mango cake & green curry paste

My mom celebrated her 62nd birthday this August and I wanted to make her a unique dinner and dessert for her special day.

Her dessert request for our sweet teeth? Fresh mango.

My first instinct was to make a clafouti and although I knew it would taste delicious, I wasn't sure how it would photograph for such a festive occasion. A cherry clafouti would be the better visual choice but I had to stick to my mango guns.

A not-too-sweet cake flecked with fresh mango became my inspiration. I searched around and fell across this recipe. After a few tweaks with the frosting and an addition of sugared raspberries to cut the sweetness (I adore mangos paired with raspberries), this was the perfect confection for the occasion.

Mexican Mango Birthday Cake

with Tequila & Sugared Raspberries

Cake:

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan

3 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting the pan

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 large eggs

2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup buttermilk

Frosting:

1 cup fresh mango, diced finely

1 cup granulated sugar

8 ounces cream cheese, plus additional, as needed*

2 Tablespoons tequila

*If the frosting is too wet from over-ripe mangos, add additional cream cheese to firm frosting up.

Garnish:

fresh raspberries, rolled in granulated sugar

edible flowers

birthday candles

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Liberally butter and flour a Bundt pan.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy-- approximately 7 minutes. Add the eggs, beating well after each addition. In batches, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the flour mixture. Do not over-mix or cake well become tough.

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake until the cake is golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool completely in the pan. Invert the cake onto the wire rack, then put it on a cake plate or platter.

Combine the mango, sugar, cream cheese and tequila with the whip attachment in the stand mixer. Blend until smooth and thick, adding additional cream cheese, if needed.

Spoon the mango topping evenly over the top of the cake and decorate with edible flowers and sugared raspberries.

After I frosted and decorated the cake, I went on to make dinner for four with the help of my father (aka THE Grill Master).

On the menu:

Spinach Salad with Avocado,

Grapefruit, Basil & Creme Fraiche

Grilled Filets of Beef with

Green Curry Cream Sauce (foodgasm!)

&

Grilled Asparagus

Herbed Jasmine Rice with Serrano Peppers

Delish! We were too famished for pictures...next time.

a dessert, light as air & tostadas to share

The past weekend was considered a "working" one while I spent a few days with my parents in Austin. Fortunately, working was a joy surrounded by sweet yellow labs, 70 degree weather, wine spritzers on the patio and a gorgeous view of the Hill Country.

Although I was glued to my laptop writing, finishing taxes with my accountant and financial advisor (my dad), and returning endless emails I was finally able to pause and write some healthy spring recipes perfect for a party!

After I launched my new menu planning service for Linguine and Dirty Martinis, I decided to make a few recipes I shared with a client who was interested in balancing healthful foods, lean protein and whole grains with the rich tastes inherent in comfort food.

Comfort food to me is Tex-Mex laced with a warming spice and multiple textures. To appeal to these comforts, I settled on a bright tostada bar for the family fusing crunchy, savory, sour, sweet, spicy, earthy and buttery flavors all in one dish!

My make-your-own tostada bar was complete with:

Tamarind-Grilled Chicken, Stewed Black Beans with Chipotle, Baked Whole Wheat Tortillas, Fresh Avocado, Kumquat Pico de Gallo and Queso Fresco

The glory of this meal is how surprisingly light it is. One tostada serving (as shown) falls under 400 calories for a healthy portion. Bon appétit!

Tamarind-Grilled Chicken

I became a huge fan of tamarind paste after making Tamarind-Glazed Chicken with Fresno Chiles and Ginger for a colorful feast this past September.

I love the curious tart flavor of the paste combined with the wood-fired flavor from the grill. This chicken takes the tostada bar to the extreme of deliciousness (yes, deliciousness), but would be quite lovely served alone.

I marinated and chilled the chicken a few hours before dinner and left the grilling up to my Dad because that's what dads are for!

yields 4 servings

1 T seedless tamarind paste

2 T extra virgin olive oil

juice and zest of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

In the bottom of a plastic container, whisk together tamarind paste, olive oil and lemon juice. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper then dredge both sides in marinade. Cover container and chill to marinate approximately 1-3 hours.

After marinating, grill chicken on a charcoal grill approximately 5 minutes per side until just cooked through. Set aside to rest then slice for tostada bar.

Stewed Black Beans with Chipotle

yields 4 servings

one 15.5 ounce can black beans, undrained

1/4 c green salsa (of your choice)

1 T chipotles in adobo, minced

salt to taste

This recipe is so, so simple. Simply simmer ingredients together over medium heat to warm through. Serve warm or room temperature with tostadas.

Baked Whole Wheat Tortillas

yields 4 servings

4 whole wheat tortillas

(I used local Margarita's Tortilla Factory)

3 T extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush olive oil on both sides of tortillas. Position on a sheet pan and bake approximately 5 minutes until light brown, crisp and puffed. Set aside for tostada bar.

Kumquat Pico de Gallo

I was planning on making a nectarine salsa for this dish but my eyes fell upon a gorgeous basket of kumquats and I fell in love.

I switched my salsa idea to a rustic, pico de gallo-style topping with large chunks of tart fruit mixed with fresh vegetables, peppers and herbs. A swirl of glossy honey balanced the tartness.

yields 4 servings

1 c kumquats, sliced

1 c red cherry tomatoes, halved

3 scallions, sliced thin

juice and zest of 1 lime

2 T fresh mint, minced

1 jalapeno, ribbed, seeded and minced

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 t honey

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Cover and chill to combine flavors. Serve chilled with tostada bar.

To assemble tostadas, spread baked tortillas with black beans, sliced chicken and fresh, sliced avocado (1/4 avocado per serving). Finish with a sprinkling of kumquat pico de gallo and crumbled queso fresco.

I also served an ever-s0-simple salad with our tostada bar to add color and nutrients. Top a spinach/arugula mix with thin-sliced red onions, the dressing of your choice and fresh-cracked pepper. We used Sass All Natural Smoky Ranch dressing.

You didn't think I forgot dessert, did you?

Believe me, I didn't.

I was planning dessert the evening before when clouds of angel food cake were swirling around my head. My mom had gorgeous, ripe mango around the house and I knew the airy cake had met its match. Strawberries, too? Join the club.

Angel Food Cake with Mango Strawberry Compote

yields 12 servings

(adapted from Martha Stewart's Angel Food Cake)

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon cake flour (not self-rising)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

12 egg whites

1 tablespoon warm water

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon cream of tartar (stabilizes egg whites)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Always begin baking with your mise en place (having all ingredients in their place as shown).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with rack in lower third of the oven. Separate your eggs. *Reminder: eggs are always easier to separate when cold but egg whites whip up better when at room temperature.

Sift together flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Repeat sifting four times.

Beat egg whites and the warm water with a mixer on low speed until foamy. Add salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Raise speed to high, and beat until peaks are stiff and glossy (but not dry), about 2 minutes more (as shown).

Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Sift flour mixture over egg-white mixture in six parts, gently folding in each addition with a rubber spatula.

Gently pour batter into a 10-inch tube pan. Run a knife through the batter to release any air bubbles, and smooth with an offset spatula.

Bake until cake is golden brown and springs back when touched, 40 to 45 minutes. Picture shown is mid-way through cooking. My cake took exactly 40 minutes to bake.

Invert pan on a wire rack, and let cake cool about 1 hour. Carefully run a paring knife around side of cake to loosen, then unmold onto the wire rack.

Mango Strawberry Compote

yields 4 servings

Tragically, I only made several servings of this delicious compote. Make extra-- you will definitely fly through it.

1 c strawberries, washed and cut into eighths

1 mango, diced

1 t lemon zest

1 T sugar

How to dice a fresh mango (Callie's way):

Slice the mango lengthwise along the flat side next to the seed. Turn mango over and repeat on the other side.

With each side, carefully cut a cross-hatch pattern through the mango pulp down to the skin, being careful not to cut through the skin. Using a spoon, scoop out cubes (as shown).

Combine mango with strawberries, lemon zest and sugar. Chill, covered, to macerate. Serve chilled with angel food cake and unsweetened heavy cream whipped to soft peaks with a touch of pure vanilla.

Now you're reading to float away with dessert pleasure...

I blogged months ago about my contribution and photo shoot to appear in the first CRAVE Fort Worth guide: a luxe book deemed, "The Urban Girl's Manifesto: The ultimate guide to women-owned businesses in Fort Worth, featuring more than 100 entrepreneurs you need to know."

The beautiful book is out and available for the public! Below is my spread for Linguine and Dirty Martinis. Check out my fan page on Facebook to view the enlarged spread.

This guide also features over 100 more local businesses along with significant discounts to use at your disposal. The books are $19.95 and available for purchase-- email me to secure your copy before I run out!

sweets for dear ole' Dad

My father has a huge sweet tooth.

Particularly for chocolate, ice cream

and anything involving coffee.

Growing up, some of his favorite

go-to "midnight snacks" included:

Broiled Cinnamon Sugar Toast with plenty o' butter

Tart, Lemon Sorbet with Shards of Dark Chocolate

and my personal favorite...

Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with

a Splash of Milk and Coffee Grounds

He also loves obnoxiously-tart confections found in vintage candies such as lemon drops and cherry sours.

For his birthday last March, I baked him a delectable Cocoa Rum Bundt Cake with an Espresso Glaze to accompany a build-your-own BLT bar.

This rich bundt was moist, not-too-sweet and layered with flavor-- a definite party pleaser.

This March, he celebrated his 63rd Birthday and I wanted to make him a whimsical, sweet treat.

Tied for time to make a multi-layered cake or roll out butter-laced crust for a pie, I decided on a tempting candy perfect alone or crumbled atop ice cream:

Chocolate & Salted Peanut Toffee

adapted from Epicurious

4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups whole roasted and salted peanuts

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Line a large, lipped sheet pan with parchment paper.

Set aside.

Attach a candy thermometer

to the side of a 4-5 quart heavy pot.

Bring butter, sugar and salt to boil over medium high heat, whisking until smooth then boil, stirring occasionally until mixture is golden brown and registers 300 degrees (hard crack stage) on the candy thermometer approximately 15-20 minutes.

Immediately stir in half of peanuts, then carefully pour hot toffee into center of parchment-lined pan. Spread with spatula and let stand one minute. Sprinkle chocolate evenly on top and let stand 2-3 minutes to melt. Spread chocolate evenly with spatula then top with a sprinkling of remaining peanuts. Freeze until chocolate is firm and break into pieces.

Whether it be pie or cake,

cookies or candies,

custards or ice creams,

Share some sweets with a loved one!

much ado about dumplings

In case you haven't heard...

I'm obsessed with dumplings.

Potstickers, gnocchi, ravioli, spring rolls, spaetzle.

Chopsticks, hand-held, dipping sauces or pan sauces.

You name it. I'll eat them

For my birthday, my parents gave me the perfect reference full of my favorite lovely packaged delights:

The Dumpling: A Seasonal Guide by Wai Hon Chu

The glory of this book is the variety, inventiveness and seasonality that makes you think far beyond the norm pork potsticker.

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Dumplings are listed by monthly seasonality-- my favorite aspect of the book. Although I strive to write my own recipes and invent creative flavor combinations-- this is definitely a great source of inspiration!

Speaking of dumplings...some of my favorite dumpling recipes from Linguine and Dirty Martinis have included:

Pan-Fried Edamame Mint Potstickers

light & bright

Currant Brie Turnover with Garam Masala

creamy & chewy

Delicata Squash Ravioli with Fresh Oregano, Crispy Pancetta & Ricotta Salata

salty & savory (shown)

Steamed Chicken & Radish Potstickers with Soy Muddled Blackberries

spicy & tart

Recently, while brainstorming

Summer cocktail combinations

I concocted a refreshing, tart sangria-- almost too gorgeous to drink!

Almost...

30 minute Sangria with Fresh Berries & Soaked Hibiscus Flowers

I served this sangria with a rustic flair-- complete with berry seeds, a floating hibiscus and all!

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For an elegant twist, strain and combine with ice in a martini shaker to serve in a martini glass or highballs.

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Cocktail ratio:

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2 parts chilled dry red wine

1 part muddled berries

blueberries, raspberries and blackberries will do!

1/2 part wild hibiscus flowers soaked in syrup

a sprinkle of sugar

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Combine ingredients and chill for 30 minutes. Serve cold.

I recently had a sunny & bright lazy lunch on the patio at Tillman's Roadhouse: an eatery supporting local fish, meat, poultry and produce with housemade touches and whimsical reinventions of childhood favorites.

I sipped on an icy cool brew and thoroughly savored an artisan sirloin burger from Burgundy Pastures with local goats gouda, razor-thin purple onions and housemade pickles with lemon rind. On the side were perfectly seasoned kennebec fries with parmesan and housemade chipotle ketchup. Made-from-scratch garlic ranch was also a pleasant afterthought.

For dessert, we were surprised with a frozen smorgasbord, playfully deemed the "Ice Cream Truck" complete with a homemade raspberry lemon popsicle, lucky charms push pop, German chocolate cone and made-from-scratch ice cream sandwich. Delightful!

For a later joyful occasion, I decorated my apartment with banners, cards, bakery sweets and gifts for my boyfriend's birthday!

We celebrated on a gorgeous Sunday evening with a BBQ complete with his favorite made-from-scratch comfort foods.

I left grilling to the guys while I savored a margarita and quickly prepared this 5 minute side dish-- a perfect addition to grilled meats!

Goat Cheese Cream Corn with Fresh Thyme and Crushed Peppercorns

6 ears fresh corn (about 2 cups)

1/2 c red onion, chopped

2 T fresh thyme

1 c heavy cream

1/2 c crumbled goat cheese

1 T honey

1/2 t cayenne

salt and crushed peppercorns to taste

Saute onions with 1 tablespoon olive oil until translucent. Add corn and thyme. Saute for a few minutes to soften and infuse fat.

Add cream, honey and cayenne and let reduce several minutes. Fold in goat cheese and add salt and peppercorns to taste. Serve hot.

Before the party, I spent my morning baking this festive cake to fulfill his favorite dessert: yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I filled the layers with a tangy made-from-scratch curd and added espresso to the chocolate frosting for depth.

Birthday
Butter Cake
with Fresh Blackberry Curd Filling
& Dark Chocolate Frosting

Equipment:

2 round springform cake pans

(I used 6 and 7 inch pans)

offset spatula

stand mixer

Butter Cake:

(Adapted from The Cake Bible All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cake)

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6 large egg yolks

1 c whole milk

2 and 1/4 t vanilla

3 c cake flour

1 and 1/2 c sugar

1 T plus 1 t baking powder

3/4 t salt

12 T unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour springform pans. Set aside.

Combine dry ingredients in stand mixture and mix for 30 seconds to evenly distribute. On a medium setting, beat butter and milk into dry mixture for approximately 1.5 minutes. Scrape down sides. Slowly add eggs and vanilla in three portions, beating 20 seconds after each addition.

Scrape batter into pans and smooth tops-- mixture should be about halfway full. Bake approximately 35 minutes for small cake and 50 minutes for large cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Set cakes on a cooling rack until cooled completely. While cakes are cooling, make the fresh blackberry curd.

Fresh Blackberry Curd:

Yields 2 cups.

8 egg yolks

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c fresh blackberry juice (I used a juicer to remove seeds)

2 T orange zest

12 T unsalted butter, softened

pinch of salt

Combine egg yolks, blackberry juice, orange zest and sugar in a saucepan. Over medium high heat, cook mixture, whisking constantly, approximately 8-10 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and slowly add butter and salt, tablespoon by tablespoon, until melted and combined. Strain.

Chill curd with plastic wrap directly on top to prevent a skin from forming. Make frosting.

Dark Chocolate Frosting:

Yields 4 cups.

24 ounces good semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 cup boiling water

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 t espresso powder

1/4 c confectioner's sugar

4 and 1/2 sticks butter

pinch salt

Beat butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, combine cocoa powder and espresso powder with boiling water to form a paste. Add melted chocolate and cocoa paste to whipped butter. Beat 1-2 minutes until combined thouroughly.

To Assemble Cake:

Level off cooled cakes with a serrated knife.

Slice each cake horizontally into two equal layers with a serrated knife.

On serving platter or cake stand, assemble parchment paper beneath large cake bottom layer before icing.

Using an offset spatula to distribute filling and frosting, begin layering:

bottom layer of large cake

then blackberry curd,

top layer of large cake,

chocolate frosting to glue the next cake,

bottom layer of small cake,

blackberry curd then

top layer of small cake.

Using offset spatula, add "crumb coat" of frosting to the cake. Chill for 30 minutes.

Ice the cake. Dip spatula into ice water to keep frosting cool and smooth clumps with ease.

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Remove parchment paper to display clean edges beneath cake.
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Using a piping bag, pipe decorative borders around each layer

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Decorate with candles or edible flowers as desired!
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