Creative cooking and living in the fertile Salinas Valley, east of Eden, along California's central coast
“He was not alone in his preoccupation with the future. The whole valley, the whole west was that way. It was a time when the past had lost its sweetness and its sap.”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
I’ve baked my way to November! Finally, it’s almost election day here in the United States. It has been a wild ride. Soon we’ll be obsessed with the outcome. I’m fairly certain I’ll just keep baking as my personal stress relief.
Of course it occurred to him that he might be wrong, that some misbegotten shadow had fallen across his face and warped his seeing. And so he cast back to the sharp picture in his head and knew that the eyes were smiling too. Twisted light could do one or the other but not both.
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Pumpkin spice fatigue? Election anxiety? Its real and I have the antidote. The Maple Pecan Pound Cake with Maple Glaze makes a fall statement with browned butter, toasted pecans and real maple syrup. The aroma of buttery pecans and maple syrup are guaranteed to bring the fall cozy into your kitchen. Cozy is what we all could use. I’m determined to keep my sanity. My distracted mind can be coaxed back into focus by keeping my hands busy. I’ve ripped out most of the summer garden and started sewing again. It brings me joy that I have this place to share my passion for baking. Baking is special, it’s a bonus in our busy lives. A quick project for my hands and mind. A time to stop and enjoy.
Rich buttery pecans and real maple syrup come together in The Maple Pecan Pound Cake with Maple Glaze that satisfies that craving for something sweet with fall flavors. Browned butter coupled with maple extract, bring more intense fall flavor. The aroma of the Maple Pecan Pound Cake baking is more than enough reason to give this easy recipe a try.
“Lee had kept Adam’s eggs warm and had fried two for Cal. Aron walked through the dining room on his way to school. Want me to wait for you?”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
All the sweet flavors of multi-colored bells mingle with your favorite salsa for a spicy update to the classic recipe in Spicy Egg Topped Stuffed Bell Peppers. The rice stuffing cooks inside the peppers that are nestled in a tomato based sauce. Topping these Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers with an egg adds a boost of protein which could be dinner, lunch or brunch. The Spicy Egg Topped Stuffed Bell Peppers can be served with chips and salsa but warmed tortillas would be wonderful too. Temper the spiciness of the recipe by varying the type of salsa and amount of red pepper flakes.
“I don’t know how it will be in the years to come. There are monstrous changes taking place in the world, forces shaping the future whose face we do not know.”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Yes, I made another dessert with fresh fruit. Yes, I’m still baking my way to November. And yes, making dessert with fruit at peak harvest time is a personal obsession. Figs are one of those odd fruits, either one is passionate about them or ignores them completely. I adore them. My favorite way to enjoy figs is to eat them fresh and without anything fancy added. But a Fig Coffee Cake loaded with sweet, juicy figs and a layer of buttery streusel is really, really good too.
“Want to see a present I got for Lee? Look! She opened a little cardboard box. It’s a new kind of potato peeler. Takes off just the skin. It’s easy. I got it for Lee.”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Apple season, a reminder, a wake up call, we are skidding along the ark of change. Soon it will be fall. There was a time that I dreaded apple season. It was long ago. Standing on a stool I was given a vegetable peeler and scraped and whacked away at the apples until the pile finally, mercifully grew smaller. Now I use a sharp knife to peel apples. In pastry school I learned to quarter the apples, remove the core and then swiftly peel away the skin of each quarter. Even though the work flow has changed there isn’t an apple that I peel that doesn’t bring back childhood memories. Doesn’t matter if it’s slicing an apple for a snack or making a cake, I vividly recall how overwhelmed I felt looking at the huge pile of apples. I don’t mind peeling apples anymore. I suppose its because I get to choose how many apples to peel. The cushion of time softens even the strongest of memories.