Pineapple Upside-Down Cake w/ Ginger Ice Cream

This recipe I stumbled upon one day when I decided to make dinner with my roommate. Although most of the dinner was Asian-inspired after tasting this cake - I knew it would be something my family would enjoy.

So I thought I'd share it with you.

It's inspired by a recipe on Simply Recipes - however, I've changed the caramel topping a bit - and also changed some ingredients within the cake recipe as well.

Ingredients:

Caramel Topping-

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup of molasses
• 1 can (20 oz) of pineapple slices.

Cake:

• 1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 6 Tbsp cornmeal
• 6 Tbsp of ground almonds (from about 2 oz of whole almonds)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 & 3/4 cups of sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Start by making the caramel topping: Take sugar and butter and combine and melt in a saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves. Stir in the molasses and wait until the mixture is bubbly, this should take several minutes.  Pour mixture into a 10 inch diameter stick-free cake pan with 2 inch high sides. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer ontop of the caramel mixture. About 7 slices fit.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Whisk the flour, corn meal, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter together until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each, beating well after each addition. Pour cake batter over caramel and pineapple in pan.
3. Bake cake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12 to 14 servings. Serve with ginger ice cream - I'm recommending Haagen Daaz.

Bandhakopi (Spiced Cabbage with Potatoes)

Our graduate school is having a potluck where the various school ethnic groups are making dishes to share. I decided to make bandhakopi (pronounced: bah-da-co-pee) because it's a Bengali classic.

Although a cabbage dish never really sounds that appealing - this one is great. It actually brings out the sweetness
of the vegetable itself, but the spices give it a depth of flavor and the potatoes add some substance.

When I was younger this was served as a side, along with another vegetable or meat dish and a bread accompaniment.


Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage, sliced thinly
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 tbsp. of oil
• 1 tbsp of turmeric
• 1 tsp. of chili paste or 1/2 tsp. of chili powder
• 1 tbsp. of cumin
• 1/2 tsp. of coriander
• 1 tsp of ginger paste, or 1/2 inch of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp of ghee (a clarified butter) or 1 tbsp of butter.
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp of garam masala
• 1/2 tsp of salt, check to taste
• 1 tsp of sugar

Directions:

1. Heat up oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Once heated add cubed potatoes and 1/4 tsp of salt. When browned remove from pan and set aside.
2. In the remaining oil, add the sliced cabbage and remaining salt. Stir and cover the cabbage so it may wilt over medium low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes.
3. There will be some water in the pan rendered from the cabbage - to that add spices to create a paste.
4. Add sugar and salt to taste - and add cooked potatoes and 1/4 cup of water.
5. Continue to stir - looking for gravy to thicken - and then cover the cabbage. 
6. Finally add ghee to coat the dish.

Serves 6. Prep: 20 min. Cook: 25 min.