Pistachio Cake

The other day I was in the mood for baking (in case you didn't already realize, I do almost all of the cooking in my family). It was a cold, rainy day, and we couldn't really do much of anything outside. Since I was home-locked, I figured I'd make something. There's this cake in the Babbo Cookbook that I've wanted to make for a while. It's an Italian hazelnut cake. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find all of the ingredients. So, I made my own version using pistachios instead of hazelnuts and changing a few other things around to things that would go better with pistachios. Anyway, the results were really good. It's kind of like pistachio ice cream in cake form (that's what I think, anyway). In case you're interested, here's the recipe:

1 cup shelled pistachios roasted in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 pistachio paste
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325. Spray 9 inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment or wax paper
Pulse the nuts in a food processor with 1/4 cup flour until it becomes finely ground (basically making a pistachio flour). Mix together this mixture with the rest of the flour and the baking powder (set aside).
In a mixer cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the pistachio paste, and then add 1 egg at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add vanilla and honey. Mix in the flour mixture, 1/3 at a time.
Spread evenly in the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes (make sure a toothpick or something like it comes out clean). Remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack.
When cool, dust with powdered sugar.

I think it's pretty good, and I haven't gotten a complaint yet. Many are skeptical, but once they have it, they agree it's a good cake.

Top Chef Dinner

Wow. Last night I took my wife out to dinner for her birthday. We went to Perilla, which is the restaurant opened by the winner of Top Chef - Season 1, Harold Dieterle. We suffered through the real-feel temperature hovering near zero and parked our car somewhat illegally in the West Village and made our way into the small, but very nice restaurant on Jones Street (between Bleecker and West 4th) - not a bad location. Although there was space at the bar where we could hang out and wait, we were lucky and didn't have to wait at all to be seated at our reserved table (this is one of those places that take reservations 1 month from the day you want to go - and they fill up fast).
To start, we split the Grilled Greek Sardines over a baby mesculin salad with golden beets. I paired this with a Treixadura blend from Spain (sorry, I can't remember the exact wine). We decided to go for something different with our appetizer. For main courses, my wife had the "Jerk" Style Black Grouper with plantains and purple yams over a black bean puree, while I had the Roasted Duckling with pomegranate, white grits and mustard greens. I was tossing between the pork loin wrapped in bacon (it IS pork on pork after all) and the duck, but the waiter said the duck was Chef Harold's favorite dish on the menu. Decision made. I paired this course with a glass of Foris Pinot Noir, Oregon 2005.
Dessert included fresh warm vanilla scented donuts with two dipping sauces (chocolate mousse and meyer lemon curd) and a vanilla creme fresh panna cotta with poached pears. Amazing desserts. The other great thing about this restaurant was the coffee. It was terrific, which is always a plus.
Overall, we had a great meal. I would definitely go back.

NP: Inch Worm, John Coltrane

Donut Headache

Most mornings when I am driving to work, I make my own coffee at home and take it in a travel mug. Every once in a while I can't be bothered (I'm usually too tired) and I figure I'll stop on the road on my way into the city. There's this Dunkin' Donuts on Route 17 that I've gone to once or twice before. Never have I gotten good service there. Also, their coffee isn't that good, which I don't really understand because I assumed all Dunkin' Donuts establishments made their coffee exactly the same way (isn't there a Dunkin' Donuts University out there for prospective franchise owners?). Anyway, my wife has had similar experiences as I have had at this place and we both came to the conclusion to avoid it from now on.
Well, I didn't listen to my own advice and the other morning I stopped in there to get a coffee and a muffin. I clearly asked for 1 large coffee with milk and sugar and a banana nut muffin. The following conversation followed:

Dunkin' Donuts Lady: "Anything else?"
Me: "No, just the coffee and the muffin."
DDL: "Okay. Anything else?"
Me: "Well... the muffin."
DDL: "Yes. Anything else?"
Me: "No. Just a large coffee with milk and sugar and a banana nut muffin."
DDL: "Anything else?"
Me: "No. The coffee and the muffin."
DDL: "Anything else?"
Me: "No."
(a few moments pass...)
DDL: "One large coffee. $2.02." (rings me up in the cash register.)
Me: "Are you f*&king kidding me?!?!?!"

I don't know why this exchange surprised me... this place sucks.

NP: nothing