BEST CAKE

Marian Burros's Italian Plum Torte, from the NYT via Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients:

4 oz (1 stick) butter, softened

3/4 c sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

4.75 oz (1 c) AP flour

1 t baking powder

large pinch salt

12 Italian plums, halved and pitted

2 T granulated sugar

1 t ground cardamom

Methodology:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease an 8" square glass dish.

Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add eggs and mix thoroughly.  

Mix dry ingredients and stir into wet ingredients.  Spread evenly in dish and cover with fruit, pressing into batter slightly.  Sprinkle with sugar and cardamom.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden and puffed.

SAUTEÉD SHISHITO PEPPERS

From Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients:

6-8 oz shishito peppers, stems attached

2 t olive oil

Salt

1/2 t sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds (optional)

Methodology:

Heat a large dutch oven or skillet over high heat, and add the oil.  Once it's hot, add the peppers and cook for 5-8 minutes, tossing frequently.

Remove from heat, plate, and season with salt.  Alternatively, add sesame oil, soy sauce and sesame seeds.

SLOW COOKER SHORT RIBS FOR BORSCHT

Ingredients:

2 lbs bone in short ribs

Salt

Ghee

1 carrot, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1-2 onions, diced

2 T tomato paste

Methodology:

Place 3 c boiling water inside a slow cooker set to high.

Divide the short rib meat from the bones, taking care to keep the meat in large pieces.

Roast the bones at 425°F for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a dutch oven over high heat, melt the ghee, then season and brown the short rib meat on both sides.  Place the meat in the slow cooker. 

Turn the heat under the dutch oven down to medium.  Add the vegetables to the dutch oven and cook for 10 minutes, stirring to lightly brown them on all sides.  Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.  Add 2 c water and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pot.  Pour the vegetable mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine.

Cook for 5-7 hours on high.

Once cooked, remove the meat and reserve in the fridge.  Remove the bones and discard.  Strain vegetable stock and discard solids, reserving stock in fridge.  

Once meat has cooled, cut into appropriate sized pieces.  Once stock has cooled, remove solidified fat, and proceed with borscht recipe.