Saturday, October 3, 2009

Cooking Course Challenge

Cook Around the Block came about because my friend Jenn inviting me to a "A Cooking Course - CHALLENGE!!".

Jenn put out the challenge to other friends this way:
For years, I have cursed myself for buying cookbooks and then not ever feeling like I have properly exploited their benefit. I thought about cooking my way through one or two, recipe by recipe for ages and then several years ago came across the book "Julie & Julia" but the sort of "chick lit" bent didn't appeal to me greatly. My friend Cris agrees with me - she also wants to "do" a cookbook. Everyone in food blogs seems to be writing cookbooks - how about cooking your way through a really good one?

I'm planning to tackle "The Millennium Cookbook" and my friend Cris is going to tackle "The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen" by Donna Kein (212 pages) AND "Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet" by Raman Prasad (224 pages). Anyone else interested in this challenge?

So, I invited a handful of thoughtfully-selected family members and personal friends to join our culinary challenge that love to cook, even cook professionally. My sincere apology to Kate Robertson Selner for too quickly generating a name for my blog "Cris in the Kitchen"; seemed catchy enough. As soon as I clicked the "Save" button, I realized that I had totally spaced it that my friend's culinary blog is Kate in the Kitchen. Sheesh. My first blunder. Anyway, her blog should be really be called "Incredible Kate in the Kitchen"! Thence, the creation of my second attempt at a culinary blog "Cook Around the Block".

Jenn is in the process of setting up a group blog in which we will collectively share our culinary adventure of cooking from a single (in my case two) cookbook over the course of the next twelve months, or so. More later about the "Challenge".



It's overcast and the fireplace is heating the great room to a toasty temperature. Cliff is napping and I am about ready to fix myself another cup of tea. Forget the cookies. I'll have another slice of the Sour Cream Bundt Cake I baked late last night in anticipation of an early morning visit by our Realtor.

Here's my recipe, using the yellow cake mix by Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten-Free Dreams. Mix together:

  • 1 box of yellow cake mix
  • 1 small box of instant vanilla pudding
  • 4 small eggs, or 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 8 ounce sour cream
    Mix together 2/3 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons cinnamon. Set aside and grease the bundt pan well. Coat the pan with sugar mixture 3/4 the way up the pan sides. Pour in 1/3 of the cake batter, more sugar mixture, another 1/3 of the cake batter, more sugar mixture, the rest of the cake batter and top with the remaining sugar mixture.

    Bake at 350-degrees for one (1) hour. When it cools, wrap in foil or keep under glass. The longer the Sour Cream Bundt Cake sits, the moister it gets.

    Here's a couple variations that are just as delicious and moist - Poppy Seed or Cherry Bundt Cake:

    Add to the cake mix, instant pudding and eggs. Then add in the following:

    • 1/2 cup poppy seeds (none)
    • 1/2 cup cooking sherry (Kirsch)
    • 1 cup sour cream (pie cherries)
    • 1 stick melted butter
    Mix 5 minutes. Grease and flour bundt pan. Baking temperature and time is the same. When cool, dust with powdered sugar.

    Everybody, and I mean everybody, loves my fail-proof bundt cakes. The Bundt Cake recipe with variations date back to the early '80's and were shared with me by my friends Julie Turner and Lynn Newby. I personally don't have a "sweet tooth", seldom bake or eat desserts, but I have to agree that they are so tasty and moist they are hard to pass up when offered a slice, even difficult to resist a second serving.



     "When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste." Laiko Bahrs
     
    Best get busy looking through "The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen" by Donna Kein and "Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet" by Raman Prasad. I need a plan of action, to come up with my initial menu plan. Wonder how everyone else in our "Cooking Course Challenge" group is going to tackle cooking every recipe in their cookbook of choice?

    6 comments:

    1. Hahaha....don't they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

      I chose The Food and Mood Cookbook for my challenge. I decided to plan out menus to cook from instead of going recipe by recipe. I'm hoping to start when National Blog Posting Month commences on 11/1.

      This cake looks delicious. I am a big bundt cake fan.

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    2. It is delicious. Cris offered a slice to friend who passed on the offer. Big mistake. With only Cris and I to test it, we have tested our way through half the cake, and I don't normally eat sweets. We are just trying to pace ourselves...as in getting to the end of the cake before it dries out. Remarkable flavor..

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    3. Cute Dad! Don't feel like you have to throw yourself on that bomb alone...I'd be happy to take a few slices off you hands. That is, if there's any left. Yes, remarkable flavor!!! This recipe, and its variations, are my ALL TIME FAVORITE bundt cakes! So glad you posted them here Mom, that way we'll never misplace the recipes again. Mmmm. Fall is the perfect season for baking! Thanks, my own personal "Cook around the block"!

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    4. Ok!! this looks like I actually did something digital that works. I like your comments and stories of playing with healthy food and family Cris. Commenting here will be easier than sending related emails.

      I am eager to see if this posts - is that what it is called?

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    5. Commented posted, Ken. Thanks. High five! Any time you want a particular recipe, let me know and I'll send it along to you snail mail.

      A haiku for you:

      No wonder today
      all the men need
      mid-day naps...
      O that autumn moon!

      So-In

      ReplyDelete
    6. Holy macaroonnii -

      I just found your comment and have only this to say before I take my noon time nap .....

      Naps bring restful joy
      regardless the time of day.
      Sun, moon, many clouds.

      ZZZZZZZ

      ReplyDelete