For months I have been itching to try Archana's Spiced Carrot Cake, a sweet treat that is pumped up with the addition of ground cardamom. I'd been leaning on my banana bread recipes for those moments when a sweet, but not sugar-saturated treat was in order, but it was time for a change.
When you have all the ingredients prepared, this is a great, simple recipe that yields solid, tasty results. The cardamom gives this nice, subtle push of flavor that sets this mix apart. But be warned -- it's a pain in the arse to grind it. I bought some over the summer, but this was the first time I used some. The shells are very stubborn, and a lot of effort will give you just a bit of appropriately ground spice. I heated it with my cast iron skillet and then used a mortar and pestle and my coffee grinder to get the powder. It took a while since the cardamom is so light that it flies above the blades. If you want speed, I suggest some pre-ground cardamom.
But the result is a treat. It was the middle of the night, and I was too impatient, so I just ripped chunks off and ate them warm, without a glaze or confectioners sugar -- both of which would really make this cake. But without, it's still nice and light, moist, and great for a quick nibble.
That's the question that a reader of cakehead.com asks. Specifically, she asks what type of cake is the best to top with bacon. Yellow cake was too sweet, and carrot cake didn't quite work either. Click on the link to find out what cake tastes great with bacon, and then try it yourself.
In the winter months I think of comfort food, and when I think of comfort food three things immediately come to mind: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and carrot cake. Brilynn at Jumbo Empanadas is allowing me to satisfy one of those cravings vicariously with a 3-layer carrot cake she adapted from a Dorie Greenspan recipe. Certain substitutions were made after discovering she was either missing or short on a few ingredients, but I think the addition of dried cherries (to make up for a lack of raisins) would really enhance this dish.
Though she made the cake itself for a potluck lunch, the 6-layer sample shown in front was ingeniously prepared for her own tasting pleasure. I really need to remember that trick the next time I bake something.
Even without tasting these, it is easy to see that they are going to be delicious, especially if you have any love for either carrot cake or cream cheese frosting. Much like Whoopie Pies, these Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches have a cake-like batter as a base, which bakes into a moist and tender cookie that is then sandwiched with a thick, sweet, satisfying filling. This batch was baked by JenJen, from Milk and Cookies, who reported that they were just as addictive as they look.
Because the batter for the cookies is quite wet, the texture is very similar to that of "real" carrot cake and this helps it to blend easily with the filling. The cookies themselves are flavored with cinnamon, brown sugar, walnuts and raisins. The filling is a simply sweetened mixture of cream cheese and honey that is beaten until fluffy, although a more traditional cream cheese frosting made with powdered sugar, vanilla and a bit of butter could be substituted to take this cookie from snack to dessert.
I came across this really cool web site, Retro-Housewife.com. It has a rather daring manifesto:
We spent the 80's and the 90's trying to do it all. Now we are tired, overworked and want to offer a different life plan. We want to stay home, take care of our kids, our husbands and give them the attention they deserve. This site may not be for everyone, but if you want to be a retro housewife, you have come to the right place!
Of course, if that's the only way you look at the site, you're missing out on some truly great content, including a Retro Housewife blog, sections on retro furniture and fashion, and, of course, recipes! After the jump, some cool-sounding meals you've got to try.
Really now, is there a difference between a cupcake and a muffin? Isn't a muffin just a naked cupcake?!
I like to call these miniature muffins "inside-out cupcakes" because the traditional cream cheese
frosting is inside, making them just as tasty as frosted cupcake, but much easier to transport.
Imagine that you are considering dining at
a restaurant you have never been to before. If all your friends like it and the professional critics like it, chances
are reasonably good that so will you. When it comes down to it, though, your friends are not professional food
critics. Whose advice do you place more weight on -- the friend's or the word of the person who gets paid to
eat?
It is a difficult decision, because most people are inclined to trust the professional, the expert. As Sarah alluded to earlier, Jeffrey
Steingarten said that he felt obligated to let go of his personal food preferences and hang-ups when he became a
food critic. In order to see things from his perspective, to take from his reviews what he does, do we have to let go
of our food preferences? Of course not. Everyone likes different things. The question is really why you would choose to
take the "professional" recommendation. Their palate is likely to be different from your own, so why should it
be a reliable source of advice for you?
Some drinks are just not meant to be. Witness
the Carrot Cake Cappuccino. This drink, created by
Bob Blumer of the Surreal Gourmet, is a combination of spiced, thickened
carrot juice with sugar, oil and cream added to it and topped with foam. Very fortunately, Mr. Blumer did not combine
cream cheese with the foam for some sort of frosting. Aside from appearing on the menu at Alinea for the sake of being innovative or just plain strange, I am not
sure that there are too many venues for this particular beverage. I'd rather have a real cappuccino and a slice of
carrot cake.
Hey, we've had 
Well, the rest of my day is shot.
What should your last meal of 2006 be? Why, 
Imagine that you are considering dining at
a restaurant you have never been to before. If all your friends like it and the professional critics like it, chances
are reasonably good that so will you. When it comes down to it, though, your friends are not professional food
critics. Whose advice do you place more weight on -- the friend's or the word of the person who gets paid to
eat?
Some drinks are just not meant to be. Witness
the 
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