Category Archives: Cooking

Chocolate Cake: Because Summer Needs Dessert Too

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Freshly baked chocolate sheet cake covered in thick white frosting and rainbow sprinkles, resting on a cooling rack in a home kitchen.

A Chocolate Cake Kind of Day

Lately I haven’t been testing too many recipes. We’re deep into the summer months, which to me means hamburgers, hot dogs, and steak. I grew up with steak — my Dad loved it — but beef has been outrageous this year. So when my local supermarket had sirloins on sale three weeks in a row, well… there was no contest. Steak it was.

Lunch was a salad so I could enjoy my dinner without guilt. During this all‑too‑brief period of indulgence, I ignored the recipes landing in my email with startling regularity. Eventually I decided it was time to clear them out — and found a hidden gem I had to try.

Deliciously Moist Chocolate Cake

I am not adverse to using a box cake mix. They’re perfectly fine: open a box, toss in an egg and some oil, beat, bake, done. No muss, no fuss. I also hate frosting layer cakes (unless it’s carrot cake… ummmm cream cheese frosting). But I’m getting off track.

Buried in my emails was a recipe for a chocolate cake that I couldn’t resist.

Cake Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups flour
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
  • 1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee or hot water

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°. Grease two 9‑inch cake pans (I used a 9×13 sheet pan because, as I said, I hate frosting layer cakes). If using round pans, line with parchment rounds and grease the parchment.

Step 2: Whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) in a large bowl. Set aside.

Step 3: Using a stand or hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix oil, eggs, and vanilla on medium‑high until combined. (If you’ve got a strong arm, a hand whisk works too.) Add the buttermilk and mix until combined.

Step 4: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet. Add the hot coffee or water and whisk/beat on low until the batter is completely combined. Batter will be thin.

Step 5: For 9‑inch pans: divide batter evenly and bake 23–26 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. For a 9×13 sheet pan: bake 35–40 minutes.

Step 6: Let the cake cool at least 1 hour, then frost with your favorite frosting.

What Makes This Cake Different?

For me, the biggest difference is the buttermilk. I went 60 years without ever using it, and now it seems I’m reaching for it at least once a week. This cake calls for a full cup.

If you don’t have buttermilk, here’s a DIY substitute: Add 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, then fill with room temperature whole milk to reach 1 cup. Let sit 5 minutes. It will curdle — that’s exactly what you want.

Coffee or espresso powder is common in chocolate cakes because it deepens the chocolate flavor. It does not make the cake taste like coffee. Still, I don’t like coffee — not even coffee ice cream — so I skipped the espresso powder and used hot chocolate instead of coffee. Hot water felt too bland.

The recipe warned that the batter would be thin, and it was. Very thin. But I soldiered on. It also said the center might collapse even if the cake is fully baked because cocoa powder can’t support the weight of such a moist batter. Another good tip. So don’t beat yourself up if it looks like your cake fell. Just wait until you taste it.

Final Thoughts

I used traditional Crisco‑based birthday cake frosting instead of buttercream. It’s messy to clean up, but so rich and yummy that it’s worth every sticky bowl.

This cake is more involved than a box mix or even my usual from‑scratch cakes, but the difference is noticeable. They aren’t kidding when they say moist. The crumb is beautiful, and it holds together nicely.

This one is definitely going into my special‑occasion rotation.

 

 Gross‑out Foods for a Bizarre Buffet, Anyone?

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Andrew Zimmern posing at a media event, wearing round orange glasses, a blue blazer, a striped shirt, and a colorful pocket square against a dark backdrop with partial text.

Andrew Zimmern Host of the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods

What Would You Bring to the Bizarre Buffet

Now that you’ve had a little time to think about it… have you come up with any bizarre foods? They’re out there — and Andrew Zimmern built an entire career around foods that sound questionable, look strange, or seem downright off‑putting, yet still fit into the so-called “Gross-out” category and somehow taste good. Maybe even amazing.

 

Let’s build a Bizarre buffet worthy of Andrew Zimmern himself. What dish would you bring? For some, the best additions to this buffet are the true Gross-out options from around the world.

Bonus if it tastes better than it sounds—especially if it belongs in the Gross-out hall of fame.

 

Frog Eye Salad and Other Foods That Sound Gross (But Aren’t)

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A blue bowl filled with creamy frog eye salad made of acini di pepe pasta, pineapple, mandarin oranges, and colorful mini marshmallows, with a spoon resting inside the mixture.

Frog Eye Salad

When a Name Makes You Pause

How much are you influenced by the name of a food. Have you ever looked at a menu and thought, oh that sounds good — or just as quickly said, absolutely not. Would you try something that sounds, well… disgusting.

Recently one of the food bloggers I follow sent out a recipe for Frog Eye Salad. Yup. Frog eyes. It instantly made me think of a witch’s brew. All it needed was a little eye of newt or maybe a bat wing to round it out. Now, if they said frog legs, I could get behind that. After all, we eat chicken wings and legs, turkey legs, and even chicken feet. Why not frog legs. But frog eyes. I draw the line.

Fancy Names for Questionable Things

And while we’re talking about things that sound questionable, let’s consider eggs. We cook with chicken eggs every day, but I won’t even consider caviar. It doesn’t sound bad, but it’s fish eggs. I can’t. I just can’t. Meanwhile, I do like escargot — especially with garlic, butter, and cheese. Leave it to the French to make a tasty dish out of something slimy, but at least they gave it a cool name. Escargot is much easier to swallow than snails.

Moving on, let’s consider foie gras. Another French concoction. It sounds exotic and high‑brow. How do the French do that? It’s just a fancy name for goose liver. Goose liver pâté. Slap it on a cracker and voilà — a tasty appetizer. Ummm… no thank you.

Halloween Foods Are Just Drama Queens

Bloody Brains for Halloween

Now, if you’re preparing a Halloween feast, you might reconsider that Frog Eye Salad. Remember what started this whole train of thought. Halloween foods are basically regular dishes with dramatic names. A plate of “bloody brains” is just spaghetti with red sauce or a strawberry Jell‑O mold. “Monster eyeballs” can be mozzarella balls with an olive slice. And no one can skip “spider eggs” for a total gross‑out — deviled eggs topped with olive slices arranged like spider legs.

But back to the Frog Eye Salad. Is it a real thing? Yes. Yes it is. And based on the ingredient list, I think it might even be edible. No bat wings required. Not even any frog eyes.

Frog Eye Salad

A sweet, chilled holiday dessert made with acini di pepe pasta, coconut, pineapple, mandarin oranges, and marshmallows.

 Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Additional Time: 9 hrs Total Time: 9 hrs 35 mins Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups unsweetened pineapple juice
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 (16 ounce) package acini di pepe pasta *
  • 3 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
  • 2 (20 ounce) cans pineapple tidbits, drained
  • 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 1 cup miniature marshmallows
  • 1 cup shredded coconut

Directions

  1. Combine pineapple juice, sugar, eggs, flour, and ½ teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened.
  2. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add oil and remaining salt. Cook pasta until al dente, 5–7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
  4. Combine pasta, cooled egg mixture, oranges, pineapple tidbits, crushed pineapple, and whipped topping in a large bowl. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
  5. Before serving, add marshmallows and coconut; toss and serve.

*Note: In case you didn’t know (I didn’t) acini di pepe pasta is a very small, round pasta (about 0.2–0.3 cm). It’s Tender but slightly chewy when cooked al dente.

Let me know if you make it. I’m still struggling with the name.

And while I’m thinking about it, there are plenty of less‑than‑appetizing food names out there. Ants on a log comes to mind — and it’s actually a favorite of mine, though I’d never call it that. To me, it’s peanut butter on celery. Then we can head to England and enjoy Toad in the Hole (sausages baked in batter), same family as our pigs in a blanket. And while you’re there, would you like a dish of Spotted Dick.

There are a bunch more. What’s your favorite gross‑sounding food or meal. Or what’s something you’d never try just because the name is off‑putting. Bring it on. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

To Deep Fry or Not to Deep Fry

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Golden, crispy onion rings piled on a wooden surface with a small dish of red dipping sauce in the background.”

Onion Rings & Other Adventures

I almost never deep fry anything, but the craving for onion rings hit hard this week. So I broke down, hauled out my trusty cast‑iron skillet, clipped a deep‑fry thermometer to the side like I knew what I was doing, and went for it.

They were pretty good — crisp, golden, and absolutely worth the trouble. The only downside? By the time I was done, the oil looked like a snow globe full of batter crumbs. Since I fry with Crisco, I had to strain it before it cooled or it would turn back into a solid brick. I remembered my mom straining hers through cheesecloth, which sent me on a whole mental scavenger hunt wondering where people even buy cheesecloth these days. (Answer: apparently everywhere except my kitchen.)

And now, a brief report from the Feline News Desk at WMEW — All Meow, All the Time:

Banner: “We observed the frying operation from a safe distance. The sizzling noises were concerning, but we remained brave.”

Balboa: “I would like to formally request onion rings be added to the treat rotation.”

Rocky (retired, reporting from the Rainbow Bridge editorial suite): “Deb, next time take pictures. The readers deserve visual proof of this chaos.”

No photos this time — just a craving, a skillet, and two cats who think they’re culinary experts.

 

Home Again, Home Again… for Donut Muffins

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Mini cinnamon‑sugar donut muffins nestled in a parchment‑lined bowl, their tops glistening with sugar, with soft greenery and a white flower behind them.

From Road Trips to Donut Muffins

After weeks of writing about Boston, Cape Cod, whales, candy shops, and national parks, I’ve been thinking about that feeling you get when the traveling finally pauses. The suitcase goes back into its corner, the cats settle in around you, and home wraps itself around your shoulders like a familiar sweater. Exploring is wonderful — but coming home is its own kind of sigh.

So today, instead of another adventure, let’s step back into the kitchen and savor something warm and nostalgic: old-fashioned homemade donuts… or at least their modern cousin. I made mini donut muffins the other day, and they tasted exactly like cinnamon sugar donut holes — no frying oil required. Sometimes the sweetest part of traveling is the moment you return.

Those homemade donuts have been calling me ever since I had a crispy Old Fashioned from the Colonial Donut Kiosk in the lobby of Morton Hospital. That really took me back. It’s one of my favorite memories: watching my mom drop raw donuts — and the leftover holes — into hot oil. I wasn’t allowed anywhere near the pot (hot oil and kids don’t mix), but we were always ready to start sampling as soon as they were draining on paper towels.

I was almost at the point of trying to make some myself. I just needed to figure out what to do with the used oil.

While I pondered that dilemma, I ran across a recipe for mini donut muffins. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much, but the recipe was simple and I hoped it would satisfy my craving. They turned out surprisingly good — good enough that I want to share them with you. So pull up a chair and pour yourself a cuppa. Imagine a plate of warm, tender mini muffins sitting right in front of you.

Donut Mini Muffins

Servings: 24 mini muffins

Ingredients

Muffins:

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• ¼ cup margarine, melted

• ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ½ cup milk

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

For Finishing:

• ¼ cup margarine, melted

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin.
  2. Make the muffins: Mix sugar, margarine, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Stir in milk, then mix in flour and baking powder until just combined. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling each ½ full.
  3. Bake until the tops are light golden brown, 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack.
  4. Immediately place melted margarine in one bowl and mix sugar and cinnamon together in another.
  5. Dip the top of each warm muffin in melted margarine, then dip in the sugar mixture to coat. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Notes • I used stick butter in place of margarine.

• I tried rolling the whole muffin in the butter and coating, like donut holes. It isn’t necessary — just dipping the tops gives a better balance.

• You won’t get a crispy exterior like deep-fried donuts, but the nutmeg and cinnamon will certainly give you a donut vibe.

Let me know how yours turn out.