"apple cake" news and stories

• The Globe has a guide to the best vegetarian restaurants in Boston.
• Some dinner ideas if you're having a graduation party, all involving penne pasta. Not really sure what makes these recipes "graduation" meals, but they gotta tie it into the month somehow.
• The wonderful world of homemade cheeses.
• We've all heard of King crabs and snow crabs, but what are Jonah crabs? Sounds like a really personal problem.
• Taste Kitchen: who makes the best 2% organic milk?
• This week's recipes: Legacy Apple Cake, Asparagus Soup, and a quick wine sauce for roast chicken.

Who says there is nothing great about British food! If the diverse range of British food bloggers is anything to go by the UK is really leading the food world, from historical English recreations, thoughtful comment through to recipes from the Ottoman Empire...

1. Cooking With Ginger has a great rant on what to eat, or rather, when what we are supposed to eat one day is countered by some other revelation the next.
2. Anne of Baking For Britain may not be one of the most frequent posters, but by heck laddie her writing is well worth waiting for. I love the mix of historical facts and adapted recipes. The latest compares homemade Sedgemoor Easter Cakes and a pack purchased from M&S.
3. Eating Leeds has AT LAST become a proper Englishman in actually liking custard - and seems to be a master at making it too.
4. The English Patis has posted one of those 'I must make this' recipes, a Spiced Apple Cake.
5. Fiordizucca Goes English is keeping it local with a Nettle Tart. Do nettles grow anywhere outside Europe, it's something we should all know?
6. Sqeezeweasle writing as Gastronomy Domaine got a mention in Olive magazine, but didnt boast about it like I did!
7. A new blog to me - Rustic - details how to recreate Hunkar Begendi and Tas Kabab which is basically lamb and aubergine from her Turkish homeland's Ottoman past.
8. Finally Johanna has been out partying and plying welcome party-people with Tomato & Pesto mini-Galettes.

There are few things that are better than an easy-to-make cake, and if it has any type of streusel or crumble topping, it's nearly impossible. These easy cakes are great for breakfast and for snacking because they don't require any sort of frosting, as dessert cakes do. Of course, you could still serve one as a casual dessert, if you'd like. Maki's Apple Crumble Cake on her blog, i was just really very hungry, is one of these excellent, all purpose cakes. Not only does it look divinely moist and delicious, it is simple to make. Wet ingredients plus dry ingredients, topped with apples and a cinnamon crumble topping. A mere 40 minutes later, and you'll be trying not to burn your fingers on the pan as you cut your first slice.

Now that I think about it, sliced apples and crumble topping will improve just about any cake. I'm short-listing the idea for my next Sunday brunch.

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