Pound cake: it doesn't have to taste like lemons

I usually shy away from pound cake; the typically dry, greasy, and, most offensive, lemon-cough-drop flavored dessert never quite does it for me.  But when I found a recipe for poppy seed vanilla bean coffee cake in this month's Gourmet, I left my prejudice at the door and picked up the ingredients.

Oh. My. No human being should ever eat as much pound cake as I have this week.  I realize that you might not have poppy seeds or vanilla beans in your cupboard right now, but if you get yourself to a store that sells spices in bulk, it won't be difficult (or expensive) to change that.  This cake can be your breakfast, afternoon snack, and dessert (though in my experience this is unwise).  Do yourselves a favor: make this, take it to a dinner party, express humble gratitude for the praise you will receive, and then leave the cake behind when you go home.  You'll thank me later.

Gourmet makes this with a plum pluot compote; I think the cake's flavor and texture can stand alone.  You will need:

2 cups cake flour

1/4 cup poppy seeds

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 vanilla bean

1 3/4 sticks softened unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup half and half, at room temperature

Preheat your oven to 350 and butter a 9x5 loaf pan.

Mix the first 4 dry ingredients, set aside.

Cut your vanilla bean in half horizontally.  Set one half aside for future use (if you're me, that means your next vanilla pound cake...), and cut the other down the middle lengthwise with a sharp paring knife.  Now you can scrape the strange looking tiny seeds into an empty bowl.  The more seeds you get into the bowl, the more tasty your cake will be....

Using a mixer, beat the vanilla seeds, butter, and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the 3 eggs, one at a time.

Add your dry ingredient mixture to the bowl in three batches, mixing at lowest speed and alternating with the half-and-half.

Spoon batter into the loaf pan and put into the oven, on the middle rack.  Set your timer for 45 minutes - it may take over an hour, but the cake is likely to get dry quickly if you overbake it.  I have found that taking out the cake just before the middle is completely done helps keep the cake moist.  After the cake cools in the pan for 30 minutes, it should come out with just a bit of careful maneuvering.

Eat the cake when it reaches room temperature, but beware that it will get tastier over the next few days.

My Grandma's Summer Squash

This is a recipe that my grandmother makes whenever her summer squash plant in the garden has a big harvest.  In July and August, that means almost nightly.  The recipe is simple enough, but first timers are consistently wow-ed.  It is best to choose yellow summer squash as fresh as possible - out of the garden is best, but we have been known to pick up a few from uhm, Trader Joe's, and the results have still been tasty.  You shouldn't need to peel the squash, as yellow summer squash have a delicate and unobtrusive skin, but some varieties have a knobby, warty skin - these you can peel for your own peace of mind, but if you don't no one will notice. 

Measurements are irritatingly vague, I'm sorry. 

1 lb (or more, or less - a good rule of thumb is two medium-sized squash per person) yellow squash

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped coarse

Generous dash of salt (I like to use kosher)

Butter to taste

Halve your squash lengthwise, remove ends, and remove seeds with a spoon (try using a grapefruit spoon).  It's okay to leave some of the seeds, just make sure you are rid of the stringy part. Dice squash into bite-sized pieces.

Place squash and garlic in a saucepan and add water to the pan until it is at 2/3 the level of your squash.  Bring to boil and then adjust heat to bring the squash to a low simmer.  Add salt and cook until the squash is almost falling apart (about twenty minutes).  

Drain any excess water, add a dab of butter, and return to heat until butter melts.  I typically add no more than 1 tablespoon of butter, but my grandma uses about 4 tablespoons.  Taste for salt and serve immediately.