The Mango Lassie

My grandma Trader Joanna moved out of her house and into an apartment this year. Like anyone who has lived in the same house for 60 years, she had filled it with artwork, papers, tschochkes and memorabilia. Even amongst the junk, there were some great pieces of history, as I found out when I was helping my mom clear things out a couple months ago. On a bookshelf in the study, I found three issues of Gourmet magazine from 1967 and 1968. My grandma was never a great chef, but she was a classy hostess and had some special dishes she knew how to make very well, which she would whip out for parties. She doesn’t remember whether she made any recipes from these issues, but she obviously knew Gourmet was the magazine to turn to when looking for entertainment quality recipes.

For my July Gourmet, Unbound entry, I selected a recipe for ratatouille from the July 1967 issue. Unlike today’s recipes, the recipes in old Gourmets tend to be elegant dishes made in the classic style— no twists or fusions necessary. They are also written in paragraph form with less detailed instructions and fewer steps. This basic, yet delicious, recipe follows in that tradition. It consists of slowly stewed vegetables and minimalist spicing—salt, pepper, basil and marjoram. The resulting flavors evoke the French countryside in their warm, robust, simplicity. Ratatouille makes a nice side dish and a great main course, served with crusty bread and topped with a poached egg. I have been making pisto manchego, the Spanish version of ratatouille, since I got back from studying abroad in Spain in 2003. I may now have to add this French version from Gourmet history to the regular rotation. And even if she never made it, I can always imagine my grandma whipping this up to show off her European flair to the guests at one of her parties.

Ratatouille
In a large saucepan cook 2 large onions, thinly sliced, in 1/2 cup olive oil until they are transparent. Stir in 2 green peppers, seeded and diced, and 2 eggplants, peeled and cubed, and cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes. Add 4 small zucchini, cut in 1/2-inch slices, 2 cups sliced celery, and 5 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes. Stir the mixture thoroughly, cover the pan, and cook the ratatouille over low heat for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season it with 1 garlic clove, mashed, a pinch each of basil and marjoram, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the ratatouille about 5 minutes longer and serve it hot or chilled.

See my other Gourmet, Unbound posts:
June 2010, Potato Salad with Olives and Peppers
May 2010, Moroccan-Style Mussels
April 2010, Shrimp Scampi Pasta
March 2010, Chicken with Black Pepper Maple Sauce
February 2010, Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream
January 2010, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta
December 2010, Walnut Spice Cake with Lemon Glaze

Unlike in Cannon Beach, Oregon—where I spent the long weekend, and which is still under a rain cloud— signs of summer are starting to appear in New York City. The weather has been in the 80s, and we’ve even had a few sticky humid days. People are out in the park, and most of all, people are starting to barbecue. There’s no better accompaniment to meat grilled outdoors than a nice potato salad. In honor of being on the cusp of summer, I decided to dedicate my June tribute to Gourmet magazine to a recipe for Potato Salad With Olives and Peppers from the June 2007 issue. The flavor combination of the starchy potatoes, the salty olives, the fresh parsley and the slightly sweet smoky peppers was spot on.

My only complaint is that there seemed to be too little dressing. I halved the recipe based on the number of potatoes I used, but It seems like I could have used half again as much dressing to really bring out the flavors in those potatoes. It would be an easy problem to fix. Either way, there are numerous potential variations on this recipe, offering the opportunity to add a twist here and there. I think it would be good with anchovies, lemon juice or capers added to the mix. It’s food for thought, but happy almost summer, nonetheless.

Potato Salad with Olives and Peppers

yield: Makes 6 servings
active time: 30 min
total time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients
3 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 pound hot cooked small (2-inch) boiling potatoes, quartered
2/3 cup bottled roasted red peppers (4 ounces), rinsed, patted dry, and chopped
2/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/3 cup pitted brine-cured black olives, halved

Preparation
Mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using side of a large heavy knife. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in vinegar, salt, and red-pepper flakes, then whisk in oil.

Add hot potatoes to vinaigrette and toss to coat. Let stand until potatoes cool to warm, about 30 minutes, then stir in peppers, parsley, and olives. Serve warm or at room temperature.

See my other Gourmet, Unbound posts:
May 2010, Moroccan-Style Mussels
April 2010, Shrimp Scampi Pasta
March 2010, Chicken with Black Pepper Maple Sauce
February 2010, Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream
January 2010, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta
December 2010, Walnut Spice Cake with Lemon Glaze

We just returned from Barcelona on Sunday, so I decided seafood would again be in store for my May tribute to Gourmet magazine. Unfortunately, this month’s recipe sounded better than it tasted. There was not enough sauce to coat the mussels, and what sauce there was didn’t have as much flavor as I would have expected after all the spices I put in. The problem may have also been with the mussels I picked up from Whole Foods later in the day. They tasted mealy and a few tasted a little off. Needless to say, not a good sign.

Either way, this could probably be a better recipe with better salt and more liquid. In the meantime, here is the framework of the dish as it stands.

Moroccan-Style Mussels
May 2006
Yield: Makes 4 main-course servings
Active time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min

Ingredients
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika (preferably hot)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 (15- to 19-oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons sugar
1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice, juice reserved and tomatoes coarsely chopped
3 lb cultivated mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation
Cook onion, garlic, and spices in oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in vinegar and simmer 1 minute. Add chickpeas, sugar, and tomatoes with their juice, then increase heat to moderate and gently simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Add mussels and return to a simmer. Cover tightly with lid and cook until mussels just open wide, 3 to 6 minutes. (Discard any mussels that remain unopened after 6 minutes.) Stir in parsley and serve in shallow bowls.

See my other Gourmet, Unbound posts:
April 2010, Shrimp Scampi Pasta
March 2010, Chicken with Black Pepper Maple Sauce
February 2010, Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream
January 2010, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta
December 2010, Walnut Spice Cake with Lemon Glaze

Happy end of Passover, everyone! I’ve waited until now to post my Gourmet, Unbound update for this month in order to share a delicious, but decidedly non-pesadic (and highly unkosher) recipe with all of you. As the weather gets warmer, I’m already in the mood for lighter foods. That and a yearning for some starchy pasta prompted me to make Shrimp Scampi Pasta from the April 2006 issue for my monthly tribute to Gourmet magazine. This recipe has plenty of butter, but the simple sauce gets lightness from the acidity of white wine, garlic and a touch of red pepper flakes. Tender shrimp and fresh parsley complete the Spring touch. Best of all, this recipe takes only 20 minutes to make and tastes positively luxurious. Gone are the tomato-based meat sauces of winter! Here to stay are the lighter, fresher flavors of Spring!

Shrimp Scampi Pasta
Gourmet, April, 2006

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp (raw; 20 to 25 per lb)
4 large garlic cloves, left unpeeled and forced through a garlic press
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 lb capellini (angel-hair pasta)
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation
Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes, and transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add garlic to oil remaining in skillet along with red pepper flakes, wine, salt, and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add butter to skillet, stirring until melted, and stir in shrimp. Remove skillet from heat.

Cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Toss pasta well with shrimp mixture and parsley in large bowl, adding some of reserved cooking water if necessary to keep moist.

See my other Gourmet, Unbound posts:
March 2010, Chicken with Black Pepper Maple Sauce
February 2010, Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream
January 2010, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta
December 2010, Walnut Spice Cake with Lemon Glaze

For this month’s tribute to Gourmet magazine, I made Chicken with Black-Pepper Maple Sauce from the March 2006 issue. The recipe was adapted from one by the chef Gray Kunz. It involves butterflying a whole chicken by removing the backbone and then cooking it with rosemary in a skillet under another skillet filled with weights. (Two cans of tomatoes work well.) The sauce, made with black peppercorns, maple syrup, chicken broth and cider vinegar is a wonderful sweet, tangy, spicy medley and really makes this dish.

One issue I encountered while making it was that it was difficult to check how done the skin side of the chicken was in order to know when to flip it. As a result, and maybe also because my burner was a bit too hot, I ended up blackening the skin a little more than I would have liked. (To all those who know me well, I avoided a major fit when that happened.) As I often find with stovetop chicken preparation, it was also a bit tough to get the meat to the desired doneness at the same time. I ended up with a chicken that was tender and perfect through the breast and most of the thighs, but slightly underdone in one leg. Despite my struggles, the flavors were complex and worth the effort. Here’s to March and the beginning of spring!

Chicken with Black-Pepper Maple Sauce
Gourmet, March 2006

Ingredients
1 (3- to 3 1/2-lb) whole chicken
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 (3-inch-long) sprigs fresh rosemary plus 1 (1-inch-long) sprig
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1/4 cup dark amber or Grade B maple syrup
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup cider vinegar

Special equipment: kitchen shears; 2 (10-inch) heavy skillets (one well-seasoned cast-iron or heavy nonstick); a 10-inch round of parchment paper; 5 to 6 lb of weights such as 3 (28-oz) cans of tomatoes

Preparation
Cut out backbone from chicken with kitchen shears and discard. Pat chicken dry, then spread flat, skin side up, on a cutting board. Cut a 1/2-inch slit on each side of chicken in center of triangle of skin between thighs and breast (near drumstick), then tuck bottom knob of each drumstick through slit. Tuck wing tips under breast. Sprinkle chicken all over with salt and ground pepper.
Heat 3 tablespoons butter in 10-inch cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add chicken, skin side down, and arrange larger rosemary sprigs over chicken. Cover with parchment round and second skillet, then top with weights. Cook chicken until skin is browned, about 15 minutes. Remove and reserve weights, top skillet, parchment, and rosemary, then carefully loosen chicken from skillet with a spatula. Turn chicken over and re-place rosemary sprigs, then re-cover with parchment, skillet, and weights. Cook until chicken is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Make sauce while chicken cooks:
Toast peppercorns in a dry 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a clean cutting board and coarsely crush with a rolling pin. Return peppercorns to saucepan and bring to a simmer with syrup, 1/2 cup broth, and small rosemary sprig, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a platter and loosely cover with foil. Add vinegar to skillet and deglaze, boiling and scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in maple mixture and remaining 1/4 cup broth and boil until slightly syrupy, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and swirl in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season sauce with salt and pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Serve chicken with sauce.

See my other Gourmet, Unbound posts:
April 2010, Shrimp Scampi Pasta
February 2010, Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream
January 2010, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta
December 2009, Walnut Spice Cake with Lemon Glaze

Empanada Boy and I love ice cream, and unlike some people, we have no problem eating it in the depths of winter. It’s been in the 20s and low 30s for about a week here in New York, but we have still been craving it. Luckily, we got our ice cream maker out of storage when we moved. For my February tribute to Gourmet magazine, I wanted to make a special, seasonal ice cream flavor, so I hunted down a Feburary 2003 recipe for Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream. This calls for Ibarra chocolate, a widely available Mexican drinking chocolate, which has the sugar and the spices all built in. If ever an ice cream could be wintry, this is it!

Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream

Yield: Makes about 1-1/2 quarts
Active time: 40 min
Start to finish: 2-1/2 hr (includes freezing)

Ingredients
1/2 vanilla bean
11 oz Mexican chocolate (3-1/2 disks; preferably Ibarra), coarsely chopped
3-3/4 cups half-and-half
3 large eggs
Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt

Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer; an ice cream maker

Preparation
Halve vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Add chocolate and half-and-half and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking. Remove from heat.

Lightly beat eggs with salt in a bowl, then add hot chocolate mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Transfer custard to cleaned saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard registers 175°F on thermometer, 1 to 5 minutes. Immediately pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Put bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and cool, stirring occasionally.

Freeze custard in ice cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until hardened, about 1 hour.

See my other Gourmet, Unbound posts:
April 2010, Shrimp Scampi Pasta
March 2010, Chicken with Black-Pepper Maple Sauce
January 2010, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta
December 2009, Walnut Spice Cake with Lemon Glaze

Empanada Boy and I are ringing in the new year in Evanston with his sister Sous Chef, our brother-in-law Slim McDinner, our niece the Reading Corndog and our nephew Lobster Bisque. Slim McDinner has been busy perfecting the art of curing his own pork products, including sausages, bacon and pancetta. He grinds meat with his Kitchen Aid mixer and ages his creations in the basement utility room. I wanted my January tribute to Gourmet to be a vegetable dish because we had already decided to make handmade pasta with Bolognese sauce (including the homemade pancetta) for our main course. As I scanned the vegetable sides on Epicurious, I noticed a simple, but delicious looking, Brussels sprouts recipe that called for pancetta. At first it seemed like too much pancetta for one meal, but then I reconsidered: How could there be too much pancetta? It is New Year’s Eve, after all.

The dish made an excellent counterpart to our opulent New Year’s feast. The Brussels sprouts became sweet and caramelized, and the pancetta brought everything to a higher plane. This is a dish for the decade! Happy 2010!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta

yield: Makes 4 servings
active time: 10 min
total time: 35 min

Ingredients
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (quartered if large)
2 oz pancetta, visible fat discarded and pancetta minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Toss together Brussels sprouts, pancetta, garlic, oil, and salt and pepper to taste in an 11- by 7-inch baking pan and spread in 1 layer.

Roast in upper third of oven, stirring once halfway through roasting, until sprouts are brown on edges and tender, about 25 minutes total. Stir in water, scraping up brown bits. Serve warm.

See my other Gourmet, Unbound posts:
April 2010, Shrimp Scampi Pasta
March 2010, Chicken with Black-Pepper Maple Sauce
February 2010, Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream
December 2009, Walnut Spice Cake with Lemon Glaze

As most of you know by now, I am still in mourning over the demise of Gourmet magazine. In an attempt to channel my sorrow and frustration into something more productive, I’m participating in Gourmet, Unbound, a project that pays tribute to the magazine by tracking down and reviewing recipes from its past. Each month, participating bloggers are selecting one recipe from that month’s issue in any year of Gourmet’s history.

For December, I selected the Walnut Spice Cake with Lemon Glaze, originally featured in the December 1992 issue. The cake has everything going for it. It’s baked in a bundt pan (one of my favorite baking tools), has the lovely seasonal spice cake flavors of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and incorporates the savory toastedness of walnuts, along with the bright tang of lemon. It would be as good for breakfast as it was served ala mode at one of my family’s many sizeable post-Thanksgiving meals at our beach house in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

The recipe turned out as deliciously as expected, but the lemon glaze was a bit thinner than I’d hoped. Just for appearance, I might add more powdered sugar the next time I make it, although the flavor was there. The only somewhat technical element was the whipping of the egg whites to stiff peaks, which is more a matter of having the right tools (a hand mixer) than having talents. One additional tip that Mango Mama passed along for ensuring your cake comes out of the bundt pan: melt some butter and paint it on with a brush. That way, all the ridges get their fair share of grease.

The cake was all but devoured by the 20-plus people at our party. Mango Mama even added a candle, so everyone could sing a belated happy birthday to me. It was a fitting reminder of the kind of pleasure a successful Gourmet recipe can elicit. Here’s to 11 more months of Gourmet commemoration!

Walnut Spice Cake with Lemon Glaze
For cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 cup walnuts (3 ounces), toasted , cooled, and finely chopped

For glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Special equipment: a 12-cup bundt pan

Make cake:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bundt pan.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Beat together butter and sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about minutes in a standing mixer or 4 with a handheld. Add yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and sour cream alternately in batches, mixing well after each addition.

Beat egg whites in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks, then fold whites and walnuts into batter gently but thoroughly.

Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely.

Make glaze:
Whisk together confectioners sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Transfer cake to a plate, then drizzle glaze over cake and let stand until glaze is set, about 20 minutes.

See my other Gourmet, Unbound posts:
April 2010, Shrimp Scampi Pasta
March 2010, Chicken with Black-Pepper Maple Sauce
February 2010, Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream
January 2010, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pancetta

Empanada Boy was feeling sick this weekend. His appetite wasn’t up to its normally vigorous level. By dinnertime last night, the only thing he had eaten was a few pieces of French toast at breakfast. When I asked him what he wanted for dinner, he said: soup. As I’m sure the Jewish mothers that came before me would agree, soup is indeed a marvelously curative dish. Thanks to Mango Mama, I have a number of great, hearty recipes that I can usually whip up with what I have around. I have been doing some of my own research this winter, experimenting with fish stews.

One thing that dawned on me as I read through the recipes I found online is that Catholics are particularly looking for fishy options during these weeks of Lent. Growing up in an area not populated by many Catholics, I was only marginally aware of this practice until I moved to Chicago. Obviously, my motivations were different. Much of the fish available to me at an affordable price is flaky white-fleshed fish like cod, which go well in a stew. A stew also makes a little bit go a long way and adds a nice degree of flavor to the otherwise neutral fish. And sometimes we all get tired of meat and potatoes.

I found a recipe on the Internet and made it with a few modifications when Mango Mama and Daddy Salmon came to visit. I had some cod fillets in the freezer, so I decided to make the stew again. This time, I added celery and used crushed tomatoes instead of whole ones. The result was a smoother, more tomato-infused broth. Not worrying about Lent and with about a half pound less fish than the recipe called for, I also added a couple of pre-cooked chicken sausages. I sliced and browned these in a separate pan. Other modifications could include adding frozen corn or peas or even adding potatoes. Fresh tomatoes would also be ideal during the summer months. I used oregano and thyme, but other spices could give the soup a totally different flair. What follows is the soup I made for Empanada Boy. Adjust, add and subtract as you see fit.

Fish Stew

6 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup of chopped onions
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup of canned crushed tomato (For different consistency substitute chopped canned tomatoes, fresh chopped tomatoes, etc.)
2 tsp of tomato paste.
8 oz of clam juice (or shellfish stock)
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 lb fish fillets (halibut, cod, sole, red snapper, sea bass), cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 lb pre-cooked chicken sausage, thinly sliced (other sausage or seafood would work)
Touch of dry oregano, Tabasco, thyme, pepper
Salt

Heat olive oil in heavy large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté 4 minutes. Add parsley and celery and stir 2 minutes. Add tomato, tomato paste and cook 2 minutes longer.

Add clam juice, dry white wine, and fish and simmer until fish is cooked through, less than 10 minutes. Brown sausage slices in a separate pan, and add to stew. Add seasoning. Salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve with warm, crusty bread.

Serves 4.

Rosh Hashanah was last week. And when it comes time for Rosh Hashanah, the one thing that I think of most— apart from services, shofar blowing and atoning for sins— is honey cake. It’s traditional to eat honey around this time of year in order to ensure a sweet year ahead. This is an amazing recipe that Mango Mama shared with me, though it has undoubtedly been traded through many hands. It features just about every ingredient under the sun (except butter because it’s dairy-free). Whisky, coffee, orange juice and baking spices come together in a cake that is light, moist and extremely addictive. All it takes is one bite to make the world seem a little sweeter. Try it for yourself!

L’shana tova— Happy new year!

The Best Honey Cake

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup warm coffee or strong tea
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup rye or whisky (substitute orange juice or coffee)
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)

This cake is best baked in a 9-inch angel food cake pan, but you can make it in:
One 9 or 10-inch tube or bundt cake pan
One 9 by 13-inch sheet cake
Two 9-inch squares or round pan layer cakes
Two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease pan(s). For tube and angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper, cut to fit.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Make a well in the center and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee, orange juice and rye or whisky.

Using a strong wire whisk or in an electric mixer on slow speed, stir together well to make a thick, blended batter. Make sure no ingredients are stuck to the bottom.

Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle top of cakes evenly with almonds. Place cake pan(s) on two baking sheets, stacked together. This will ensure the cakes bake properly with the bottom baking faster than the interior and the top.

Bake until cake tests done— when it springs back when you gently touch the cake center. For angel and tube cake pans bake for 60-70 minutes, for loaf cakes about 45-55 minutes. For sheet style cakes, baking time is 40-45 minutes.

Let the cake stand 15 minutes before removing from the pan.