Teddie's Apple Cake- 1976

Note: I know I haven't updated in a while, but I've still been cooking! Expect more entries soon, as my life gets a little less crazy.  For now, here's Teddie's Apple Cake.

At my workplace, we have a Holiday party every year, to which different departments are assigned different things to make. This year, my department got dessert, so I busted out the cookbook, and landed on something that I thought would be relatively easy and quick to make on a work night. I gathered my ingredients, mixed them, and set the cake to bake, and it made my apartment smell fantastic on a snowy night last week.

For some reason, I thought that Apple Cake would taste much more virtuous than this one does. In my head, it was kind of in the vein of banana bread, or a muffin, or something equivalent to that.  I seek to dispel any of those notions with this cake.  It is sweet, and nutty, and much more cake like than I expected.  The apples and raisins do a great job of keeping the cake moist, and the outside edge of the cake crackles a little with the sugar in the batter that caramelizes as it bakes in the tube pan. 

The headnote in the recipe suggests serving this with ice cream, which would not be out of place for sure, but as I was eating it I definitely could see it slathered with cream cheese frosting as well.  A great cake to add to my quickly growing arsenal of delicious cakes that I bake.  (Plus! I was asked for the recipe twice, which is always a good sign)

A Perfect Batch of Rice- 1978

Yes, I know I used this picture before... I probably should have taken some other ones.

I think everyone has culinary things that they are anxious to make. Some people are afraid of bread baking, some people hate candymaking, other people fear the mashed potatoes turning into a gluey, terrible mess.  None of those are my fears- I can make some kickass candy, my mashed potatoes are fluffy and delicious, and I've made a loaf or two of bread in my time. 

But rice, oh, rice. The bizarre thing is, I can make a decent risotto- it's one of my favorite things to make. But give me a pot of regular rice, some water, and you will find yourself with either a pot with a burned bottom of rice, or a pot with almost completely raw rice, that once the lid comes off when I check it, never seems to cook through.  I attempted rice on several occasions, until I finally threw my hands up and gave it up.  Rice was something I ate at other people's houses, or with my Indian takeout. 

I knew I'd have to conquer my fear of rice, because there are several recipes in the cookbook.  The good thing is, the first one I started with is pretty idiot proof.  You bring rice to a boil, in chicken broth, add some herbs and butter and onions, and then put the whole kit in the oven. when it's done, out comes creamy, delicious rice- it's excellent- a very close cousin to risotto, and it was an excellent bed for the Salmon in Foil that I made the same night. 

Maybe I don't need to fear the rice!