pineapple upside-down cake.

As of late, I've been having a number of kitchen highs and lows.   I'm challenging myself to be a little more loose in the kitchen by experimenting more and just simply winging it.  The good thing about that approach is that it allows me to be a little more creative and make some really noteworthy dishes.  The bad thing is that there can also be some epic fails.   Dishes that just feel blah or lack the look/feel/taste of what I envisioned in my head.  They aren't bad per se but they just aren't what I wanted.   When those mistakes happen I can be very hard on myself - wondering how and why I could have wasted certain ingredients on a dish that feels lack luster.   I think part of the issue is that on the weekends, I push myself to tackle too many cooking projects because I convince myself I will never get my chance to cook again.  Obviously this is a crazy thought to have but it's very real thought for me - I manifest this mindset that the opportunity I have will never exist again.  (Traveling with me is not always easy because I convince myself I am never coming back to that location again and then need to eat EVERYTHING I've wanted to eat in the span of 3 days - my stomach and head do not match-up).  I've been trying to control these things and as noted in my last blog post, I'm trying to make 2018 the year where I let myself be OK with doing less or an amount I feel comfortable with.   It's not my nature but I think it will be good for myself.   

With all of that being said, here is a cake.  A recipe I did not make but I wish I did because it's just so good (I did tweak it slightly).  This was the first time I made a pineapple upside down cake and  considering how much I love all other upside-down cake recipes (apple, cranberry, cherry, etc), I'm unsure as to why I waited so long.   The combination of tender, caramelized fruit with a light and fluffy cake base is pretty addicting.   So make this.  And make it your only project one weekend.   

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Tweaked from Apt. 2B Baking 

I upped the pineapple from 2 cups to 3 cups since I had the room.  I also made my own creme fraiche since I had heavy cream I needed to use though I think yogurt could easily be subbed for the creme fraiche.   I also dialed back some of the sugar in the cake as well since I thought the combination of caramel and pineapple would be sweet enough.  Some ground ginger would be really good in the cake but I didn't want to play around with the flavor too much during my first go-ahead.   

Makes one 9-inch cake

For the Topping

4 tablespoons (55g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (110g) light brown sugar
2 tablespoons rum (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground pink peppercorns 
1/2 vanilla bean, split
1 bay leaf
3 cups sliced pineapple (fresh or canned – you do you)
A pinch of salt

For the Cake

1 cup (220g) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (110g) light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups (320g) crème fraîche or sour cream (I also think 2% or full fat yogurt or a combination of these 3 would work)
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat oven to 350° F.

Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a 10-inch (or deep 9-inch) cast iron skillet set over medium heat. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and combined. Add the rum (if using), pepper, vanilla bean, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt.

Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the pineapple and cook for a few minutes turning the pineapple over in the sauce occasionally until the pineapple begins to soften and release its juices.  Set the pan on a baking sheet, and brush the sides of the pan with a bit of butter. 

To make the cake, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and crème fraiche/sour cream and mix to combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Fold the flour into the wet ingredients then pour the batter over the fruit and spread into an even layer.

Bake the cake on the baking sheet until a toothpick inserted inserted into the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a spatula around the outside of the cake and invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Cool completely and remove the bay leaf and vanilla bean pod before slicing and serving. 

tacos with carnitas and pineapple salsa.

The taco obsession continues - it has gone from a minor one to a major one.  By the time summer is over, I will probably have put just about every vegetable and meat I can think of on a blistered corn tortilla.  Maybe some people have issues with eating like that (maybe some people don’t know a good thing when they meet it), but until the idea of hand held meals make me run away screaming, I will continue to fold up everything I find into a tortilla. 

The latest version involves pork shoulder taking a little bath in citrus flavored water.  During the cooking process, it somehow transforms into amazingly tender, crispy, salty chunks of meat that falls apart with the most gentle of nudges.  We piled it high into homemade corn tortillas.  As fantastic as it was plain, we decided to add in sliced avocado and spoonfuls of pineapple salsa.  The avocado added a wonderful bit of creaminess and the salsa added the necessary sweet/spicy crunch.  The perfect side dish?  Watermelon cocktails loaded up with gin and lime.  I can’t imagine getting sick of eating like this.

Carnitas

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen and the Homesick Texan Cookbook

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt cut into 2 inch pieces

½ cup orange juice

¼ cup lime juice

4 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Place the pork in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot.  Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and enough water to just barely cover the meat.  Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Simmer uncovered for 2 hours.  Don’t touch the meat.

After two hours, increase the heat to medium-high and while occasionally stirring and turning the pieces, continue to cook for about 45 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated, leaving only the rendered pork fat.  Let it sizzle in this fat long enough to brown at the edges, turning pieces gently (they love to fall apart!), only as needed. When pork is brown on both sides, it’s ready!

Pineapple Salsa

2 cups pineapple, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 large radish (or 2 small radishes), diced

¼ cup cilantro, chopped finely

1 clove garlic minced

Juice of half a lime

Salt to taste

In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, jalepeno, radish, cilantro, garlic and lime juice.  Stir to combine.  Season with salt, to taste.  Let sit at room temperature for 15 min to allow flavors to meld.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.