Good morning! Today we have for you:
Perky lemon poppy seed cake
Hello, friends. I hope this finds you well and in good company. As I type this, both are true for me. A few feet away, a Steller’s jay is parked on a low branch, blue feathers electric under its black mohawk. Is my companion wondering, as I am up here in the Sierra Nevada of California, how it’s over 75 degrees with a foot of snow still on the ground? Well, that’s spring today, as good a time as any for Melissa Clark’s excellent lemon poppy seed pound cake. It delivers the classic muffin flavor combination in the fine crumb of a tall loaf. By using olive oil instead of butter, Melissa keeps the cake from drying out and accentuates the tang of lemon with the oil’s green fruitiness. Featured Recipe Lemon Poppy Seed CakeI’m excited to have Meyer lemons to use up because I love their jasmine aroma in cake. Their tartness is rounder, almost sweeter, than that of standard lemons, so I’m going to double the juice in the glaze but keep the original amount of powdered sugar. That highlights the unique scent of the Meyers while replicating the daybreak shine of sharper lemons. I came across this recent comment for Melissa’s lemon cake: “I had to make this to mark Afroman’s victory in court. It rose to the occasion.” If you haven’t been following this case, an Ohio jury ruled in favor of the rapper Afroman, whose name is Joseph E. Foreman, on March 19. It concluded a civil trial brought by law enforcement officers who said that his use of footage from their 2022 raid on his home in music videos — including one titled “Lemon Pound Cake” — caused them distress. You can read more about it, which will make you want to watch the video, which will make you crave this cake. It’s a solid bake to start the week. Here are some savory options to enjoy with it: Egg and cheese toasts with salsa: Brunch doesn’t get more satisfying than salsa-smothered eggs running over cheesy toast. You know what would make this take on huevos ahogados from Rick Martínez even better? Starting with his homemade bolillos. Of course, you can just buy those soft split-top rolls from a panadería or market, or use another sturdy-yet-tender crusty roll. Roasted peri peri chicken and potatoes: I needed some spark in my chicken routine, and this fantastic meal from Kiano Moju brought it. By shifting the chicken from its standard grill preparation to a sheet pan roast, she gives you a built-in side dish of potatoes that soak up the chile-lemon marinade and meat juices. Next time, I’m going to double the sauce to have even more left over for serving, and throw in bird’s-eye chiles for heat. Baked coconut red lentils and greens: Even though I prefer cooking beans in the oven, I didn’t think to do the same with lentils until this Ashley Lonsdale recipe came along. She uses this no-stir method to concentrate the gingery coconut broth into a hearty stew that will be perfect for desk lunches this week. Her quick-pickled turmeric onions and chiles on top are a must. Smoky tomato pasta with shrimp and almonds: Yotam Ottolenghi captures the tastes of Barcelona with this combination of smoked paprika, garlic, shrimp and almonds. Bound by plenty of olive oil and tomato sauce, the angel-hair dish is reminiscent of Catalan fideuà, but the strands are kept long for twirling. Whole roasted cauliflower with pistachio pesto: Susan Spungen created this Cézanne-like still life for Passover, and it has become my go-to for vegetarian guests. The pesto can be made a day ahead, and when it’s time to serve, I cut the cauliflower into wedges without cutting through the bottom so the pesto can tumble down the ravines. If you’re celebrating Passover, have a wonderful Seder. If you’re celebrating Easter, I’ll see you at the end of Holy Week. If this is spring break or just another week, I hope it’s a really great one. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started.
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