There’s so much to say about this cake, that I don’t think I can. It leads a double life. On the surface, plain; and beneath, anything but. It has a taste that can’t easily be defined - sweet, but savory, herbaceous, fragrant, and warm. Nostalgic, in a way too. It reminds me of my grandmother. It seems like an odd choice of words to describe it, but try it and you’ll know what I mean.
Makes one 9-inch / 23cm loaf
When I was living in Basque country, just outside San Sebastian, I became obsessed with several Spanish sweets. Torrija and Basque cheesecake, especially. There is a pintxos bar in the old town of San Sebastian called La Vina, where they specialise in one thing: tarta de queso, or cheesecake. This is literally the only thing I would go there to eat. They bake approximately ten to fourteen cheesecakes a day, all dark topped and paper ruffled, and they always sell out. This is my version. It works well with acidic fruits such as apricots and citrus. I’ve also made it with poached quince and topped with wild fennel seeds, which was a huge hit. You can either make one large cake or several small ones. If you are going for individual cakes, reduce the baking time to 15 minutes.
This light fish curry is almost a stew, but unlike many southern dishes that are fiery hot, it’s quite mild. Traditionally eaten with “appams” or fermented rice pancakes,
I love it best with plain boiled rice with a dash of lemon juice squeezed on top.
I use full-fat canned coconut milk as the reduced-fat one does not give this curry the creaminess it needs.
Makes about 8 Muffins
Makes 1 (9-inch) pie; serves 6 to 8
I love mixing textures of cooked and raw vegetables in salads. In this case, soft wilted spinach with shaved fennel and apple that add sweetness and crunch, while the pistachio butter adds nutty creaminess. I also throw a few crushed, deeply toasted fennel seeds in to add a bit more interest.
Makes one 9-inch (23 cm) tart or shallow pie
What’s not to love? A sweet and salty pretzel base, fresh strawberries barely held together with their own juices, and a whipped coconut cream topping. This is something I remember eating during the peak of hot Nebraska summers. I always tried to scrape more than my fair share of the salty pretzels on the bottom.
This is my absolute favorite way to eat pineapple. Beautifully caramelized on the outside and even juicer and sweeter on the inside after roasting.