Grilled Pesto and Mozzarella Sandwich for a Garage Painter

The other day my son was painting the garage. It was hot, muggy and he was starving. I thought I had nothing in the house.
Then I remembered my homemade pesto, oven roasted tomatoes and some leftover fresh mozzarella cheese.
I had some yummy Arthur Avenue Casa Bread from the Bronx and I gave it a quick toasting. Slathered it with pesto, slices of mozzarella and threw on some oven roasted tomatoes.
I popped it back into the toaster oven and melted the cheese and served it up with a tall glass of Iced Tea. The boy was in heaven, and lunch took a mere 10 minutes from start to finish.
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A 17 Layer Birthday Cake Fit for a Princess

My daughter, Katy has always been a child that knows what she wants. Even at a very young age she was focused and relentless about getting it.

Her birthday is on July 26th, and about one month before that she began telling me and all her friends that she wanted a 17 layer cake for her 17th birthday. She even announced it on facebook!

Katy; 19 days to get my 17 layered birthday cake baked, assembled, and iced people....

July 7 · Comment ·

Kina; katy you are the pancake queeeeen :)

Katy

bahaha but it's only official if it's written in pink icing on top on a 17 layered birthday cake !!!

July 6 at 9:00pm

Kina

i will make a layer :]

July 6

Katy

YESSS!!!!!!! now i need 16 more people

July 7

In the beginning I gave the standard New York reply "Fah get abuoot it!". But she wore me down and 2 days before the grand event, on the hottest day of the year (so far) I began a journey that ended 48 hours later. It involved having my son put an air conditioner in the laundry room, (the buttercream was melting!), using over 4 pounds of butter, 3 pounds of cake flour, untold numbers of eggs, (I dropped a carton) and feeding all the neighborhood kids cake scraps! On the evening of the first day, her best friend Laura arrived with her version of a 17 layer cake! It was clearly a winner. She made a sheet cake and used star cookie cutters to stack the layers. She had even iced each layer a different color. The pressure was on. Could I let a 17 year old baker out bake me? No way! I couldn't let it happen.
It was no easy feat. Being that I can't cut straight to save my life,
( Not to worry David Lebovitz, a pastry chef job is certainly not in my future). The cake had a decided lean.
I didn't let that stand in the way of building layers. I shored it up with cake scraps, covered it in Icing and hoped for the best!
Then I added a finishing touch.
And there you have it! A 17 layer cake, fit for my Princess!
If you should decide that an enormous layer cake is needed for the princess in your life, I would keep a few things in mind.
You, of course probably already know this but it was a revelation to me. Any many layered cake needs a dense cake mix. I should have used Rose Levy Beranbaum's wedding cake recipe, but I didn't. I tried her roll cake, Chocolate Dream(?) way to squishy for this project. Although it does make a great addition to ice cream sundaes. But then that's another blog!
The All American Chocolate Cake however did hold up to the weight of the layers. I know, I could have put a few dowels in for strength and to keep the cake straight. But that seemed a woosie maneuver.
I had worked for days on the cake and then it was time for dinner. The Princess, of course had a birthday menu in mind; steamed lobster with drawn butter,
Vegetable Tian and of course homemade cherry ice cream to be served along side the cake.
All said and done, it was a magical evening!
Even Daddy got in on the act!
After all you are only 17 once.
Make a wish Princess and blow out the candles!Happy Birthday!
Love,
Mommy Cakes

Bon Voyage Vegetable Tian

My friend and neighbor Natasha, had a dinner party last night. Just about everyone at the party thought she was crazy. You see she was leaving for Mumbai, India today for her parents 50th Anniversary Celebration. We all agreed that not a one of us would have had a party the night before we were leaving on a month long trip. But party she did.
Twenty people were invited and we were told what to bring. As the sun set, and the grill warmed up we mingled, drank a chilled rose and caught up on each others lives.
Dinner was a wonderful affair! We were served marinated flank steak and salmon covered in garlic and parsley, both grilled to perfection by her husband Chris. A tomato tart filled with sliced tomatoes, garlic, basil and cheese, an asparagus tart, flavored with cheese and herbs. I brought a Vegetable Tian I put together an hour before the party started. Dessert was even more amazing, a rich chocolate cake (Natasha swore she would get me the recipe), brownies and cookies.
It was a beautiful evening, and I am so glad my friend has the energy to throw a party the night before she travels around the world with two kids!
I used a mandoline to slice the vegetables thinly. A mandoline makes quick work of a very tedious job.
The tomatoes and scapes were cut by hand. Buying vegetables the same width makes a nicer presentation and allows for more uniform cooking. I was originally going to add eggplant, but since it was thicker than the other vegetables, I decided to save it for ratatouille. The tian was out of the oven a good hour before we ate it and was delicious at room temperature.
Vegetable Tian
Printable Recipe Vegetable Tian pdf


1 red onion, sliced thinly
4 garlic scapes sliced thinly
3 zucchini, sliced thinly
3 summer squash, sliced thinly
9 Roma tomatoes, sliced thinly
3 tablespoons olive oil
fresh thyme leaves off 4-5 branches
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and scapes and cook until colored. Turn out into the casserole dish and spread evenly over the bottom.
Place the sliced tomato, zucchini and squash on top of the onions alternating them as you go.
Sprinkle with olive oil, fresh thyme leaves, sea salt and pepper.
Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.
Remove the foil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake another 25 minutes until the cheese is brown.

Bon Voyage Natasha!
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A TSA Friendly Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

Eating on an airplane has it's hazards. The food offered is generally mediocre and expensive. It's hard to imagine anything more unappetizing than a cold, soggy, plastic encased day old turkey wrap with a side of sun chips. Then we ask you to pay $9.00 for these gastronomic masterpieces. As a flight attendant I've been desperate enough to eat these offerings and let me tell you, it's not a banquet for a Queen. More like alms for the poor. I've found with a little planning you can eat well for less. And in this economy, who doesn't like that?
One of my favorite things to bring is a grilled vegetable sandwich. Flavorful, delicious at room temperature and easy to pack. I wrap all the ingredients separately and assemble it on the plane. Just ask a F/A for a set of plastic flatware and your ready to eat a wonderful lunch while your fellow travelers look on longingly.

The TSA or Transportation Security Administration have developed rules for bringing food on board an aircraft, but it's easy to live within these guidelines. Just remember no liquids over 3 ounces, no cutlery or glassware. In other words, leave behind you chef's knife, wine bottle and glasses.
I usually start by grilling my vegetables the day before. I place those in a seal plastic container. I then cut and split my bread, and wrap it separately in plastic wrap. The cheese I place in a zip lock bag and finally pack it all together in a large zip lock bag to carry on board. If I have a small amount of pesto or sauce to spread on my bread, I place it in a small single serving "Gladware" container. You can always pull it out of your bag for inspection while your passing through security. Be careful, if it looks too good, some hungry agent may confiscate it!
Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

1/4 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper
1 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4 thick slices
1 red onion, cut in half across the width, leaving the skin, root end and blossom end attached
2 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
handful oven roasted tomatoes
enough fresh pesto to spread on the bread
1 piece of ciabatta bread, split
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat an outdoor grill.
Place the cut side of the onion on the grill. When the grill marks appear, turn the onion and position it on the grill so that it is sitting up right. brush it with olive oil. Place it on the side and continue to cook until it's soft. Peel the skin, and slice into 1/4 inch slices.
Place whole red pepper on the grill. When the skin has blacken on one side, give it a quarter turn and continue turning it until all sides are black. Place it in a paper bag, seal it and allow to cool. This will steam the pepper and enable you to peel it easily. Once cool, peel pepper removing seeds and stem. Cut into large pieces.
Lay the zucchini slices on the grill, when grill marks appear, turn and brush with olive oil. Turn again after the other side is marked and brush with olive oil once again. Remove when the zucchini is soft.
To assemble, spread pesto on bread. Lay zucchini slices on the bread, top with red pepper slices, onion rings, mozzarella and oven roasted tomatoes.
This sandwich is good as is, but exceptional toasted.

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Quick Greek Salad

A quick but simple summer lunch can be made by throwing together an assortment of veggies, cheese, olive oil and vinegar. Add a fistful of chopped herbs, a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper and you've made a lunch your friends and colleagues will envy.
Keeping this formula in mind, I used feta cheese, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber and mint for a refreshing and healthy luncheon salad. Feel free to substitute the the red onion for scallions, add bell pepper. or even fresh oregano. This salad is easy to customize to your own taste. Keep it cool in the frig at work, or in an insulated bag with an ice pack.
Quick Greek Salad

1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved and sliced
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
handful fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoons olive oil
coarse sea salt freshly ground black pepper

Toss all ingredients in a bowl, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Chocolate Chestnut Torte

My friend Lynn of Jardins des Thevenet, is a brilliant cook. She created this rich, delectable torte one night as an end to a unbelievably delicious dinner. She manage to whip up dinner for 12, within 2 hours. The menu began with Skate enveloped in Cream and Capers on Garlic Pureed Potatoes followed by the main course Duck Braised in Vinegar and Stock served atop Fresh Pasta.
The dessert, a Chocolate Chestnut Torte on a bed of Yogurt flavored with Chestnut Puree finished the meal. We sat around the table enjoying coffee and conversation until the wee hours.
It was no easy feat getting together all the essential items for this tart. Lynn used a heart shaped silicone mini cake pan.
Creme des Marrons, which can be found on Amazon, but I had the good fortune to have my friend Uju bring me several cans from Paris.
Everything else I had in my pantry. Once I had all the ingredients it was a 10 minute process to put this torte together.
I had fresh raspberries in the refrigerator so I pureed them with a little sugar and lemon juice. I think Framboise with be a delightful addition. Alcohol always bring out the flavor of fruit.
This is a simple dessert that packs a wallop of flavor and perfect for those times you want to WOW you guests.

Chocolate Chestnut Torte

1/3 cup good quality dark chocolate, I used Scharffenberger Dark Chocolate
1/2 cup salted butter
2/3 cup or Creme de Marrons
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt, chocolate and butter together in a medium size saucepan. Stir until smooth. Off the heat heat, stir in the chestnut puree. Add the eggs one at a time stirring until they are fully incorporated.
Pour into silicone molds, Fill about 1/2 up and bake until firm, about 20 minutes.
Makes 9 tortes
Serve with plain yogurt flavored with Creme de Marrons. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Or raspberry puree made with 1 pint raspberries, pureed with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Add 1 tablespoon Framboise or Kirshwasser
The only problem is the family member that doesn't want to wait for these tortes to cool.
Join me at Jardins des Thevenets on a cooking holiday, where we will make this tart as well as many other wonderful dishes.


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Figs with Goat Cheese and Red Chili Jam

Impromptu parties are always fun. But the dilemma is what to serve to guests who now expect great things from you. I hate to let people down and but hate to spend my life in the kitchen while the party is going on. Last night was no exception.
Every Summer I serve figs until my family and friends are sick of them. I've roasted them wrapped in prosciutto and drizzled in honey, topped them with creme fraiche and pink peppercorns. I've served them as a dessert tart atop pastry creme and brushed with apricot jam, I've even made fig ice cream. This time I cut them in half, placed a spot of goat cheese on the cut side
and garnished it with the Chile Jam I had bought in Exeter, Devon at a Christmas Fair. They were ready in 5 minutes and were delicious! My figs were gone in a flash and suddenly I was giving out the recipe to everyone. I swear it's the Chili Jam that makes them so special. When this jar is gone, I am going to have to make some!
Stay tuned for a Chili Jam blog!

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