Lightly score each potato around its circumference. Place potatoes in a large, heavy pot with enough cold water to cover and a 2 heaping tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil then adjust heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook until tender, about 20-30 minutes depending on the size. To test, pierce the potatoes with a sharp knife. An undercooked potato can be pulled from the water with the knife but a cooked potato will drop off and remain submerged.

Drain the potatoes. When cool enough to handle but still warm, peel the potatoes by pulling off the skins (scoring beforehand makes this easier). Pass through a ricer or food mill into a large mixing bowl.  Blend in the sautéed onions.  Add the shredded cheese and blend well. Allow potato mixture to rest at least 30 minutes before shaping.  Shape into even discs, about 1/2 cup per cake.  Chill until ready to use, at least 30 minutes.

Heat skillet to medium high heat. Brush the skillet with annato oil and place on skillet until well browned. Brush the tops of the cake with annatto oil and carefully turn to brown the other side.

Serve with salsa de maní, chopped tomatoes, avocado, fried eggs, maduros or chorizo.

Makes 8-10 individual cakes.

Salsa de Maní

2 tablespoon annatto/achiote oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup unsalted, roasted peanuts
3/4 cups of milk, plus more as needed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Combine peanuts and milk in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth.  Set Aside.

Heat annatto oil in a heavy skillet over medium.  Add the onions and garlic and sautée until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the peanut-milk mixture and bring to a simmer, about 2-3 minutes. It should pour easily like cream, stir in milk as needed to get the right consistency.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Consulting Diana Kennedy’s My Mexico first, I decided to make them simply with scrambled eggs and corn tortillas. Cutting carefully around the edge then scraping off the nodes and protruding spines with a knife or peeler, I assumed that my New York cactus paddles were domesticated and skipped the gloves.  It only took few pin-pricks to remind me what I was dealing with and the gloves came on. After a few quick searches, I decided to scrub the paddles first with the rough side of a clean sponge to wipe away the needles then give them a quick scrape to remove some of the thicker nods.   Most recipes called for simmering or steaming the nopales beforehand but I wanted to them have some snap so I quickly sautéed them instead. Because I like my eggs on the runny, creamy side, I cooked them slowly and took them off the heat early. Adding the cilantro a little bit at a time, I thought it would overwhelm the scallions and nopales but it was perfect – the acidic nopales adding just the right element of something different.  With winter finally here and the leaves long gone, there couldn’t be enough green - exactly what I needed.

Huevos con Nopales y Cilantro/Eggs with Cactus Pieces and Cilantro
Adapted from recipe by Sra. Antonia Hernández de Gutiérrez in Diana Kennedy’s My Mexico. Most recipes called for simmering or steaming the nopales beforehand to cut down on the okra-like mucilage the vegetable releases. Finding some later versions where they were added raw, I decided to skip this step and after a few minutes it had largely cooked away. 

1 tablespoon sunflower or safflower oil
4 green scallions, white and green parts diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt to taste
1 heaping cup of nopales (also known as prickly pear cactus or cactus paddles), diced
½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
4 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup tightly packed fresh cilantro, stems and leaves, finely chopped

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add scallions and garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add diced nopales and oregano.   The nopales will release a mucilagenous fluid, continue to sauté until most of liquid has evaporated, an additional  3-4 minutes.  Add the beaten eggs then immediately  take heat down to lowest setting.  Stir the eggs until the curds form to desired degree of doneness.  Stir in the cilantro and remove from heat.

Serve with warm corn tortillas and slices of queso fresco.

Their first meeting turned into an interview where Dawn was doing the hiring and Dave was burning a tray of the caramel shortbread Lucia cookies she’d named after her great grandmother.  Luckily for everyone, she hired him anyway. Many trays of perfectly executed Lucia cookies later, they’re happily partnered and married in Brooklyn with their young son Nate and a second location in DUMBO on the way.

Whether it’s family or friends visiting or just anytime brunch on Smith Street, one of my absolute favorite ways to end the weekend is to stop by One Girl for something sweet to take the edge off a Sunday. Still, their best offering has been their classes where everyone gets elbow deep in tarts, cakes, and custard.

Incredibly generous with their time and advice when I started baking and blogging, they’ve also been generous with the recipes they’ve chosen to include in their book - offering up the secrets to their pumpkin whoopie pies and winter spice cookies, what I promise you will be the best apple pie you’ll ever make, and a have-to-try chocolate cake with salty dulce de leche and hazelnut brittle. I also love that they’ve included DIY basics you’ve always wanted to try but were waiting for someone to tell you how, ie. making your own butter.

It was hard to pick one but this week I made their blueberry oat muffins.  Classic and simple, they were fall apart tender with enough oat-crumble crust and berries to make you feel virtuous for baking in first weeks of January. It was a good page to start the year on.

Blueberry Oat Muffins with Crumb Topping
Reprinted with permission from One Girl Cookies: Recipes for Cakes, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies, and Cookies from Brooklyn’s Beloved Bakery by Dawn Casale and David Crofton.

Crumb Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup packed light brown sugar
1⁄4 cup rolled oats
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon table salt
10 tablespoons (1 1⁄4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Muffins
2⁄3 cup rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1⁄2 teaspoons table salt
6 tablespoons (3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1⁄4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line one 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
To prepare the crumb topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse 4 or 5 times. Set aside.

To prepare the muffins, process the oats in the clean bowl of the food processor until they are powdery. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix for 1 minute. Then add the sour cream, honey, and vanilla, and mix for 30 seconds. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Mix for 10 seconds. Take the bowl off the mixer and fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula.

Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling them about three-fourths full. Sprinkle the muffins generously with the crumb topping.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, for 28 minutes, or until the top of a muffin springs back when lightly pressed. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan, transfer them to a wire rack, and let them cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

Rarely observed in the United States, it had been years since I’d done anything to celebrate the day that was always falling mid-week, mid-flight, mid-blizzard. This past weekend, I was getting my kitchen back in order when I thought of the Mexican rosca de reyes from Fany Gerson’s My Sweet Mexico that I’d wanted to try. Made from a  sweet, brioche-like dough, the rosca is shaped into an oval crown and decorated with jewel-like candied fruits and drunk with hot chocolate. Similar to the Spanish roscón de reyes, French gâteau des rois, and Louisiana king cake, fava beans or figurines representing baby Jesus are tucked into the dough before baking so that whoever finds it gets to be king, along with the dubious honor of paying for the cake and hosting a dinner on el dia de la Candelaria or Candlemas that follows on February 2nd, though traditions vary. I almost left it for next year when Three Kings Day lands comfortably on a Sunday and there’d be plenty of time to plan a real, traditional brunch – but then I decided to do it anyway.

Running to find a store open late on New Year’s Day, I found them all closed. Unable to will them open, I ran into a nearby deli to get what I could so I could at least get it started and leave it to chill overnight. The next morning while the dough was rising a second time, I was only able to find some dried figs and candied oranges – regretting that retro sugared-up, candied fruits were so out of style and out of stores. The non-melting baby Jesus figurines were not something I kept on hand, so my choice of fava beans was as much about necessity as tradition. Of course, when we cut it up, I had no problem finding the bean since I’d been the one to hide it. Whether it’s tamales and atole for friends in February or making another King’s cake next year, I don’t mind at all.  It’s one more thing to look forward to.

Rosca de Reyes/Three Kings Bread
Adapted from Fany Gerson’s My Sweet Mexico. Gerson uses the same dough to make the rosca de reyes and pan de muerto. The original recipe called for bread flour which I didn’t have so I substituted unbleached, all purpose flour in equal parts. I had limited fruits available so I added lemon zest and tossed in raisins at the last minute.

Like pan de muerto, it’s impossible to stop decorating once you’ve started. I had a very fixed idea in my mind of how it should look, but quickly realized there are countless ways to incorporate spices, nuts. fruits, and add ins. The recipe yields enough dough to make two roscas. After the final rising, I set one in the freezer to make later in the week. The dough can be very involved and I thought it could be a good make ahead solution if it works. I’ll update then.

For bread:
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons orange blossom water
2/3 cup whole milk
4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Orange zest from one medium orange
Lemon zest from one large lemon
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

4 to 6 plastic, non-melting figurines or fava beans
3 ounces assorted candied fruits (orange, fig, acitrón or lime)*
1 egg, beaten

*For this version, I used candied oranges and dried figs.

For topping:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling (about 1/4 cup)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Dissolve the yeast in the orange blossom water. Whisk in a 1/3 cup of the milk and 1/2 cup of the flour and blend until smooth. Leave in a warm place (about 70°F) until it begins to bubble and puffs up slightly, 20-30 minutes.

Put the remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the sugar, salt, and zests and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds. Add the eggs, the remaining 1/3 cup of milk, and the yeast dough. Mix at low speed until it starts to come together. While mixing, add the butter gradually, in small pieces until incorporated, increasing the speed to medium. Continue beating for 10 to 15 minutes, until the dough is soft and comes off the sides of the bowl. If the dough is still sticky, add a little flour as needed but no more than 1/3 cup. Add in the raisins and incorporate into the dough if using.

Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or butter and place the dough inside. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough, gather the sides together and flip over so the bottom is on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to use, remove from refrigerator , uncover and place a towel on top. Leave the dough to rise in a warm place (about 70°F) and bring to room temperature, about 1 hour.

For the topping, combine the flour, sugar, butter and vanilla until well incorporated. Set aside or chill for later use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line to baking sheets with parchment paper or  non-stick liner and set aside.

Divide the dough in two large pieces by cutting not pulling the dough. Shape each piece into a large ball. Poke a hole in the center of each and shape into a large doughnut. Tuck the beans or figurines into the bottom of the dough at random spots. Set each rosca on a baking sheet. Lightly brush the dough with the beaten egg and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Scoop out the butter topping and form into desired shapes to decorate the cake. Top with candied fruits and sliced figs.

Place in the preheated oven and bake until the tops are golden and it sounds hollow when tapped, about 40-50 minutes. Slice and serve.

Makes 2 large roscas.

Not to knock 2011, but it was a difficult year for many of us. As challenging as these economic times are for individuals just getting by, it can be devastating to non-profits that depend on all of us to have just a little extra to give. With the end of the tax year fast approaching, I thought it was a good time to highlight some of the organizations whose work has inspired me in the past for those who don’t want to wait till next year to get it right, or at the very least, need one more tax deduction…

I first learned about Pro Mujer through my friend Josh who works for the organization. An economic development group focued primarily in Latin America, they provide microfinancing and training to women living in difficult circumstances with few resources. Whenever Josh gets back from a trip, it’s always exciting not only to hear about where he’s gone or what he’s seen, but what they’ve helped other people accomplish.

Heifer International provides millions of  families in 128 countries with not only the immediate relief from hunger but the means and resources to improve their lives and enrich their communities. When you’d like to make a last-minute gift that isn’t thoughtless, there’s no better way than to send someone a flock of baby chicks or share in a llama in their name.

I have two yorkies, two spoiled, ankle biting yorkies. I can’t blame them since I’m largely responsible. Whatever I can give them, pales in comparison to the unconditional puppy love I get in return so it’s hard for me to read about the inhumane, unconscionable way some animals are treated. When I come across a particularly awful story, it’s always a comfort to follow the work done by the ASPCA and know that animals have their advocates too though they need our help and support.

The past couple of years, I’ve been involved with Raices de Esperanza, a group dedicated to empowering Cuban youth both on and off the island with programs such as CELLS 4 CUBA and their Family Reunification Program. Running for Roots, our latest project started in mid-October, will hopefuly takes us straight through to the finish line at the Miami ING Half Marathon, a run we’ve dedicated to Laura Pollan. I’ve been raising money through my page on Crowdrise, itself an incredible organization that creates a space for people to fundraise for the issues and groups that matter most to them.

I hope you all have a happy and safe New Year!

A couple of months ago, I was invited to a dinner at Romera hosted by Manu Muga of Bodegas Muga, a family-owned vineyard. Bodegas Muga has been cultivating varieties of grapes – Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graziano for reds and Viura and Malvasia for whites – on over 620 acres nestled in the Rioja Alta region of Spain for more than 70 years. Though widely distributed, they’re committed to small scale, artisanal production – heavy oak barrels are used throughout the entire process, egg whites are still used for clarification and the egg yolks still go to nearby convents to be turned into sweets.

The tasting menu by Dr. Miguel Sanchez Romera was memorable by design – each course meant to illicit a neurosensory response – a cuisine he developed as a practicing neurologist in Barcelona. It may have been the synapses but the wine, thoughtfully paired with each of the 11 courses, kept things buzzing along nicely. When the infused waters, dried herb mosaics, and chalices laden with Kobe beef had been had, the best pairing came at very end the end when it was just red wine and chocolate – in this case Muga Aro 2006 and house-made bonbons and tablets. A vivid red against the soothing chocolate, if the rest of the meal was a dream, this was the perfect way to be woken up.

Wanting to capture that same feeling, I decided to make truffles to take to a friends house for tapas and picoteo. It had been awhile since I’d attempted them and I’d forgotten how much fun it could be – temperamental but fun. Not stopping there, I also made these chocolate cookies. Resolutions would kick in soon enough but until then there’s a little more wine, a lot of more chocolate, and time to enjoy both.

When I read in Fany Gerson’s My Sweet Mexico that well-rendered lard actually has less saturated fat than butter, I decided to finally try it. Making a special trip to the farmer’s market, I picked up a tub of Flying Pigs farm leaf lard – the best grade for baking. A little bit of lard goes a long way to making pie crusts flaky, so I thought it would work well for mantecados. I didn’t want to lose the barely there flavor of butter so I didn’t go whole hog, using equal parts lard and butter. Instead of cinnamon and cloves, I opted for crushed anise seeds and lemon. As promised, they were all crumble and sand – a new favorite that couldn’t be older. Feliz Nochebuena!

Mantecados de Ánis/Anise Shortbread Cookies
4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces leaf lard, at room temperature
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest from one large lemon
2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon anise seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and lard at medium speed for about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and increase the speed to medium-high. Occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, continue to beat until it is pale and fluffy, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Blend together the flour, spices and salt. Add this to the creamed butter all at once then stir with a wooden spoon or spatula for a couple of turns. Return the bowl to the stand and mix on the lowest speed until the flour is just incorporated, do not over mix. Turn out the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, push together to form a large flat disc, and wrap well. Refrigerate until very firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick liner.

Scoop out the dough in tablespoons, roll into a ball and place on the cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Using a small spoon dipped in flour, press down on each ball so it form a round disc about 1/2-inch thick. The dough will be fragile but if it cracks or the dough falls apart it can be gently pressed together or reshaped. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake the cookies until the edges are lightly golden, though the tops will still be pale, 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and while still warm, sprinkle generously with confectioners’ sugar. Using a spatula, carefully remove the cookies and lay out on a cooling rack.

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen.

Already late and patties long gone, I spent another dizzying drive with my eyes shut and downing ginger candy. We’d almost reached Portland when somehow we missed our turn. I stayed quiet but was really regretting the long detour, then just as suddenly the road leveled off, all was right and I could take in the roadside stands, town life, endless green, and glimpses of water . It was the quietest stretch of my trip and my favorite though I wasn’t meant to see it at all – not off limits, just not part of the plan. As it turned out, getting lost was as lovely as getting there.

Eventually, we did arrive at Goblin Hill, the shabby chic, eccentric and aptly named resort where we’d be staying that really did feel haunted, though not at all frightening. It was more like the last guests had left abruptly some time in 1982 or else been transformed into the many hummingbirds hovering around the property - a collection of villas surrounded by rolling lawns overlooking San San Bay. The next morning, Desserine, the helper assigned to our room came over to make breakfast – callaloo and saltfish, eggs, and journey cakes. I’d been reading an about Jamaican breakfast since before I came so watching her work was something like seeing a celebrity up close. Gracious and patiently answering my questions, she finally gave me a task, teaching me how to shape the pineapples into marigolds – something to take with me.

Full and happy, we finally made it down to the beach – an emerald green, fresh water stream wrapping around cliffs and feeding into the Caribbean sea. If you’ve ever watched a movie where the actors get shipwrecked and wash ashore to a deserted island and found yourself thinking – I could be happy there - then you’ve seen Frenchman’s Cove.

Portland is the birthplace of jerk so we couldn’t leave without visiting the Boston Jerk Center. We got there beach hungry and in a few minutes had bundles of jerk pork, sausage, blackened bread fruit, roasted yams, festival bread, cold bottles of Ting and fresh soursop juice. The air smelled like pimento, cinnamon and smoke, the food was served in plain craft paper or pulled up from an open pit, and the streets were full of goats and chickens. Sitting on the rickety benches tearing into our bundles, you just knew it couldn’t be better.

So that brings me to the end though of course there was more – red pea soup and goat curry Norma’s on The Terrace, lobster patties at Devon House Bakery, passion fruit cake from The Guilt Trip…I thought I was just going to be with friends and take a break from the city but my trip was not the disconnect I’d planned. Just before take-off, I read that ackee, a staple of the Jamaican diet, was actually poison… or at least poisonous until ripened. Fortunately, it’s easy to tell because the bright red fruit opens up to reveal its jet black eyes so there is no melon thumping ambiguity. Taking potentially toxic produce and not only incorporating it into your cuisine but making it your national fruit show that you take food deadly serious. This was my first sign that Jamaica is an extraordinary food destination but then there were many, many more. I’ll stop here but really I could go on forever.

Photo credit shared by Ana Pelaez and Carmen Pelaez.

These thoughts were running through my mind as I was coming off the Brooklyn Bridge this Saturday. After taking a break from long distances, I’m once again training for a half-marathon in January. We’re at the point now where each week sets the finish line one or two miles later, fooling the body to push further a little bit at a time. It’s always fun to tell people how far you’ve gone when you feel like you’ve really gone somewhere, though no mile is ever harder than the first. Each time I head out, I feel like I’m learning to run all over again. Once I get started, most runs, my favorite runs, have me feeling like a could go on forever – a reward for starting.

That’s what getting back to the kitchen felt like this weekend. I was coming down from my runner’s high, when I remembered a cake that I’d been wanting to make since starting Hungry Sofia - a tarta de Santiago or St. James Cake. I’d only ever had it around Christmas time when it would come ready-made and wrapped in cellophane from the Spanish market Delicias de España. A traditional almond cake from Galicia, its sold in bakeries all over the region, especially during the feast day for Santiago el Apóstol  in late summer. Since the Middle Ages, the cake has been served to tourists and travelers making the famous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela – a reward for arriving.

I thought it would be complicated, but once I got down to comparing recipes, it was really just almonds, eggs and sugar and sugar baked in a single layer. It could be poured over a pastry crust or glazed over with apricot preserves but for this first time I kept it simple. I must have been thrown by the dramatic St. James cross that tops each cake into believing it would be harder than it was. I ended up fashioning my own from fleur de lys and snowflakes.

Of course, I’m not on a pilgrimage, if only because I rarely know where I’m going until I get there. Still, I do aspire to the kind of faith that keeps you moving. I don’t think I could have imagined the places this blog has taken me when I started or the people I would have met. New projects have been overwhelming sometimes but they’ve also kept me trying. Thank you as always for reading and I’ll hope you’ll keep following because I’m still really, really hungry. Tarta de Almendra O Merlo/Almond Cake
Barely adapted from Alfonso Merlo’s recipe found in Penelope Casas’ ¡Delicioso! The Regional Cooking of Spain. I found this book a couple of months ago and its become a favorite. Casas not only takes you to a specific region but a particular city, town, street, restaurant, kitchen with amazing stories and details.

6 ounces blanched whole almonds (about 1 cup)
6 tablespoons, unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
Orange zest (optional)
Confectioner’s sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8″-inch springform pan and set aside.

In a food processor, coarsely chop 2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) of the almonds with the flour. Remove almond-flour mixture and set aside. Combine remaining almonds with 1/4 cup of sugar and process until finally ground. Combine with almond-flour mixture and set aside.

In a mixer fitter with the whisk attachment or using a hand beater, beat eggs at medium speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining sugar until pale and thick.  Stir in orange zest if using. Gently fold in the comined almond mixtures until well incorporated but do not over mix. Pour batter into the prepared pan and set in preheated oven. Bake until the cake is lightly golden and springs back to the touch, about 30-35 minutes.

Allow to cool then sprinkle generously with powdered sugard before serving.