Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This is a Betty Crocker Recipe

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
9 slices pineapple in juice (from 14-oz can), drained
9 cherries without stems, if desired
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 egg

Method:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In 9-inch square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple slices over brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice.

2. In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.

3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Serve warm. Store cake loosely covered.

10 Degrees South

10 Degrees South is a delightfully sinful South African restaurant on Roswell Road, Atlanta. Sinful because it burnt a small hole in SK’s pocket, delightful because the whole evening was just so pleasing. We were at 10 Degrees South last Saturday to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. I give SK full points for being different.

South African cuisine is primarily French with infusions of other European, Malaysian and Indian favors. The menu was so delectable. It even boasted a dozen escargots! We decided to veer of course and tried a dry South African wine. We paired this with a mildly spiced chicken liver on pita bread. For the main course, we had some super succulent lamb chops and Indian chicken curry.

10 Degrees South can be anything you want it to be. The open bar at the far end with a large lounge area is perfect for big groups of friends. The mid-section of this restaurant is rather intimate and tailored to couples. The entrance opens into a salon, with ample spread out tables for groups of 4-6. The ambience was earthy yet refined. That’s how I’d describe it.

I had a great evening. Thanks SK. Happy One.

Cafe Istanbul

Cafe Istanbul is a little Turkish haven, somewhere in East Atlanta. To call it a restaurant would be doing this fine, Middle-Eastern Mecca a grave injustice. For Café Istanbul is so much more! The succulent kebobs strike the right note with all those who visit but it’s the ambience – the traditional floor seating, dim ornate lamps, pots and earthenware that authentically decorate every wall, the belly dancing, thick Turkish rugs that trim the walls and cover every inch of the floor and the ubiquitous hookah, that make Café Istanbul an out of the ordinary experience.

We took M&S here, while they were visiting Atlanta. I tried a pomegranate martini and absolutely loved it. They sure do know their alcohol here, that’s all I can say. SK downed a couple of cold Turkish beers. We ordered a sampler from the appetizer menu. The couscous salad, the hummus and the baba ghanoush were my favorite. For the main course, we split a couple of plates of lamb & chicken kebobs. This was served with fragrant jasmine rice.

The highlight of the whole evening though was the apple flavored hookahs that we ordered and the gyrating belly dancer. Ah! To have that figure and fluidity! SK, of course, was a sport and went up and did his version of the shimmy shake with her.

I give this place a big G star.

Happy Birthday SK

Today is my darling SK's 30th birthday. I baked him a simple Devil's Chocolate Cake. While I would have much rather baked him something more flamboyant, I must confess that I'm no pastry chef. So a two tiered chocolate cake, straight out of a box, in a heart shaped mould it is. I did use some chocolate frosting and for a amateur like me, the outcome was pretty good.

Happy Birthday, my sweet boy.

TGIF

This picture was taken a few months ago at TGIF - a platter of barbeque ribs & fries. You can see me salivating, can't you?

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant is SK's favorite vegetable. I've exhausted my repertoire of 'baingan-barta', stuffed-brinjal & brinjal bhujiyas. There's just so much you can do with an eggplant - unless you venture into the world of Italian!

I followed to the T the recipe from - http://elise.com/recipes/archives/000220eggplant_parmesan.php

Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs (about 2 large) eggplants
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
4 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 lbs of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 cup grated high quality Parmesan cheese
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves

Method
1 Cut eggplants lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices. Arrange one layer in the bottom of a large colander and sprinkle evenly with salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant, salting, until all eggplant is in the colander. Weigh down the slices with a couple of plates and let drain for 2 hours. The purpose of this step is to have the eggplant release some of its moisture before cooking.

2 While the eggplant is draining, prepare tomato sauce. Combine tomatoes, garlic and 1/3 cup olive oil in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper to tasted and set aside.

3 When eggplant has drained, press down on it to remove excess water, wipe off the excess salt, and lay the slices out on paper towels to remove all the moisture. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine flour and breadcrumbs. Mix well. Pour beaten eggs into another wide shallow bowl. Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat, and pour in a a half inch of olive oil. When oil is shimmering, dredge the eggplant slices first in the flour mixture, then in the beaten egg. Working in batches, slide coated eggplant into hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

4 Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bottom of a 10x15 inch glass baking dish, spread 1 cup of tomato sauce. Top with one third of the eggplant slices. Top eggplant with half of the mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with one third of the Parmesan and half of the basil leaves.

5 Make a second layer of eggplant slices, topped by 1 cup of sauce, remaining mozzarella, half the remaining Parmesan, and all of the remaining basil. Add remaining eggplant, and top with the remaining tomato sauce and Parmesan.

6 Bake until cheese has melted and the top is slightly brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

SK loved it, need I say more.

Thanksgiving 2009

Happy Thanksgiving! Indeed it was. This year, for the first time, we had a Thanksgiving potluck and I should've known that like all our other potlucks, this one too would be a rip-roaring success!

The Menu:

Turkey

Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Beans & Cranberry

Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

Corn Bread

Dessert:

Pumpkin Pie

Pecan Pie

Of course, there was apple cider and plenty of wine. But Thanksgiving would not have been Thanksgiving without the most important ingredient - a bunch of good friends.

Happy Turkey Day!