Coconut Cake

It's so simple. And unless you hate coconut, a guaranteed crowdpleaser (even the vegans won't be able to resist). No expert skills needed for this one. A cake that's about as easy as a mix, whipped cream, and coconut. That's it. 

The photo is of an enormous 10" cake I made for my dear friend's baby shower. (I also made a tiny little 6" cake for the baby. IKR?) The recipe below is flexible and can fill 2 10x3 or 3 9x2 pans. You can split the 10" cakes in half to make 4 layers like I did, or stack the 3 9" layers (or split them to make an eye-popping 6-layer cake.) The batter will be a bit runny, and baking times can vary. I recommend wrapping the pans with soaked bake-even cake strips to help keep the sides from getting too dry. You can also trim away the sides after baking for a moister cake and nicer presentation. 

Don't be alarmed. I've included a lot of tips, but if you read through this a couple times, and have all your ingredients & tools laid out ahead, you'll do fine. Ready to make it? 

Tips: This cake can be baked up to two days ahead. Wrap the cakes well and store in the fridge. This cake can be assembled up to two hours before serving. Store uncovered in fridge. The chilled cake can be extra refreshing on a hot day. This cake can be filled with lemon curd or layered with berries. It's very versatile.

Preheat oven to 350'

Prep Your Pans (crucial)
Set each pan over a sheet of parchment and trace around the bottom of the pan with a pencil. Cut out the circle just inside your tracing line. Butter & flour the pans. I take a stick of butter and run it along the sides and bottom to coat well, then get in there with my fingers to evenly rub the butter into every nook & cranny. Then dump in about 1/4C of flour & tilt the pan around while tapping the bottom & sides so the flour coats evenly. Then knock the remainder of the flour out so you don't have clumps. Lay in the parchment round. 

Bake-Even Strips
If you bake a lot of cakes, these are a nice inexpensive investment that raises your game. Soak the strips for about 10 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water, and wrap around the outside of the pan, securing with the pin provided. The strips will help prevent overbrowning & dry sides. This cake has a lot of eggs, which can brown very quickly. When baking, you'll see that the top of the cake will get very golden brown long before the center is set. Don't panic. This is normal, and the top will end up kind of sticky anyway. If you don't have the strips, you can trim away the sides if they get too dark or dry, or leave them be. If you frost the cake with the whipped cream an hour or two ahead of serving and keep it in the fridge, the sides will soften up nicely. In fact, this whole cake gets moister the longer it sits in the fridge. Next-day slices are absolute heaven. 

Recipe
4C unbleached all-purpose flour
2t baking powder (always make sure it's fresh)
1/4t kosher salt
2C milk (you can use whole or lowfat)
12T unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
8 eggs (I always use XL) 
4C sugar
2t vanilla extract (for the love of god, use the real stuff)
1/4t almond extract (optional)

4C (2 pints or a quart) of heavy whipping cream
1/2C confectioners sugar
1t vanilla extract

About 2-3C shredded coconut (the weird sugared kind works best). I say 2-3C because you can use a little or as much as you want. You can layer it inside and cover the whole cake, or just cover the top and a little down the sides...it's not a science. 

baking powder costs about $2. don't risk it. buy a fresh can & date it. dump it after 6 months.

Make the Batter

1. You don't have to, but sifting the flour helps with your overall success. Whisk in the baking powder & salt. 
2. Melt the butter into the milk (I do this in the microwave for about a minute+. 
3. Beat the eggs & sugar for about 5 minutes until thick and pale. 
4. Stir in the extracts. 
5. Fold in the flour, making sure you get it all incorporated. 
6. Stir in the butter & milk. 

Divide the batter evenly among the pans. Tap each pan a few times on the counter to pop any large air bubbles. 

Baking times will vary depending on the size of the pans and your oven. 10" rounds can take 45 minutes. If you're using 9x2" pans, start checking after about 20 minutes. If your oven has a hot spot (like mine), rotate the pans carefully for the last 10 minutes of baking. 

Signs of doneness: 

• touch the top and the dough springs back
• toothpick or skewer comes out with no raw batter
• sides of cake start pulling away from the pan

Cool the cakes on wire racks for about 5 minutes, then invert the pans an release the cakes. If you prepped your pans well, they should slide right out. If the sides are stuck, run a thin knife along the sides, then release the cakes. 

Whip it Good
Keeping the cream in the fridge until right before you whip it will help speed up the process. You can also chill the metal bowl and beaters. Start on med-low so the cream doesn't splatter all over. 

Assembly
If you want a 4-tier cake, use a long, thin, sharp knife to carefully cut the cakes in half. Start by scoring the sides of the cake evenly, then join the cuts, then cut all the way through. Lay each layer out on your work surface. Place the bottom on your platter or base or lazy-suzan. Cover with whipped cream all the way to the sides. Sprinkle on some coconut. Stack on the next layer. Repeat. Once the layers are all stacked, coat the whole cake generously with whipped cream, and cover with coconut. It. Will. Get. Messy. 

Either serve immediately, or chill in the fridge uncovered for up to two hours. 

на здоровья!

Nikuman (Steamed Pork Buns) 肉まん

I love food. Sure, I can go out and buy dumplings. But my joy is exponentially magnified when I make my favorite foods, and share them with loved ones. So here we are. 

How is it possible then, that this was my first experience making a steamed dumpling dough? The fact remains, and I owe my thanks to my pregnant and insatiably hungry Japanese friend for inviting me over to make these on a rainy spring afternoon. 

We followed the recipe and technique illustrated clearly by Nami of Just One Cookbook (a blog I've come to revere and resource often for Japanese cookery), and were pleasantly surprised at how simple both the dough and filling were to prepare. I say "simple" because I believed none of the 1,000 steps needed to prepare these were particularly difficult. It just requires vigilant organization, and some basic cooking skills. Also helps to have the right tools. Read through Nami's blog to make sure you have what you need. 

I vow to keep making (and eating) these until my crimping improves. Work, work, work. 

Note: Before you embark on this adventure, make sure you have a large bamboo steamer that fits atop a large pot. If the steamer hangs over the edge of the pot, it can burn. Wetting the steamer can help prevent catching. 

The Dough
10.6 oz all-purpose flour (10.6 oz = 300 g) (and more for dusting) 
2 scant T granulated sugar (scant 2 Tbsp = 20 g) 
½t Kosher salt
1t baking powder
1t instant dry yeast
1T neutral flavor oil (vegetable, canola, etc)
160-170 ml water (160-170 ml = 160-170 g)

The Filling

2 dried shiitake mushrooms
½C water
1 green onion, minced
4 leaves cabbage (4 leaves = 180 g), finely chopped
1t Kosher salt
¾ lb ground pork (¾ lb = 340 g)
1 inch ginger (1" =2.5 cm or 15 g)
1t granulated sugar
1T sake

The dough is super easy. Just combine everything but the water in a bowl, then stir in the water to form a craggy ball. Turn the ball out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface, and knead it for 10 minutes. This dough is a joy to knead. It requires very little dusting flour, and results in a glossy smooth beautiful ball. 

Place the ball of dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise til double in bulk (about an hour). 

Meanwhile, make the filling. First, soak the mushrooms for about 15 minutes. Weigh them down with something to make sure they're submerged in the water. Remove the tough stems, and very finely chop the caps. 

Sprinkle the chopped cabbage with 1t salt to draw out excess water, then squeeze out the water, and combine the cabbage with the green onion, mushrooms, ground pork, and other filling ingredients. 

Assembling the Dumplings

Here's where I refer you to Nami's blog for detailed instructions. Read through it a couple of times, especially her tips on shaping the dumplings. Til then, organization is your friend. 

Cut 3" squares of parchment and lay them out on baking sheets. You will place each dumpling on one square as you shape them, then steam the dumplings on the parchment. 

Once the dough has doubled in size, dust the working surface with flour and divide the dough in half and then roll each piece of dough into a log. Cut each log into 5 even pieces and then cut each piece in half. Form each piece of dough into a ball and dust the dough balls with flour to avoid sticking to each other. Space each ball apart and cover loosely with damp kitchen cloth to avoid drying out. Let them rest for 10 minutes. 

Take a ball of dough and flatten it with your palm. Then roll it with a rolling pin into a round sheet. Here’s how I roll the dough. Hold the top of dough with left hand and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough with right hand. You only need to roll up and down on bottom half of the dough. After rolling 1-2 times, rotate the dough about 30 degree with left hand. Repeat this process until the dough becomes thin. The center of dough should be thicker than the edge.

photos from Just One Cookbook

Scoop 1½T of filling (with a 1½T cookie scoop or spoon) and place in the center of the dough.

Hold the dough with the left hand and seal the bun using the right index finger and thumb. First, pick up a corner of the dough with your right index finger and thumb and pinch together. Without moving your thumb, use your right index finger to pick up the dough and pinch it with your thumb while rotating the dough clockwise with your left hand.

Repeat this process about 10-12 times (=10-12 pleats) until you seal the last part of dough by pinching it tightly. Here are some tips: your left thumb should hold down the filling and use your left fingers to turn around the wrapper. Use your left index finger to help pleating. Also, lift up the pinched pleats slightly while you make the new pleat so the filling stays inside the dough.

Once you finish sealing the last part of dough, twist the pleats further with your right index finger and thumb to maintain a tight seal. If you’re left handed, reverse the directions.

photo from Just One Cookbook

Place the bun on a piece of parchment paper that fits the bun (for small size, 3” x 3”). Cover the finished buns with plastic wrap and repeat this process with the rest of dough. Let the buns rest for 20 minutes.

don't worry about imperfect crimping. it'll be delicious either way!

Bring water to boil and place the steamer on top of the pot. Once the water is boiling, place the buns (with the parchment) in the steamer tray leaving about 2” between each bun (buns will get larger while being steamed). Close the lid and steam over high heat for about 12 minutes. 

Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce. We drizzled a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic sauce over them. Pure crack. 

いただきます！

Curry Chicken Pasta Salad

Why did I wait so long to blog this? I think it's because it's not much to look at. I mean look at it. Bo-ring. But it tastes wonderful. Over the years I've shared the recipe with its devotees, and now, I share it with the world.

Do the Right Thing! 
For this recipe, I'm adamant about using specific brands of mango chutney and yellow curry powder. There have been times when I didn't have or couldn't find those brands, and made it anyway. Big mistake. I'm sure the original recipe from Cooks Illustrated (one for curry beef pasta salad) didn't specify brands, but I've been making this for well over 20 years, and it's just best this way. Trust me.

United Markets, Andronico's, Mollie Stones, and some Safeways carry these brands.

As for the pasta and chicken ratio, and the methods for cooking the chicken - those are up to you. Ideally, I poach 2-3 boobs in chicken broth, but have also grilled the chicken, or used the breast meat from a whole roasted chicken. 

A good ratio is 2-3 breasts (about 3C of shredded meat) to one pound of pasta. 

Boil 1# of good quality Italian fusilli, drain, and rinse with cold water to stop it from overcooking. 

Shred the chicken into a large mixing bowl. 

The Sauce
1 jar Crosse & Blackwell major grey's mango chutney
2 eggs
3-4T Sun brand madras yellow curry powder
1/2t cayenne pepper
S&P to taste
grapeseed or canola oil 

In a blender or mini-prep, puree the chutney, add the eggs and seasonings, and blend til smooth. Slowly drizzle in 1/2C+ oil to create a mayonnaise. Adjust the seasoning to taste, and pour over the chicken and pasta. The sauce will absorb in the fridge, so use all of it, even if it looks like too much. 

Chill in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight. Finish it within 3 days, as it contains raw eggs. 

На здоровья!