Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

The berries will soon be gone from the market and this recipe has been bookmarked for months. Originally spied in my Gourmet Magazine with further inspiration coming from Smitten Kitchen, I had to try it. Lot of talent in that no-so-little blog of hers . . .

This is a simple buttermilk cake with that nice sugary crunch on top, reminiscent of those Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins we like so much. Berries are always interchangeable . . .

This is scrumptious. I'll be making it for the second time tomorrow.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 oz)

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle and butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat well. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar. Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.

La Sirena Grill

My husband, the social animal that he is, made friends with a surfer from the U.K. Except, as it turns out, he wasn't from the U.K. at all, he was from Laguna Beach. He was working on his British accent for a movie role he has next year . . . a sequel to a vampire blockbuster. All he'd say. I digress. We asked him where the best Mexican place was in Laguna . . . we explained we had our favorite locals places to eat like Cafe Zoolu and Thai Brothers, but that we'd yet to find a favorite Mexican place. He recommended La Sirena Grill . . . I was hesitant because, first, I have trust issues. Really about anything, but especially about food. Second, I typically do about 30 hours of research (minimum) for each new place we try when we're on vacation. Since I'm on vacation and all . . . I threw caution to the wind and took his advice. I'm like that. Spontaneous. Know what? It was outstanding.

This was the house special . . . the Sirena carne asada layered on some homemade corn tortillas and covered in roasted peppers and onions and queso fresco. It was simple and fabulous.

David's grilled beef tacos on handmade corn tortillas with Sirena cabbage and fresh salsa.

I'm still working the new settings on my camera . . . this isn't the best picture. Trust - this was the best guacamole I've ever had.

So thanks pretend British boy from Laguna Beach - if your dad is the President of Experien and you're reading this, I hope you become famous just because your recommendation was awesome.

The Road to La Rue

Today was a little more hazy than most beach days here . . . no matter. We still put our time in and managed to sit in those beach chairs for a number of hours.

Each day I pack two novels and have trouble deciding which one is my choice for the day. Today I chose The Road. Let me tell you, by the time I packed up my gear and headed back to the yellow cottage I wanted to carve both eyeballs out. How I managed to avoid this book for so long is a mystery to me. Perhaps it's the aversion I have to post-apocalyptic anythings . . . movies, books, whatever. Mostly I felt as if I'd read a collection of Frank McCourt novels back to back. At least in his novels the babies died of starvation. None were eaten. I really may never be the same.

I did the only thing I could possibly do. I went to LaRue du Chocolat, a quaint little chocolate shop down a secluded and lovely landscaped alley in the heart of Laguna Beach. Know what? It wasn't enough.

For you, Stace

The Laguna institution lives on . . . and so it was that we had to carry on the tradition. We shared our caramel apple tonight walking the streets of downtown. The sign said, "We'll slice it for you!", and as if that happened to be the deal breaker, we looked at each other and said, "Tonight's the night." It was yummy.

Crystal Cove

Tonight we took a drive for dinner to Crystal Cove, an historic beach district just north of Laguna, before you get to Newport Beach. It's been the site of many movies . . . think Treasure Island. It had a hippie feel to it for sure - the cliffs are dotted with little shacks - but it' a beautiful spot. Anyway, does this really mater? No, it doesn't . . . not one bit . . . because we only went there to eat. Isn't that what this blog is all about? Yep. My blog is all about pictures of pork chops. And meatloaf. And cupcakes. And pretty much nothing else...

Our appetizer came highly recommended, the Roasted French Feta. It came with marinated oven roasted tomatoes (I have to try to duplicate these),an olive tapenade, and was served with slices of ciabatta. Delicious. I do believe my fingers are swollen from all the salt and brine in the feta and the olives. That happens to you, right? Am I the only one having a hard time typing right now?

This is my Banana Leaf Mahi Mahi on a bed of couscous with diced peppers, green onions, then wrapped in a banana leaf and baked. It was served with a side of grilled pineapple and supposedly topped with a dark rum (are you sensing a theme here?) butter sauce, but I will eat my hat if there was rum in that. What IS the origin of that saying, anyway?

David's pork chop grilled and then glazed with the house BBQ sauce. It was served with roasted potatoes, parmesan aioli cream corn and wilted baby spinach. He did NOT eat the spinach.

The atmosphere was fun and we're glad we went . . . but tomorrow we are staying just in Laguna, even opting out of going to that place I said I wasn't going to bring up again. Rhymes with Tinkles. Over and out.

Breakfast

I promise I will shut up about Sprinkles once I hit "publish." If I have to...

We have eaten $32.50 worth of cupcakes. No lie. We've had raspberry cupcakes, carrot cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, mocha cupcakes . . . the list goes on. The very best thing about them - the frosting. Only the best sweet cream butter . . . and then they buy their sprinkles (jimmies, where I come from) from France. They are skinny and crunchy and awesome.

They are opening a store in Las Vegas. Believe it.