Saveur magazine | onedadskitchen

Use Up Those Easter Eggs in a Classic Cobb Salad

If you are like our home you ended up with at least a dozen brightly colored hard-boiled eggs after Sunday and needed to try to find a way to use them all this week. Sure, you can make the standard egg salad for lunches or even just enjoy a hard-boiled egg for breakfast or as a snack during the day, but you can also make good use of them in an easy meal. Cobb salad has always been one of my favorite and I have ordered it out a number of times for a meal when I want something a little different. It is the perfect combination of vegetables, protein and some nice additions like avocado, egg and blue cheese. First made at the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles by the owner, Robert Cobb, I got this recipe from Saveur magazine. While this recipe has the traditional dressing recipe along with it, I actually made my own dressing, which I will share following the recipe for the salad.

Classic Cobb Salad

FOR THE DRESSING:

¾ cup vegetable or canola oil
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE SALAD:

½ head iceberg lettuce, cored and shredded
½ head romaine lettuce, chopped
½ bunch watercress, some of the stems trimmed, chopped
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
6 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½ inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons minced chives

To make the dressing: Combine the vegetable or canola oil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and garlic in a blender. Purée the ingredients to make a smooth dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set the dressing aside (or refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week).

To make the salad: On a large platter, combine the iceberg and romaine lettuces along with the watercress. Arrange the blue cheese, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, chicken, and avocado on top of the greens in neat rows. To serve, drizzle the salad with dressing, season with salt and pepper, and top with the chives. Alternatively, toss everything together in a bowl.

It is very quick and easy and tastes great. I actually added some black olives to the one I made along with some sliced English cucumber and red onion to help round things out. I also used mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese instead of the blue cheese since we did not have any on hand and Michelle and Sean are not big fans. Instead of using the traditional dressing, I opted to make my own buttermilk ranch dressing using another recipe I got from Saveur magazine. It is a simple way to make your own dressing, tastes better than most of the things you can get in a bottle and costs less for you to make.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon onion salt
1⁄4 teaspoon dried chives
1⁄4 teaspoon dried parsley
1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Pinch ground dried oregano
1 cup buttermilk

Put the mayonnaise, onion salt, chives, parsley, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oregano into a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine. Beat the mayonnaise mixture with an electric mixer on low-speed for about 5 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture is smooth, about 20 seconds. Scrape the dressing down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the speed to high and gradually add the buttermilk, beating constantly until all the buttermilk is incorporated and the dressing is very smooth, about 2 minutes more.

Cover the dressing and refrigerate the dressing for at least 12 hours. Stir the dressing well before serving. The dressing will keep, refrigerated in a cover container, for up to 2 weeks.

It has great flavor thanks to the spices and I thickened it up a little bit by adding some plain yogurt to it as well. You could easily use this as a dip as well if you wanted to or as a flavoring for other meals, like a topping for burgers.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

1 Comment

Posted by MikeG on April 23, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Dressings, Leftovers, Lunch, Salad

Tags: buttermilk ranch dressing, classic Cobb salad, Cobb salad, Cobb salad recipe, hard-boiled eggs, ranch dressing, ranch dressing recipe, Saveur magazine

Who Doesn’t Love Chicken Fingers?

19 Mar

Chicken fingers don’t have to be just the classic kid’s meal. I know plenty of adults who enjoy them as well, but most adults are a little more discriminating about the quality that they like to have. Personally, I like chicken fingers that have good crunch and flavor to them but are not covered with a ton of breading or coating and taste greasy from the deep-frying. It’s a tricky balance, but it can be done if you put your mind to it. I came across this recipe in Saveur magazine for some chicken fingers that looked great, seemed simple to make and even had a nice dipping sauce on the side to make.

Homemade Chicken Fingers

For the Chicken Fingers:

2 pounds, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cunt into 3-inch long by 1-inch wide strips

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups panko breadcrumbs or finely ground fresh breadcrumbs

Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

For the Dipping Sauce:

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon dry mustard powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the dipping sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise with the honey, dill, mustard powder and lemon juice. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and stir together until the sauce is smooth. Set the sauce aside.

For the chicken fingers, in a medium bowl, toss together the chicken strips, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and mustard powder. Set the chicken aside. Place the all purpose flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate shallow dishes; set the dishes aside. Pour the oil into a large Dutch oven until it reaches a depth of about 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted into the oil registers 325 degrees. Working in batches, coat the chicken in the flour, shake off any excess, and then dip the chicken in the eggs; shake off any excess and the roll the chicken in the breadcrumbs. Set the chicken aside and repeat with all of the chicken pieces until they are all coated. Working in batches, fry the chicken pieces until they are golden brown and crisp all over, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken until all of the chicken is fried. Serve the chicken with the dipping sauce.

These were very easy to make and came out perfect. They were nice and crisp on the outside and were cooked ideally on the inside. The sauce had some great flavor with the honey and the dill and I also made the avocado ranch dipping sauce I have made in the past as well to give us a choice of sauces. Everyone loved them and these are great for a meal, a party or as an appetizer. I even used the leftovers as chicken for a buffalo chicken pizza I made the next day.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. I have some great side dishes I have tried recently along with a few other dishes that have been great for sharing. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

3 Comments

Posted by MikeG on March 19, 2014 in Appetizers, Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Sauce

Tags: chicken fingers, dipping sauce for chicken fingers, homemade chicken fingers, honey-dill dipping sauce, Saveur magazine

Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR

15 Mar

Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR.

If you are looking for something else to make on St. Patrick’s Day besides your standard corned beef and Cabbage, Saveur Magazine has a number of great Irish recipes here that are perfect for you to give a try. Some are quite unique so check them out and see if there’s anything you want cook for yourself this year! I am working today but am hoping to get on later to share some recipes of my own. See you later!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on March 15, 2014 in Cookbooks, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Holidays

Tags: Irish recipes, recipes for St.Patrick's Day, Saveur magazine, St. Patrick's Day recipes

Simple Sides for Burger and Sandwiches, Part 2 – Cornmeal Crusted Onion Rings

04 Mar

I just have a quick recipe for tonight. it is the perfect side dish for burgers or sandwiches and it is pretty easy to make. I got the recipe from Saveur Magazine and it is for cornmeal crusted onion rings. I love onion rings and homemade onion rings just taste better than the ones you buy frozen in the supermarket. Some of them are okay, but others are pretty bland without much flavor. This recipe has great flavor from the cornmeal and the seasoning so it is worth the little bit of effort you have to put into it by deep-frying them yourself.

Cornmeal Crusted Onion Rings

2 large onions, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick and separated into rings

2 cups flour

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup milk

1 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup cornstarch

3 tablespoons baking powder

1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned salt

Vegetable or Canola oil, for frying

Submerge the onions in a large bowl of ice water. Soak the onions for 30 minutes. Meanwhile place 1 cup of the flour in a separate bowl. Stir the buttermilk and milk together in another bowl. Whisk the remaining 1 cup of flour, the cornstarch, the baking powder and the seasoned salt in a third bowl. Set the bowls aside in a line to make a dredging station for the onions.

Pour enough vegetable or canola oil in a deep cast-iron pan or Dutch oven to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil until the temperature reads 350 degrees on a deep fry thermometer. Drain the onions from the ice water and pat them dry well with paper towels. Working in batches, dredge the onions in the flour, shaking off any excess, then dip them in the milk mixture and then in the cornmeal mixture. Place the onions in the hot oil, flipping them once, and fry them until they are golden and crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the onion rings on paper towels and sprinkle them with seasoned salt before serving.

That’s all there is to it. If you didn’t want to use the seasoned salt you could certainly use other seasonings or herbs instead to fit what you like. There are lots of choices you can try, such as Creole seasoning or maybe even some Old Bay if you like that kind of flavor. As I usually do when I deep fry, I tried to use less oil then recommended to cut back a bit on the oil and I think it worked out fine using just a bit more than half of what they recommend in the recipe. Soaking the onions in ice water first does take some the sharpness and bite out of them for you as well. They had a great flavor from the cornmeal and went really well with the burgers that I had made that night, so I will definitely be making these again.

That’s all I have for today. Check back tomorrow for another recipe. I have lots to choose from, including some Mardi Gras recipes that I tried out tonight for dinner, so there is still lots of good stuff to come. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on March 4, 2014 in Appetizers, Cooking, Side Dishes

Tags: cornmeal crusted onion rings, homemade onion rings, onion ring recipes, onion rings, Saveur magazine

Some Filipino Flair With Dinner – Pan de Sal (Sweet Filipino Bread Rolls)

03 Jan

I just received the latest issue of Saveur Magazine the other day where they list their 100 favorite things and in that issue was a little blurb by Kellie Evans about these wonderful rolls that she used to east after church that were made by the Filipino women in her community. They had a picture of these rolls and the description was so good I knew I had to try them out and find the recipe. Luckily, the recipe was in Saveur a little further back and these could not be much easier to make. There is minimal kneading you need to do and you get wonderful rolls from it.

Pan de Sal

6 cups bread flour, plus more

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 1/2 cups milk, heated to 115 degrees

1 tablespoon dry active yeast

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more

1 egg

1 cup plain bread crumbs

Whisk the bread flour, 1 cup of the sugar, and the salt in a bowl. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 1 cup of the milk and the yeast in another bowl; allow the mixture to sit until it is foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining milk, plus the melted butter and the egg; whisk until it is smooth. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients until the dough comes together. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until it is smooth, about 3 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover it loosely with plastic wrap, Set the bowl in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Place the bread crumbs on a plate. On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, pat the dough into a 4 inch by 9 inch rectangle about 1/2 an inch thick. Working from one long end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Cut the dough crosswise into five 1 1/2 inch rolls. Gently coat the cut sides of the rolls with the bread crumbs. Place the rolls cut side up on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet spaced about 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap and set the sheets in a warm place until the rolls have doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls until they are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve.

These rolls are incredibly soft and very sweet. They went really well with the soup I made for dinner last night and I think they would perfect for just about dinner or great for sandwiches at lunch or dinner. I actually cut the recipe in half because the original recipe I have shared makes 20 rolls. I cut mine a little smaller and got 14 rolls out of the batch and they still proofed up to be big so I think you can make them even smaller if you want to get more from the batch. One thing to remember about this recipe is that you do not want to overwork the dough and knead it too much so it you get the nice fluffy rolls.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

1 Comment

Posted by MikeG on January 3, 2014 in Breads, Cooking

Tags: Filipino sweet rolls, pan de sal, Saveur magazine

A Cold Day Calls for a Good Soup – Classic Tomato Soup

14 Dec

We are well into the winter weather here in New York, especially over the last few weeks where it has been quite cold. Today we are getting slammed with a lot of snow, but last night was pretty darn chilly as well. The best way to combat the cold weather? Make some soup for dinner. That is what I decided to do last night and I wanted to try to keep things simple. I am a big fan of tomato soup and I found this very simple recipe from Saveur to make a tomato soup in under 45 minutes and it will have great flavor. You don’t even need a lot of ingredients for this one.

Classic Tomato Soup

2 slices bacon cut into thin matchsticks

1/2 tablespoon butter

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 small carrot, halved and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes, well drained

2 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, lightly crushed

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Render the bacon over medium heat in a 3-quart saucepan until it is crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set it aside, reserving the rendered fat in the saucepan.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the butter. Saute the onion and carrot for 8 to 10 minutes or until they are very soft and beginning to caramelize, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for about 2 minutes, stirring it frequently. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture, mix well and continue cooking for another minute. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Add the diced tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf and garlic and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the soup from the heat. Add the heavy cream and puree the soup with an immersion blender until it is smooth. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve the soup garnished with the crisped bacon.

It is very simple to put together and gives you a nice, smooth, creamy texture. This tomato soup is better than any that you will pour out of a can and takes no effort at all. You can even make it completely vegetarian by eliminating the bacon and just adding an extra 1/2 tablespoon of butter instead. You can serve this just by itself or with a nice side salad or even some sandwiches. A lot of people love the grilled cheese and tomato soup combination. For me personally, I love a nice tuna salad sandwich or chicken salad sandwich to go along with it. You could even make some of your own croutons to sprinkle on the soup as well, or try some homemade bread.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more recipes. We’re making cookies today for the holidays, so I’ll have some cookie recipes to share this week. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day, stay warm and dry and enjoy your meal!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on December 14, 2013 in Cooking, Dinner, One Pot Meals, Soups & Stews

Tags: classic tomato soup, Saveur classic tomato soup recipe, Saveur magazine, tomato soup

Last Minute Thanksgiving Recipes – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR

28 Nov

Last Minute Thanksgiving Recipes – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR.

If it’s getting down to the wire and you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, there is still time for you to get some ideas for quick and easy items for you to make. Saveur Magazine has put together 38 recipes for you to make things last minute that taste great. Check it out!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on November 28, 2013 in Cooking, Cooking Websites, Holidays

Tags: last minute Thanksgiving recipes, last minute Thanksgiving recipes Saveur Magazine, quick and easy Thanksgiving recipes, Saveur magazine, Thanksgiving dinner, Thanksgiving recipes

You Gotta have Bread for Thanksgiving – Easy New Orleans French Bread and Focaccia Rolls

23 Nov

I have been branching out more and more into the world of bread and making my own at home when I can. It just plain tastes better and works out to be a lot cheaper than what you pay for it in the stores. While I do try to keep things simple with what a make, I just recently tried a couple of recipes that are easy to do, with few ingredients, and will go well not just with your holiday meal plans but are great for any time. The first I tried is New Orleans French bread from Saveur magazine.

New Orleans French Bread

2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/4-ounce packages active dry yeast

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

6 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Place 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the yeast and 2 cups of water heated to 115 degrees in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; let the mixture sit until it is foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining sugar and the shortening and then add the flour and salt. Mix on low-speed until the dough forms; increase the speed to medium-high and knead the dough until it is smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit until it has doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Uncover the dough and transfer it to a floured work surface. Knead the dough briefly to form a ball. Divide the dough into quarters and shape each quarter into a 16-inch long thick rope. Place two ropes each on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the loaves to sit until they have doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Using a sharp knife or cutting blade, slash a long line down the center of each loaf. Bake the loaves until they are light brown and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of each loaf reads between 208 to 212 degrees, about 30 minutes. Let the loaves cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Of course, we couldn’t resist and cut into one of the loaves right out of the oven and it was great. These French bread loaves are crunchy and delicious and perfect for many uses. Not only are they great to go with your entrée, but they would be great for appetizers like crostini, or just dipped in some olive oil. They are also ideal for sandwiches of all kinds. I’ll definitely make these again.

The other bread I tried this week is a simple recipe I came across for focaccia rolls. I wanted to make something that could be used for dinner rolls or also used for sandwiches and the like and this recipe was easy enough and seemed to fit my needs the best.

Focaccia Rolls

1 1/4 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided

3 1/2 cups bread flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm water, honey and the yeast. Allow the mixture to proof until it id frothy, about 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the salt, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and mix together.

In a small bowl, mix together the remaining olive oil and herbs and set aside.

Attach the dough hook to the mixer and add the flour to the mixture in the bowl. Knead the mixture on medium speed for 10 to 12 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and does not stick to your hands.

Oil a large bowl and add the dough. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and place it in a draft-free area to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

Once the dough is risen, punch it down and divide it into 12 equal size balls. Place the balls on a greased baking sheet, cover it with a damp towel and allow it to rise for 30 to 40 minutes.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Using the remaining olive oil and her mix, brush the top of each roll. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops of the rolls are golden brown and the rolls sound hollow.

I actually got more than 12 rolls out of this batch as I made some smaller and some larger so we could use some for dinner rolls and some for hamburgers. They have great flavor to them and I really liked them with the burgers. The small ones are perfect as dinner rolls for your holiday meals. I’ll be making these again as well.

That’s all I have for today. Check back again next time for more recipes. I still have a few Thanksgiving ideas if you are looking for something, so stayed tuned. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

Leave a comment

Posted by MikeG on November 23, 2013 in Breads, Cooking, Holidays

Tags: focaccia rolls, focaccia rolls recipe, French bread, French bread recipe, New Orleans French bread, Saveur magazine

Breads, Rolls, and Biscuits – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR

23 Nov

Breads, Rolls, and Biscuits – Photo Gallery | SAVEUR.

While many of us may rely on one of the guests to bring some bread to our Thanksgiving or holiday meal, if you have some time ahead of the day and want to make something on your own, Saveur Magazine has put together a great collection of different recipes for breads, rolls and biscuits that you can make for your holiday meal. There’s lots of good choices here, so check it out!

4 Comments

Posted by MikeG on November 23, 2013 in Biscuits, Breads, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Holidays

Tags: biscuit recipes, bread recipes for Thanksgiving, Breads, breads rolls and biscuits, holiday breads, holiday meal, roll recipes, Saveur, Saveur magazine

What’s a Birthday Without a Cake? Lemon Layer Cake for Michelle

18 Nov

Let me start off by saying that I feel I have never been much of a baker. It is only until recently that I have begun to try my hand at baking bread, and I like doing it, it comes out better (most of the time) than what you can buy in the store and it is a heck of a lot cheaper than buying bread at the store. That being said, I have never been much of one to make things like pastries, cookies or cakes. However, I did decide that this year I was going to give one a try to see if I could make a cake for Michelle’s birthday. She likes lemon cakes, so I thought I would try this one that I saw in Saveur magazine for a lemon layer cake. It seemed easy enough to try for my first foray into the land of cakes.

Lemon Layer Cake

For the Cake and Syrup:

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans

2 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for pans, sifted

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

4 eggs

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

For the Frosting:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup lemon zest

1 teaspoon kosher salt

10 egg yolks

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake: heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans and set them aside. Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; set the bowl aside. Whisk together the milk and vanilla in a bowl and set it aside. in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the butter, 1 1/2 cups of sugar and the lemon zest on medium-high speed until it is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients in 3 batches and the wet ingredients in 2 batches. Increase the speed to high and beat the mixture until the batter is smooth, about 5 seconds. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula; drop the pans lightly on a counter to expel any large air bubbles. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let the cakes cool for 20 minutes in the pans; invert the pans onto wire racks and let the cakes cool. Using a serrated knife, halve each cake horizontally to produce four layers; set the cakes aside. Bring the remaining sugar and lemon juice to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove the syrup from the heat and set it aside.

For the frosting: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and salt in a large saucepan. Add the yolks and whisk the mixture until it is smooth; stir in the lemon juice. Stirring often, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until it is very thick, about 3 minutes. Remove it from the heat, allow it to cool and transfer it to a bowl; chill the lemon curd. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter and 1/4 of the lemon curd on medium-high speed until it is fluffy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add half of the remaining lemon curd, beating the mixture until it is smooth, and then add the remaining lemon curd and vanilla. Increase the speed of the mixer to high; beat the frosting until it is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cake stand and drizzle it with 2 tablespoons of the syrup and spread it with 3/4 cup of frosting; top this with another layer of cake, drizzle it with 2 tablespoons of the syrup and spread it with another 3/4 cup of frosting. Place another cake over the frosting, drizzle it with 2 tablespoons of the syrup and spread it with another 3/4 cup of the frosting; top this with the remaining layer of cake and drizzle this with the remaining syrup. Cover the top and the sides with the remaining frosting. Chill the cake to firm the frosting then serve the cake at room temperature.

I do have to say for my first time out of making a cake that it turned out pretty well. Granted, there are people who are much better at making and decorating cakes than I am, but for a novice dad trying to make a cake I think it turned out pretty well. The frosting was fluffy and smooth and there was great lemon flavor throughout the cake thanks to the zest in the batter, the syrup drizzled over the cakes and the lemon curd frosting, which I really liked. Could it have been better? Probably, but I’ll cut myself some slack and say it will look and taste even better next time around. All in all, I think this was a pretty easy one to start with and those who ate cake seemed to enjoy it.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more recipes. I still have lots to share, including some Thanksgiving ideas as well as some every day dinners to try. I just got the latest issue of Cook’s Country, and that always inspires some to try some of their ideas, so look out for those. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!