Rosh Hashanah Honey Cake

Honey cake is a Rosh Hashanah tradition, wishing you a “Sweet New Year”. This holiday honey cake is easy to make, beautiful and delicious to eat.

Unlike some of the more traditional recipes, I use coconut oil instead of margarine or vegetable oil. I find it produces a much more flavorful cake. Also I glaze my cake with an apricot glaze (this helps to ensure a moist cake) and garnish with sliced almonds (creating a beautiful looking cake).

 

This recipe was part of a recent Rosh Hashanah cooking class I taught at Great News Cooking School, the full menus was; Salmon and White Fish Gefilte Fish with Herb Sauce, Citrus Brined Roasted Chicken, Tzimmes (traditional sweet stew), Saffron Rice. All proceeds from the class where donated to Jewish Family Services Adoption Alliance Program. I will be teaching another class Jewish Holiday cooking class for Hanukkah (with proceeds donated to JFS) Monday, December 3 (from 6 to 9 pm) at Great News.

 

 

Honey Cake

Makes 1 (10-inch) Bundt cake

 

Non-stick baking spay (like bakers joy or the Trader Joes brand)

Cakes
2 ½ cups    All-purpose flour
2 tsp           Baking powder
½ tsp          Baking soda
½ tsp          Kosher salt
¼ tsp          Ground nutmeg
3 large        Eggs
1 cup          Sugar
1 ¼ cups    Liquid coconut oil
1 cup          Local honey of your choice (except buckwheat)
¼ cup         Dissolved instant espresso (following package instructions)
¼ cup         Orange juice
¼ cup         Amaretto
2 tsp           Orange zest
¼ tsp          Lemon zest

Glaze

¼ cup         Amaretto

¼ cup         Apricot preserves
3 tbsp         Water

Garnish
½ cup         Toasted sliced almonds (optional)

 

Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Generously spray a 10 inch bundt pan, including center tube, with baking spray.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl.

In an electric mixer whisk eggs; slowing add in sugar. Whisking till almost completely incorporated. Then coconut oil, and follow with honey, espresso, orange juice, and Amaretto. Whisking until completely incorporated. Fold in orange and lemon lest by hand.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the honey mixture, then stir with the whisk until the batter is smooth.

Pour batter into pan and bake in oven until springy to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

Let cake cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes.

Loosen cake from the pan with a thin rubber spatula, then invert cake onto the rack and cool completely.

For glaze:

Heat preserves, Amaretto and water in a small sauce pan over low heat until preserves are dissolved, about 3 minutes.

Let glaze stand, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, but still pourable.

Transfer cake to a cake plate and slowly pour the  glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. If desired, sprinkle the top of the cake with almonds.

Spend a night under the ripe full moon with farmer Laurel Mehl for an intimate farm tour and dinner.

Nestled on a seemingly standard suburban block lies a completely organic and biologically diverse urban farm.

 

The farm plays host to a tribe of goats, ducks, chickens, fruit orchards, and a large variety of heirloom fruits and vegetables, all beyond organic and free range.

 

For $65 per person you receive, includes two craft cocktails, a five course vegetarian meal featuring the tantalizing creations of Chef Jenn Felmley and desert by confectioner Nikki Stout. The evening will also include a farm tour, heirloom seed showcase and craft cocktail demo.

 

Look for daily menu updates on the Coral Tree Farm's Facebook Page. To reserve your tickets please call Carris Rhodes at 760.688.8275 or email carrisrhodes@gmail.com.

 

Seating is VERY limited.

 

To secure your spot payments must be made in full no later than 3 days before the event.

Feel free to call or email with any questions.
http://www.facebook.com/events/444088235629646/#!/events/444088235629646/

Day at The Docks 2012....Slinging Fish Tacos and Teaching Quick Baja Style Shrimp Ceviche

Every year my amazing friend Tommy Gomes

(the most amazing fishmonger at Catalina Offshore Products)

Sets up a booth at Day at The Docks

Selling fish tacos

To raise money for the Monarch School (a school that educates childeren impacted by homelessness). This year we raised $5,000.00!

When I am not slinging thousands of fish tacos, I teaching. This years cooking demonstration, on one of the many amazing sport fishing boat was Baja Style Quick Shrimp Cevice.

Here is the recipe I made this year.

Quick Baja Style Shrimp Ceviche

Serves 4 to 6

For Cooking Shrimp

1 ½ lb         Shrimp, shell on

4                 Green Onions
1/4 cup        Lime juice
1                 Jalapeno, cut in half

For Ceviche

1                 Jalapenos, seeded & diced

1 cup          Green onion, sliced into thin slices
1/4 cup       Cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tbsp          Extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup       Tomato ketchup
¼ cup         Tomato juice
½ cup          Lime juice
Salt & fresh ground black pepper
1 1/3 cup    Cherry tomatoes (multi colored), halved or quartered
1/2 cup       English Cucumber, finely diced

1                 Avocado, seeded, peeled and diced

Tortilla chips

Combine green onions, lime juice, jalapeno, and 2 quarts water in a large stock pot; bring to a boil.

Add shrimp, stir, cover, cook until half cooked, about 2 minutes (or until pink and firm on the outside and shiny on the inside).
Drain in a colander.
Remove from colander and spread into a single layer onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate till cooled completely.
Peel and devein shrimp. Cut shrimp into bite sized pieces, small enough to fit onto a chip.
In a large bowl, stir together jalapenos, green onions, olive oil, ketchup, tomato juice and lime juice. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. 
Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up till over night
Before serving stir in cilantro, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Serve with a garnish of avocado and with good quality corn tortilla chips or tostadas.