Fennel and Cucumber Salad w/ Dill and Rice Vinegar Dressing

        We recently had the joy of watching over our cousin Arika and her wife Cindy's 10-week-old twins, Paulina and Sebastian, for the afternoon. It was a gift to have them for a few hours while their mommies got a chance to catch a movie and a meal on their own. It seemed like the whole family came together to pitch in: My brother Jim, my niece Maxine, my niece Lindsey and her hubby Josh, my sister Karen and her hubby Charles all got in on the action, just hangin' out with the two little angels. A great time was had by all. I for one was in heaven!!! The babes were so cute and sweet, only just becoming Aware and so and amazed at every little thing. Kind of like me, tee hee! Very sensory, looking through these beautiful brand new eyes at all that is around them. Babies -- YAY!!!

And as a matter of fact I make a simple salad with a baby-friendly ingredient, namely fennel. Fennel is not just delicious and versitile -- it goes with everything -- but it also happens to be a wonderful digestive with healing properties many people are unaware of, including that it's made into a tea or tonic to treat, and even to prevent, colic in infants, so you know it's good!!!

                                                                     Baby Paulina

                                                                   Baby Sebastian

Fennel and Cucumber Salad:
2 bulbs fennel out side and bottom trimmed(keep and roughly chop any of the feathery fronds to add at the end, as they make a beautiful and tasty addition)
4-5 small cuc's peeled and seeded
Fresh or dried Dill to taste
Adobo seasoning to taste
Rice vinegar to coat
A sprinkle of turbinado sugar
Cayenne (optional)
Toss well and serve.

And as always, Enjoy!!!
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger

Gluten Free Yellow Cake w/ Apricot Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting

          While basking in good feelings about delivering my first baked goods order the day before (with only a few minor snags), I remembered the person who set it all up, namely Bea, who works at the Batia & Aleeza Beauty and Hair Salon. She'd mentioned wanting to get a basket of muffins for her mom, so I made her one impromptu, on the house, and delivered it at the salon all dressed in a pretty basket with cellophane and bows (the muffins, not me!! I haven't worn cellophane in ages!!). While there I asked how Kathy had liked the cake I had made to order for her husband's birthday, and I was thrilled to hear they loved it.

To get the word out some more I've signed on to do a "Gold Party" for my sister's dear friend Joanne, a very cool woman I've always liked a lot. I'd also like to make something for passover, I haven't shared a seder with my family in over 20 years so this is a pretty big deal. So overall I am very excited -- all my wishes, dreams, hopes and desires are all coming to fruition.

What it's about at this point for me is that I'm happy doing what I love, which is making food that makes other people happy -- homemade food and baked goods tend to do that. As ready as I am for this to take off and soar like a bird in a beautiful trade wind, I am quite content just seeing people enjoying my fare, and here at my sister's house it seems I can get anybody's attention by the mere mention of food -- or the aroma of something about to come out of the oven! Food is a language all its own; I don't know anybody from anywhere in the world who doesn't speak it, as universal as love itself and understood without a single word being said beyond a little "Mmmmmmm" -- even babies speak this tongue!

On the other hand I must admit to feeling both joy and anxiety in the process of getting paid to make, decorate and deliver this cake just so . . . but I'm contemplating taking it a step farther! In the works is the idea of my baking select items for overnight mail delivery (so that the goods show up fresh), tasting just as delicious as they sound in the recipe and posts. It's not happening just yet, but for now I'd like to share this recipe. I did a lot of research to figure out how to make this taste like a regular wheat flour cake, and I succeeded. Homework always pays off! I only wish I had realized that in high school . . .

Gluten Free Yellow Cake:
Preheat oven to 350ºF have ready two 9" round cake pans, greased
In a lg. mixing bowl put,
1 1/2 cups White Rice Flour
3/4 cup Tapioca Flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda 
1 TBLS. baking powder
Mix all ingredients well and set aside.

In another bowl put:
1 1/2 cups sugar, (I used 1/2 sugar and 1/2 Splenda, optional)
2/3 cup Mayo (light canola, optional)
mix until light and fluffy, add
4 eggs, 1 at a time, mix well, add,
1 cup milk (2 % works well, optional)
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix well.
Add the dry ingredients just until combined, DO NOT OVER MIX!!!
Divide into cake pans evenly.
and bake for 20-30 minutes, I start to check them around 20 min. and they usually do take 30.
Remove cakes when they spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes and the turn out onto a well oiled rack to finish cooling.

Cream Cheese Frosting:


Mix until well combined
1 8 oz package cream cheese, again, I used lowfat, at room temp
1 stick butter, unsalted, softened
Slowly add,
1 box or 3 1/2 to 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla 
Mix on med until light and fluffy and spreadable consistency, if it gets to dry add,
1 tsp milk at a time to make spreadable

Apricot or and Fruit Preserves:
I go to Trader Joes, or anywhere I can find a good quality all fruit preserve, meaning no sugar added.

Place the cake on whatever it's going to stay on, from here on out, top side down,
put preserves on cake, thick but not to the edge, about 1/2 a jar, don't put it to the edge because it will leak out the side and make frosting the cake virtually impossible, so heed this warning especially if you are planning to decorate.

Place the other cake on top, top side down, and you are ready to Frost, I use a very pliable spatula to do the initial frosting and just a star tip on a pastry bag and do the little star flowers, on this particular cake I got some good quality Dried Apricots and picked thru to get the best of the best, moistest ones and placed them around the bottom with a star "flower" in each one, if you were using strawberry preserves , the same principle would apply and so on and so forth, the possibilities are endless. so experiment.

And as always, Enjoy!!!
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

The Peace Cake ("Soundin' Louder")

      

        So as I finally made it to the beach the other day, and it was a beauty of a day, warm Santa Anas blownin' a sweetness thru my hair and across my face, I decided to walk up to the Urth Caffé, my favorite coffeehouse in all of L.A., w/ not just fabulous organic coffee and pastry, but the best (voted best by me and everyone I know) house salad in town and delicious sandwiches as well. I turned the corner onto Main Street and as usual was sidetracked into a groovy Oriental shop, where I found, tried on and decided to wear over my swim suit out of the store, a cute little hippie dress (for $15 dollars I might add -- the lady wanted $19 but you know who wasn't havin' any of that, since I wanted to be able to buy the cool leather and rhinestone hair clip that matched to a T, so we haggled a little, and of course I won!!!)
        I got my Strong Italian Wet Cappuccino, double of course, and headed to the sand and the gorgeous ocean that lay ahead of me, when I was suddenly catapulted back in time by a poster in the window of a funky cottage on the way. I'm sure a lot of you (my age and older) will remember this image as well as I do.  It lived in a succession of my childhood bedrooms, and even came across country with me on some of the many "hippie VW van trips", I held it in high esteem then as I do now, and it reminded me, unfortunately, that we are in a similar position politically as we were then.

        I kept heading toward the sea, memories of growing up in the sun and sand swirling thru my mind, and as my bare toes hit the hot sand, I felt the peace and calm that only these surroundings can bring on for me, which enveloped me and have stayed with me all week, and which brought this cake to life. Those feelings -- and watching our President give yet anther speech on health care reform and watching his hair turn grey while he did so -- made me long for brighter days. With the water touching my toes and the glint of sunlight reflecting off the beautiful Pacific, I knew that things were different back when this poster made its way onto my wall so many years ago -- not better, but different.... and the memories according to whoever is remembering them, are of course different as well. Peace to all of you... and remember, "war is not healthy for children and other living things."

Sour Cream Cake:


Have all refrigerated ingredients at room temperature to start.
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Grease and flour lightly two 8"-9" inch cake pans.
Mix and set aside:
1 3/4 cake flour, sifted with
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
In another bowl,
5 TBLS. unsalted butter
1/2 cup Splenda 
1/2 cup extra fine sugar
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Mix until blended and add
1 cup Fat Free Sour Cream
Mix well.
In another bowl with clean mixer paddles beat 2 egg whites until soft peaks form.
Blend Four mixture and Butter mixture by adding flour in, half at a time, and and mix until blended.
Fold the egg whites into the batter. [Folding means to very gently bring the mixture up from the bottom and folding it over the top.]
Spread the batter evenly in the pans, and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
Remove; allow to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto lightly oiled racks to cool completely.
Put one cake top side down on a cake plate and spread with Strawberry Jam (not quite to the edges). Place the other cake on top, top side down as the bottom of a cake is easier to frost for some reason!
Spread with:

 Cream Cheese Frosting:


Blend with a hand held mixer until creamy:
1 stick unsalted butter softened
1 12 oz package Low fat Cream Cheese, softened
Add:
1 box or 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 3/4 tsp vanilla
Blend until smooth and creamy, then frost cake by spreading with a spatula
Decorate w/ Sliced Strawberries and Blueberries in the shape of a peace sign and give a PEACE to someone you love, or someone you don't even know, for that matter.
Fill a pastry bag with frosting and add stars of frosting with a star tip, to help hold the fruit in place, and add to the American flag theme.

And as always, Enjoy!!!
Peace be with you all!!!
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!


© 2010 Jennifer Green Alger

Spice-Rubbed Tri-Tip With Sautéed 'Shrooms & Traditional Greek Salad

I've got some great karma when it comes to food. It's like I won a lottery at birth, the prize being that I have additional sensitivities when it comes to flavors and smells; I am able to discern and identify them, even in unfamiliar combinations, and incorporate them into my daily (cooking) lifestyle. I did not inherit this from anyone I know of in my family -- it's just my gift to be able to take simple food and make it taste good -- no, great.

When I embarked on a diet last May I had to find a way to make some pretty bland food come to life and learn to replace fat, sugar and salt with flavor, texture and fiber, and I did. Now, cooking more dietetically and healthily as I do, while I still love my salt, once served a plate of my food no-one has any need to reach for the salt shaker. Use of spices and herbs is a delicate balance; you can overdo and you can under-do. Sticking with what you know to be tried and true is a rule of thumb I have learned to heed.

For a dozen years I lived in Georgia, where not only do they over-salt everything but they also add fat to everything too, for instance when they fry anything from veggies to bologna (yes they fry bologna), and the result is both unhealthy and for me just flat out difficult to eat. They also call things by a different name sometimes, which can lead to disaster! The first time I asked a Georgia butcher for a tri-tip he gave me a piece of mystery meat that ended up having to be cooked like a pot roast. Not that the Pot Roast wasn't delicious, but I had really wanted tri-tip. That was my first Georgia lesson: Ask not for tri-tip but for "sirloin roast"!!!

So the next time I did that, got just what I wanted, cooked it to perfection (medium rare), and was so elated that I went back to thank the butcher and tip him! Apparently I have been in the restaurant biz 'way too long, as he took the tip reluctantly, with his head cocked to one side like my Jack Russell terrier Rosie does when I ask her algebra questions!! Or like I do when she answers!!!

The Greek Salad is a favorite of mine, and this is a very traditional dressing which I find works best and should be tossed at the table right before you serve it.

Spice Rubbed Tri Tip

Preheat oven to 500ºF with convection fan on if available. Have ready a large shallow pan with a roasting rack. Actually, the rack is optional; I for one trim the fat first and don't need it.

Take tri-tip out about a hour before cooking. Wash and trim fat and season with:

1 tsp. seasoned salt, whichever is your favorite, I switch it up between a few different ones.

1 tsp. garlic salt (Lawry's is best, as it has big pieces of garlic, salt and parsley.)

1 tsp. Goya Adobo Seasoning (You'll hear me mention this wonder spice over and over; it can be found in the Latino or ethnic food section of most grocery stores.

Fresh cracked pepper to taste (My roast is black when I get through with it!)

1 tbs. paprika

4-5 cloves fresh garlic pressed

Rub these ingredients all over tri-tip and set aside. (For those who like spicier flavor, add some red pepper flakes and let sit in the 'fridge for three hours, then take out and let sit at room temperature for an hour before cooking.)

Turn the oven down to 450ºF and roast for 20-30 minutes for medium rare on a two- to three-pound roast.

To check for done-ness do not cut or stab; press on the meat. Remember, if you take it out too soon you can always put it back after you let it rest for at least 5 minutes, but if you over-cook it you can't hit the undo button! After a few tries you'll, well, get to know your meat!

When it's done, remove, tent loosely with foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Sautéed 'Shrooms:

In the meantime sauté your 'shrooms. I like to use any and all kinds of mushrooms, so go forth and experiment!!!

In a large shallow skillet over high heat, add:

Olive oil to coat bottom of pan -- let it get good and hot but not smoking. Add:

2 large packages sliced mushooms (any variety)

Stirring occasionally and leaving little areas for the steam to escape, watch closely and about half way through turn heat down to medium. Do not add any seasoning 'til the end when all water has evaporated from your 'shrooms, then just add a little soy sauce or kosher salt and fresh pepper. Then it's done, so put it on the back burner on the very lowest setting.

Greek Salad:

1 package baby greens

1/2 cup rough chopped Kalamata olives, pitted

3 small cucumbers, peeled and sliced on the diagonal

1 package small grape or cherry tomatoes (whole)

2/3 cup chopped or crumbled feta cheese (I use reduced-calorie -- just as good, less salty, holds together better)

Greek Dressing:

In a jar or a shaker, add:

4 tbs. extra virgin olive oil (1/4 cup) (that's one tbs. per person)

Juice of one lemon (1/4 cup)

1 tsp. dried or fresh oregano

Lemon pepper (fresh ground if possible)

1 tsp. thyme dried

1 tsp. sugar

Goya Adobo Seasoning or kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste (AGAIN, this means really TASTE it!!!) And remember that feta cheese and the olives are both very salty, so adjust for that as well.

When you are satisfied with the temp on the roast and it has rested sufficiently, slice it against the grain and serve with its own juices and the mushrooms on the side. Toss the salad at the table and serve!

And as always, Enjoy!!!
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

The Incredible Muffin Event and Thanks to you!

 

I was getting restless, even stressing into the night, about what to do about promoting myself, the blog, the food . . . My short-term answer: Why not go get my nails done?!! At least I'd feel better about life in general, since as everyone knows, a mani-pedi is a cure-all for everything! Just arriving at Nailtica in Beverly Hills I felt better just knowing I was going to get pampered, which I knew would pull me out of my funk. And then, as I walked in, I saw my fabulous hairdresser and friend, Aleeza, of Batia and Aleeza. As she was leaving, she looked at my hair and said in her gruff but quite sexy Israeli accent "I missed some spots on your highlights -- you come to the shop and I fix for you!" Destiny was unfolding!

I know this because as I walked into Batia and Aleeza's, everyone who worked there said "Where did you disappear to after you dropped off those muffins the other day, THEY WERE FABULOUS!!!" Talking about that they and I devised a plan for me to bring in some more muffins the next Friday, along with with some business cards, and they would put them out for the clientele on the busiest day of the week. Needless to say I was thrilled -- freebie or not, it's exposure, word of mouth -- that's how you start ANYTHING!

My mind was reeling with possibilities from this great thing the universe had tossed into my lap! However, Friday just happened to be two days away, so I needed a plan of action pronto!! I started mentally compiling a shopping list and was thinking up new recipes before they finished my hair and hey, once again I was off and running!! YAY!!! Or as my dear friend Angie would say, YIPPEE!!!! The varieties came to me in my sleep that night: orange cherry (gluten-free, low fat, low sugar), two super-healthy, bran types (banana maple pecan and applesauce cranberry, both also low fat/low sugar) and one decadent choice, chocolate chocolate chip with white and dark chips -- this one I named "Who Cares!" Soon they all may have clever names!!!

I just wanted to share these photos with you folks who have stuck with me all this time, which means the world to me -- you are the flame for my fire, what keeps me inspired on a daily basis to continue in this endeavor. To awaken every morning and see all the great comments and get all revved up to start my day is AWESOME!!! So thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in me! Jenni

And as always, Enjoy!!!

LIVE, to the fullest, LOVE, till it hurts, LAUGH the very hardest, and of course, COOK, with the last three ingredients and it will always come out great!!!

© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

Lemon Pepper Salmon w/ Low Fat Ceasar Salad

          Well it's time to look ahead - all too soon it will be time to put on the bathing suit, which means two things, lighter food and more exercise. I'm down with both, but after stretching and walking the last two days, I'm sore in places I forgot I had. I didn't overdo, I took it easy, a little bit of yoga stretch, a mile of a brisk walk, and still -- ow!! So OK, I'm out of shape! It's not funny -- well, yeah it is, 'cause I have a great ability to stay in shape but just stopped doing anything in that direction about three months ago. Why, you ask? Well, please let me know if any good answers hit ya! But seriously, there really is no excuse. There have been times in my life when I was a yo-yo with my weight, but the past year has been my most even-keeled in ages. I started out strong with the walking, but winter came and it got so FREAKIN' cold in ole GA. like 11º NOT COUNTING the wind chills!!
        
         So here I am in Cali with no such excuses, so it's off to the races! Starting is the hardest part but I've done it, so join me, won't you, and we'll compare notes and eat good healthy food. By April 15th we should be well on our way. I've got my sister Karen to buddy up with, so find yourself a buddy for walking and other activites -- it's much more fun, and you'll both feel good about helping each other get your butts in gear. Friends are everything, and I'm so lucky my sister is also my best friend.

Lemon Pepper Salmon:
Preheat oven to 375ºF and have ready a lg. shallow baking pan, sprayed w/ cooking spray
Squeeze over a 4-5 lb. Salmon Fillet,
1/2 a lemon
1/2 a orange
rub on 3-4 cloves garlic pressed
Sprinkle with Lemon Pepper 
Adobo or Kosher salt and,
Paprika
Bake for 20-25 minutes or untill fish flakes easily in the middle of fillet, remove and let rest 5 minutes.

One problem with Ceasar Dressing is the Olive Oil Base and to much Cheese, remove the Olive Oil, and bring the Cheese a couple of notches and you're good to go!!!!
Meanwhile make this
LowFat Ceasar Dressing:
In a large bowl, squeeze the other
1/2 of the lemon and orange, add 
1/2 a can of anchovies (oil drained off) and allow to sit in juice, mash with 
2 cloves pressed garlic
1 Tbls. Dijon mustard
1 Tbls. (per person eating) Any Fat Free Ceasar or Italian dressing
A few turns of Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Mix well and make sure the anchovies are well incorporated.
Wash
1 package Romaine hearts and dry in a spinner, tear or cut into bite size pieces
Have ready,
1 package Grape tomato's, cut in half
1 handful (per person eating) Fat Free Croutons
Put these three ingredients in the dressing first and toss to coat, then add Romaine and toss with
1 Tbls. (per person) Shredded Low Fat Parmesan Cheese
Serve with a 4-5 oz portion of Salmon on top of Salad.

And as always, Enjoy!!!
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

Creme Brulee Pie According to Jenni

I got started thinking about this while making the Tangelo Angel Food Cake. I mean, honestly, when I have all these egg yolks just piled in a bowl, well, there is not a lot you can do with a dozen of 'em and they do freeze well, but . . . I figured, "What the hell, I'll make creme brulée! --No, scratch that, I'll make crème brûlée pie! Wait, is there such a animal?"

And so my mental process had been set in motion: Find a recipe and make it my own by changing it to suite my taste -- which usually involves less sugar than called for and other such little tweaks. The more I looked, the more brick walls I came to. What's the deal, not a solitary person had thought of this magnificent idea until this moment? At last I found one on a website which shall go nameless because, first of all, I had to join it to get to the recipe and I'm not much of a joiner -- well, OK, I ask people to join my blog all the freakin' time so I've been a lot better about these things lately, but after joining, the darn thing turned out to be a couple of different recipes smooshed together, parts of which were diametrically opposed to one another, getting increasingly exasperating.

So my quest continued, past a egg custard pie, totally different from what I had in mind, and a mock crème brûlée pie, which was like a pudding recipe gone so wrong. It was just disturbing; even biggies like Food Network and (for crying out loud) Martha had nothin'! I decided to wing it; all I had to go on was my own original crème brûlée recipe (from this past Christmas) which was incredible. It's what I ultimately used to create what I must say is one of the best things I've ever tasted. To make it even tougher I did it two different ways -- since I was going to have two pies, why not?? One I planned to do traditionally with the burnt sugar topping and the other with a dark chocolate ganache!!! KEWL, was all I could think, and that got me fired up with more confidence than ever!!! Maybe, just maybe, through me, the time of the crème brûlée pie will come -- who knows? A great sign was that every single person who taste-tested this was clearly awestruck and have been kind of looking over my shoulders a little more to see what's next, and at first it was a little stalkerish, but now well......... honestly? I think I like it!

Have ready two "blind baked" Whole Foods frozen pie crusts thawed first. To "blind bake," simply line crust with parchment paper overlapping the edges and fill with either (dry) rice or beans to keep the shape of the crust intact. Bake for about 10-15 minutes at 375ºF , remove from oven, remove the paper and brush the crust immediately with egg white to seal. Keep the "weight" (i.e., the rice or beans) for more blind baking in the future (it is not really usable for anything else anymore).

Have ready two "blind baked" Whole Foods frozen pie crusts thawed first. To "blind bake" simply line crust with parchment paper overlapping the edges and fill with either rice or beans to keep the shape of the crust intact and bake for about 10-15 minutes at 375ºF , remove from oven and remove the paper and brush the crust immediately with egg white to seal, and keep the "weight (rice or beans) for more blind baking in the future as it is not really usable for anything else anymore.

Creme Brulee Filling:
Mix together, and set aside:
12 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
Put into a sauce pan over low to med heat and stirring constantly bring to almost boiling point,
4 cups heavy cream
Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes, while you whisk the egg/sugar mixture for 2 minutes.
Start to temper the egg mixture by putting with a ladle very small amounts of hot cream into egg mixture while whisking constantly, do this slowly so as not to make scrambled eggs, as you will have to start over. Big Bummer! Been there, done that! So be as slow about it as you need to be at first, with the cream, once the egg mixture comes up to temperature it is tempered, and can be done faster.
Put back over a low heat and whisking constantly cook about 3-4 minutes until it starts to thicken. Put the beautiful creamy egg mixture thru a strainer to get out any lumps. Fill cooled pie shells and cover the edges with foil or they will burn.
Put pies on the middle rack of a 350ºF oven for 40 minutes or they are set on the sides but still jiggle in the middle. Remove and cool completely, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight.

Burnt Sugar Topping:
Sprinkle at least a 1/4 cup of white or brown sugar over pie leaving the foil right where it is and use a torch to melt sugar or put under a very hot broiler for about a 1 1/2 minutes turning every 15-20 seconds.
Refrigerate, or let stand, until sugar is hard.

Chocolate Ganache:
Melt
1/4 cup heavy cream and
5 oz. Dark Chocolate in microwave 30 seconds at a time until it is melted, stir well and add
2 TLBS. Unsalted Butter stir until mixed well and it will start to cool off fast so spread on second pie while still a little warm and refrigerate until set.
Serve with Whipped Cream.




And as always, Enjoy!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010

Tangelo Los Angeles Food Cake

I thought (re-)adjusting to the California (and especially Los Angeles) lifestyle would be difficult at first, but not so much. I seem to be doing just fine and then some. I actually feel at home here, and it shows in many areas: I am less anxious, less stressed out and more into my blog than ever, being within walking distance of Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. I have a new love affair, me and Joe -- he's great, he's a cheap date, and even though he doesn't have ALL the qualities I look for (in a store) he plays a close second fiddle to my ULTIMATE love, Whole Foods, which would be a match made in heaven if I were independently wealthy and had maybe a limo or a double-decker bus to carry everything home!!!

But back to Joe, on our most recent date I found that among the many things he has to offer at terrific prices are edamame, one of my very favorite snacks, organic dark chocolate truffle bars (my VERY favorite snack) and some of the cutest greeting cards I've ever seen for .99 cents apiece!!! So when I tried to make the date last as long as possible, dreading the inevitable check-out line (where I get the chocolate to take the sting out of good-bye), I was comparing produce prices to WF and even Ralphs -- with whom I have completely separate relationship (a whole 'nother post) -- and found these gorgeous tangelos for .49 cents a piece, a great deal if they're any good. I bought four, blew Joe a kiss, bid him adieu, and was off onto my next conquest -- sorry Joe, other places to go and stores to see, it's not you, it's me, blah, blah, blah . . . What does Joe care, he's got women crawling all over him the second I'm around the corner! Ahh, should I go back? Okay crazy lady, cut this co-dependent stuff and go do what you do best: Create, cook and bake on your lonesome, and get over it!!! And it's just at this point in my inner dialogue that I realize -- SoCal, I have "arrived." (Is that angel food cake or Angeles food cake??!)

Tangelo Angel Food Cake:


Preheat oven to 350ºF Have ready a 10" tube pan w/ removable bottom.

1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 10-12)


1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar


1 cup sifted cake flour


Zest of 1 Tangelo


1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar


1 tsp. vanilla


1 cup granulated sugar, I use fine


Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl,let stand at room temp for 1/2-1 hour depending on temp of house.
Meanwhile sift together 3 times powdered sugar and flour. Incorporate Tangelo Zest into flour mixture any way you can, I use my finger tips and just keep breaking apart any lumps that form, and the rest will happen during the folding process.
Beat on high, egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla until soft peaks form and then start to add Granulated Sugar two TBLS. at a time, until stiff peaks form.
Now start to add the flour/sugar mixture a forth at a time and fold, do not mix, do not stir, I can't be more serious about this as it will determine the outcome of your cake, so fold, bringing up from the bottom and folding over the top in a  motion resembling folding a towel or sheet. Once the first 1/4 is no longer visible add another 1/4 and repeat until all the mixture is gone, and with this particular cake, watch for lumps of Tangelo zest and stop to break them gently apart with fingertips.
Scoop mixture into a ungreased 10" tube pan, and spread top evenly and run a butter knife clockwise thru the mixture to remove any bubbles.
Bake on bottom rack of oven, unless that is the heat source, then place it in the middle or closer to the top for 40-45 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean and it springs back when gently pressed.
Immediately invert cake onto any bottle (covered with a towel,see pic) I used a vinegar bottle, with a med long neck. Allow to cool completly and then remove by running a knife or spatula around the edge and the the bottom, place on a cake plate and make glaze.

                                    By inverting (turning upside down) the cake it maintains it's beautiful shape!

                                                                            See!!??

Tangelo Cake Glaze:
2-3 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar

Juice from Tangelo you zested, adding a little at a time to get to the right drizzling consistency, drizzle over cake in a back and forth motion from the inside to the outside allowing it to run down the sides of both. I like to save the left over glaze to use at the time I serve it, give it a extra drizzle over the cut piece.

Serve and as always, Enjoy!!!
LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH, COOK!!!
© Jennifer Green Alger 2010