Luxury defined by a carrot cake

Luxury is defined by our personal experiences -- molded by our opportunities and deprivations. 


Since I no longer have my own kitchen to muse about in, experiment and make a mess of at will, the simple opportunity to work in a kitchen to create a new recipe has become a luxury. After days of negotiating and pleading my mom gave me permission to attempt a layer cake in her kitchen.  An opportunity for which I am very grateful -- Thanks mom!

I first understood this concept of luxury when I traveled to Armenia seven years ago. Though I stayed in the capital Yerevan, I had the opportunity to explore the country. I saw both the good and the bad -- not only the new developments but also the villages stuck in time. One weekend we took a trip the the region of Karabagh, a contested area of land fought over in recent history.  The churches were riddled with gaping wounds brought upon by the weapons of war and the people were missing members of their family yet an opportunity to get together with friends new and old brought about the best in them. Smiles lit their faces while generosity and camaraderie fueled the amazing welcome and warmth they created for us visitors It was in these experiences that I truly understood the luxuries of having running water ( both hot and cold), an indoor restroom, and an air conditioner in the peak of summer. Who am I to complain about life challenges and obstacles when they are nothing compared to those suffered by people around the world?

With that brief foray into the past, I'm grateful to have the opportunity to bring you back to the present with my recipe for Carrot Cake, filled with a simple cream cheese sour cream filling. Granted, I was racing against the sun last night to get the pictures taken, so the filling was added a little bit early. Please forgive the delicious goopiness. It looks much better today :)

Marina's Carrot Cake Recipe


2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons coconut oil
4 eggs
1 cup organic sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrot
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup raisin
1 cup chopped walnut
3 tablespoon orange brandy


Filling


8 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons organic sour cream
1 capful vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12" cake pan with butter and flour and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.  In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the orange brandy and let it sit while you work on the rest of the cake.

Next, in a mixer, whip the sour cream, coconut oil and sugar until it is thoroughly combined and smooth. Slowly add the eggs in one at a time and whip until it reaches a smooth light consistency. Now set the mixer on "low" and add the flour in 1/2 cup at a time. Be careful not to overmix the dough.  As the dough begins to thicken, gradually pour in the orange brandy, alternating with the last bit of flour.

Finally, fold in the carrots, zucchini, walnuts and raisins. 

Bake for 60-65 minutes. 

P.S. I used a thin wood skewer to poke my cake and check for doneness... Any other techniques?

Mushroom Pancetta Risotto

After nearly two months of living in the library and staying away from the kitchen I finally had the opportunity to make my first post-bar exam meal...


Two simultaneous event occurred to prompt the above meal:

     1.   After three days of testings for nine hours a day, yours truly drove in traffic for nearly two hours to her parents house. Depleted, exhausted, depressed, and disappointed by the anticlimactic conclusion of the often darkly described exam I walked over the threshold and made a beeline straight for the piano. Granted, by the time I got home it was about 9:40 p.m.  and apparently my mother had decided it was time to call it a night.  " Oh no! Piano at this hour?!  Please, I just want to go to sleep."  The look on her face said it all, she was genuinely exhausted and knowing she, like myself, had difficulties falling asleep I took pity on her. "Ok" I responded, " Just two songs please, let me just play two songs, I NEED IT".  In a combined effort of understanding an compromise I was able to play a couple songs on the piano I had missed so much. She knew very well if allowed, those couple songs would have turned into a couple hours...

         The next day, still unaccepting of the fact that my summer of legal immersion had come to its conclusion, I set about to filling my day with long-ignored hobbies. Among these, a trip to the local library and of course dinner plans.  " I'll take care of dinner today mom, just let me know what you want, and consider it done."  Excitedly my youngest sister interrupts with " Risotto please please! Make us some risotto!" 

         2.   A simple Facebook request. I announced the impending return of my food blog ( optimistic thinking here)  and asked if anyone had specific requests. Much to my delight, my best friend from elementary school made a request for my risotto!  Granted, this post won't have the recipe because I believe risotto requires step-by-step pictures to get the full impact of the process. But, she has been promised a private lesson as soon as I hop on a plane to the East Coast ;)

Two requests for risotto from two valued members of my life was enough to make the decision for me :)

One last exam this coming Friday and academic freedom will hopefully be mine. Life will move onto new(and old) goals  of health/fitness, piano, reading books for pleasure, writing and of course blogging.



 

Wild Mushroom Bulgur

This may sound odd, but the fact that I'm finally using wild mushrooms in a recipe is a great sign that life is slowly settling into place.

Typically, when faced with life's obstacles and curve balls I run to the kitchen and begin frantically baking and cooking to calm my nerves -- using ingredients as a creative outlet.

At some point last year, even the kitchen failed to provide a safe haven for me. That is when I knew something was seriously wrong.  At around this time, Justin from Marx Foods generously sent me a sample of his dried wild mushrooms. Though a part of me was extremely excited about participating in this mushroom challenge, everything else was holding me back.

Well Justin, I am finally posting a recipe using your delicious mushrooms. Thank you for being so patient.

Ingredients:


A few pieces each of the following mushrooms: Lobster, Porcini, Black Trumpet, and Chanterelle
1 cup organic bulgur
1 cup chicken  or vegetable stock
1 cup water
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
3/4 tsp turmeric 
1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil


Directions:

The night before, place the dried mushroom in a cup of water, and let it sit overnight in the fridge.

Preparation:  Dice the onion and garlic, set aside; Pick out the mushrooms from the water and dice them to your desired size, save the "water" which has now become a broth ( hereafter "mushroom broth")

The day of: Dice the onion and garlic and sauté it in the olive oil until they become translucent. Next, add salt and pepper to taste along with the turmeric and smoked paprika. Sauté for another minute. Now add the bulgur, diced mushrooms, and butter. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Finally add the mushroom broth and chicken/vegetable broth ( totaling two cups of liquid). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.

Serve:  Either fluff with a fork and serve in a bowl topped with vegetables or along side some chicken or do as I did and pack the bulgur into a mold, according to your desired serving size.