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Most avid home cook can tell you how their kitchen is arranged just the way they like it with everything within reach in the most logical way. So when faced with the task of cooking in someone else’s kitchen, a minimally equipped bachelor’s kitchen no less, things can be challenging. Back in December I traveled to Virginia and did a significant amount of cooking at my BF’s kitchen. I basically shipped and packed enough kitchenware to make it possible. Upon my return, I also brought many of my things home with me. So this weekend, I am once again faced with that same old problem.
What is different this time is that I’m more savvy when it comes to putting meals on the table that are delicious yet easy. Take dessert for example. Homemade dessert from scratch is probably one of the “best value” skill I possess. It is not hard to master but the impact of serving a cake made from scratch almost guarantee to impress. Of course it also helps that my BF has a sweet tooth.
The classic quick bread mixing method is truly my best friend. I’ve been doing plenty of experimenting lately and the traditional French yogurt cake is one of my favourites. The cake is tender and absolutely delicious unadorned. Yet the basic recipe invites variations to make it as special as I wish. Last night, I made the Apple & Maple Yogurt Cake from Chocolate & Zucchini as the sweet ending to our dinner of pan-seared Stachowski duck sausage, green bean salad with fried almonds, roasted butternut squash with Parisien Bonnes Herbes, and a cheese plate of Blue Ridge Dairy applewood smoked mozzarella and Cowgirl Creamery Mt Tam. Can you tell I managed to convince BF to visit Falls Church Farmers’ Market with me on an early weekend morning?
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What I like most about Clotilde’s recipe for this yogurt cake is the delicious mix of maple and apple. Maple syrup is the only sweetener used in the cake and the resulting cake tastes strongly of the natural sweetness of maple. I did some minimal adaptation including the use of melted butter instead of vegetable oil and a generous teaspoon of cinnamon. Cinnamon and apple go hand in hand for North American style baking but not so much for French. I do love my Saigon cinnamon…so intensely fragrant! While the cake was baking, I kept on thinking of pancakes. I thought it was a little strange until I remembered all that maple syrup mingling with the aroma of cake is not all that different than the classic maple syrup on pancakes combination.
An interesting challenge of cooking from my BF’s kitchen is a nosy little feline. I have never had any pets myself so it definitely takes some getting used to. Normally there isn’t much cooking going on in his kitchen. All the commotion and delicious smell of food made this kitty all too curious. I spent much of my time guarding the kitchen counter from her intrusion. Of course, no food or dirty plates are left around unattended because they would draw her attention almost immediately. I learned to hide my mise en place in the microwave, oven, and fridge until the very last minute. If I have to name the most difficult task, I would have to say photo shoot. Picture this: a freshly baked Apple & Maple Yogurt Cake sitting within paw’s reach. How can any pet resist getting into the frame at every opportunity? In the mean time, I was wielding my camera, protecting my cake, distracting the cat, and catching the last ray of sunlight all at the same time. Truly a job to test my multitasking skill!
