What's For Lunch Honey? | Experience Your Senses: Farmers Market Picks

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Friday, July 11, 2008

Flavors: Ginger Mango Bread

A short post today. I was planning on something more elaborate for this post but, I am busy. See I am in the midst of packing!

Tomorrow morning we'll be heading towards Austria for a long awaited family vacation. It's been long since we all had some time together, without work, school and family issues everyday. A much needed R&R!

Before I go I did want to leave you something to nibble on though. It would be bad if you came here in my absence and found nothing to indulge in. What can I say? I'm crazy about you all. ;-)

How does this wonderful moist loaf look to you? It's filled with juicy and sweet mango chunks, plump yellow Iranian raisins I brought back from Dubai, spiced with ginger and cinnamon.

When my son says "Mum, we have not baked together for ages!" I know this is his way of saying he needs some one on one time with me. So we put on our aprons and look for the perfect recipe. This time we found the ideal cake in the ever resourceful cookbook from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home To Yours. The book is our bible and this time Soeren actually walked into the room with the book tucked under his arms. "Mum we need to bake a cake together!" he said. Yes we do!

A luscious mango ginger bread for the Monthly Mingle this month. We're celebrating Mango Mania. Hope you will be joining us too. To everyone who have sent in their entries - I have been slacking behind with my replies. Please do forgive me. But when I return I will catch up on that and then post the roundup.

You can easily keep track of the Monthly Mingle by visiting the MM Calendar. Next stop is Sig from Live to Eat. Watch out for the announcement on the weekend of 19/20 July.

In the meantime have a great week. Check back next week as I've scheduled a serious post regarding the Times of India!

Ingredients
(adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home To Yours)
Printable version of recipe here.

250g all purpose flour
190g fine sugar
3 eggs
180ml canola oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
100g brown sugar
1 large ripe mango, cubed
115g plump golden raisins

Optional
Icing/confectioner's sugar

Method

Preparation
Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 180 degrees C. Butter and flour a loaf pan (21.6 cm x 11.4 cm), tapping out the excess flour. Place the pan on an insulated baking sheet. You can alternatively us two normal baking sheets or simply wrap the loaf pan with thick aluminum foil. This keeps the bottom of the bread from overbaking.

In a clean mixing bowl whisk the eggs and oil together.

In separate, larger bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Add the brown sugar, breaking up any lumps with your fingers.

Pour in the wet ingredients over the dry, then using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon mix until incorporated. The batter is very thick so do not be alarmed. The texture is more like a dough rather than a batter, which might take some time to mix. Keep at it and it will all come together.

Stir in the mangoes and raisins. Finally scrape out the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake the bread for 1 1/2 hours or until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If you find the bread is getting too dark, simply cover the top with a sheet of baking paper or loosely with a foil tent.

Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the bread to cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan and unmold. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.

Sieve some of the icing sugar on top and serve!

This bread tastes even better the next day. A night to allow the flavors of the fruit and spices to infuse gives the bread more aroma and body.

Storing: Wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in a air-tight container the bread will keep for 4-5 days at room temperature (and taste better each day!).

Verdict

Nothing could be better than fruity and sweet mangoes paired with aromatic spices and then mixed in a heavenly batter and baked. Wow! This was too good - so good that it simply was all gone far too fast. This has become a regular loaf in my baking repertoire. I've experimented with substituting cardamom for the cinnamon or even apricots for the mangoes. All work great - however I am partial to mangoes ;-)

A little bring along for Sia who is hosting this month's Weekend Breakfast Blogging, brainchild of the lovely Nandita of Saffron Trail. Sia's theme is summer perfect as she calls us to celebrate a Summer Feast. Feast on this!

You might enjoy these summer feasts too:

	Coco Mango Soup
	Peas and Lettuce Salad
	Figs in Cherry Caramel
	Grilled Peach with Eucalyptus Honey Yogurt and Roasted Almonds

Summer food from around the blogs:

Alpineberry's fruity Summer Fruit Torte
Coffee & Vanilla's hot Summer Fruit Muffins
Passionate about Baking's sensational Peach Mango ice Cream
Kalyn's Kitchen's spectacular Mango Salsa

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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Sensational: Strawberry Panna Cotta with Balsamic Red Wine Syrup

I always get assigned the dessert! And if I am really honest with myself, in the kitchen I prefer cooking rather than dessert making or baking!

But I always get assigned the dessert.

Once or twice a month my girlfriends and I get together for a girlie evening. If we all got together at once we'd be about 8 or 10! A lot of women - but all 10 of us in one place rarely ever happens as the one or other can't make it for several reasons (kids, husband, work etc.). So, often we get together in groups of fours to sixes. We really have fun together and do a variety of things. The movies then cocktails, or dinner at a restaurant then cocktails, or just cocktails. Sometimes one of the girlfriends will invite us over to her place and we cook and then have cocktails - you get the picture!

There's always a lot of giggling, gossiping and bitching. Oh I just love these evenings. I always come back with my spirits high and in a giddy mood (yes those cocktails!) On the occasions when we are invited over to dinner, we all pitch in. A potluck. The hostess makes the main course and the rest of us get assigned different things. One will bring a salad, the other the munchies, the other wine alcohol for the cocktails - I always get assigned the dessert.

Baking/desserts requires high concentration - exact measurements and perfect temperatures. I do enjoy creating such creations, but cooking is more my forte. I like being able to simply play around with ingredients - free-style. Precise measurements are not required and improvising is desired. I love that.

Having said that - it's the dessert and the baking that gives me a buzz. There is a great feeling of satisfaction when I have completed an intricate dessert or a tricky cake, incomparable to anything else. I've also noticed that it's the dessert or the cake that almost always steals the show!

Honestly? I love the attention.

On the weekend, one of my best girlfriends, AK, was having a belated birthday party and requested me to make dessert. She had suggested something chocolatey. "No problem there!" I thought.

But then Soeren and I went to our local strawberry fields and plucked 3 kilos of these luscious strawberries ...

With these gorgeous, ripe, juicy fruit in my fridge I had to make them the star of my dessert. One of my favorite German cooking magazines is featuring strawberries this month so I had plenty of exciting recipes to choose from.

I went for the panna cotta. Not because of the panna cotta itself, I've made that a few times. What intrigued me in the recipe was the balsamic red wine syrup. The recipe is a breeze to make and produces an exceptional dessert. It's a perfect bring-a-long to any potluck party - a real show stealer.

Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.

Serves 4

For the panna cotta

200g ripe strawberries, cut into quarters
250g heavy cream
50g icing sugar
3 sheets gelatin

For the balsamic red wine syrup

100 ml balsamic vinegar
100 ml red wine
50g sugar

Optional

Hazelnut brittle and pistachios, chopped

Method

For the panna cotta

In a saucepan mix together the strawberries, sugar and cream and on medium heat simmer for approx. 10 minutes.

Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes.

Using a puréeing machine, purée the strawberry-cream mixture until smooth. If desired, strain the mixture through a sieve. Add the gelatine and stir until dissolved.

Pour into 4 cups or forms and refrigerate overnight.

For the balsamic red wine syrup

Mix together all the ingredients for the syrup in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the mixture has reduced to a third, into a thick creamy syrup. Set aside to cool.

Serve the panna cotta drizzled with the syrup and a sprinkling of the nuts, if using.

Enjoy!

Verdict

Even a chocoholic like me succumbs to a fruity dessert like this. This panna cotta encases all the ripeness and aromas of a fresh strawberry. It smells fantastic and tastes incredible. The combination with the balsamic red wine syrup is unbeatable. An explosion of flavors. My girlfriends enjoyed the dessert to the very last spoon, which was savored with such delicacy. AK could not stop hugging me for making such a special dessert just for her. Yes, AK you mean the world to me - for you nothing but the best.

You might enjoy the creamy desserts on WFLH too:

	Saffron and Cardamom Panna Cotta
	Panna Cotta with Blackberries
	Persimmon Honey Nut Yogurt Verrines

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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Cooking School: Rhubarb Compote with Vanilla Sauce

Rhubarb is in full season right now and I have been enjoying several sweet (some not so sweet) experiments with this wonderful ingredient in my kitchen.

I was not always a rhubarb fan though. I remember getting served some kind of funny looking, greenish, slop that tasted so chemical I was under the impression rhubarb only came in cans!

It was much later that I learned to appreciate the spectacular versatility of rhubarb. I am inquisitive by nature and I am always keen to experiment with fruit and vegetables that I once upon a time did not like. I bring it home to my kitchen and work on recipes – often for several weeks in a row. My two men are great and patient, hardly ever complaining that they’ve been eating one type of ingredient for weeks. Probably because the dishes are prepared so differently they hardly realize! LOL!

This season I have been indulging in 2 particular types of ingredients. Rhubarb is one of them. The farmers at my Farmer’s Market have provided me with several varieties of rhubarb and are educating me about the vegetable.

Rhubarb

Did you know that Rhubarb is in actual fact a vegetable? I will be honest – I did not and thanks to the lovely lady at my favorite organic stall at the Farmer’s Market, I was informed of its origins.

Rhubarb is a vegetable with an incomparable taste, which makes it a favorite in many pies and desserts. It originated in Asia over 2,000 years ago and was initially cultivated for its medicinal qualities. It was not until the 18th century that rhubarb was actually grown for culinary purposes in Britain and America.

Often rhubarb is commonly mistaken to be a fruit but rhubarb is actually a close relative of garden sorrel, and is therefore a member of the vegetable family.

Rhubarb's crisp sour stalks are rich in vitamin C, dietary fibre and calcium. The leaves of rhubarb should never be eaten as they contain toxic levels of oxalic acid.

Rhubarb is in season from April through to September. It can be grown forced which accounts for its availability early in the year when other crops are scarce. Forced rhubarb, which is grown in the dark, has yellowish leaves and usually appears in January. The field-grown variety replaces it around April and is less tender but often more flavorful.

Nowadays Rhubarb is grown in many areas. Greenhouse production allows it to be available throughout much of the year. Rhubarb is ready to be consumed as soon as it is harvested, and freshly cut stalks will be firm and glossy.

The color of the Rhubarb stalks varies from the commonly associated deep red, through speckled pink, to simply green. The color, which results from the presence of anthocyanins, varies according to both rhubarb variety and production technique. The color is not related to its suitability for cooking. The green-stalked rhubarb is more robust and has a higher yield, and the red-colored stalks are more popular with consumers.

The stalks, which are petioles, may be prepared in a variety of ways. Stewing them will produce a tart sauce that can be eaten with sugar and other stewed fruit or used as filling for pies, tarts, and crumbles. This was the popular way rhubarb was enjoyed, which led to the common term for rhubarb, "pie plant". Rhubarb makes excellent jam and can be easily paired with other fruit like strawberries or apples. It can also be used to make wine and as an ingredient in baked goods.

Selecting & Storing

When buying rhubarb look for fresh crisp, firm, plump stalks with good color. Peel off any stringy covering before use. Stand the stalks in cold water for an hour or so to refresh them before cooking.

Kept in the fridge, fresh rhubarb will stay in reasonable condition for 1-2 weeks. However to enjoy its full flavor eat within three days of purchase. Raw and cooked rhubarb freeze well.

Preparing rhubarb is easy but not everyone knows what to do with it, if they have never worked with the ingredient before. So here are my tips to help you enjoy this vegetable with an identity crisis. Wash and trim both ends of the stalks. Discard the poisonous green leaves. If the rhubarb is a bit stringy, using a sharp knife, peel off the stringy covering. Rhubarb is very tart and requires considerable sweetening.

Rhubarb is incredibly versatile and has many culinary uses. Try it in cakes and desserts, pastries, jams, pickles, conserves, sauces and, of course, wine.

This is currently my favorite way to enjoy rhubarb in its simplest form. Compote is perfect because you can make large batches and use them in several ways. My rhubarb compote was used as a pastry filler, as a sauce for pancakes, in muffins and of course pure with rich vanilla sauce drizzled over the top.

Hope you enjoy your rhubarb season too!

Updated: You'll find all the different types of rhubarb varieties here.

Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.

For the Rhubarb Compote

750g rhubarb, cleaned, scraped and cut into larger sized pieces
50-70g + 2 tablespoons sugar
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
30g cornflour

For the Vanilla Sauce

3 egg yolks
20g sugar
15-20g vanilla sugar
20-30g cornflour (cornstarch)
3/8 liter milk
1 vanilla pod

Method

For the Rhubarb Compote

Place the rhubarb with about 2 tablespoons of sugar in a saucepan. Set aside for approx. 15 minutes until the juices are drawn out. Pour in about 100 ml water and the lemon juice into the sauce pan and bring to a boil. Covered, simmer for 4-5 minutes. In a small cup or bowl mix the cornflour with 6 tablespoons of water to a smooth mixture. Pour into the rhubarb mixture and simmer for a further 3 minutes.

Sprinkle in the 50-70g of sugar. Give it a taste if the compote is still too tart then add another few teaspoons. Set aside to cool completely.

For the Vanilla Sauce

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the cornstarch, sugar and vanilla sugar to a smooth paste. Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture. Whisk in the milk.

Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and pod into the egg-milk mixture.

Heat mixture in a pan over a medium heat until the sauce thickens. Do not allow to boil. Remove the vanilla pod and serve either still warm or chilled.

Verdict

Fruit served in this way is a treat. Soeren always enjoys a good compote with vanilla sauce. They are also simply perfect for the school lunchboxes or a little treat for us mums in between. Tom loves this compote with vanilla ice cream and often serves himself a little portion a little later in the evenings. On the weekends we enjoy the compote with pancakes or waffles. So you see it really is worthwhile making large batches - because even those do not last too long!

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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Healthy: Baked Beetroot with Apple-Horseradish Dip

Today was a crazy day. Besides the fact that it feels like a hurricane is blowing over Weimar, I had a lot of errands to run. On one of my errands I needed to pick up a few documents. As I know what German bureaucracy is like, I had called the person who was to issue me my documents prior to going to the office. I was told it would be no problem at all as there was a very competent lady at the reception who would help me. OK!

NOT! This competent help happened to be the cliché of clichés. Barbie would have been envious of her platinum hair, her lipstick was certainly bought back in the 80s when neon pick was totally hot, and her nails were perfectly manicured with square gel tips colored in purple and a glitter stone in each nail. Just looking at her I knew I was going to hit against a wall. The only thing that was missing was the gum! Thank god for that!

Well as I approached she looked at me from head to toe. I had a meeting to attend and was dressed in a elegant skirt and top with a nice tweed coat. Next to her I looked drab! LOL! There could not have been two contrasts staring at each other. Well I told her my name and that I just needed to pick up a few documents. Then she moved - ever - so - slowl -y! Was she scared that any fast movement would blow her hair out of proportion? She turned - to - the - comp-puter and began to type - with the famous two finger technique. Her nails however, did not like this treatment and one kind of chipped off.

Horror of horrors! She decided to pay attention to her nails. I looked at her unbelievably and she shrugged! So what was I going to be bumped off for a gel fake nail on a fake blond? No! I politely brought her attention to me again and once - ag-ain- she - moved to-wards - the - computer, typed my name and looked at me again. Then she shook her head and told me to take a seat.

What does that mean? I just need to pick up two pieces of A4 papers - you do know what A4 is right?

What was my name again?

Are you for real?

Well I was glad I had the telephone number of the person I talked to before I came and called him from my mobile. Miss Fake Nails looked kind of alarmed and began scuttling around, trying to look busy. Finally, the person who came down found my papers, lying under her InStyle, she gave me a dirty look and I smiled, picked up the chipped nail from off the floor and gave it to her, walking out of the office.

That was 45 minutes down the drain - 45 minutes for a 15 minute job. Still - it was a priceless experience. Before I get attacking mails from all the Barbie look-a-likes, please allow me to say this: I do not care how one dresses or looks like. It does not bother me if someone's sense of style is très chic or très drab. What does bother me is when that someone takes my time for granted and what peeves me off is when someone cannot even see past their fingernails to do a simple job like hand me a few papers.

There! Phew! That was good - I needed to vent.

Now where I do not mind spending time is in the kitchen. We all know that by now, right? I find that in comparison to the lovely lady from above, the beetroot is the exact opposite. On the outside it looks rough and rather knobbly, but inside holds a wonderful crimson shade - an inner beauty. It's a modest looking veggie with no airs about it. Not an easy vegetable to fall in love with but you are either a beetroot fan or not.

Beetroot

I often think beetroot is under-rated. There is so much more to beetroot than the sliced, pickled variety you can get in supermarkets. If you give the fresh variety a try I am sure you will be converted!

The flavor is delicate and they're easy to cook and grow. For most of us in the western part of the world, beetroot went out of fashion a long time ago. It is a messy vegetable to deal with. The juices can stain clothes and hands, it often arrives covered in soil, needs a lot of cleaning and of course people don't know how long it needs to cook. On the other hand its health benefits are legendary.

Health Benefits

Beetroot is in season from around May to October, although many think of it as a winter vegetable, because it's a root crop. Both the root and the leaves can be eaten, however, only a few of us have probably tried the leaves. The beetroot belongs to the same family as spinach and chard, the difference being that with beetroot both the leaves and root can be eaten.

You can eat the root raw or cooked. Baby beetroot are delicious grated raw, in salads. Raw beetroot contains a large amount of vitamin C. However, this reduces with cooking.

Beet greens, which can be used in salads and stir frys, are higher in nutritional value than the roots as they are a richer source of calcium, iron and vitamins A & C. The roots are a very good source of folic acid, fibre, manganese and potassium, whereas both the greens and roots are rich in magnesium, phosphorous, iron and vitamin B6.

The pigments on the beetroot come from compounds known as betalains, which are thought to have powerful and diverse antioxidant effects, including preventing the oxidisation of LDL cholesterol.

Beetroot also has stimulating effects on the liver's detoxification processes. The betacyanin content gives beetroot its rich purple - crimson color and is a potent cancer - fighting agent. Beetroot's fibre promotes both healthy cholesterol levels and bowel function.

Selecting & Storing

Look for fresh beetroot that is unblemished, with firm roots. Damaged beetroot are still edible, but won't store well. As beetroot ages, the roots start to shrivel and eventually go moldy. Small to medium-sized roots have the sweetest flavor, whereas the larger roots may have a woody center.

You can store beetroot in the fridge or on a cool, dark shelf. It will normally keep for a few weeks when it's young and fresh. It depends how long it has already been stored before you get it.

Preparing

Usually when you buy fresh beetroot it will still have the leaves and stalks attached. To cook the beetroot simply cut off the stalks but make sure you leave some of the stalk in tact. By doing this it will help to stop the beetroot from losing it's color when you cook it and helps to hold in the nutrients.

Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.

1 kg small beetroot, washed and quartered
1 tablespoon butter - melted
Coarse sea salt
1 bunch chives, chopped
200g apples, grated
2 teaspoons horseradish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
400g quark - use sour cream as a substitute
100g cream
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C. Pour the lemon juice over the grated apple juice to keep from turning brown.

Mix the butter and salt together and brush the beetroot quarters with it. Place the beetroot on a baking tray and bake for approx. 1 hour or until they are soft.

In the meantime, prepare the dip by mixing together quark, cream, horseradish and honey in a small bowl. Add the grated apple and chives, salt and pepper to taste. Cool.

Once the beetroot is ready gently peel off the skin and serve, sprinkled with sea salt and the apple-horseradish dip.

Helpful tips:

Use thin rubber gloves when working with the beetroot as these will protect your hands from taking on a funny color.
If you are not a beetroot fan substitute with rutabaga. The rutabaga however will take about 30 minutes in the oven.
Serve the beetroot sliced and allow to bake more crispy. This makes great chips-like snacks.

Verdict

This is a fantastic snack kind of dish. I love serving this for my brunch parties as it's a wonderful variation to potatoes. I love the sweet flavors of the beetroot combined with the slightly sharp aroma of the dip. The first time I served this a few of my guests did not even suspect it was beetroot. When they asked me what they were eating - they really looked surprised at the fact that a vegetable they had disliked all their lives tasted so good.

That is the thing with beetroot many of us have some terrible memories of slimy, overcooked beetroot dish they ate when they were younger. I am enjoying experimenting and trying out new recipes with it. Even Tom is always a little skeptical when I serve beetroot, however I love the fact he is open about food. As is Soeren, who absolutely loves this. This is his "movie-time" snack, which he gobbles up within minutes.

You might enjoy these brunch & snack ideas too:

	Nutty Amaranth Granola with Fresh Berries
	Baked Potato with Ricotta and Chanterelle Mushrooms
	Pesto Spirals
	Berries and Yogurt

My brunch idea goes to the lovely Mansi of Food and Fun for her addition of Weekend Breakfast Blogging. This month's theme is Balanced Breakfast.

Technorati Tags: beetroot,vegetables,vegetarian,food,recipe,quark,breakfast,brunch,snack,WBB,healthy,photography,Nikon D70s

Monday, March 03, 2008

Flavors: Orange Cake

Stepping out of the elevator I could already smell the enticing fragrance of freshly baked cake. It always made me smile. The few seconds it took to walk down the corridor to our apartment door, I would try to guess what aromas were lingering in the air. After I rang the doorbell, I would close my eyes and take a deep breath, savoring the scent.

My mother would open the door with a huge smile on her face and her eyes twinkling. She knew what I was doing and what I wanted.

"Wait!" she would say holding me back for a few minutes longer. It was torture, but she was always in a playful mood when she baked. "Guess!" I would close my eyes again, trying to penetrate the fragrance in the air. It was a game we would often play, who would have known back then that these games would play an important role in my foodie life later.

My mother did not get to bake that often. Unfortunately - because she was a great baker. Her cakes were always put together to highlight a certain ingredient, flavor or fragrance. She was not a fan of over-killing a baked good by the excessive use of ingredients. Instead she would use each ingredient carefully and make sure they complemented the main flavor of the cake.

As my father worked in luxury hotels, we were never short of extravagant and pompous cakes and pastries at home. An Austrian Sacher torte, French eclairs or an Italian Millefoglie - we would have it all. You're probably thinking "WOW!"

Yes, it was nice and we indulged in these scrumptious pastries often. But what we loved the most were my mothers homemade simple baked cakes. That was our real treat. We would really savor each bite and enjoy her guessing games in the process.

Carrot cake, orange cake, ginger cake, banana torte, lemon-coconut cake - these were all her specialities, and as you can see, it was the ingredients in the name of her cakes that played the key role.

I loved the orange cake the best. It was a simple blend of flavors, using the zesty orange peels and orange juice to give a pure accent to the cake. When she made it the entire floor, we lived on, was filled with a sweet, tangy, citrussy aroma.

Oranges

Orange (01) framed by MeetaK

Oranges are one of the most popular fruits in the world. It's no surprise either! They are juicy, sweet and well-known for their concentration of vitamin C. Oranges make the perfect snack and add a special tang to many recipes. What's more you can use almost every part of the orange in your cooking.

Oranges come in two general categories: sweet and bitter. The former being the type most commonly consumed. Popular varieties of the sweet orange include Valencia, Navel and Jaffa oranges, as well as the blood orange. The blood orange is a hybrid species that is smaller in size, more aromatic in flavor and has red hues running throughout its flesh. Bitter oranges are often used to make jam or marmalade and their zest serves as the flavoring for liqueurs such as Grand Marnier and Cointreau.

Health Benefits

Oranges are ranked No. 1 on nutrition among five popular fruits (apples, bananas, grapes and pears) and are among the healthiest items in the produce section that provide valuable health benefits. They are one of Mother Nature's best super foods, packed with an unbelievable array of disease-fighting nutrients, all tucked neatly beneath the peel.

Oranges supply 80 fat-free calories packed with energizing carbohydrates that fuel energy levels. We all know that oranges are a powerhouse when it comes to Vitamin C. One orange supplies a healthy dose of Vitamin C, which plays an important role in cancer prevention, healthy blood circulation and wound healing. They are also a good source of the crucial B-vitamin folate, which is essential in preventing birth defects and fighting heart disease. Oranges also contain an array of phytochemicals, which help fight age-related diseases.

Oranges provide antioxidants, which help protect the skin from free-radical damage known to cause signs of aging. Oranges are loaded with disease "phyt-ing" phytochemicals. These substances, such as flavonoids, which are found in oranges, act as antioxidants and may protect against heart disease. According to a Finnish study, women with the greatest intake of flavonoids had half the risk of dying from heart disease compared to women in the study with the lowest intake.

Selecting & Storing

It is not necessary for oranges to have a bright orange color to be good. As a matter of fact, the color of non-organic oranges may be due to injection of Citrus Red Number 2 into their skins.

Organic or not, oranges that are partially green or have brown spots may be just as ripe and tasty as those that are solid orange in color. Oranges with soft spots or traces of mold should be avoided. As oranges are among the top 20 foods in which pesticide residues are most frequently found, buy organic oranges whenever possible.

When choosing oranges go for fruit that have smoothly textured skin and are firm and heavy for their size. These will have a higher juice content than those that are either spongy or lighter in weight. In general, oranges that are smaller will be juicier than those that are larger in size, as will those that have thinner skins.

Oranges can be stored either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. They will generally last the same amount of time, two weeks with either method, and will retain nearly the same level of their vitamin content. The best way to store oranges is loose rather than wrapped in a plastic bag as they can easily develop mold when exposed to moisture.

Orange juice and zest can also be stored for later use. Place freshly squeezed orange juice in ice cube trays until frozen, and then store them in plastic bags in the freezer. Dried orange zest should be stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight glass container.

Now that I have a child of my own, I find myself making the same cakes my mother would make for me for the exact same reasons. I want to tickle Soeren's tastebuds and have his senses concentrate on individual flavors and aromas. We too play guessing games, which I hope will help him in his grown up life too. Maybe I am one of the few mothers who feels proud when my son says "I want to be a good cook when I grow up!"

Reminders!

Monthly Mingle - One-Dish Dinners
Come on over with your casseroles, crockpots or baked dishes. I am looking for innovative and creative one-dish meals. Looking forward to having you all over.

Deadline: March 10th, 2008

Eat Fresh
Share your fresh produce with us. Show us your weekly bounty from the Farmer's Market, grocery stores or CSA box.

Deadline: March 31st, 2008

Ingredients
Printable version of recipe here.

250g all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
40g vanilla pudding powder
340g sugar
3 eggs
80g oft butter - cut in pieces
2 teaspoons orange zest - preferably organic orange
250ml orange juice

For the Orange Buttercream

90g confectioner's sugar - sifted
125g soft butter
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoons orange zest - preferably organic orange

Method

Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees C. Prepare a round cake form (23 cm diameter) by buttering the base and the sides. Line with baking paper.

Sift flour, baking powder and the pudding powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, sugar, butter, orange zest and juice to the dry ingredients and with a hand mixer whisk into a smooth thick mixture.

Pour the cake mixture into the cake form, even out with a rubber spatula and bake approx. 50 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick or knife is inserted in the middle of the cake and it comes out clean.

Take out of the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the form. This might be a difficult task and you will be dying to taste, but if you unmold it too soon the cake will break. Run a knife along the sides of the cake and tip out onto a cooling rack. Peel off the baking paper. Allow to cool completely before frosting the cake.

For the Orange Buttercream

In a small bowl mix all the ingredients together until thick and creamy. Spread the buttercream evenly over the top and sides of the cakes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Tip: You can substitute the butter with 125g of cream cheese. This adds a wonderful delicate touch to the frosting.

Verdict

This is Soeren's favorite cake too! So much so he wanted it for his 5th birthday last year (August). It surprised many mothers that there was NOT a chocolate cake in sight. Don't kids always want a chocolate cake for their birthdays? Not Soeren he prefers the wonderful, zesty flavors of a simple orange cake. It is a pleasure to bite into the cake. Delicate and moist where the orange is highlighted in style.

I am rather chuffed that I have been nominated for the Inspiring Food Photography this month by Margot of Coffee & Vanilla. If you have a minute you can head on over to Margot's blog and vote for me. Voting lasts all this month. I'd love to have that scrumptious looking badge to display on my blog LOL!

If you are looking for more cake decorating ideas, my hunk of a colleague over at the Daily Tiffin, Dharm, has written a fantastic article about cake decorating you might find helpful.

Other aromatic cakes you might enjoy:

	Cranberry Upside-Downer
	Persimmon Spice Cake
	Sour Cream Cherry Cake
	White Chocolate and Raspberry Brownies

This month the lovely Marta of An Italian in the US has chosen the orange as her Fresh Produce of the Month. It's a great event featuring a seasonal fruit or vegetable and I always enjoy taking part. This is my entry for her great event. Gracie Marta!

Technorati Tags: orange,cake,fruit,organic,recipe,food,photography,Nikon D70s

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Colorful: Tropical Fruit Salad with a Hint of Mint

What I love about fresh fruit and vegetables is the lush palette of rich colors they come in. It's like a gorgeous kaleidoscope, each twist creating a gleaming new pattern and each pattern illuminates the gloomy in a whole new and exciting way.

I have always been a sucker for colors and in my younger years could spend hours twisting, turning and shifting a kaleidoscope, finding perfect satisfaction in the multitude of patterns. Today, although I could still sit for hours twisting Soeren's kalei

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Wednesday, February 20, 2008