Food, Photography and Bons Mots

Recent Posts

Alice Waters, Ethical Edibles and A Sweet Little Almond Torte
June 13, 2021

Alice Waters, Ethical Edibles and A Sweet Little Almond Torte

Alice Waters. Chez Panisse. Slow Food.  Living as we do in the era of fast and faster food–you know flamin’ cheetos and deep fried oreos–how good it is to slow down and reflect upon what we eat, when we eat it, and to appreciate the…

Cakes, Desserts, Vegetarian
It’s a Beaut! Spicy Caramelized Cabbage
June 6, 2021

It’s a Beaut! Spicy Caramelized Cabbage

Look at those beautiful curves and the saucy way the leaves curl. And that ombre color palette…  Wow! There’s no way around it; this is the Marilyn Monroe of cabbages.  (Or the Kim Kardashian. You pick.) In addition to its radiant beauty, we also are…

Food History, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Oldies But Goodies: Cranberry Beans With Polenta
May 29, 2021

Oldies But Goodies: Cranberry Beans With Polenta

Every month Blue Cayenne features one post from our archive of more than 350 recipes. Here is a Cranberry Beans With Polenta recipe.

You don’t want to miss this great recipe…again.

Want to dive deeper into our recipe archive?  Just click one of the categories at the top of this page or use the category search drop down menu on the right side of this page.

Here is the link to the recipe: Cranberry Beans With Polenta.

Uncategorized
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler: An Oyster Mushroom Po’Boy
May 23, 2021

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler: An Oyster Mushroom Po’Boy

My good friend Carol gave me a delightful gift for my birthday— grow-your-own oyster mushrooms. As it turned out, the gift triggered my long-suppressed American Gothic. You know…the farm, the pitchfork, the Willie Nelson concert.   There I was every day for a couple of…

Entree, Main Dishes, Mushrooms, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Beyond Delicious: Bittersweet Brownie Shortbread
May 16, 2021

Beyond Delicious: Bittersweet Brownie Shortbread

I’ve never liked brownies. Until now. Esteemed New York Times’ food writer Melissa Clark has rocked my world with this Bittersweet Brownie Shortbread. Truth be told, I can’t stop eating them. (Please send help.) So, what’s the big fuss? Clark has paired a bittersweet fudgy…

Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Vegetarian
Small Acts of Kindness and Gateau Nantais
May 10, 2021

Small Acts of Kindness and Gateau Nantais

 

How about a hug?

Some days you just need a hug or a little cake in your life. This is a year full of those needy days. 

Norwegian statesman Jens Stoltenberg said it well: “When autumn darkness falls, what we will remember are the small acts of kindness: a cake, a hug, an invitation to talk, and every single rose. These are all expressions of a nation coming together and caring about its people.”

This beautiful French Gateau Nantais may just be the cake you need to buoy your own spirits and to reach out to a friend as we begin to maneuver our way back into a semblance of life-before-Covid.

Better hold off on the hug for a while, though. 

Gateau Nantais

May 10, 2021
Print This
Ingredients
  • For The Cake
  • 16 T. salted butter plus more for the pan (room temperature)
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 1/3 C. white sugar
  • 2 T. grated lemon zest
  • 2 1/2 C. almond flour
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 1/2 C. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour
  • 6 T. dark Rum
  • For The Rum Syrup
  • 3 T. white sugar
  • 1/3 C. water
  • 1 T. whole allspice
  • 1 t. black peppercorns
  • 1/2 C. dark rum
  • For The Lemon Glaze and Garnish
  • 1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
  • 1/4 t. salt
  • 3 T lemon juice (or more as needed)
  • 1/2 C. sliced almonds (toasted)
Directions
  • Step 1 Butter a 9-inch round baking pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the rack in the middle position in your oven.
  • Step 2 Beat eggs in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Step 3 Set up your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat butter, sugar and lemon zest at medium speed for 2 or 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add almond flour and salt and beat for about 30 seconds until the almond flour is incorporated into the butter mixture. Gradually add the eggs to the mixture. Scrape the bowl as needed while you beat the mixture for about 3 minutes. You want this mixture to be light and fluffy when properly beaten. Leave your mixer on low speed and gradually add the all-purpose flour. Mix until the flour is incorporated. Add the rum and mix to combine. At this point you will need to be careful that there are no pockets of raw flour in your mixture. Scrape the bowl a few times to check for pockets of flour. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 50 to 55 minutes. When your cake is done it will be a pretty brown on top and the center will spring back when gently pressed. You can check your cake for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer into the center of the cake. The skewer should come out clean.
  • Step 4 To make the rum syrup, add sugar, water, allspice and peppercorns together in a saucepan. Boil this mixture over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum. Put the mixture back on the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes to thicken it a bit. Remove from heat and strain the mixture into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Set aside.
  • Step 5 Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes before you invert it on a second wire rack. While the cake is still a bit warm, brush the top and sides of the cake with the rum syrup. Now, completely cool the cake to room temperature. This will take about 1 hour. Transfer the cake to a serving platter.
  • Step 6 Prepare the lemon glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar and salt together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the lemon juice and continue to whisk until your glaze is thick and smooth–about the consistency of yogurt. You can add additional lemon juice (1/2 t. at a time) until you have the proper consistency. Pour the glaze over the top of your cool cake using an offset spatula to spread the glaze. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the toasted almonds. Let the glaze set for about an hour before cutting and serving.

 

This recipe is adapted from one that appears on the Milk Street site. You can see the original recipe here. 

 

Cakes, Desserts, Vegetarian
It’s What’s For Breakfast: Strawberry Vanilla Snacking Cake
May 3, 2021

It’s What’s For Breakfast: Strawberry Vanilla Snacking Cake

    OK.  So I had cake for breakfast. Strawberry Snacking Cake, actually. My customary breakfast of oatmeal and flax seeds was getting old. And…why shouldn’t I have cake for breakfast? Aren’t muffins cake?  (I rest my case.)   In any event, I’ve always subscribed to…

Cakes, Desserts, Vegetarian
Oldies But Goodies: Eggplant Gratin In Parmesan Custard
April 27, 2021

Oldies But Goodies: Eggplant Gratin In Parmesan Custard

Every month Blue Cayenne features one post from our archive of more than 350 recipes. Here is an Eggplant Gratin in Parmesan Custard recipe. You don’t want to miss this great recipe…again. Want to dive deeper into our recipe archive?  Just click one of the…

Eggplant, Main Dishes, Oldies But Goodies, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Who’d a thunk It? Tahini Banana Bread
April 25, 2021

Who’d a thunk It? Tahini Banana Bread

OK. OK. It’s another damn Banana Bread recipe. 

In my defense, this is a Banana Bread recipe with a new twist: tahini.

No. Really.

Tahini? In Banana Bread?  Wow! Who’d a thunk it? 

Tahini is a paste made from toasted ground hulled sesame seeds. You’ve had it if you’ve eaten hummus, baba ganoush or halva, but you’ve probably never enjoyed it in your banana bread.

Until now. 

Tahini Banana Bread

April 25, 2021
Print This
Ingredients
  • For the Banana Bread
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 C. granulated sugar
  • 2/3 C. tahini paste (I used Soom brand)
  • 4 very ripe bananas (peeled and mashed)
  • 1 slightly-less ripe banana (peeled and sliced)
  • 7 T. mild vegetable oil (I used grapeseed)
  • 1 T. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • 1 t. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 t. fine sea salt
  • 2 C. unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 t. baking powder
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • 1 t. black sesame seeds
  • 1 t. white sesame seeds
  • For the glaze:
  • 3 T. powdered sugar
  • 2 T. tahini paste
  • 1 T. hot water
Directions
  • Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan by spraying it thoroughly with cooking spray, lining the pan with parchment paper, and then spraying the parchment paper with cooking spray.When you line the pan with the parchment paper, cut the parchment paper long enough to hang over the long sides of the pan. Use the parchment paper overhang as handles to lift the bread out of the pan after it has baked and cooled.  
  • Step 2 Prepare the batter in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Put eggs and granulated sugar into the bowl of the stand mixer and beat until you have a pale and fluffy mixture. This will take about 3 minutes. Add the tahini, mashed bananas, vegetable oil, sesame oil, vanilla, cinnamon and salt to the batter. Mix just until the ingredients are combined. Set aside.
  • Step 3 Using a medium-sized bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and baking soda together. Add this flour mixture to the egg mixture in two additions. Each time you add flour,  mix the batter until it is just smooth. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and sprinkle the top of the batter with the black and white sesame seeds. Arrange a line of sliced bananas down the middle of the dough.
  • Step 4 Bake. The bread is done when a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out without too many crumbs clinging to it. This bread needs to bake for approximately one hour depending upon your oven.
  • Step 5 Once your bread is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then remove the bread from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Do not try to glaze your bread until it is totally cooled.
  • Step 6 While your bread is cooling, make the glaze. Mix the powdered sugar, tahini and water together in a small bowl until you have a smooth mixture. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the bread and let the bread sit for a few minutes to allow the glaze to set.

 

This recipe is adapted from one that appears in Amy Zitelman’s book The Tahini Table. The book is available at local bookstores and on Amazon here. 

The author of this book is one of three sisters who manufacture premium tahini under the brand name Soom. Their tahini is wonderful. Here is a link: Soom.

 

 

Bananas, Breads, Breakfast Dishes, Middle Eastern, Vegetarian
Fried Royal Corona Bean Salad With Pearl Barley And Chili-Herb Yogurt
April 17, 2021

Fried Royal Corona Bean Salad With Pearl Barley And Chili-Herb Yogurt

What is the world’s largest edible bean?   Look that question up on the Internet and you are in for a trip down the rabbit hole.  There is a Guinness record for the World’s Tallest Bean plant. (46.3 feet/2003.) There is a record for “The…

Beans, salad, Salad Dressings, Salads, Vegetables, Vegetarian

We’d love to have you subscribe to Blue Cayenne!

Categories

Juliet-Chief Taster and Blue Cayenne’s CQO (Chief Quality Officer)

May 2026
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
Copyright © 2025 Blue Cayenne