Nowadays, the favorite American bakery specialty appears to be Red Devil Cake or Red Velvet Cake which is nothing more than this old-fashioned cake with a mad dash of red food coloring. This is my mom’s recipe which may have no bright red color, but what it lacks in brilliant color it gains in moistness, deep chocolate flavor, and deliciousness. It is inexpensive to make and keeps extremely well.

Devil’s Food Cake was my childhood favorite breakfast – a big slice of cake with a glass of farm-fresh milk. Perhaps that’s why I was buying my dresses in the Chubbiette section!  My mom always topped her cake with the traditional 7-Minute Frosting which she made in a double boiler; I share her recipe as well as the quicker, easier version. With the latter, a heavy-duty, standing electric mixer will speed the process considerably.

 

Devil’s Food Cake

Makes one 9-inch, 2-layer cake or 8-inch, 3-layer cake

2½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1½ cup sour milk (see Note)

Seven Minute Frosting (recipe follows) or Quick Seven Minute Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Lightly spray two 9-inch round or three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick vegetable spray (or grease and flour them). Line the bottom of each pan with a parchment paper round and lightly spray the paper with nonstick vegetable spray.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

Place the butter in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle.  Beat on medium until softened. Add the granulated and brown sugars and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Add the vanilla and beat to blend.

Lower the speed to medium and begin adding the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the sour milk, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating until well combined.

Place an equal amount of the batter into each of the prepared pans, gently smoothing the top of each one.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Then, invert onto wire racks to cool completely. Remove and discard the parchment paper.

When cool, place one layer, bottom up, on a cake plate. Coat with frosting and top with the final (or second) layer. If making a two layer cake, completely cover with the remaining frosting. If making a three layer cake, coat the top of the second layer with frosting and place the final layer on top. Then, completely cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting.

Serve a room temperature. Do not refrigerate or the frosting will turn sticky and wet.

Note: If you don’t have buttermilk or other sour milk, you can make it by adding 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice to whole milk. Let it sit for 10 minutes before using.

Traditional Seven Minute Frosting

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

1⅓ cups superfine sugar

¼ cup water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

If you have a double boiler large enough to hold the frosting, use it. Otherwise, fill a pot that is large enough to hold the heatproof bowl you will using to make the frosting with enough water to cover about ⅓ of the bowl. Place over high heat and bring to a simmer.

Combine the egg whites with the sugar, water, corn syrup, and cream of tartar in a large heatproof bowl. Place over the simmering water and, using a hand-held mixer, beat on low until well-blended. Raise the speed and continue to beat until the mixture reads 140º on an instant-read thermometer. Add the vanilla and continue to beat for 7 minutes or until the mixture is glossy and holds stiff peaks when lifted. 

Remove from the heat and continue to beat for about 5 minutes or until cooled slightly.

Use immediately. 

Quick Seven Minute Frosting

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon salt

⅜ cup superfine sugar

1⅛ cups light corn syrup

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whip. Beat on low until frothy. Raise the speed to high and beat until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until glossy. Then, add the syrup and vanilla and continue beating for about 5 minutes or until frosting is very glossy and holds a stiff peak when lifted.

Use immediately.

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One winter family holiday in the Caribbean, my wonderful husband, Steve, went on a shrimp Creole binge, ordering it for dinner every night. I knew that he was doing it to annoy my mother and that if she would quit snarking “why are you ordering that again”, he would move on. But, like all old mother-in-law jokes, she kept asking and he kept ordering. Thereafter he never ate it again – until laughing memories of that winter holiday propelled him to binge once again. 

In memory of my mom, Steve asked me to come up with a recipe. Having a freezer full of frozen peppers on hand was a perfect opportunity to do so. Here is what I came up with and what will forever be known as Steve’s Every Night Shrimp Creole.

Just because I had a yen for them, we decided to serve ours on creamy grits. Any starch can be used, but rice would be a classic. 

Steve’s Every Night Shrimp Creole

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup diced onions

½ cup finely diced red bell pepper

½ cup finely diced green bell pepper

½ sliced button mushrooms

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon dried basil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups chopped canned tomatoes

1 cup bottled clam juice

1 pound cleaned shrimp

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic and sauté for about 4 minutes or until the aromatics are beginning to soften. 

Stir in the bay leaf, red pepper flakes, thyme, and basil and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to color. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute or so. Add the tomatoes and clam juice and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the flavors are well-blended.

Add the shrimp and return to the simmer. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through. 

Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley, and serve.

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If you are like me, it is extremely difficult to put together and maintain a food budget. When shopping I am often lured by the products at hand or a moment’s inspiration. “I can’t pass up those beautiful tomatoes.” “But, the wild salmon is in and it is so much better than the farmed.” “I know we don’t need another dessert but I’m in the mood to bake today.” All that considered I’ve learned that if the goal is to eat well on a sensible budget, it is imperative to think ahead and stick fairly close to your plans.

When most women stayed at home and transportation was cheap, many moms read grocery store flyers, clipped coupons, and went from store to store purchasing the week’s sale items. Since cooking is now frequently done by both men and women who hold full-time jobs outside the home, most of us do not have the time or the inclination to shop around town for bargains. Rather, we are more likely to pick up expensive ready-to-eat preparations that can be added to foods cooked at home. Many of us home cooks still do a major grocery shopping weekly or monthly (often at big-box stores like Costco, Fresh Direct, or Wal-Mart) so, with a little planning, preparing interesting, imaginative meals on a food budget is quite doable. 

Although it is impossible to create a food budget that works for everyone there are some specific rules to follow when setting one. Some helpful hints for developing good habits are:

1. Make Ahead Meals

Make-ahead meals are simply the most economical way to feed your family and to minimize kitchen time for the family cook. They require purchasing in bulk and creating a number of meals out of one main ingredient. This is an especially great tactic when the main ingredient is purchased on sale or discounted at a big box store.

2. Think seasonally and locally

Almost all produce is less expensive when purchased during its season, particularly when found at local markets or farm stands. As well, many chain supermarkets now feature homegrown products as a way to support community farmers, cheese makers, bakers, and so forth. Many meat products are also less expensive during a particular season; think of lamb in the spring or turkey around the fall and winter holidays.

3. Think outside the normal dinner box

You don’t have to have the traditional protein, starch, and veggie on every plate every night. Think about a great frittata, a mixed-up salad, unusual grains tossed with legumes or vegetables. And, what about breakfast for dinner – multi-grain waffles with sautéed mushrooms instead of sweet waffles with maple syrup – although when I was a child sweet waffles were my special dinner treat and there’s no reason they can’t still be.

4. Use less animal protein

If you have a family of meat eaters begin to, at the least, serve smaller portions. Introduce ethnic meals that use less meat with wonderfully tasty success. I’m not a great lover of tofu, but have learned to like it well enough to use it often in place of meat. There are a multitude of ways to heighten flavor and satisfy the palate without piling on animal-based proteins.

5. Never Throw Food Away

As soon as your meal is over, prepare any leftovers for use in another meal, even if it is just a few vegetables that can be tossed into tomorrow’s salad or a bit of meat that can be chopped up to make a sandwich. It takes just a moment to do – the same time it takes to scrape the plate into the garbage.

6. Keep a well-stocked pantry

This is probably one of the most important aids to saving money while preparing great meals. A well-stocked pantry eliminates last minute, impulse shopping as well as gives you the ingredients to make the most with what you have on hand.

7. Prepare foods you enjoy

Although it is always makes sense to begin with ingredients and dishes that you and your family enjoy, sneak new, interesting and cost effective ingredients into the norm as a way of expanding your opportunities to create less expensive meals.

8. Do peruse local newspaper ads

Although you may not have the time to cut coupons or go from store to store on a bargain hunt, do check supermarket ads as many stores will often feature the same “specials” which will help trigger some plan-ahead ideas for the week’s or month’s meals.

Here is a good “for instance”:  Shopping at Fairway (my local nearest thing New York City has to a big box store) the other day, large bags (I’m saying 10 to 12 peppers) of nipped by the icy weather bell peppers caught my eye. At a $1.50, I couldn’t resist and had to contain myself from buying all of them at this bargain price. Once I got my two bags home, I sliced up the contents of one bag, roasted and covered them with some evo, added some capers and garlic, seasoned them well, and refrigerated them to marinate for sandwiches, salads, cocktail tidbits, and pasta extenders.

The other bag brought about some long-forgotten dinners that were pretty tasty!

 

Pepper Steak

Serves 6

Pepper steak—You say, what?  Although I had a recipe for it in my favorite cookbook, Meat and Potatoes, I had long forgotten about this 1950s favorite. My bag of peppers brought up some nostalgia for my mom’s cooking and what popped up but pepper steak. Once the answer to take-out Chinese food made at home and a Mom and Pop diner specialty, I hadn’t seen it on a menu for years. Well, once I got it going in the pan, I knew why it had been popular – thrifty, aromatic, vaguely Chinese, and quite delicious!             

Traditionally, pepper steak always has celery, but I’m not a fan of cooked celery so I eliminate it, but add a cup of bias-sliced celery if you are looking for the authentic ‘50s taste.

1½ pounds lean top-round steak, cut about 1½-inches thick

Approximately ¼ cup Wondra flour

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons canola oil

½ cup low-sodium, fat-free beef broth

¼ lite soy sauce or to taste

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

6 large button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 large onion, peeled and sliced, lengthwise, into thin strips

1 large red bell pepper, cored, trimmed, seeded, and cut, lengthwise, into thin strips

1 large green bell pepper, cored, trimmed, seeded, and cut, lengthwise, into thin strips

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half or 3 medium tomatoes, cored and cut, lengthwise, into sixths

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water

½ cup sliced scallions, including some green part

Cooked white rice

Using a chef’s knife, slice the steak, crosswise, into strips about 3-inches long and ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle the strips with the flour and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add the beef, without crowding the pan, and fry, lifting and turning frequently (tongs help), for about 5 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove from the pan and place on a double layer of paper towel to drain.

Using paper towel, wipe the excess oil from the pan, leaving any browned bits on the bottom. Return to medium heat and add the broth, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger and bring to a simmer. Return the meat to the pan, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the meat is tender.

Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, and bell peppers. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute or until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the scallions and remove from the heat. Serve, spooned over rice.

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