Ginger Plum Jam
October 3, 2009 by Andrea
Filed under Jams, Pickles, and Preserves
In autumn I find myself drawn to the displays of fresh seasonal plums, adoring their shape and colors. Strawberries are my spring darlings, blueberries are our summer sweet, and plums are my fall favorite, a delight that my boys enjoy as much as I do. I brought home a few bags of plums last week with this ginger plum jam in mind, and I had a hard time protecting them from the boys for a couple days until I could make the jam. Top Gun especially is drawn to their deep color, and I would find him sneaking off with one every so often, and even discovered a plum pit under the living room sofa. He desperately wanted that plum all to himself. Fortunately there were plenty of plums leftover for him and his brothers. Read more
Campfire Pies
When we began planning our annual trip to the Meyers family cabin in the Adirondacks, Michael announced that he wanted to make campfire pies, a favorite from his childhood camping trips. I racked my brain from my Girl Scout camping years but could not conjure up an image of what campfire pies might look like. We always made s’mores and banana boats, but I could not remember ever once making campfire pies. He gave me a brief description and assured me I would like them. Read more
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Avocado and Champagne Vinaigrette
We truly enjoy strawberry season, and every time I start cleaning another batch of berries the boys are at my elbow begging for some of the juicy red fruits. I have to watch Monkey Boy and Top Gun because they will sneak the berries off to a hidden corner and get the sticky juice all over the furniture and floor. Read more
The Daring Bakers Make Strudel
The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of Make Life Sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague, by Rick Rodgers.
I felt a lot of excitement for this challenge because I adore puff pastry and have wanted to try making my own for some time, and of course anything with apples, spices, and rum-soaked raisins just has to be good, right? And besides, this gave me a chance to play around with my long-forgotten high school German and prepare for my trip to Germany in a few weeks! Read more
Banana Bundt Cake
My children’s school had a teacher’s luncheon a couple weeks ago for Teacher Appreciation Week, and I signed up to make a dessert. Cakes seem to go over well and Bundt cakes always look pretty on the buffet table, so I chose Dorie’s recipe for a banana Bundt, a homey and deliciously moist cake that is so easy to make. And the batter, oh the batter. It’s light and fluffy and tastes really good right out of the bowl. I promise I did not lick the bowl and spatula until after popping the cake into the oven. The boys were mighty disappointed that I sent the entire cake off to school without saving any for them, and I had to promise I would make another one sometime soon, which I did and it was a hit with the family.
Many grocery stores sell overripe bananas by the bag, and I can occasionally find a bag of 12 or more really ripe bananas for just US$1, which are perfect for this cake. The cake tastes best if made the day before, just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. You can make the lemon glaze or just dust on some confectioners sugar for a simple finish. Read more
Quick and Easy Mandarin Orange Chicken
Some of my favorite things to order at Chinese restaurants are the dishes I won’t make at home, basically anything battered and fried. I’m not lazy, I just don’t enjoy cleaning up the splattery mess I always seem to make when frying. Orange chicken is one of my favorites, but I always save it for eating out.
Helen Chen’s new book, Easy Chinese Stir-Fries, has a modified recipe that turns the classic battered and fried dish into a quick stir-fry. Some Chinese restaurants ruin orange chicken by making it overly sweet, but Chen’s version gives you orange flavor without all the sweetness. After tasting it the first time we decided we wanted more orange flavor in the sauce and started adding orange zest. I also like to use slivered fresh red jalapeno and used it as colorful garnish at the end rather than the dried chiles. Read more
