LINKDING

1 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend) 1/2 cup cornmeal 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1/2 cup buttermilk (or coconut milk with a bit of lemon juice mixed in) vanilla Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9x9 cake pan. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Cream the butter until it is light and airy. Add the sugar and continue to cream until very fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the buttermilk and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated, being careful not to over mix. Pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top. Bake until the cake is golden and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes (start checking with a toothpick at 25 minutes). Cool completely, slice, and serve with some sort of fruit compote. (3 plus cups of frozen strawberries worth is about the right amount.) ➤ The cake was mediocre, mostly just good as a vehicle for eating the strawberry compote. Its virtue is that it is a much quicker and easier gluten-and-dairy-free cake than that polenta cake I sometimes make.

12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup water 1 tbsp granulated sugar 2 tsp pickling spice 1 tsp salt Combine vinegar, water, sugar, pickling spices and salt in small saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain liquid through sieve or cheesecloth, if desired. Place eggs in 4-cup (1 L) jar with lid. Pour hot liquid over eggs into each jar; Cover jar with lid. Refrigerate for at least two days before using. Pretty good, but not as tasty as proper Pennsylvania Dutch red beet pickled eggs. I'd been hoping that I could get away with this simpler recipe, but I think I'll need to figure out what recipe is best for the red beet eggs because that'll be worth it.

2 cups gram flour (chickpea flour) 1 teaspoon cracked/coarsely ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1 clove garlic, pressed 1⁄4 cup water 1 tablespoon water cayenne (for dusting tops) oil, for frying (optional) Stir together the flour, pepper, ground cumin seed, and salt in a large bowl or in the food processor; mix thoroughly until the spices are evenly distributed. Add the garlic and mix well. Add enough of the water to form a dough that will hold together in a cohesive ball; if necessary, add up to 1 additional tablespoon water. The dough should be fairly stiff and dry; if it is too wet, it will not roll well. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes by hand or pulse for about 15 seconds in the food processor; the dough should be smooth. With your hands, shape the dough into a cylinder or log about 2 inches thick and 6 inches long. With a sharp knife, cut the cylinder into 1/2-inch thick slices. The next step uses oil, so do not use your pastry cloth and rolling pin sleeve. Place each slice on a lightly oiled surface. Lightly oil the top of the slice and then roll out into a very thin circle about 6 or 7 inches in diameter. Papadams must be rolled extremely thin, maximum 1/16 inch. If the dough sticks to your rolling pin, gently pull it off. Dust the tops of each papadam with cayenne pepper. Using a metal spatula to loosen the edges of the papadams from the rolling surface, carefully place them on large baking sheets. The traditional method for preparing and frying papadams is described below; you can also bake them in a 300F oven for about 15 to 25 minutes, or until crisp and dry. The cooking time may vary beyond this range depending upon the thickness and moisture in the rolled dough. Cool them on a rack. To prepare the papadams in an authentic manner, don't bake them; first allow them to dry by leaving them in the sun for a few hours or by placing them in a very low oven (less than 200F) for 1 to 2 hours, turning occasionally. Dry the papadams until they are just slightly flexible and show no moisture; they should not brown or bake, however. At this point, the papadams may be stacked flat and stored in an airtight container until needed; they will keep for months if stored properly. When ready to serve, heat about 1/8 inch of oil in a large skillet; the oil should be hot, but not smoking; a drop of water flicked into the skillet should sizzle immediately. One at a time, drop the papadams into the hot oil. Turn the papadam when it begins to curl at the edges; it will quickly fry and become crisp. Remove it before it turns brown. Cool and drain the papadams on paper towels and eat them immediately.