Kale craving

Sometimes you just need to get the heck out of dodge in order to feel inspired by food. Meals I share with friends never disappoint especially when I am with my best friends & their amazing palates. That was the case recently when my besties & I ventured onto the hot food scene in Venice, California where innovative bites litter every block. Post trip I couldn't stop thinking about the kale salad from Superba Snack Bar. It had the perfect balance of acidity with a little sweetness, saltiness and lots of crunch. I knew at first bite that I had to recreate it in my own home kitchen. Why was it so special? Maybe it was the jalapeno pickled golden raisins & red onion that I fell in love with? Maybe it was a combo of the open air setting, the company and the freshness of the salad? Whatever the case, here's a little reincarnation of a memorable salad that's best devoured in good company.

Kale salad with jalapeño pickled raisins, pine nuts, parmesan & croutons

Pickled Raisins & Red Onion ingredients:
½ cup golden raisins
¼ of a red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
1 jalapeño, halved, white ribs & seeds removed, & sliced 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. celery seed (optional)
½ tsp. sugar
a few cracks of black pepper

Salad ingredients:
1 bunches curly kale, center rib removed from each leaf, leaves chopped
1/8 cup olive oil
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. raisin pickling liquid
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup parmesan
1 sprig of mint, about 8 leaves, torn
1/2 cup jalapeno-pickled golden raisins & red onion mixture, drained (recipe above)
4 pieces toasted bread, cubed
kosher salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp. parmesan for garnish

Directions:
1. Place the first 3 pickling ingredients in a medium size bowl. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, add the vinegars through black pepper and bring to a boil. Once boiling, give the liquid a stir & pour it over the golden raisin, red onion & jalapeno mixture. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Note: pickle ahead of time & leave mixture in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
2. Meanwhile in large bowl, toss all of the salad ingredients together using tongs. Taste & adjust seasoning as desired. Mound salad in the center of each plate.

Serves 2 large portions, 4 small portions

Recipe inspired by Superba Snack Bar (Venice, CA)

Buzzworthy coffee cake

blueberry sour cream coffee cake piled high

It's berry season! Celebrate by making Dahlia Bakery's perfect every time coffee cake that's dotted with fresh berries and topped with an irresistibly crunchy streusel topping. If you love to bake the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook is for you!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

Streusel ingredients:

½ cup (2.5 oz) all-purpose flour
½ cup (4 oz) packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp (3 oz) cold unsalted butter

Cake ingredients:

2½ cups (13 oz) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks/8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (6 5/8 oz) sugar
3 eggs
1 cup (7 3/4 oz) sour cream
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups/8 oz. fresh berries (blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries) or 11 oz frozen

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 13- inch baking pan and set aside.

2. To make the streusel, combine ½ cup flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add 6 tablespoons of diced butter and blend with a pastry blender or your fingers until crumbly. Set aside.

3. To make the cake, sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a bowl and set the dry ingredients aside. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl down as needed. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Add the dry ingredients, a third at a time, mixing just until everything is blended together. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the berries. The batter will be thick.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with the spatula. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the surface of the cake.

5. Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs clinging but no batter, 40 to 450minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the cake into 12 squares and serve warm.

Serves 12

Recipe from The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook