Friendship Food - Rhubarb Coffee Cake

I am still stuck on rhubarb, even after my crisps are consumed, the stewed fruit is frozen and the muffins are made. I whipped up this treat for a BBQ for friends and it was devoured in minutes, reminding me that it is always a good time for a moist, fragrant and tangy coffee cake. Many coffee cakes feature little more than a cinnamon scent and some nuts, but this baby has the most intriguing fruity flavour delivered in each tender morsel of diced rhubarb. I chopped up the rhubarb into very small cubes so that the cake dough would not become too gummy, yielding a pretty speckled sweet with loads of flavour and no sinuous fibres to wedge their way between your teeth. I included some ground cardamom in the spice base which married beautifully with the acidic tartness of the rhubarb. With the requisite brown sugar, sour cream and walnuts, this coffee cake speaks of both tradition and something quite fresh and new as well, satisfying supporters of all coffee cake camps.

The original recipe, from Wanda Beaver's Wanda's Pie in the Sky , is written for a 9-inch springform pan. I was after something loftier and more substantial, so I multiplied the recipe by 1.5 and baked it in a large bundt pan. I also decided to maximize the impact of the brown sugar/walnut/cinnamon topping by including a swirl of it inside the cake, sprinkled over half the batter in the pan with the remainder strewn over the top. Made for a blissful surprise and a pretty vein of flavour running throughout the cake. I will give you the recipe as written and let you decide which approach you prefer. If you wish to include a ribbon of topping inside the cake as I did, increase the amount by 1.5 so you have enough for both applications.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Cake: 1/2 cup softened sweet butter; 1+1/4 cups granulated sugar; 2 eggs; 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 2+1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1/4 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom; 1 cup sour cream; 5+1/2 cups finely diced rhubarb.

Topping: 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup broken walnuts; 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon.

Glaze: 1/4 cup butter; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup whipping cream; 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour and 9-inch springform baking pan. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the sour cream. Scrape the bowl as needed. Fold in the rhubarb and spread batter into prepared pan.

For topping, combine sugar, walnuts and cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter in the pan. Bake 50 - 60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

For the glaze, combine butter, sugar, cream and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a slow simmer and cook just until sugar dissolves. Pour over warm cake. Cool cake completely before removing from pan.

This is a cake which will warm the hearts of your family and friends, though your glory will be short-lived, ending up in a pile of crumbs. When you have just about had enough of rhubarb in all of its incarnations, try this moist, fresh coffee cake for a seasonal treat you and yours will love.  I have a notion of baking this up in a large loaf pan, freezing it and then taking it out to thaw on a winter's morning, gently warmed. Sure to bring out some smiles.  

Make some friends with help from the library:

 Cakes and loaves : 110 recipes you can make at home by Chovancova, Ilona.

 

 The Recipe Club : a tale of food and friendship by Israel, Andrea.

A "Sexy" Salad

Peel grapefruits with a sharp knife, cutting away all white pith. Cut between membranes into individual segments, and place in a bowl along with any juices. Halve avocados, removing peel and pits. Slice into thin wedges and add to bowl with basil. Cut pomegranate crosswise. Holding a half cut-side down over bowl, hit the back side until all seeds have been released, then repeat with other half. Season with salt to taste, and toss lightly.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, mustard and pomegranate molasses, and season with salt to taste. Toss salad with dressing. Divide among individual plates, sprinkle with sumac and garnish with nasturtium flowers. Yields 4 servings.

Pink Grapefruit, Avocado and Pomegranate Salad

One important reminder: this salad is supposed to be crazily colourful (much like its creator!), so substitutions will cost you in visual impact. Stick with the colour theme here, as prescribed, for the most dramatic and potent results!

Be passionate about food (and life)! Here are some titles that will light some fires:

 The fire never dies : one man's raucous romp down the road of food, passion and adventure by Sterling, Richard.

 Cooking dirty : a story of life, sex, love and death in the kitchen by Sheehan, Jason

 The gastronomy of marriage : a memoir of food and love by Maisto, Michelle

 The long table : my love affair with food by Moody, Mary, 1950-

101 Grilling Ideas

I am keeping with a theme here, the theme of showcasing the quick and easy meal ideas of Mark Bittman, New York Times food writer. I recently featured a summary of his article 101 Simple Salads for the Season and he has come out with another must-have list, 101 Fast Recipes for Grilling.

Bittman's usefullness is marked by his simple approach to food prep, letting flavours shine with minimal fuss. His recipes are often found in a regular New York Times column titled The Minimalist, which is a fitting description of his style. Nothing fancy or complicated. Just solid, good sense and inspirational reminders of how basicly intuitive it is to feed ourselves well.

Here are some highlights from a fun-filled grab-bag of great grilling ideas:

Spice rubbed carrots: Roll peeled carrots in cumin, salt, pepper and brown sugar. Char, then move them away from direct hear and cover the grill until carrots are tender.

Grill corn. Serve with mayo and minced garlic, pimenton and parsley.

Cut a slit in some ripe figs and stuff them with herbed goat cheese. Grill slowly. Great appetizer or dessert.

Smear chicken thighs with a paste of garlic, chopped rosemary, olive oil and the juice of a lemon. Grill away from heat, covered and then crisp briefly over high heat.

Spread flank steak with garlic, parsley and lemon zest, salt and pepper. Grill.

Kebab combo: Italian sausage, peppers and onions.

Bread salad on stick: Cubes of bread, black olives and cherry tomatoes. Grill just long enough to toast the bread and drizzle with basil vinaigrette.

Cubes of mango and chunks of white fish. Brush with a mixture of soy, fish sauce, sriracha chili sauce and chopped cilantro.

Parboil fingerling potatoes. Halve and grill with red onion rings. Chop and toss and chopped celery, parsley, mustard and apple vinegar.

Grill an array of radishes on little skewers and serve with butter, salt and bread.

Combine ground beef with crumbled blue cheese and chopped toasted walnuts. Form into patties and grill. Top with sliced grilled pear.

Fill a flour tortilla with cheese. Add chicken, shrimp and tomato. Fold and grill until cheese melts.

Combine ground or chopped salmon with chopped scallions and soy sauce. Form into patties and grill, topped with mayo spiked with soy sauce and/or lime juice.

Halve and grill pears or apples. When they're done, drizzle with yogurt, honey and a pinch of ground cardamom.

I have yet another of these useful Bittman guides for you, 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less, with characteristic excellent meal ideas you can literally slap together in no time at all. Armed with this collection of long lists, you have all the tools you need for dishing out a wide assortment of memorable meals quickly and simply.

Let our collection of BBQ books assist you further:

 Latin grill : sultry and simple food for red-hot dinners and parties by Palomino, Rafael, 1963-

 Weber's On The Grill: Steak & Sides by Purviance, Jamie

 Gathering around the grill : inspirational menus and grilling ideas for family and friends by Witzel, Andrea.

No-Machine Ice Cream

Photo courtesy of David Lebovitz

I do this every summer, whip up a batch of homemade ice cream. It takes some planning. Too much planning. The cannister of my ice cream maker needs to chill for at least 24 hours in the freezer. The ingredients need to be mixed and they need to chill too. Lots of chilling going on. But I want to make ice cream NOW and eat it later. Is it possible? Can it be done?

David Lebovitz has come to the rescue. Some of you may remember that I would like to follow him around like a puppy if I could. Not because I know anything about him personally. I only know that he is devoted to ice cream and chocolate and lives in Paris. Enough said.

Well, when David Lebovitz's No-Machine Ice Cream recipe showed up in my electronic inbasket today, I paid some attention. Chocolate and banana. A bit of rum and Baileys. Freeze for a few hours in a metal container. Milk, melted chocolate. No cream. Why not, I say? And why not, right now?

Easiest Chocolate Ice Cream Ever thanks to David Lebovitz

2 ounces (55 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped; 6 tablespoons milk, whole or low-fat; 6 tablespoons Baileys liquor; 1 medium-sized ripe banana, peeled and cut into chunks; 1 tablespoon dark rum.

In a small bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in the microwave), melt the chocolate with the milk.  Blend the melted chocolate, the Baileys, the banana, and rum until smooth.  Pour into a plastic or metal container, cover, and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Done! And David Lebovitz says this ice cream is the most luscious, creamiest imaginable. This from a man who knows of which he speaks. A man who has written a highly acclaimed book about ice cream. Not just me saying it. Though I will certainly say it later!

That's all you need to know today. Short and sweet. And very cool.

These titles will help you keep your cool:

 Ciao Bella Book Of Gelato And Sorbetto: bold, fresh flavors to make at home by Pearce, F. 

The ultimate frozen dessert book : a complete guide to gelato, sherbet, granita, and semmifreddo, plus frozen cakes, pies, mousses, chiffon cakes, and more, with hundreds of ways to customize every recipe to your own taste by Weinstein, Bruce, 1960-

 Ice cream : 52 easy recipes for year-round frozen treats by Sampson, Sally, 1955-

If-You-Like-Raincoast-Crisps Crackers

Photo courtesy of www.101cookbooks.com

I am of the opinion that if you want really delicious crackers you must make them yourself. Raincoast Crisps are the exception to this rule, thin and crisp and bespeckled with such sundry morsels as cranberries, walnuts, dates, almonds and other savoury tidbits. But, being on the pricey side, I am playing around with homemade versions and am having considerable success. There are various versions floating around the Internet, Heidi Swanson's Seed and Nut Biscotti, shown above, and Rosemary, Raisin and Pecan Crisps from a blog called Christie's Corner. Both of these savoury, crunchy treats are excellent companions to the cheese board or can even be enjoyed in their naked glory. I also love them with a good tapenade.

Heidi's Nut and Seed Biscotti - makes 1+1/2 dozen

1+1/3 cups white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour; 2 cups mixed nuts and seeds (walnuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds, hazelnuts); scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt; 2 large eggs; 2/3 cup natural cane sugar, fine grain; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil.

Preheat oven to 300F degrees. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Lightly butter or oil a 1-pound loaf pan and line with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, nuts and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a separate large bowl whisk together eggs and sugar. Add the flour-nut mixture to the egg mixture and stir until combined. The dough will be quite thick. Scoop into the prepared pan and press the dough into place using damp fingertips. You want to be sure everything is nice and compact, level on top, with no air bubbles hiding in there. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes - or until the loaf tests done. If you under-cook the loaf at this stage, it makes slicing difficult. Remove loaf from the oven.

Immediately run a sharp knife around the perimeter of the loaf, remove it from pan, and set the loaf upside down on a cutting board. Let it cool completely. It is actually easiest to slice the loaf if you partially freeze it. When you are ready to bake the crackers for the second time, preheat the oven to 425 F. Using a thin serrated knife (or the thinnest, sharpest knife you have), slice the loaf into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the slices on a baking sheet and bake for 3 - 4 minutes or until the bottoms are a touch golden and toasty. Pull them out of the oven, flip each one and bake for another 4 - 5 minutes or until nice and crisp. Let cool.

Make more treats, both savoury and sweet, with help from these tomes:

 
 Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by Boyce, Kim

 Baking artisan pastries & breads : sweet and savory baking for breakfast, brunch, and beyond by Hitz, Ciril.

Roasted Lemon Peel Powder

I thought I was pretty smart when I bought my lemon zesting tool, pillaging my lemons for every strand of zingy flavour housed in the bright zest. Wherever I use lemon juice I use zest, as it exponentially intensifies lemon-ness in an almost surreal way. Microplane graters also work especially well at delivering the softest tendrils of citrus zest, a cloud of lemon essence you will want to bury your face in.

But here is an equally brilliant delivery system for essence of lemon, a technique I had not imagined but am now quite smitten with. Basically it consists of peeling off the lemon's zest with a plain old vegetable peeler, letting it dry out, giving it a light roast and grinding it into a powder. It is simply magical, a burst of sunshine you can keep locked up in your pantry and pull out on a rainy day. I was shocked by the strength of the flavour, all the essential oils concentrated and eager to be sprinkled on grilled fish, steamed asparagus, salad dressings or linguine with clam sauce, amongst many other options. Thanks to fellow food blogger Clotilde of www.chocolateandzucchini.com for this fabulous recipe.

Roasted Lemon Peel Powder from Chocolate and Zucchini

1 or several organic lemons

Using a sharp vegetable peeler, peel off the lemons' peel in thin ribbons, making sure to get only the top colored layer of peel, and none of the white pith, which is bitter. (The naked lemons can now be juiced as you normally would.)

Arrange the ribbons of peel, pith side up, on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish in a single layer. Reserve somewhere dry and at room temperature for about 2 days, until the peels are completely dry; they will gradually curl up as they do.

On an occasion when you're using your oven for another purpose, place the peels in the oven during the first 5 to 10 minutes of preheating so they will roast in the moderate heat. Keep a close eye on them so you can retrieve them when the edges are turning golden brown.

Let cool completely, then grind finely with a mortar and pestle (or in a mini food chopper).

The roasted lemon peel powder will keep for a few months in a spice jar, preferably in the fridge.

Given my proclivity to play, I have already created a blended version of this powder, adding in a mix of  cracked peppercorns and pinches of kosher salt and sugar to create a homemade lemon pepper that goes beyond the boundaries of interesting. Use the lemon peel powder on its own or include it as a flavour surprise in other spice blends you have.  Be smart - - - and put the peel of a lemon to good use.  

Add some zest to your life with these books: 
 

 Zest by Cranston, Michele.

 
 Olives & oranges : recipes and flavor secrets from Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and beyond by Jenkins, Sara.

101 Simple Salads

"Summer may not be the best time to cook, but it's certainly among the best times to eat" - Mark Bittman. With our farmers' markets bursting with fresh produce and the oppressive heat of the kitchen upon us, what better meal idea could there be than a salad? I take my inspiration from Mark Bittman's New York Times article 101 Simple Salads for the Season, loaded with excellent, easy meals you can throw together almost effortlessly. The assumption is that you will season the salads with salt and pepper to suit your taste. Here are some highlights.

Mix wedges of tomatoes and peaches, add slivers of red onion, a few red-pepper flakes and chopped cilantro. Dress with olive oil and lime juice. Astonishing.

Chop or slice jicama and mango and mix with coconut milk, lime juice, curry powder and mint.

Toss baby greens with toasted slivered almonds and roughly chopped fresh figs. Thin some almond butter with water and sherry vinegar to use as a dressing. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.

Cut a watermelon into small cubes. Combine with chopped mint, crumbled feta, sliced red onion and chopped Kalamata olives.

Thinly slice or grate carrots. Toss with toasted cumin seeds, olive oil, lemon juice and cilantro. Raisins are good here too.

Roughly chop cooked or canned drained chickpeas. Toss them with olive oil, lemon juice, lots of chopped fresh parsley and mint and a few chopped tomatoes.

 
Barley and mushroom salad - photo courtesy of the New York Times

Halve and pit cherries and cook gently with olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar until they break down. Toss with chopped radicchio, some toasted hazelnuts and more oil and vinegar if necessary.

Roast fresh corn kernals in a pan with a little olive oil. Toss with cayenne or minced chilis, lime juice and some queso fresco or feta cheese. Cherry tomatoes are great with this too.

Cut stale bread into cubes and marinate in black olive tapenade thinned with a little more olive oil. Add chopped capers and toss with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. Anchovies are optional!

Arrange sliced ripe tomatoes and sliced hard-boiled eggs on a platter. Scatter a handful of chopped pitted green olives on top. Drizzle with a dressing made of olive oil, sherry vinegar and a teaspoon of smoked paprika.

Slice roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella. Toss with cooked white beans, olive oil, red wine vinegar, a chopped shallot and fresh parsley.

Mix watercress and chopped smoked salmon, avocado, red onion and capers. Make a vinaigrette with olive oil, sherry vinegar and mustard powder.

Chop some spicy Italian salami and toss with cubed mozzarella, chopped tomato, pepperoncini, oil and wine vinegar.

Sort-of-Cobb salad: Choose any combination of hard-cooked eggs, chopped prosciutto, cooked chicken cubes, crumbled Gorgonzola, chopped tomatoes, chickpeas or white beans, sliced red onion and olives. Make vinaigrette with capers and anchovies.

Toss cooked pasta with roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts, fresh goat cheese, basil and olive oil. Corny but still good.

Toss cooked quinoa with fresh sliced apricots, cherries, pecans and enough lemon and black pepper to make the whole thing savoury.

Implicit in these suggestions is a profound respect for you, the confidence in you to create what you like to eat the way you like to eat it. We know you know how to cook pasta, roast peppers, prepare a simple vinaigrette. So, take away these inspirational concepts and play with them as you please. May the days ahead be salad days.

Find hundreds more salad ideas at Calgary Public Library:

 
Mixt salads : a chef's bold creations by Swallow, Andrew.

 New flavors for salads : [classic recipes redefined] by Cheney, Dina.

Now For Something Completely Different - Persian Date Cake

Ready for something really unusual? Consider this cake that is not baked but has its cohesive elements cooked on the stove and then applied in the pan. Contemplate the seductive perfume of cardamom and cinnamon conjoined with walnuts and pistachios. Imagine stuffed whole Mejdool dates all lined up and slathered with a toasted butter/flour binder, sprinkled with sweet spices and sugar. This culinary fantasy exists in the ethereal form of a Persian Date Cake, also called Ranginak. It is the stuff of which dreams are born, exotic, intriguing and completely intoxicating, a cake that will linger long in your memory. 

Photo courtesy of www.eatingoutloud.com

I first spotted this delight as a photo, shown above, posted on the blog EatingOutLoud. The showy green of the pistachios caught my eye as well as the dense, thick slab of dates and nuts beneath. Reading through the recipe and hearing about the technique required to create it, I had my doubts but was reassured by the blogger who admitted to his own skepticism. Then was converted. And couldn't stop himself from nibbling at the cake all weekend. If that's not love in a pan, I don't know what is.

This fragrant, perfumey and date-centric pastry speaks to me of mint tea and fresh apricots, or slices of cool canteloupe, perhaps even fresh orange segments set on a pretty plate, any orange fruit that will heighten the deep tone of the dates and compliment the vivid pistachios. Juicy fruit will also lubricate your lips for the cake that is dense and crumbly, compact and chewey. These are uncommon words to describe a cake with, so saturated are we with fluffy aerated confections. Suspend your suspicions and carry on!

Persian Date Cake (Ranginak) (recipe courtesy of www.eatingoutloud.com)

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped; 3 cups pitted dates; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 1 cup ground unsalted pistachios.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast walnuts for 3-5 minutes. Allow to cool. Place a few pieces of walnut in each date. This is the most time consuming step of the entire cake.

In a deep pan, add butter and flour, bring to medium heat and stir constantly for 10-15 minutes, until golden caramel color. The mixture will be a thick paste at first and as you get closer to 15 minutes, it transforms into a thin caramel-like slip. Note: It only appears to look like caramel. It is not at all sweet.  One taste (and tongue burn!) had me worried but all the elements form a perfect interplay once they are combined.

Spread about 1/3 of the flour mixture in a 9″ round ceramic tart pan. Next, place the dates in a single layer on the hot flour mixture, taking care to not to burn yourself. Arrange the dates in rows packed tightly together. Then, pour the remaining flour mixture over the top and smooth out with the back of a spoon.

In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, cardamom, and powdered sugar. Use a spoon to sprinkle this mix in a single layer over the date cake. Press the back of your spoon down on the mix.  It will begin to soak into the flour, forming a sweet dough-like topping and will no longer be powdery.

For the final step, sprinkle the whole thing with a layer of chopped pistachios. Use your hands to press the nuts down so they adhere. Allow to cool before cutting into small squares (use a sharp knife).

It is fascinating to find foods that defy our definitions and stretch our paradigms, taking us to uncharted territories of the senses. I am also reminded of the unquenchable inventiveness of the peoples of the world, using the ingredients they have on hand in a multitude of ingenious ways. The saying goes "when you have lemons, make lemonade". Now we can say "when you have dates, make Persian Date Cake".

Plenty of Persian pleasures are available here:

 A taste of Persia : an introduction to Persian cooking by Batmanglij, Najmieh, 1947-

 The legendary cuisine of Persia by Shaida, Margaret.

 Sweet Dates in Basra by Jiji, Jessica

Greek Island Food - Fennel

The village of Lindos on the Greek island Rhodes

The spotty summer heat here in Calgary evokes longing in me for a taste of real summer and along with it sunny Mediterranean meals: crisp salads, tangy cheeses, fresh tomatoes, interesting vegetable gratins, lemon-kissed cuisine. I take inspiration from this colourful region all year round, really, using handfuls of grassy herbs, olive oil and good garlic to build flavour for hearty pastas, lentil soups and grilled chicken. Summer always seems a little nearer with these meals.

But today my longing is specifically Grecian, for the island of Rhodes where I meandered playfully through the quaint villages a few years ago. Memories come flooding back of the abundant charm, the splendid crusader castle sitting atop an acropolis at Lindos, the narrow streets winding up the hill of the old town dotted with white-washed buildings, hand-carved heavy oak doors and graceful pottery. Mostly I long for the food. Greek cooking offers a seemingly endless array of savoury vegetable dishes doused in golden olive oil, often astringent wild greens paired with sharp cheese. When I found a recipe for a fennel and leek pie with feta from the New York Times, I knew my wish for a taste of Greece had been granted.

Wild greens grow abundandly throughout the Greek islands and though this gratin uses the bulbous, cultivated variety of fennel, the sweet, tender result tastes very much like the savoury vegetable pies we ate and adored in Rhodes.

Fennel and Leek Gratin With Feta (recipe and photo courtesy of the New York Times)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 pounds fennel, trimmed, quartered, cored and chopped (about 4 cups chopped); 1 bunch leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned and chopped (about 3 cups chopped leeks); Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; 2 large garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill; 4 large eggs, beaten; 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup).

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, nonstick skillet, and add the fennel and leeks. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add salt to taste (go easy with the salt as the feta you will soon use is salty), and continue to cook, stirring often, until the fennel and leeks are very tender and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, and stir together for another minute or two, then stir in the dill. Add freshly ground pepper to taste and remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Crumble in the feta, and stir in the fennel mixture. Combine well. Scrape into the baking dish, and bake 35 to 40 minutes until set and the top and sides are beginning to color. Remove from the oven, and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. This is good hot, warm or at room temperature.  Serves four as a main dish, six as a side.

You can make the filling up to two days ahead and keep it in the refrigerator in a covered container.  When you are ready to have the gratin, grease your pan, add the filling and bake as instructed above. The gratin can also be made up to a day ahead and reheated in a medium oven for about 20 minutes.

Looking for more ways to enjoy fennel? Slice raw fennel paper thin with a mandolin and toss with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, black olives and slender orange segments. Nothing could be so simply evocative of a glorious Greek summer.

Let your imagination sail to a sunshine soaked Greek island with these books:

 Greek Islands [2010] by Miller, Korina. 

 A culinary voyage around the Greek islands by Kyriakou, Theodore.

 The foods of the Greek islands : cooking and culture at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, including recipes from New York's acclaimed Molyvos restaurant by Kremezi, Aglaia.

Second Rhubarb of the Season

Stewed rhubarb with fresh blackberries

Rhubarb, rhubarb, so much rhubarb. Crisps and cobblers, coffee cakes and muffins. How much baking can a reasonable person manage? It is time to try something else, rhubarb stewed into a soft, soupy pudding, screamingly pink and still tart enough for a bit of a pucker.  You don't need a recipe, just some pointers. Wash and trim your stalks of rhubarb and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Place in a saucepan and add just enough water to cover the stalks. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat until the rhubarb has softened, fallen apart and forms a loose mass, about 20 minutes. Add in your sugar to taste as well as cinnamon, ground cardamom and a pinch of salt. It's that simple. For some added sophistication, the teeny tiny seeds of a vanilla bean add the warmest, most aromatic nuances to stewed rhubarb, a special supplement to raise the bar on this rustic recipe. You can also experiment with the substitution of orange juice for water, again taking the flavours in a positive direction.

Lots of people like to pair strawberries with rhubarb, for good reason. If you wish, include some chopped strawberries in your mix and let the whole mixture cook up together. The strawberries contribute an intensity of redness unattainable by rhubarb alone, plus some fruity sweetness that of course benefits the tart rhubarb stalks. If your preference is to maintain the integrity of the strawberry, toss it in to the rhubarb towards the end of the stewing time, giving it just a few minutes to soften instead of fully cook.

Still on the lookout for rhubarb recipes that do not involve baked goods? A tart and fruity rhubarb-centric chutney is an excellent idea, especially besides grilled pork loin or roasted chicken. Here is a fine recipe from www.finecooking.com.

Rhubarb and Dried Cherry Chutney

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Want a dessert that is easy, gorgeous, tangy, creamy and portable? Lemon cheesecake squares are that dessert, my newest, zingiest go-to creation, ideal for home use as well as superbly suited to bringing to parties. The squares are easily assembled in a rectangular baking pan and bake up into a neat treat packed with the charming duality of smooth tartness. Make a delicate, brightly hued lemon curd for a topping, quickly completed while the squares are in the oven. Chill pan in the fridge until firm and set. Cut into squares and swoon. I love this served as is with tea or with fresh berries on the side.

Cheesecakes are one of life's sweet indulgences and great pleasures. Yet, a whole cheesecake can be a daunting item to have around. Large and looming, sometimes hard to cut, too much for most families, so saved for special occasions. These squares offer all the rewards of a big fat cheesecake, nicely contained in a practical pan, cutting cleanly, and of a manageable size for family feasting. Squares can also be cut and stored in the freezer, layered in a robust container with sheets of waxed paper, everything staying sparkly fresh  with nothing going to waste. This is a cheesecake to have around for casual weekend suppers, weeknight splurges or fun feasts for friends.

Turkish Lunch

What are you doing this weekend? May I suggest a trip to Crossroads Market? Of course you will want to go to the book sale as well as gawk at the beautiful produce but do also make some time for lunch at Anatolia, a little food stand inside the market with outrageously delicious homemade, authentic Turkish food. Six dollars (six!!) buys you a fully loaded lunch carton jammed with succulent, fragrant rice, three types of uber-fresh salads (three!!) and a main course of your choice. My choice was eggplant the size of my head stuffed with meat, tomatoes and herbs, topped with a dollop of garlicky tzaziki. There were some handsome chicken skewers on offer as well, in addition to pillowy pide (Turkish flatbreads) and stuffed grape vine leaves. Make sure to drizzle some of the housemade hot sauce liberally over your lunch.  It is the vibrant, bold red sauce pictured slathered in the photo above. The lunch counter owner described it as medium hot, but I would place it in the mildly hot bin, delivering no tongue-burning sensation at all, just a pleasant little jolt of sweet, peppery heat.

I must tell you about the three superb salads included in this lunch. Bean salad, tender Borlotti beans tossed in a gentle herb-laden olive oil vinaigrette are set in counterpoint to a simple combination of crisp chunks of tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet onions. The most interesting of the triad of salads is the cracked wheat, the small grains still textured on your teeth, bathed in a citrusy dressing brightened by lots of fresh chopped parsley. I am imagining a lunch of the future, these salads and a pide, with a couple of vine leaves overtop. Or the vegetarian stuffed eggplant and that ridiculously fabulous rice.  There will be many next times for me at Anatolia. 

It was impossible to ignore the gorgeous green-flecked baklava Anatolia displays on its counter. While I managed to resist buying it, rightly evaluating the lunch as enormously substantial, I did grill the owner about its ingredients. Butter? Yes. Not margarine? No. All pistachios? Yes. These are the right answers.  When you hear these answers, you are in a good place. Margarine in baklava is all wrong, as it is precisely the conjoining of butter with nuts that forms that flavour base of this crisp, multi-layered pastry. Pistachios are the reigning monarchs of the nut world, with a sweet butteriness of their own that is unmatched, plus a vibrant natural green hue that will beckon to you. With only the flavour of the sugar syrup left undetermined, I will certainly make it my business to unmask this mystery one day soon.  As a finale to the best $6.00 meal deal in town, this is the kind of investigative work I find most fullfilling.

Capadoccia, Turkey

The library at Ephesus, Turkey

I spent twenty-one glorious days in Turkey a few years ago and eating at Anatolia brings me back to that deeply interesting country. Every minute in Turkey was sensual, intoxicating and eating the traditional foods was one of the many experiences that captured my heart. I didn't have a single unsavoury meal in Turkey, cashing in on the nation's love affair with fresh, flavourful and wonderful foods. Treat yourself to a taste of Turkey at Anatolia this weekend.

You will also want to try your hand at Turkish treats with these titles:

 Turkish cookbook by Kaufman, Sheilah

 Turquoise : a chef's travels in Turkey by Malouf, Greg.

Barbeque Spice Rub

Nothing, nothing does more for your barbequed foods than rubbing some aromatic spices into their flesh. The act of breaking down the fine outer layer of meat or fish and infusing it with a deeply peppery paste will boost your game on the grill like nothing else. Salt and pepper and some crushed garlic is as good a rub as any, but we can do even better than that. Leave it to Britian's culinary poster boy Jamie Oliver for some good, common sense and solid food ideas. This season, in his newest book Jamie's America, Oliver tackles some of the familiar foods many of us know well, and BBQ features in this list. Leave it to Oliver to enhance a basic concept with some of his signature creativity, all to excellent effect. Oliver's BBQ spice rub is a heady mix of smoky essence and the jolt of bright orange zest, plus layers of spice and a hint of sweetness. I will tantalize you no longer. Here it is:

Jamie Oliver's Barbeque Spice Rub

1 tbsp. fennel seeds; 2 tsp. smoked paprika; finely grated zest of 1 orange;  1 tsp. dried thyme;  1 tbsp. light brown sugar; a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper;  2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely grated.

Bash up the fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and mix with all the other ingredients until you have a lovely deep red paste. Simple!

Why not take this idea and play with it some more? Dry rubs keep for months in the pantry, quietly awaiting the moment they are called upon to serve. Mix up this savoury rub from Steaks, Chops, Roasts and Ribs for a versatile blend you can adjust according to your mood.

Dry Rub for Barbeque

4 tbsp. sweet paprika;  2 tbsp. chili powder; 2 tbsp. ground cumin; 2 tbsp. brown sugar; 2 tbsp. kosher salt; 1 tbsp. dried oregano; 1 tbsp. granulated sugar; 1 tbsp. ground black pepper; 1 tbsp. ground white pepper; 1 - 2 tsp. cayenne pepper.

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and store in a covered jar.

What about a gentle rub that coaxes the best flavour out of grilled salmon, from Ted Reader's Hot, Sticky and On Fire?

Salmon Seasoning

1/4 cup lemon pepper; 1/4 cup coarse kosher salt; 1/4 cup dill seed; 1/4 cup dried coriander; 2 tbsp. dried dill; 1 tbsp. paprika; 1 tbsp. granulated garlic; 1 tbsp. granulated onion; 1 tsp. cayenne pepper; 1 tsp. granulated sugar. Combine all ingredients and store in a covered jar.

Spice Rubs are infinitely adaptable, inexpensive and potent tools to have in your tool kit. Have you seen the prices of spice mixes at farmers' markets and gourmet stores? For a fraction of the cost you can customize your own savoury blends that will entertain your taste buds and add loads of personality to your barbequed meals. Find more interesting BBQ ideas in these books:

  Napoleon's everyday gourmet burgers : inspired recipes by Reader, Ted.

  Napoleon's everyday gourmet plank grilling : inspired recipes by Reader, Ted.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Pretty, crunchy, spicy and sweet, all these elements are in perfect balance in this lively salad inspired by the Moroccan palate. I think of this as a dish you could make any time of the year, with the perpetual availability of carrots, and also one that keeps very well for a few days in the fridge. This could be on your menus virtually non-stop. It is most easily put together by grating the carrots with a food processor's grater, the carrots then tossed with a citrus-packed infusion and some spices and raisins. Real easy to make and really easy to eat.

Carrot salads will sparkle when paired with heavier foods, like grilled meats or chicken and fish, as they offer the textural contrast and assertive tanginess that plays well with proteins. I also like serving carrot salad with an omelette or frittata, for the very same reason, loving the pairing of the airy eggs with the toothy bite of carrots. Carrot salads are so utterly gorgeous on the plate too, little heaps of insanely orange wisps, beautiful besides sandwiches or even a selection of cheese and crackers. I love the bright fresh concept of this salad that has no oil in the dressing, just the palatable partnership of honey and lemon juice working their magic together.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Make the dressing first, so that your carrots can quickly bathe in it once they are grated and start soaking up the deliciousness: 1/3 cup honey dissolved in 1/4 cup lemon juice. Stir in 1 tbsp. orange flower water, available in Middle Eastern grocery stores. Add large pinches of kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, dried dill, and ras al hanout, a perfumey Moroccan spice that imparts exotic depth to this salad. Turkish dried red pepper and black sesame seeds are other flavour and colour boosters that work very well here, speckling the vibrant vegetables with dainty little red and black flecks. Stir in 1/2 cup golden raisins. Next, grate 8 - 10 large carrots either via a food processor or by hand. Toss carrots with dressing and taste to adjust seasoning. Chill for an hour in the fridge to let flavours develop. Keeps well for a few days, refrigerated.

There are many ways one can tamper with this salad and fine-tune the flavours, though I recommend you try the recipe as written first. A clove of minced garlic adds punch and a squirt of Sriracha hot sauce adds heat. Some would say a few black olives and a bit of crumbled feta cheese would be welcome additions. I very much favour the pairing of cumin with carrots and support the idea of throwing in a teaspoon of lightly toasted cumin seeds to the mix. My message to you is take the idea of this salad and run with it any way you choose. You may be wondering why I give you recipes and immediately offer ways to change them. Because all the ways are wonderful and you will be returning to this salad again and again in all its reincarnations. 

 Super salads : more than 250 fresh recipes from classic to contemporary by Lewis, Lynn.

 Morocco : recipes and stories from East Africa by B??nady, Ghislaine.

Arizona's Local Olives and Olive Oil

Fig and Carmelized Onion Tapenade 

The opportunity to taste locally made olive oil was too intoxicating to resist, so the field trip to Queen Creek olive mill in southern Arizona was conceived one bright day last month while visiting the area. A hop in the car and 45 minutes later there I was, sipping little paper cups of liquid gold at a fun little tasting bar with a whole array of infused oils and vinegars to combine in an endless variety of ways.

Queen Creek olive mill is the only working olive farm and mill in Arizona and has gained the support of local foodies and chefs, producing boutique hand-crafted extra virgin olive oils using nine varieties of local olives. Some of the olive oils are blended with natural citrus flavours for a sensual joy-ride that opens up a multitude of creative possibilities, especially when paired with Queen Creek's special infused balsamic vinegars. The tasting bar is stocked with olive oils such as Mexican lime, Meyer lemon, blood orange, vanilla bean, roasted garlic and (believe it or not) chocolate.  Fabulous flavours of balsamic vinegars included pomegranate, fig and strawberry. The fun starts when you begin blending the infused oils and unusual vinegars in the little paper cups provided. I really responded to the vanilla bean/fig duo as well as the blood orange/pomegranate one. Reaching genius status is a blend I thought would be silly but is brilliant, chocolate olive oil with strawberry balsamic vinegar. It is what I wish was on my salad right now, silky and nuanced with deep chocolate bass notes, plus the perky fresh fruityness of luscious strawberries as a top note. It is beyond fabulous. This symbiotic pair belongs on a salad of mixed baby greens, sliced strawberries and maybe some chocolate covered almonds thrown in (did I really say that?). I never considered mixing chocolate and lettuce before but that Pandora's box has just been opened!

 
Filling bottles with olive oil

The Queen Creek olive mill also makes excellent use of its olives in delectable tapenades, savoury chopped olive pastes in such splendid combinations as carmelized onion and fig, asiago and parmesan, artichoke and roasted garlic. There was some moaning and groaning going on in the tasting gallery. Traditional tapenades usually feature roughly chopped olives, anchovies, capers and lemon juice and it is easy and entertaining to substitute in different elements. While I don't have an official recipe for the Queen Creek products, here is a reasonably close facsimile, a charming salty-sweet olive and fig paste adapted from the food blog Cooking With Amy:

Fig and Carmelized Onion Tapenade

1 cup dried figs, stemmed and roughly chopped
2 cups water - use as much as you need to cover the figs
1 cup olives, pitted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a small saucepan, simmer the figs in the water for about 30 minutes, until very soft. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the reduced liquid which should be syrup-like. Saute the onion in the olive oil until caramel coloured, then let the onions and oil cool. In a food processor, pulse the pitted olives, drained figs, onions and oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, capers, and fresh rosemary to create a thick paste. If you don't have a food processor you can make this by pounding the ingredients with a mortar and pestle. The spread can be thinned with a bit of the reserved fig poaching liquid.

Before serving, bring tapenade to room temperature. Serve with toasted baguette slices, crackers or raw veggies. Tapenade also pairs well with cured meats such as prosciutto and salami or cheeses, especially goat cheese.

Picnic grounds at Queen Creek Olive Mill

While you may not be able to visit the Queen Creek olive mill, you can still enjoy olives and olive oils right here, right now.

 Olives : more than 70 delicious & healthy recipes by Laskin, Avner.
 

 The new American olive oil : profiles of artisan producers and 75 recipes by Gage, Fran.