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| Photo: Cynthia Campbell |
From Denny: Louisiana is fond of food competitions and New Orleans attracts the top chefs who
are willing to compete for charity events and industry competition too. This tasty recipe competed in a New Orleans Wine and Food Experience competition, developed by Pastry Chef Erin Swanson, Restaurant R’evolution, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the 2014 desserts category silver medal winner. All those lucky tasters were found returning for seconds of this delicious simple cake!
This is the usual easy upside down cake that bakes at 350 degrees F. All you do is sift together the dry ingredients of flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Meanwhile, in a food processor pulse together the macadamia nuts and sugar until you quickly achieve a rough chop as the macadamia nut is a soft nut and easy to chop.
Like any cake just cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, Add the sugar and nut mixture. Then it's time to add the eggs, one at a time. Finally, add the vanilla extract and scrape the sides of the bowl.
Next, starting first with the dry ingredients, you alternate mixing the dry ingredients with the sour cream until well combined. Put together the butter topping by mixing the melted butter with the brown sugar.
Then it's the fun time of assembly: spray your cake pan with a nonstick vegetable spray. Put a thin layer of the butter topping into the pan. Then you arrange the sliced pineapple on top of the butter topping. (You are assembling the cake in reverse of what you see when it's served.) Pour the cake batter over the pineapple slices. Bake for 15 minutes and then rotate the pan so all cooks evenly. Bake another 10 - 15 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown.
The easy part? Let this cake cool inside the pan. When cooled, take a knife to loosen the cake from the pan so it will release nicely onto that inverted dinner plate you place over the cake pan for that "thud, plop!" sound every baker enjoys hearing when the cake has released beautifully into one piece. If it didn't release well, don't stress out. As my fun late mother-in-law used to say with a big smile, "No worries; it will all be eaten at our house!" Serve at room temperature with a hot cup of coffee or your favorite hot tea.
To satisfy your foodie curiosity here's what the other medal winners were cooking and the New Orleans restaurants from which they hail are linked so you can go visit and check out their stellar menus:...
This fun design enlivens a girly room, easy to coordinate with other patterns!
Check out what other products besides bedding are available in this design.
Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new! Also note that I leave up all my designs from year to year so you have the security knowing that you can purchase as your budget permits to coordinate a room.
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| Advocate: VERONICA DOMINACH -- gold-medal award winner dessert Chocolate Pecan Crunch. visit Bourbon House to taste this delight! |
Chocolate Pecan Crunch - all 700 servings disappeared quickly and there's a warrant out for the arrest of the anonymous gobblers.
Bronze medal - Chef Eric Damidot, 8 Block Kitchen at the Hyatt Regency, New Orleans,
Chocolate Bread Pudding Pain Perdu With Greek Yogurt Chiboust
Meat and Poultry category:
Gold medal tied - Chef Eric Damidot, 8 Block Kitchen at the Hyatt Regency, New Orleans,
Gold medal - Chef Chris Montero, of café b, Metairie, Louisiana (New Orleans area),
Steak and Eggs dish that featured truffled quail eggs and carpaccio
Braised Chappapeela Pork Cheek With Violette Mousseline Potato, Pumpernickel Crouton
Silver medal - Chef Paul Robert, of Besh Steak, New Orleans,
Grilled Hanger Steak With Puffed Barley and Beet Chips
Bronze medal - Chef Alon Shaya, Domenica, New Orleans,
Lamb Bolognese
Lagniappe category:
Silver medal - Chef Scott Varnedoe, Restaurant IPO, Baton Rouge,
Gold medal - Chef Chip Flanagan, Ralph’s on the Park, New Orleans,
Yaka Mein
Housemade Papardelle With Truffle Foie Gras Cream and Candied Tomato
Bronze medal - Chef Brandon Muetzel, Palace Café, New Orleans,
Banana Bread With Pecan Butter and Foie Gras Mousse
Soups and Stews category:
Gold medal: Chef Scott Varnedoe, Restaurant IPO, Baton Rouge,
Sea Scallop and Wild Mushroom Bisque With Edible Garden
Silver medal - Chef Michael Sichel, Galatoire’s, New Orleans,
Lobster Bisque With Truffle Creme and Roe
Silver medal too - Chef Tim Ormonde, Marriott 5 Fifty 5, New Orleans,
Sweet Corn Bisque With Main Lobster
Bronze medal - Nick Gile, The Bombay Club, New Orleans,
Crawfish Bisque With Tasso Dumpling and Grilled Corn Salad
Bronze medal - Chef Eric Damidot, 8 Block Kitchen at the Hyatt Regency, New Orleans,
Wild Teal Duck Gumbo With Brown Rice and Po-Boy Crystal Croutons
Seafood category:
"A Taste of the River" Crawfish Spaetzle With Oyster Liquor Poached Gulf Fish and Gulf Shrimp Butter
Silver medal - Chef Guy Reinbolt, Broussard’s, New Orleans,
George Banks Scallops With Potato Galette and Spinach Beurre Blanc
Silver medal too - Chef Austin Kirzner, Redfish Grill, New Orleans,
LA Crawfish Cakes BLT
Bronze medal - Lindsay Mason, Dick and Jenny’s, New Orleans,
Bourbon and Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon
Best of Show: Chefs Torre and David Solazzo, Del Porto Ristorante, Covington, (New Orleans area)
Crispy Pork Belly, Gulf Shrimp, Heirloom Tomato, Chili-Mint-Orange Vinaigrette, Fried Basil and Garlic Chips
Here are some more good links if you are thinking of traveling to visit New Orleans:
New Orleans official guide for travel.
New Orleans hotels, restaurants, things to do and purchase Mardi Gras beads site where they give a good short summary of this cooking competition event.
New Orleans online upcoming events calendar.
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| Photo: Cynthia Campbell |
Macadamia Nut Pineapple Up-Side Down Cake
Makes: 1 (9-inch) cake; serves 9 to 10.
From: Chef Erin Swanson, pastry chef, Restaurant R’evolution, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Restaurant R'evolution
Oh, yum! Check out the restaurant menu.
Ingredients:
11/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cake flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and cooled
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 extra large whole eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 fresh pineapple, cored and sliced
Butter Topping:
4 1/2 Tablespoons melted butter (2.25 ozs.)
1/2 lb. (2 cups) brown sugar
Note: The restaurant serves the cake slices with a butterscotch macadamia nut sauce. Sorry, guys, the chef didn't supply this recipe to gild the lily. This butter topping is plenty delicious!
Note: The restaurant serves the cake slices with a butterscotch macadamia nut sauce. Sorry, guys, the chef didn't supply this recipe to gild the lily. This butter topping is plenty delicious!
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift the cake flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.
3. In a food processor, pulse the macadamia nuts and sugar until roughly chopped.
4. Cream the butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and nut mixture. Add eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract; scrape the sides of the bowl.
5. Then, alternate the dry ingredients with the sour cream, starting with the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.
6. Prepare the butter topping by mixing the melted butter with the brown sugar.
7. Prepare the cake pan by spraying with nonstick vegetable spray. Lay thin layer of the butter topping down inside the pan. Arrange the sliced pineapple in the bottom of the cake pan. Pour the cake batter over the pineapple slices. Bake for 15 minutes then rotate the pan. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let cool inside the pan.
8. Use a knife to loosen the cake from the pan. Invert the cake on a dinner plate and remove the pan. Serve room temperature.
Sleep Majesty King Duvet
Sleep Majesty: Restful, blissful, restorative sleep reigns supreme to pump up our attitude to take on a new day! Easy to coordinate with other patterns!
Check out what other products besides bedding are available in this design.
Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new! Also note that I leave up all my designs from year to year so you have the security knowing that you can purchase as your budget permits to coordinate a room.
Sleep Majesty: Restful, blissful, restorative sleep reigns supreme to pump up our attitude to take on a new day! Easy to coordinate with other patterns!
Check out what other products besides bedding are available in this design.
Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new! Also note that I leave up all my designs from year to year so you have the security knowing that you can purchase as your budget permits to coordinate a room.
* * * Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home. Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new! Thank you for supporting this cause. You rock!
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