C is for Coffee Cake

Most coffee cakes do not contain coffee. Coffee cake just tastes best with coffee!
Below is my reinvention of the famous Cafe Beaujolais coffee cake. It has all the spices you might find in a cup of chai and tastes amazing, especially with coffee.

Spiced Coffee Cake
makes 8 to 12 servings
2 1/4 cup (287g) cake flour (plain flour is fine)
1 cup (238g) molasses sugar or dark brown sugar
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cardamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (160 ml) vegetable oil
1 cup (85g) sliced almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup (120ml) milk
1/2 cup (120ml) yogurt

Mix flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Blend in oil until smooth. Remove 3/4 cup (about 170g) mixture and combine with almonds and remaining 1 tsp cinnamon. Mix and set aside.
To the remaining flour mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, egg, milk and yogurt. Blend until smooth. Pour into buttered 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle reserved nut mixture evenly over the surface of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees (177 C) for 35 to 40 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool. Cut into squares and serve with coffee.

And a bit of history from The Food Timeline
Food historians generally agree the concept of coffee cake [eating sweet cakes with coffee] most likely originated in Northern/Central Europe sometime in the 17th century. Why this place and time? These countries were already known for their traditional for sweet yeast breads. When coffee was introduced to Europe these cakes were a natural accompaniment. German, Dutch, and Scandinavian immigrants brought their coffee cake recipes with them to America.
The first coffee cake-type foods were more like bread than cake. They were simple concoctions of yeast, flour, eggs, sugar, nuts, dried fruit and sweet spices. Over time, coffee cake recipes changed. Sugared fruit, cheese, yogurt and other creamy fillings are often used in today's American coffee cake recipes.

B is for Bicycle

With spring on the way, I was thinking about getting a bicycle. It will probably take a bit of research to find the right one. To start, I live in Hastings on a hill in a flat, so it will have to be light, with a few gears and need to think of a place to put it. It will also need to be red. I always admired Pee-Wee Herman's bike. Where can I find a lion horn?

He looks so happy!

Bells Bicycles
Bells Bicycles is a lovely bicyle shop in the Old Town. They restore vintage bikes, repair, hire and I love all the accessories! They just moved into a larger space on George Street, must check it out soon.

"At Bell’s we believe in having an adventure every day. Whether you are by the sea, in the countryside or in town, for leisure or pleasure, have fun on your bicycle, avoid the traffic jams and cut a dash."

I think this red Pashley would be ideal!

Bicycle Quotes

Ethan's Bike

Life is like riding a bicycle: you don't fall off unless you stop pedaling.
Claude Pepper 
 
Life is like a ten speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.
Charles M. Schulz

One of the most important days of my life was when I learned to ride a bicycle.
Michael Palin

The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets.
Christopher Morley  

A is for Artichoke

"A" is for artichoke, my favourite vegetable, so I thought it would be a place to start. Also being nearly Valentines Day, they are a vegetable with heart! And a little known fact: Marilyn Monroe was the first artichoke pageant beauty queen, crowned in 1948.
Artichokes are a bit difficult to find in Hastings. I am going to try and grow them from seed this month as the plants at the garden centre were nearly £10 each. Need to find the perfect place in the Walled Garden for them. If all goes well they should be ready to harvest around June. I will keep you posted here!

Another roadside stop in Castroville, near Monterey:  The Giant Artichoke (notice the GIANT artichoke at the entrance)!

They are very common where I grew up in northern California. Roadside fruit and vegetable stands on the coast, near Half Moon Bay are the best! The other day I had a craving for Duarte’s Famous Cream of Artichoke Soup. We used to stop at Duarte's Tavern, in Pescadero on our trips to the beach. On a lucky day last week I found  some artichokes at our local Asian shop and used them in the recipe above. Pretty close to the original! Just need some sourdough bread on the side!

How I like them:

1. Give them a good wash, get between the leaves. 
2. Trim the stem to about an inch, a bit off the top and any prickly leaf tips.
3. Put them in a large pot of boiling water with a couple cloves of garlic, peppercorns, a squeeze of lemon (helps keep them green) and a few juniper berries (if you have them).
4. Boil until tender (about 15-20 min depending on their size), check with a skewer.
5. Drain upside down on a plate.
6. Mix fresh crushed garlic with mayonnaise for dipping. And don't forget to eat the heart!

Some artichoke quotes....

"A woman is like an artichoke, you must work hard to get to her heart." - Inspector Jacques Clouseau in The Pink Panther (2006)

"I have a heart like an artichoke - a leaf for everyone." - from the 1947 film Nightmare Alley

"At least you'll never be a vegetable - even artichokes have hearts." - Amélie Poulain in the film Amélie

"Eating an artichoke is like getting to know someone really well." - Willi Hastings