The Merry Wife's Completely Non-Authentic Bermuda Rum Cake

Rum Cake on Johnson Bros. Rose Chintz platter.

Several years ago, my sister and her husband went to Bermuda for their honeymoon. When they returned, she raved about the pink sand, the Dark 'N' Stormy cocktails, and (best of all) the Bermuda Rum Cake.

The cake apparently has its origins in the Christmas plum pudding. As far as I can tell, it's a boozy Bundt cake made with dark-as-molasses rum. I've been tempted to order the real thing online from one of the several bakeries specializing in this cake, but so far, have just resorted to making my own. It's quite possible that I have completely misinterpreted the essence of the Bermuda Rum Cake, much like the medieval illustrator who, after hearing a description of an elephant, drew this strange looking monster:

Either way, it's a great excuse for me to break out a bottle of Gosling's Black Seal Rum.

Here's the recipe.

Ingredients for Cake

1/2 lb. butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups light brown sugar (packed)
5 large eggs
5 oz. evaporated milk
1/2 cup dark rum
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Ingredients for Glaze

1/4 lb. butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup rum

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening. Gradually add the brown sugar while beating at medium speed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just blended.

Stir together the evaporated milk and rum in a bowl. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternately beat in the flour and milk mixtures to the butter and shortening, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in the vanilla.

Grease and flour a 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan. Scatter pecans at the bottom of the pan. Pour in the batter. Give the pan a good tap on the counter to make sure that the batter has settled.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, remove the cake from the pan to the rack. Let the cake cool for 45 minutes.

For the glaze, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from heat and carefully stir in the rum.

Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a thin skewer, chopstick, or carving fork (the pecans will help disguise the holes). Slowly spoon glaze over the cake.* It will take several minutes for the glaze to soak in, so pour on a little at a time. Continue until all the glaze is used.

*Merry Husband suspects that superior results may be accomplished by injecting most of the glaze into the cake before pouring the rest over the top. So far, his theory remains untested.

Breakfast of Champions

For the superstitious among us, there is one absolute must for New Year's Day.

The black-eyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread represent coins, cash, and gold. Now, why am I wasting my time on pennies when there are Benjamins and gold to be had? As Tevye would say, "Tradition, tradition!"

Black-Eyed Peas and Greens Recipe

8 ounces black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over
1 lb collard greens, washed and chopped into strips
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped smoked ham or country ham, cut into thin strips
1 shallot, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup dry sherry
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup butter (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the peas and greens. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the ham, shallot, bell pepper, and garlic, and saute. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze the pan with the sherry and add the honey. Add 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid from the greens.

Drain the peas and green, and combine them with the ham mixture in a bowl. Add the butter, stirring until it melts.

Serve with cornbread.

Merry Christmas!

Dear Readers,

Thank you for your comments, encouragement, and kindness these last few months. I have enjoyed peeking into your fabulous lives, and I sincerely hope you've had some fun poking around in my little corner of the blogosphere.

This Christmas will be a bittersweet one for my family: bitter because it will be our first one without my father who died in August, sweet because we will focus on the joy of my soon to be four-year-old niece.

My dad wasn't much of a drinker, but he always looked forward to this punch my sister would make every Christmas morning.

Milk Punch 
(Makes 6 cocktails)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces brandy
4 ounces bourbon
1 egg white (optional)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Grated nutmeg

Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is boiling.  Let simmer until the mixture is clear, about 8 minutes.  Pour into a jar and cool.  Refrigerate until cold.

Combine the syrup, milk, cream, alcohol, egg white, and vanilla in a large pitcher.  Stir well, or, if you have a lid, shake.  Serve in old-fashioned glasses and sprinkle each cocktail with some nutmeg.

Note: If you don't have time to make a simple syrup, don't despair. Just make sure the water is really, really cold, throw all the ingredients except the nutmeg together, and stir well.

When Holidays Go Wrong

Thanksgiving dinner presents a unique challenge for the cooking enthusiast.  Egomaniacs Hostesses like myself jump at the opportunity to amaze our friends and family members with our perfect pie crusts and mad turkey-brining skills.  But expectations run high.  James Beard used to say, "Anyone who doesn't think the best burgers are to be found in his own hometown is a ninny."  So it is with Thanksgiving.  Every guest knows in his heart-of-hearts that his beloved Meemaw made the best Jell-O salad ever.

Knowing that we cannot compete with remembrances of meemaws past, is it any surprise that some years we are tempted to ignore tradition and forge our own way forward?  Bitter experience has taught me to avoid that landmine-fraught path.  In the wake of a family member's health scare in 2001, I insisted on cooking all sides and desserts from my depressingly large collection of heart-friendly cookbooks.  I was especially excited about creamed chard with a twist - soy milk and (because my grocery store didn't stock the usual green) red chard.  It had not occurred to me that the beet color would leach from the stalks, turning the dish a shade of puce that my sister compared unfavorably to McDonaldland's Grimace.

Then there was 2007, the Year of the Tofurkey.  The less said about that year the better.

This year, it's back to the basics.  The Merry Husband and I have been invited to join the celebration at my sister's in-laws' home in Incline Village, Nevada.  These tried-and-true recipes will make an appearance.

Mom Parson's Cranberries

Roasted Parsnip Bread Pudding

Carrots with Ginger and Honey

Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon

The turkey has been ordered from Willie Bird.

Seafood Paella

Today would have been my father's 67th birthday.  In honor of him, I'm posting his favorite recipe, one that we cooked together many, many times.

Ingredients:

Seafood - as much as you can get together.  I typically use 2 lb. shrimp, 1 lb.squid cut into rings, 1 lb. manila clams, and a lobster or a Dungeness crab.
8 cups water
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. crumbled saffron threads
1/2 cup olive oil
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
3 cups Valencia rice
1 can of diced tomatoes (drained)
1 tbsp minced parsley
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup dry sherry
Lemon wedges

Combine the shells from the shrimp with the water and 1 tsp. salt in stock pot.  Boil for 20 minutes, then strain, reserving the stock.  Crumble the saffron into the stock.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the olive oil in a wide paella pan (or a very large skillet).  Add the peppers and onions and saute for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.  Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes.  Add the paprika and tomatoes and cook while stirring for 2 minutes.  Stir in the parsley and bay leaves.

Add the stock and sherry.  (From this point, do not stir the rice.)  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, steam the lobster or crab in another pot.  When rice is a little more than half-cooked, add the squid.  When the rice is almost done, but still has a thin layer of liquid on top, add the shrimp and clams.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until shrimp and clams are just done.  Separate the lobster or crab into pieces and place on top for presentation.  Place lemon wedges along the edge of the pan.

Serve with sangria.

Cocktail, anyone?

It's been a really long week, and I'm so looking forward to unwinding tonight with the Merry Husband and a cocktail.  These his-and-hers glasses from Furbish would be perfect for the job.

I'm also loving these New Orleans Toile cocktail napkins from Hazelnut.





It seems that we're finally getting some rainy skies, so my drink of choice will be the Dark 'N' Stormy, Bermuda's national drink. To make, fill a tall glass with ice, add 4 - 5 oz of ginger beer, and top with Gosling's Black Seal Rum. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Pantry Food: Orecchiette with Peas

When I heard the news recently that the restaurant Campanile would be closing its doors in November, I came close to tears.  For years, Campanile has been the embodiment of all that was good about dining in Los Angeles.  Even the building, constructed by Charlie Chaplin in the 1920s, projected an aura of Old Hollywood glamour. (For Jonathan Gold's excellent eulogy, click here.) 

It is nearly impossible to think of Campanile and the adjoining La Brea Bakery without thinking of chef-extraordinaire, Nancy Silverton.  In 2007, Ms. Silverton released her cookbook, A Twist of the Wrist.  The concept was a compilation of recipes that could be whipped up at a moment's notice using only items commonly found in the pantry.  But as a reviewer from the LA Times pointed out, Ms. Silverton's pantry is most likely a very different place from yours or mine.  Hers, it seems, more closely resembles the aisles of Bristol Farms or Gelson's.

Nevertheless, some of the recipes were quite attainable, including the one for Orecchiette with Peas.  Here is a variation:

Ingredients:

1 pound orecchiette pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup frozen petite peas
1 cup creme fraiche
6 slices of prosciutto (or use cooked ham or bacon - almost any pork product will do)
Salt and pepper
Basil leaves for garnish

Boil the pasta until al dente.  While the pasta is boiling, heat the oil in a large skillet and add the garlic.  Cook for 30 seconds, then add the peas, cooking for a few seconds more.  Add the creme fraiche and a bit of salt and pepper.  Bring to a light simmer, stirring constantly, until warmed through.  Reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta and add it while still wet to the skillet.  Add the reserved water, toss well, and cook for a minute or two until the sauce melds with the pasta.  Transfer to bowls and garnish with torn pieces of the prosciutto and basil leaves.

Chicken Etouffee

My favorite recipes start, "First, make a dark roux."  But lots of days, I just don't have the time to be bothered.  That's when what I call cheater roux comes in handy.  This recipe calls for just a bit of flour added in the middle of the cooking process.  You get that nutty aroma, but you don't have to stand around endlessly stirring a pot like Hecate over her caldron.

Chicken etouffee is not what I consider a photogenic dish, but it has, as they say, a great personality.  Whenever I make it, the Merry Husband remembers exactly why he was so smart to marry me.

Ingredients:

8 bone-in chicken thighs
Dash of salt and pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white wine or dry sherry
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
5 cloves garlic
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried sage
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
1 1/2 cups water
Hot sauce to taste

Place the chicken thighs, salt, pepper, cayenne, and 1/2 cups flour in a freezer bag.  Shake to coat the thighs. 

Heat the oil in a pan big enough to accomodate the thighs in one layer.  Add the chicken, and cook for 7 minutes on each side.  Remove the chicken.

Deglaze your pan with the wine or sherry.  Add the onion, bell pepper, thyme, sage, Cajun seasoning, and a dash of salt.  Saute for another 7 minutes.  Add 2 tbsp flour and saute for 5 minutes, making sure not to burn the flour (i.e. stir constantly).  Add garlic during the last 30 seconds.  Add the water while stirring to prevent clumping.  Return the chicken to the pan, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.  Adjust the flavors to your liking with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.  Cook for 20 minutes. You may need to stir occassionally or add a bit more water.

Serve with boiled rice and cold beer.

Red Beans and Ricely Yours

It's officially fall, and even though the temperatures have not dipped appreciably here in the land of Windemere, I'm craving some "stick to your ribs" meals.  I love a meal with a history - one that reminds you of your grandma, even if she was such a bad cook that she burned the toast every morning.  In New Orleans, this dish was traditionally made on Monday, i.e. "wash day" for most women.  Wash day may be a thing of the past, but red beans and rice on Mondays doesn't have to be!  This dish improves after a day in the fridge, so make it on a lazy Sunday afternoon and serve it on a hectic Monday night.
  
A few notes before we begin.  If your grocery store is like mine, you will find both dried red kidney beans and smaller dried red beans.  Ignore the name of the recipe and get the kidney beans.  The red beans just won't mush up the way you want them to.  If you can get your hands on them, use Camellia Brand beans.

1 lb. dried red kidney beans
1 lb. Andouille sausage, sliced
1 tbsp. butter
1 large onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
5 ribs celery, diced
4 garlic gloves, minced
Cayenne pepper, to taste (I use 1/4 tsp. to start)
Creole seasoning, to taste (I use 2 tbsp. to start)
Hot sauce, to taste (use your favorite - I prefer Crystal)
6-8 cups water
1 lb. smoked ham shanks
2 bay leaves

Rinse and pick through the beans.  Place them in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil.  Turn off the heat and allow the beans to soak for an hour.  Drain the beans and set aside. 

Melt the butter in a heavy pot and cook the sausage until brown.  Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and saute for 7 minutes.  Add the garlic, cayenne, and creole seasoning, and saute for 30 seconds.  Add the ham shanks, beans, and bay leaves.  Add enough water to cover. 

Bring the pot to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the beans are tender, about 90 minutes.  If needed, add water to keep the beans covered while they're being cooked.  When the beans are done, mash some of them against the side of the pot.

Serve over boiled rice with a side of cornbread.