Rombauer Jam Cake

I was searching for a jam cake recipe after I realized that I had a huge jam collection sitting in the pantry. I felt like baking and knew I wanted to use up some jam. I started looking for jam cake recipes and found many variations of this cake. This is one of the older recipes for the cake, which means the ingredients are less complicated and the recipe is likely to be closer to the original cake. The cake itself comes out moist and the spiciness of the cloves and nutmeg comes through wonderfully. The cake will continue to be remain moist for a few days if left covered at room temperature.

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Simple Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I was in a rush to make a few appetizers a few weeks ago. It was a cloudy day so I wanted to make something warm, but I didn't want to make anything too labor intensive. After scrolling through various collections of "easy appetizers" and "quick appetizers" I decided to check Fine Cooking for some inspiration. I saw this dip and knew it was perfect. All you need to do is chop and mix some ingredients together and then bake the final product. Try to time the dish so it comes out of the oven around when you expect your guests to arrive. You could always prepare the dip ahead of time and just bake it later when you need it. Make up to one day prior to using and allow the dip to come to room temperature as you preheat your oven.

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Apple Puff Pastry Galette

The other week I really wanted to have some dessert, but did not have the energy to get into full blown baking mode. I had some apples at home and a box of puff pastry in the freezer so I knew straight away I wanted to make something using those ingredients. In the past my sister has made savory galettes with puff pastry when she hasn't had time to make the dough from scratch, so I figured I'd do the same. I found an Ina Garten recipe for apple crostata and used that as a base for flavoring the galette. The result was delicious and this dessert got rave reviews from everyone who tried it. It goes great with a cup of coffee, tea, or cider.

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Arugula and Chopped Fennel Salad

It wasn't until this past summer that I realized how much I love adding finely chopped fennel to my salads. I first discovered this type of salad when I was visiting my grandmother and have been a fan ever since. When the fennel is chopped, the rough texture can be avoided but the flavor can still be enjoyed. I made this for a friend who claims to dislike fennel and she loved the salad. You don't need to use arugula for this salad, the fennel will go well with most greens.

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Thai Chicken with Basil and Red Peppers

I love Thai cooking, especially meals like this which are simple to make and come together quickly. The first time I made this I was pleasantly surprised as to how easily the dish came together and how good it tasted even though I had to make do without some ingredients. I didn't have fish sauce, dark soy sauce, or peanut oil at the time so I made some potentially questionable substitutions and still loved the dish. The one thing you cannot skip is the basil. This dish revolves around basil and without it would lack a lot of flavor. Serve the dish over rice for a simple meal.

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