picking Pandelions. I know I should correct them, but I like their versions so much better.

How Do I Love Mark Bittman? Let Me Count the Ways.

This is a well-used, well-loved copy of Mark Bittman's book How to Cook Everything. We turn to it often and have cooked everything from bagels (which were stunningly good) to fish (he gives recipes for all kinds) to Raspberry Gratin (hello, Summer!). At this moment, Solveig is baking the Sweet and Rich Muffins from page 250. I add a little vanilla, use white whole wheat flour and substitute soy milk for the milk, but other than that I just make the plain muffins. They look a little bit boring.

The kids love them so much that it's a little surprising. There are no fancy frostings or sprinkles or chocolate chips (although I might have to try that...) and the kids eat them up and their friends demand that they share at lunch time. Hmm.

Mark Bittman has a new book out, called How To Cook Everything Vegetarian, and it is, of course, also fantastic. It makes me love him just a teeny bit more.

We Still Ate It

I have not mastered quick breads in the bread machine, and I submit these photos as evidence.

People's Exhibit #1

Sad-looking unrisen loaf...

People's Exhibit #2

Suspicious white powder around edges...

From now on, or until someone can explain to me what I'm doing wrong, all baking from recipes not designed specifically for the Zojirushi bread machine will be conducted in the oven, our beloved Solveig.

Someday, when I have the strength, I will share the story of how Solveig came to live with us, but for now I bid you adieu.

Nigella's Banana Bread

My affection for Nigella Lawson knows very few bounds. I love everything that I know about her--her hair, her twin-sets, her accent, her not-scrawniness, even her children's names (Cosima and Bruno!) I also love her banana bread recipe from How To Be A Domestic Goddess. We always seem to have brown bananas about our kitchen, and this recipe is my favorite by far. It makes a moist, dense banana bread, which is exactly how I like it. I don't put in the raisins or walnuts, because my children are very picky, but I'm sure they're delicious. Sometimes when I'm feeling decadent, I put some chocolate chips in. I'm feeling experimental today, so I'm trying to make it in the bread machine. We'll see how that goes...

Ingredients:

three-quarters cup golden raisins

6 tablespoons or 3 ounces bourbon or dark rum

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

half teaspoon baking soda

half teaspoon salt

half cup unsalted butter, melted

three-quarters cup superfine sugar

2 large eggs

4 small, very ripe bananas, mashed

three-quarters cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

9 x 5 inch loaf tin, buttered and floured or with a paper insert

Procedure:

Put the golden raisins and rum or bourbon in a smallish saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for an hour if you can, or until the raisins have absorbed most of the liquid, then drain.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl and mix well. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar and beat until blended.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the mashed bananas. Then stir in the walnuts, drained raisins and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture, a third at a time, stirring well after each addition.

Scrape into the loaf pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 to 1 and a quarter hours. When it's ready, an inserted toothpick or fine skewer should come out mostly clean. Leave in the pan on a rack to cool, and slice and eat as you wish.

Makes 8-10 slices

Yum.

Weight Watchers recipe cards from 1974

It is a grey Sunday morning and the children don't seem to understand the sleeping-in-on-the-weekends thing.

Here is a website from Candyboots that makes me laugh.

SouleMama!

I am almost giddy with excitement at the arrival of The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule!

I hope I find a quiet moment or two to read it today. And I don't have to count it as shopping today, because, technically, I ordered it months ago!

Visit the SouleMama at SouleMama.

My New Best Friend

I have long wanted to be a great bread baker. I've dreamt of the great serenity and solace that kneading would give me. I've longed for the smell of warm yeast in my sun-dappled kitchen, the sight of golden, perfectly-risen loaves through my oven window, and, most of all, the taste of healthy, hearty, homemade bread.

Every time I've tried, I've ended up with a pale rock that is entirely raw inside. One day, I will knead and bake fantastic breads from scratch, but until then...